Scholastic Launches Early Childhood Program
PreK On My Way™, Designed in Collaboration with UTHealth’s Children’s Learning Institute and Yale Child Study Center, Brings Together the Latest Early Childhood Education Research in Language, Literacy, Math, and Social-Emotional Development
New York, NY – May 20, 2021 – Scholastic has announced the launch of PreK On My Way, a comprehensive PreK program, with print and digital resources available in both English and Spanish. At the heart of the program is the Mind Builder™ skill-building methodology, developed with the Yale Child Study Center to support social-emotional learning, executive function skills, motivation, and creativity. PreK On My Way also incorporates UTHealth’s Children’s Learning Institute’s Developing Talkers/Hablemos Juntos research model, which is proven to significantly expand children’s receptive and expressive vocabulary skills.
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“Every child deserves a strong foundation in learning, and PreK On My Way balances the social-emotional and academic skills needed for thriving in kindergarten and beyond,” said Richard Robinson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Scholastic. “Scholastic brings significant experience in the field of early learning, first publishing a successful PreK curriculum 25 years ago, in addition to more than 100 years of bringing engaging literacy materials to students. Today, we are looking forward to combining our rich legacy, array of books, and digital learning resources with the powerful expertise of the Children’s Learning Institute and Yale Child Study Center. Our youngest learners will benefit from this much-needed support as they enter PreK for the very first time this fall.”
PreK On My Way supports social-emotional learning and language development by providing educators with an equitable, developmentally-appropriate model for early learning, with evidence-based assessments and daily read-alouds, structured for large groups, small group activities, and independent learning centers. The program also provides access to a collection of authentic, culturally relevant books, in addition to fun and engaging songs and games that foster critical thinking and reasoning. Throughout each lesson, mascots Scout the Squirrel, Pablo the Parrot, and Lala the Lizard guide children on their learning journeys as they build skills across content areas: language, literacy, math, science, fine arts, physical development, social studies, and technology.
Authors of PreK On My Way include leading researchers and educators: Tricia Zucker, Ph.D., of the Children’s Learning Institute at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth; Linda Mayes, M.D., of the Yale Child Study Center; and Jie-Qi Chen, Ph.D., of the Erikson Institute. Its research-based approach is designed to meet individual state standards and Head Start Early Learning Outcomes.
The full PreK On My Way program features:
- High-quality literature: Children learn through a rich selection of more than 350 print and digital books featuring exciting, interactive stories that have been transadapted between English and Spanish. These stories reflect children’s own lives and experiences, while introducing them to new worlds of discovery. Additional digital resources, such as My Big World™ and Watch & Learn Library™, are also available to complement PreK On My Way instruction.
- Hands-on learning: With a gradual release approach, children take an active role in their own learning through hands-on small group activities and purposeful play in independent centers. All learning is connected to the week’s concept question, creating an immersive learning experience each week.
- Family engagement: Through the digital Family Exchange portal, available via smartphone, tablet, or computer, caregivers gain access to original bilingual activities including play ideas, songs, and writing or question prompts that create a two-way learning exchange between school and home.
- Teacher support: Best practices for responsive teaching, classroom management, and meaningful family engagement are embedded throughout the program; resources include a digital Teacher Hub with customizable lesson planning, an implementation guide, teaching guides, read-aloud cards, and activity cards.
To learn more, visit: www.scholastic.com/prekonmyway.
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