Vernon Hills, IL—ETA/Cuisenaire, a leading publisher of supplemental
instructional resources for educators in PreK-Grade 12, announced today
a partnership with CHARACTER COUNTS!, the national nonprofit organization
that promotes character education in over 4,500 schools nationwide.
Specially created book sets consisting of 30 titles from the company’s
WorldScapes® series, are the first curriculum-based resources
endorsed by CHARACTER COUNTS! The book sets provide teachers with a
solid platform for integrating character education into classroom instruction
in the areas of Social Studies, History, and Language Arts.
The WorldScapes books selected by CHARACTER COUNTS! align to the Six
Pillars of Character, the organization’s overriding ethical values:
Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.
In addition to emphasizing these universal values, the books familiarize
studentswith global cultures, and provide explicit instruction
in fluency, reading, comprehension and vocabulary to build important
literacy skills. Teacher Notes include classroom activities that require
students to utilize critical thinking skills in expressing their viewpoints
and relating personal experiences to the WorldScapes’ stories.
"In the WorldScapes books, we’ve found stories that not
only align perfectly to The Six Pillars of Character, but also create
the critical connection between character education and academic content," said
Associate Director of CHARACTER COUNTS! Jessica Ellis. "The stories
connect well to social studies, literacy and multiculturalism, providing
engaging real-life examples of children around the world who survive
and thrive in large part due to the values instilled in them," Ellis
adds.
"We are elated to have found in CHARACTER COUNTS! a partner
to champion the many wonderful benefits of introducing the WorldScapes
series into classrooms," said Jackie Harvey, Director of Reading
for ETA/Cuisenaire, "Not only do these books reinforce character-building
values, the multicultural stories build literacy skills and help our
children become better global citizens."
WorldScapes-CHARACTER COUNTS! classroom sets are available for Grades
3-4 and Grades 5-6. Consisting of 90 books ( 6 copies each of 15 titles)
at each banded reading level, the sets also include Teacher’s
Notes and book bins.
About ETA/Cuisenaire
ETA/Cuisenaireis recognized as the premier publisher and pioneer of Interactive
Literacy and manipulatives-based education, with more than 8,000 supplemental
reading, math, and science resources. Aligned to state and national standards,
these products offer hands-on educational opportunities that make learning
fun for students and teaching more effective for educators. For
more information, visit www.etacuisenaire.com or
call 800-445-5985.
For more information, press only:
Londa Della 800-445-5985, ext. 5219,
©2007 ETA/Cuisenaire. All rights reserved. Cuisenaire® and
WorldScapes® are registered trademarks of ETA/Cuisenaire.
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