Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Launches Jamestown Reading Navigator To Help Struggling Adolescent Readers

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, the leading provider of middle and secondary school solutions, has launched Jamestown Reading Navigator, a comprehensive reading intervention program for students in Grades 6-12 reading two or more levels below grade level. The program is designed to motivate reluctant readers with highly engaging online and print- based content written specifically for adolescents.

Jamestown Reading Navigator was developed under Glencoe's Jamestown Education imprint, which has more than 30 years of success in reaching adolescent readers with its popular reading books. The program was tested in approximately 50 pilot sites nationwide with positive reviews.

Jamestown Reading Navigator is the first program designed specifically for adolescent readers to align with the research presented in the Reading Next report from the Alliance for Excellent Education and Carnegie Corporation of New York. Reading Next outlines 15 key elements of effective adolescent literacy programs including diverse texts, the incorporation of a technology component, and ongoing summative assessment.

"The need for intervention focused on motivating older, struggling readers is clear," said Steve McClung, president of Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. "The National Association of Education Progress has reported that two-thirds of America's eighth- and twelfth-grade students are not proficient in reading. Jamestown Reading Navigator addresses this crisis through innovative online and print- based instruction that is individualized for each student."

In addition, Jamestown Reading Navigator is easy for teachers to implement in the classroom. The program provides a comprehensive Teacher Resource Guide, which includes best practices and teaching support.

Jamestown Reading Navigator is designed to help teachers improve student performance through its direct, explicit instruction in reading skills and comprehension strategies. Because it is individualized for each student, the online learning environment allows teachers to work with a wide range of readers, from those who still need to master decoding and word recognition skills to those who are struggling with the comprehension strategies needed for high school reading.

The program strives to motivate readers through an interesting combination of fiction and non-fiction, with choices for independent reading. Some of the readings include: inClass Readers, high-interest, age-appropriate reading materials; inTIME Magazines, relevant, engaging content from Time Learning Ventures in a magazine format; and audio CDs, recordings of selected works in the inClass Readers anthologies to assist struggling readers. About 75 percent of the selections are non-fiction, which helps students prepare for the demands of reading the mostly non-fiction content of high-stakes assessments.

Jamestown Reading Navigator's student-directed, self-paced online learning environment is enriched with interactive activities and multimedia. The Internet provides students round-the-clock access to lessons so work can be performed in the classroom, during after-school programs, at the library, or at home.

An online, interactive tool also enables a placement test that can recommend the best level of instruction for the student in the program. The flexibility of an online assessment tool allows a student to test out of one lesson, for example, and immediately be engaged in the next one. This enables readers to experience success at their own pace and access lessons that are appropriate to their skill level, a proven motivator for reluctant readers. Jamestown Reading Navigator also provides assistance for English-language learners through audio support and differentiated vocabulary instruction.

About Glencoe/McGraw-Hill

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill is a unit of McGraw-Hill Education, a leading global provider of instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower the success of professionals and students of all ages. It is a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, a global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 290 offices in 38 countries. Sales in 2005 were $6.0 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/.

SOURCE: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: April Hattori
McGraw-Hill Education
+1-212-904-2078
april_hattori@mcgraw-hill.com
Tom Stanton
McGraw-Hill Education
+1-212-904-3214
tom_stanton@mcgraw-hill.com

Web site: http://www.mheducation.com/