McGraw-Hill Education Launches Reading WonderWorks to Help Struggling Readers Meet the Common Core State Standards

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- McGraw-Hill Education today announced the launch of McGraw-Hill Reading WonderWorks, a personalized, flexible and intensive intervention program for struggling readers in Grades K-6 that was built from the ground up to address the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. Reading WonderWorks, which supports Reading Wonders, McGraw-Hill Education's comprehensive Common Core reading program, was designed specifically to help students who are reading below grade level develop critical reading, writing and analytical skills required by the rigorous new standards so that they can accelerate through the curriculum and read on grade level by the following year. The program is currently rolling into classrooms across the country.  

Available in both print and digital format, Reading WonderWorks was built to support the core instruction that occurs in the Reading Wonders classroom, but provides flexible options and scaffolds specific skills for students with varying intervention needs. For students in younger grades (K-1), the program emphasizes developing and reinforcing foundational skills from the Reading Wonders program (phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, word recognition, fluency, oral vocabulary) that are crucial for developing proficient readers as defined by the Common Core State Standards. For older grades (2-6), the program's focus shifts to addressing higher level skills (practicing close reading, accessing the meaning of complex text, analytical writing) that are level-appropriate but still maintain the complexity that students are required to master. Foundational skills continue to be scaffolded to support students throughout the program as needed.  

The program will also include Reading Wonders Adaptive Learning, a system developed in conjunction with Area9 that will continually assess a student's knowledge and skills and provide them with a personalized learning path to help them accelerate their learning.

"We believe that every student deserves a chance to succeed academically. With the arrival of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and a general trend to more rigorous educational standards, students who are reading below grade level will face even greater challenges in meeting them," said Peter Cohen, president of McGraw-Hill School Education. "The goal of Reading WonderWorks is to close the achievement gap among students, help struggling students develop foundational reading and writing skills in a self-paced and flexible environment starting as early as kindergarten, and accelerate them so that they can read on grade level and graduate with the confidence they need to succeed in college and beyond." 

The Reading WonderWorks program seamlessly integrates with Reading Wonders through an interconnected digital platform for students and teachers across multiple devices, and the robust teacher platform provides both Reading Wonders and Reading WonderWorks instructors with shared access to built-in and customizable plans and resources to jointly push their students forward, already sequenced in the order of instruction. Also included in the platform are Foundational Skills Kits that teachers can use with students if they are missing key foundational skills that are potentially holding them back, as well as "Level Up" lessons that stretch and accelerate students to read on grade level. Placement and diagnostic assessments as well as the Reading Wonders Adaptive Learning system will help tailor instruction, gauge an individual student's progress and ultimately determine if a student is ready to exit the Reading WonderWorks program.  

Reading WonderWorks offers interactive worktexts and e-books that allow students to take notes, utilize built-in prompts to help them identify and mark text evidence and most importantly, collaborate and discuss passages with their peers to help them think more critically and extrapolate the meaning of more challenging texts. The students' dynamic platform also engages them in games, graphics and ample practice to ensure that they become confident and proficient readers who can read on grade level and help students make progress toward satisfying more rigorous educational standards.  

For more information about Reading WonderWorks visit: http://mhreadingwonders.com/wonder-works/  

About McGraw-Hill Education

McGraw-Hill Education is a digital learning company that draws on its more than 100 years of educational expertise to offer solutions that improve learning outcomes around the world. McGraw-Hill Education is the adaptive education technology leader with the vision for creating a highly personalized learning experience that prepares students of all ages for the world that awaits.  The Company has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions available in more than 60 languages.  For additional information, visit www.mheducation.com.

Contact:
Brian Belardi
McGraw-Hill Education
(212) 904-4827
brian.belardi@mheducation.com

SOURCE McGraw-Hill Education