Contact:

Anne Sparkman
212-343-6657
asparkman@scholastic.com

New York, NY – March 28, 2016 – The Scholastic campaign to encourage kids to make the summer leap into books and be prepared for the next grade has kicked off with the launch of the 2016 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge—a free, online program students can use to track their summer reading minutes and “Be a Reading Superhero.” Further helping educators address the effects of the summer slide both at home and in school, Scholastic today announced an expanded suite of resources to meet instructional needs, increase access to print and digital books, and support family engagement.

For more information on the extensive literacy solutions provided by Scholastic, visit http://www.scholastic.com/summerleap.

Enhance Instructional Reading & Writing

• LitCamp™ (Grades K–6) is a new, breakthrough summer literacy program combining research-based reading and writing lessons with an interactive summer camp approach that enables students to sharpen skills while discovering their natural motivation, curiosity, and confidence.
• Information in Action® (Grades K–5) brings project-based instruction to summer learning by encouraging students to read, write and research using informational texts to create final presentations, which they deliver to audiences within their community.
• Literacy Plus (Grades K–5) provides theme packs containing high-interest books paired with one-hour lesson plans to supplement summer curriculum and boost students’ literacy skills.
• Smart Practice Workbooks (Grades K–5) feature a large collection of colorful and engaging exercises and flash cards to keep reading and writing skills sharp.

Increase Access to Print and Digital Books

• XBOOKS™ Summer (Grades 6–8) is a motivating, literacy program for readers of all levels, providing print and ebooks for use with close reading, writing, and research activities that broaden students’ thinking and build core skills in order to increase reading achievement.
• My Books Summer (Grades Pre- K–12) offers customized book packs that come with reading journals and think sheets to ensure literacy goes home with students. New this year, school districts can pair My Books Summer with an online subscription to featured Classroom Magazines, including Scholastic News®, containing age-appropriate articles, videos and activities, both in English and Spanish.
• Scholastic Reading Club and Book Fairs empower students to choose books they will love to read with high-quality and diverse titles available for all age ranges and reading levels.
• eReading subscription services such as Storia® School Edition, BookFlix®, TrueFlix® and, FreedomFlix™ increase access to high-quality text anywhere with an Internet connection.

Engage Families with Summer Reading

• Scholastic Literacy Events (Grades Pre-K–5) transform events into fun, interactive learning opportunities with ready-to-use kits including activities designed to strengthen family-school partnerships by engaging and empowering families to support their children’s academic achievement.
• The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge has resources for parents to keep their children motivated all summer by logging their reading minutes and earning virtual rewards (http://www.scholastic.com/summer).

“Summer reading is critical for all educators looking to support a child’s learning while school is out and ensure students are ready for the new school year,” noted Scholastic Education Chief Academic Officer Michael Haggen. “Scholastic strives to be a comprehensive partner in making literacy the year-round priority it needs to be with resources that keep reading engaging for each child, provide choice and meet kids where they are throughout the summer—whether that’s in school or camp, at home, or on a mobile device.”

Scholastic literacy resource My Books Summer (Grades Pre- K-12) offers customized book packs that come with reading journals and think sheets to ensure literacy goes home with students.

For more information about Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education, and media company, visit //mediaroom.scholastic.com.