Scholastic Builds a Nation of Readers + Problem Solvers

When I hear Scholastic, I think Harry Potter.

But Scholastic is more than just Harry Potter, or books for that matter.

Scholastic recently launched three projects that aim to encourage reading, and a love (a love!) for Math: Scholastic Literacy Pro and Scholastic Literacy Pro Library have made it possible to harness the power of the internet in order to create a new generation of successful readers, while PR1ME Mathematics is a world-class program based on the teaching and learning practices of Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong,  countries that have consistently performed best in their students' achievement in the field of mathematics.

Let me tell you about the first two: Scholastic Literacy Pro and Scholastic Literacy Pro Library

According to Scholastic Asia President Frank Wong, they believe in the importance of reading in nation-building, so instead of being intimidated and threatened by technology, they decided to use it to help teachers and students monitor reading progress as well as make it possible to access books online.

Scholastic Literacy Pro is an online monitoring program which provides teachers with accurate and timely reports on their students' progress and performance, giving them research-based insights to make informed teaching/learning decisions. 

It promotes the student's growth in reading by developing an individualized reading plan, with teacher reports and makes use of three action points: Assess on a regular basis to help evaluate performance, Inform via the Lexile Framework so teacher knows whether student is reading on-grade level, above or below and Develop by finding the right book for every student given his/her reading level and proficiency.

These books are accessed via the Scholastic Literacy Pro Library, an ebook library which gives readers of different proficiency levels unlimited access to more than 650 fiction and nonfiction ebooks. It may be accessed by students at home, in school or anywhere with internet access.

MGC New Life Academy in BGC and De La Salle Zobel in Alabang are among the first schools to implement these tools, and hopefully, more schools will offer this program to their students, because books truly open a world of possibilities.

Of course, equally as important are math skills. According to Scholastic International Publisher  and Vice President Dr. Duriya Aziz, "Problem solving is key to success" and that the future belongs to people who excel in solving problems, for which there are no rule-based solutions.

And this is where reading and math skills go hand in hand.

Under the stewardship of Dr. Aziz, who also worked closely with the Ministry of Education of Singapore in adapting concepts and components from its Primary Mathematics Projects, which transformed Singapore into the Math powerhouse it is today, Scholastic has come up with an effective learning program in PR1ME Mathematics.

While most of us grew up just mindlessly memorizing the multiplication table and treating Math like a hurdle that we just have to pass, PR1ME Mathematics scraps the old teaching methodologies and teaches through problem solving as a tool, focuses on method and process, provides tools to evaluate progress and identify areas where students need help, and supports teachers in creating a conducive learning environment and comes with an interactive edition.

All these programs were launched to coincide with the Scholastic Readers Cup, a tribute to the countless teachers, librarians, principals and school administrators whose efforts have improved literacy in their schools, producing students who are better readers and good learners.

According to Fritzie Salem-Cruz, General Manager of Scholastic in the Philippines, "The Scholastic Readers Cup is just one way of giving recognition to these noble educators. They are the real heroes in our quest for a more globally competitive Philippines. We hope to continue this tradition every year. By shining the spotlight on these individuals and institutions, we hope to inspire other educators to raise more and better readers, and good learners too."

Winners were chosen among the schools that participated in Scholastic's Assessment and Enrichment program (AEP) and Independent Reaeding Program (IRP). AEP and IRP are literacy programs which proved instrumental in producting signnificant improvements in students' reading abilities. The competition ran from February 2014 to April 2015.

From hereon, when I think Scholastic, I think a fun kind of learning!

About Scholastic:

Scholastic is the world's largest publisher, as well as an education and media company and distributor of over 600 original titles annually. Founded in 1920 as a single classroom magazine, Scholastic has since grown into a global organization serving tens of thousands of schools and tens of millions of homes in 165 countries in 45 languages.

For more information on Scholastic products and programs, email educteam@scholastic.com.ph, contact +632 944 READ (7323) or visit www.scholastic.com

Christmas 2014 Gift Guide: Healthy Cooking for Happy Kids

Whut! September na? You know what the "-Ber" months mean, getting prepped for the holidays! Thought I'd start off the season with posts on possible Christmas gift ideas, so I won't forget, and so you can get some tips along the way too! Let's kick off with a great present for our mommy girlfriends - the cookbook Healthy Cooking for Happy Kids!

I learned about this fun new cookbook, Healthy Cooking for Happy Kids, by Katrina Ripoll and Lara Saunders via my friend Marge Perez, who is friends with one of the authors, Katrina.

Healthy Cooking for Happy Kids authors, Lara Saunders and Katrina Ripoll

Katrina sent me a copy, thanks to Marge, and after finally going through the cookbook page by page, I loved how it's more than just a compilation of recipes. It's filled with tips on how to truly take healthy eating seriously, with:
  

• A list of what you should eat more of and what you should have less of when it comes to meat, breads, sweets, etc without sacrificing flavor or fun. 

• A supermarket checklist to take with you on your next trip.
• Tried and tested advice on every recipe for the best success.

• A shopping/where to buy guide that includes the authors' favorite LOCAL sources/suppliers of good ingredients. 

Best friends since childhood, authors Kat and Lara, were immersed in the world of advertising and marketing, publishing and art. After over a decade in Canada and Europe, they found themselves back in Manila as first-time-Moms, and with seven kids between them, Lara’s love for cooking and Kat’s baking skills led them to exchange recipes over the years, and share and discover more about feeding their families with healthy delicious meals.

Healthy Cooking for Happy Kids is the fruit of their years of collaboration, where they share their recipes, tips and advice on preparing easy and nutritious meals at home.

