CHICAGO, April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Booth # 2215 -- In a continued effort to support struggling readers and help them succeed, McGraw-Hill Education and the University of Kansas have partnered to launch Fusion Reading nationally at the International Reading Association's (IRA) 57th Annual Convention. Developed by the University's Center for Research on Learning with support from McGraw-Hill education experts, Fusion Reading is a two-year, supplemental reading course designed to significantly improve the reading performance of students in sixth through 12th grade who have fallen two or more grade levels behind in reading. Fusion Reading has been piloted in a variety of school settings since 2006 with strong results.  The program is now available to middle and high schools across the country.

"McGraw-Hill has a long history of producing instructional materials that engage struggling readers and help them improve reading achievement," said Mike Hock, director of the University of Kansas Institute for Research on Adolescent Learning, which develops instructional practices, strategies, and programs that significantly enhance the achievement of adolescents who struggle with learning. "Together, McGraw-Hill Education and the Center for Research on Learning are sharply focused on significantly raising skill levels among struggling readers through our collaboration, which is rooted in research and data-driven instruction."   

Fusion Reading is a comprehensive and highly structured program that is designed to teach reading strategies in a sequence supported by explicit instruction, extensive practice, feedback and ongoing assessment to monitor progress. Flexible lesson plans also offer options for completion of the course in one, two or three year formats.  It offers a collection of print and online instructional tools and learning strategies that build on nearly 30 years of research and experience with students who struggle to read and learn, including students with disabilities and English Language Learners. A major goal of the program is to increase student motivation by linking reading with personal goal attainment and relying on highly engaging reading materials that appeal to struggling students in urban settings.

"Reading is critical to the development of strong 21st century skills and to students' success in postsecondary education and the workplace," said Jeff Livingston, senior vice president of the Readiness & Intervention Solutions group at McGraw-Hill Education. "If students fall too far behind without proper intervention, their chances of achieving long-term success are significantly reduced. We are proud to partner with the University of Kansas to give each student an opportunity to read at grade level with confidence, and to help teachers improve the quality of literacy instruction across the country."

Fusion Reading was developed as part of a U.S. Institute of Education Sciences-funded grant through the University's Center for Research on Learning and the author team of Donald D. Deshler (Author of SIM Strategies), Irma F. Brasseur-Hock, and Michael F. Hock.

McGraw-Hill Education's presence at IRA's 2012 convention, booth #2215, includes demonstrations of the company's other reading  programs, presentations on the Common Core State Standards, giveaways for booth visitors, and an opportunity to enter a drawing to win an iPad among other engaging and interactive activities.  The company will be posting tweets from the conference under the hashtag #IRA2012. McGraw-Hill Education's Twitter account (@MHEducation) can be found at (http://twitter.com/MHEducation).

About McGraw-Hill Education
McGraw-Hill Education is a content, software and services-based education company that draws on its more than 100 years of educational expertise to offer solutions, which improve learning outcomes around the world. McGraw-Hill 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 65 languages. For additional information, visit http://www.mheducation.com/.

Contact:
Tom Stanton
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SOURCE McGraw-Hill Education