Authors of McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders, Key Contributors to Development of Common Core State Standards, Speak on Literacy Issues at International Reading Association's 2013 Annual Convention

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, April 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- At the International Reading Association's annual convention, McGraw-Hill is pleased to announce that many of the authors of McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders, including those who contributed to the development of the Common Core State Standards, will speak at the company's booth (#3241) on a range of issues related to English Language Arts in the Common Core era. The involvement of the authors in the development of the Common Core State Standards is one of the central reasons why McGraw-Hill was able to quickly respond to schools' need for curriculum aligned to the new standards with Wonders.

The International Reading Association's annual convention is the largest discussion of literacy issues in the nation, where thousands of educators and literacy professionals from across the country gather to explore and respond to the critical literacy issues facing the U.S. today.

The full schedule of presentations includes (all times listed are Central):

Saturday, April 20

• 10:00 a.m. – Dr. Jan Hasbrouck: The Common Core State Standards – "Foundational Skills"
• 11:00 a.m. – Dr. Diane August, Dr. Jana Echevarria, Dr. Josephina Tinajero: Panel Discussion: "English Language Learners and the Common Core State Standards
• 12:00 p.m. – Dr. Vicki Gibson: "Collaborative, Conversations"
• 1:00 p.m. – Dr. Donald Bear: "Vocabulary and the Common Core State Standards"
• 2:00 p.m. – Kathy Bumgardner: "Tools for the Common Core Classroom"
• 3:10 p.m. – Dr. Timothy Shanahan: "Unlock Complex Text"
• 4:00 p.m. – Dinah Zike: "A FLEX-ible Guide to Notebook Foldables"

Sunday, April 21

• 10:15 a.m. – Dr. Douglas Fisher: "Close Reading of Complex Texts"
• 11:00 a.m. – Elizabeth Bowen, Becky Boyle*: "Wonders in the Classroom – Lincoln, Neb."
• 12:00 p.m. Kathy Bumgardner: "Tools for the Common Core Classroom"
• 1:00 p.m. Dinah Zike: "A FLEX-ible Guide to Notebook Foldables"
• 2:00 p.m. Jeannine Campbell, Todd Kimmel*: "Wonders in the Classroom – Philadelphia"
• 3:00 p.m. Kathy Bumgardner: "Tools for the Common Core Classroom"
• 4:00 p.m. Dr. Ernest Morrell: "Powerful Writing Instruction"

Monday, April 22

• 10:00 a.m. – Jeannine Campbell, Todd Kimmel*: "Wonders in the Classroom – Philadelphia"
• 11:00 a.m. – Kathy Bumgardner: "Tools for the Common Core Classroom"
• 12:00 p.m. – Elizabeth Bowen, Becky Boyle*: "Wonders in the Classroom – Lincoln, Neb."
• 1:00 p.m. –  Kathy Bumgardner: "Tools for the Common Core Classroom"

*Presentation by classroom teachers who have piloted Wonders

McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders goes beyond basic Common Core alignment to offer an approach to reading that directly addresses the requirements of the new standards. Through an emphasis on "close reading," Wonders challenges students to uncover the deep meaning of text, to find evidence that supports their analysis and to respond through writing. Wonders' wealth of digital resources allows educators to provide a differentiated and personalized approach to reading that motivates students to surpass their current reading level. The program also offers teachers with built-in plans, explicit lessons, differentiated resources and customizable digital assessments to help accelerate learning.

"The Common Core State Standards are raising the bar for students and educators like never before, and we're pleased that Wonders is helping teachers provide reading instruction that helps students develop the type of advanced reading skills required by the new standards," said Peter Cohen, president of McGraw-Hill School Education Group. "Strong literacy skills are not only a requirement of the Common Core but also essential to succeeding in college and today's competitive global economy."

Wonders, the first core reading program for Grades K-6 built from the ground up to align to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, has already made a marked impact on reading instruction since its debut. Wonders has generated a wave of positive feedback from educators in the more than 200 classrooms in which the program was initially piloted, and now districts across the country are moving forward with full-scale adoptions of the program. This early success validates Reading Wonders' rigor in promoting the advanced reading skills required by the Common Core State Standards and the support it provides to teachers as they prepare students for new Common Core-aligned assessments.

Some recent adoptions of McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders include:

• Enterprise City, Ala.
• Pinon, Ariz.
• Smyrna, Del.
• Vigo County, Ind.
• Charlotte, Mich.
• New Boston, N.H.
• Lorain, Ohio
• Wissahickon, Pa.
• Union County, Tenn.
• Moses Lake, Wash.

At the convention, the Wonders authors will also unveil a new book, Unlock the Common Core, which outlines the implications that the Common Core has on instruction and some of instructional shifts teachers should expect. Conference attendees who visit the booth will also have an opportunity to enter a drawing to win an iPad, and receive additional prizes from the company.

McGraw-Hill will also be posting live tweets throughout the conference (#IRA2013) from the company's Twitter account, @MHEducation, and the iOS apps associated with Reading Wonders will be available at no cost through Apple's App Store for the duration of the conference.