“We were challenged by the lack of local resources on healthy cooking for our kids,” says Katrina, “We’re excited to show other moms how easy it is to say no to junk and yes to simple, home­cooked meals.” 

Working with Nutritionist Rebecca Lwin, Katrina and Lara share tried and tested recipes their own families love, including Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets, a healthy homemade version that’s just as popular with kids, Very Tasty Vegetarian Lasagna, filled with nutritious vegetables, Kawaii Kimbap, seaweed ­wrapped rice triangles that are perfect for baon, and healthy desserts such as Awesome Apple Crumble and Honey Yogurt Sundaes. 

 “Healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring, bland or expensive,” says Lara, “These dishes are full of flavor, easy to follow, and budget friendly for all moms!” 

Healthy Cooking for Happy Kids is available at branches of Fully Booked and National Bookstore and Powerbooks branches for P650.

For more about the book, visit their website, http://HealthyCookingHappyKids.com and Like their Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/healthycookinghappykids.

MFO Anniversary Blog Giveaway: A Signed Copy of Before Ever After

NOTE: THIS CONTEST IS OPEN TO LOCAL & INTERNATIONAL READERS!

5 days until August ends, and what a fun month it has been huh? Thanks to all my readers, old and new for being part of the fun ride! I would like to end my series of amazing giveaways with one last special prize: a signed copy of Before Ever After by the author herself, Samantha Sotto! Coffee and cake, not included (hehehe).

Not only do you get a signed copy, I can guarantee you a rolling good time with this book. It is just so amusing, a real page turner. I ended up finishing the book in a couple of hours. Funnily, I read several chapters of the book while waiting for Berry to get out from her class. If I were Samantha, I'd be writing a book instead of reading one, haha! Anyhoo, here's your chance to own a signed copy, which I am sure will earn a precious spot in your library!

Even if you've joined the other giveaways, you are still welcome to enter the Before Ever After Giveaway. If you would like to win a signed copy of Before Ever After, here's how:

1. Follow @samanthasotto and myself @cd_mfo on Twitter

2. Like Samantha Sotto, Author of Before Ever After and Manila Fashion Observer on Facebook

3. Leave a comment* with your Twitter ID & email and share:

- Tell us about your dream European destination!
- How long would you want to stay there?
- Who will you travel with?

*If you would prefer to enter the giveaway via private email to me, do all of the above and send an email to manilafashionobserver@gmail.com with the title: MFO Before Ever After Giveaway and leave a comment on this post saying, "MFO, let's follow the chickens!"

AGAIN: THIS CONTEST IS OPEN TO LOCAL & INTERNATIONAL READERS!

General Rules:
- Giveaway is for the whole month of August 2011
- Giveaway closes on 11:59 pm on August 31, 2011
- Winner will be announced by 1st week of September on MFO and via private e-mail
- Anyone can enter for a chance to win any of the Anniversary Blog Giveaway prizes, but can only win once
- No need to send multiple comments or emails per Anniversary Blog Giveaway prize. One entry per prize is sufficient

Going Through A Quarter Life Crisis?

From the author, Michelle Meneses:

Among most twentysomethings, there is a personal or identity crisis that has become accepted, but mostly misunderstood – the quarterlife crisis. The latest book release of Milflores Publishing, Inc., “Floundering at 25: A Younglife Crisis,” talks about this obscure stage of pre-adulthood through a levelheaded conversation between two twentysomethings: its author and the reader.

I wrote this book in the hopes that I may be able to share what I know and what I have experienced to those who are going through the same crisis. I see it as a great opportunity to reach out to your twentysomething readers, and to let them know that there is a book out there that understands what they are going through – in the context of today’s society and Filipino culture.


I would be lying if I say I didn't go through a quarterlife crisis. At the time I was in the midst of it, I had just graduated from college, but I knew my life wasn't the life I was expecting it to be. I wanted to do something else, or be somewhere else, even if my work was interesting (and fun at times!) and the future seemed promising. I actually had no reason to go through a crisis. I guess it's just that time of adulthood wherein my inner drama queen took hold of me, haha. I had no family issues, no job issues, I was single and unattached, but settling down was the farthest thing on my mind. I was restless but I couldn't zoom in on the solution. It was a good thing I wasn't alone, because all my girl and gay friends (I'm actually not sure if guys get this, haha!) seemed to be going through it as well. We would meet up after work, hang-out and sleep over in each others homes on weekends, go on trips, attend mass and pray, shop together, talk about anything and everything over dinner or coffee, and just basically get it out of our system. Looking back, the fact that we were aware that we were having a quarterlife crisis and just being there for each other helped a lot.

Now if you think reading this book is an added bonus that will help you go through it, by all means, do whatever it takes! After all, just the idea of knowing that you are not alone in your misery and having a book by your bedside to turn to when friends are not available and you're at your lowest can be a relief. As far as I know, a quarterlife crisis, happily, is a temporary thing. I'd like to believe my friends and I turned out to be mature, well-adjusted adults, most of us now happily married and starting families, doing the things we've always said we wanted to do, and as corny as it sounds, are in a good place. So yeah, just deal with drama the best way you think possible (and support Filipino authors while you're at it - as Rakiel pointed out!), and know that it will pass!

Michelle B. Meneses graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Management Information Systems. She is currently doing PR and Marketing consultancy for a fashion retail brand. This is her first book.

Bernie Sim of electrolychee.com designed the cover of “Floundering at 25” and Zenaida N. Ebalan did the layout.

The book is available at all National Book Store and PowerBooks branches, U.P. Press Book Store, Solidaridad, Popular, and other major book stores at P250.00 per copy.