NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to
the Scholastic Teacher & Principal School Report: 2nd
Edition, educators have shared that their top COVID-19-related
concern is their students' social-emotional wellbeing, and nearly
all agree that literacy is critical to students' wellness.
Scholastic and the nonprofit LitWorld are coming
together to help begin turning the page, starting with a
read-aloud. Taking place on February 3,
2021, the 12th annual World Read Aloud
Day will highlight the power of reading aloud and its
accessibility, as a virtual kit will support connections between
families, educators, and children, even if they are apart. And for
the first time, the event includes a partnership with football
champion, bestselling author, and literacy advocate Malcolm Mitchell. To ensure even more
children have access to read-aloud books, Scholastic is donating
10,000 books to Malcolm Mitchell's
Share the Magic Foundation, which will be distributed to kids
through Malcolm Mitchell's Fourth
Annual "READBowl" Global Reading Competition, to help create and
build their home libraries.
To learn more, visit the:
- Scholastic World Read Aloud Day website at
https://www.scholastic.com/worldreadaloudday
- LitWorld World Read Aloud Day website at
https://www.litworld.org/worldreadaloudday
On the Scholastic World Read Aloud Day website, visitors will
have free, immediate access to a selection of resources including
articles from Scholastic Classroom Magazines, the full version of
Click Clack Moo by Doreen
Cronin made available through Scholastic
BookFlix®, activities from Scholastic Learn at Home
for Families, as well as articles about the importance of
reading aloud. The site also features custom illustrations from
Malcolm Mitchell's newly released
title, My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World.
For additional resources, families and educators can subscribe
to the WRADvocates (read-aloud advocates) email list to receive a
free VirtualKit, which includes:
- A special read-aloud video message from Malcolm Mitchell
- A 15% off coupon for the Scholastic Store Online (through
February 10, 2021)
- Educational materials and discussion guides for select titles
featured on the curated list of 30 World Read Aloud Day Book
Picks
- Printable activity sheets and how-to craft projects inspired by
beloved children's titles such as Chicken Little by
Sam Wedelich, The Serpent's Secret
series by Sayantani DasGupta, The
Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey, the
Bunbun & Bonbon series by Jess
Keating, and more
- A curated hub of digital articles from Scholastic Classroom
Magazines for all ages and interests
- Expanded access to paired fiction and nonfiction stories
through Scholastic BookFlix, such as Duck on a Bike
by David Shannon and the nonfiction
text Bicycle Safety by Lisa M.
Herrington
- A selection of digital book excerpts from beloved titles,
including Martin Rising: Requiem
for a King by Andrea Davis
Pinkney and Brian Pinkney,
and Allies by Alan Gratz
- Shareable social media graphics including a WRADvocate badge
and custom virtual backgrounds for read-alouds hosted via web
conferencing services
Families and educators can also participate in the World Read
Aloud Day social media challenge by snapping a photo or video of a
read-aloud moment! Be sure to use #WRADChallenge and
#WorldReadAloudDay, tag at least three friends to join the
fun, as well as @Scholastic and @LitWorldSays on Twitter, and
@scholasticinc and @litworld on Instagram.
QUOTES:
Malcolm
Mitchell, football champion, bestselling author, and founder
of Share the Magic Foundation: "I know from experience that
the journey of becoming a reader can be very challenging, but
literacy is crucial for future success. Creating opportunities for
kids to immerse themselves in the read-aloud experience is an
important way to show that reading matters and help them experience
the magic that comes with finding a meaningful story."
Dorothy Lee, Executive
Director, LitWorld: "LitWorld's annual World Read Aloud Day
has become a movement engaging hundreds of millions of people
around the world in standing up for literacy as a foundational
human right. When communities have access to books that are
meaningful to them, and tools to share their own stories, every
aspect of life improves."
Pam Allyn, Senior
Literacy Advisor to Scholastic, author, founder of LitWorld, and
creator of World Read Aloud Day: "The COVID-19 pandemic has
presented so many challenges for our loved ones and our
communities. Everyone is looking for opportunities to build
connection and one of the most simple, yet powerful ways to
facilitate that is through the read-aloud. The beauty of the
read-aloud is that it brings people together in a very joyful,
real, and authentic way that not only promotes social-emotional
learning, but also builds students' strengths and skills."
For more information about Malcolm
Mitchell's Share the Magic Foundation, and to register for
the free Fourth Annual "READBowl" Global Reading Competition for
kids in grades Pre-K–8, kicking off on January 11 and culminating with Mitchell crowning
the winners online during the big game on February 7, visit:
https://www.readwithmalcolm.com/readbowl
For more information about LitWorld and its work around the
world advocating for dynamic literacy and giving children tools
that amplify their voices and build agency, visit:
https://www.litworld.org
For more information about Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global
children's publishing, education, and media company, visit the
Company's media room: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com
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SOURCE Scholastic