Contact:

Sara Sinek
212-343-6899
ssinek@scholastic.com

Nadia Almahdi
212-343-6635
nalmahdi@scholastic.com

New York, NY — February 25, 2013 — Scholastic (SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today announced the launch of Knowledge Quest!™ Read-Aloud Collections, a new pre-K–grade 3 program created by leading literacy experts at Scholastic Book Clubs, which includes themed book bundles and a guidebook for teachers and parents to read aloud with children to develop the vocabulary and comprehension skills required by the Common Core State Standards. Each book collection includes fiction and nonfiction titles to be read in sequential order so that children build a rich knowledge base on each topic and have repeated exposure to the vocabulary of that topic. The collections center on engaging topics in science, social studies, literature, art, music and social themes.

Each Knowledge Quest! guidebook includes selected vocabulary for discussion, booklists, topic-based questions to answer, and cross-curricular activities involving songs, poetry, acting, and drawing to allow teachers and parents to extend the learning of each read-aloud collection. Additional downloadable art and resources are available for free on the Knowledge Quest! website.

"I like the idea of things being made easier for me as a teacher, especially with curated books and fun activities that align to the Common Core standards. It’s also amazing to have it all bundled together," said Stella Castilla, 3rd grade teacher in Weston, Florida.

According to research by Thomas Sticht included in the Common Core State Standards (Appendix A), children’s listening comprehension is greater than their reading comprehension until middle school, and young children who hear more words through reading aloud have larger vocabularies than their classmates by the time they enter kindergarten. Knowledge Quest! Read- Aloud Collections help teachers and parents create that dynamic read-aloud experience for children through age-appropriate books that interweave content with skill-building activities.

"It is important to remember that the standards are just that—standards—and not a curriculum," said Souzanne A. Wright, Vice President, Program Development Strategy for Scholastic Book Clubs and a contributor to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. "What we do know is that teachers are going to be required to have more nonfiction and other literature genres connected to content themes for the Common Core in the classroom, and Knowledge Quest! is that turn-key solution for every teacher and parent anxious to find the right books and techniques to help children improve reading comprehension and meet the higher goals set by the new standards."

Knowledge Quest! bundles start at a special introductory price of $24.99 and can be purchased by teachers and parents through Scholastic Book Clubs.

More information about Knowledge Quest! is available at Scholastic.com/knowledgequest.

For more information about Scholastic, please visit our media room at mediaroom.scholastic.com.

New turn-key read-aloud program bridges school-to-home learning to build vocabulary, comprehension skills, and a strong knowledge base