Scholastic Launches A New Digital Reading Programme, Scholastic Reading Pro™, in the UK

-- Reading comprehension programme provides immediate feedback and assessment to teachers and students

LONDON, April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic UK – a subsidiary of Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company – today announced the launch of Scholastic Reading Pro™ to help teachers assess children's reading ability, motivate children to read more, and track reading achievement. Scholastic Reading Pro is a powerful information-gathering system that assesses students' reading levels and matches them to the right books, putting them on the path to becoming successful readers. The programme connects assessment to instruction by providing teachers with immediate actionable data and students with personalised reading plans.

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Students begin the programme by taking the 20-minute Scholastic Reading Pro Test, a computer-adaptive assessment, to determine their reading level in Lexiles®. They then choose reading topics that interest them and are given individualised reading lists that take into account their Lexile reading range, their interests, and a book's complexity. By choosing a book to read in this "targeted reading range", students are appropriately challenged but not frustrated. On completing a book, students take a short computerised quiz to check their comprehension.

Students are given access to their own scores and progress, and they get immediate feedback and virtual rewards, motivating them to read more in their targeted reading range and therefore improve their performance. It is suggested that students are re-tested for Lexile reading level every three to four months, so that teachers can monitor progress and evaluate instructional effectiveness.

Teachers can track students' progress, set meaningful individual and group reading goals, and access immediate data that can guide instruction and monitor progress. Administrators can use reports to evaluate teaching programmes and monitor the progress of a class, entire school or group of schools.

Catherine Bell, Scholastic Co Group MD, commented:

"We are thrilled to be able to support teachers in building readers and to encourage children to read as wide a range of books as possible. Reading Pro provides measurable, actionable data to help teachers make informed decisions and supports pupils of all reading levels and abilities in becoming self-motivated readers. At Scholastic we know kids who read succeed both at school and in life."

For more information on Scholastic Reading Pro, teachers can contact Scholastic at the following address: readingpro@scholastic.co.uk

About Scholastic

Scholastic is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology and related services and children's media. Scholastic creates quality books and ebooks, print and technology-based learning materials and programs, magazines, multi-media and other products that help children learn both at school and at home. The Company distributes its products and services worldwide through a variety of channels, including school-based book clubs and book fairs, retail stores, schools, libraries, on-air, and online at www.scholastic.co.uk.