Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
With students returning to classes at the end of August and National Literacy Day approaching on Sept. 8, now is a great time to remind teachers within your districts that you use the Newspapers in Education (NIE) program, available for free through the Missouri Press Association (MPA).
The purpose of the Newspapers in Education program is to promote literacy, critical thinking, media literacy and civic engagement among students by integrating newspapers into the classroom.
Our goal has traditionally been to do this through classroom distribution, educator support and student activities. The program expands students’ opportunities to connect and learn using real world events.
To help encourage teachers to use newspapers in the classroom, NIE has a website with supplemental content for almost any occasion. Ask your teachers what they would like to see in the newspaper that could be used in their classrooms. NIE targets fifth grade-level readers.
Suggest the following:
• Need a math lesson? Use grocery advertisements.
• Current events? Find a story that influenced your community.
• Learning how to identify main ideas? Use story ledes.
• Exploring math expressions? Use sports statistics.
• Understanding vocabulary? Find words to know.
Once your newspaper understands what the classroom uses, visit the NIE website at mopress.jumbl.app/store and start shopping for content. It’s free to MPA members.
A fantastic place to start is NIE’s superhero guide to promoting literacy through reading the newspaper, which you can find online at www.mopress.com.
