Teaching Strategies and MarcoPolo Learning Partner to Provide Early Education Programs with Developmentally Appropriate, Child-Led Digital Learning

BETHESDA, Md., May 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Teaching Strategies, the country's leading developer of early childhood curriculum, assessment, professional learning, and family engagement solutions, today announced an exclusive partnership with MarcoPolo Learning, the global publisher of award-winning educational videos, games, and digital platforms for children ages 3-7.

This partnership gives early learning educators and programs access to MarcoPolo School Edition, a new child-facing platform for schools based on its direct-to-consumer app, MarcoPolo World School, which focuses on science, arts, literary, math, and social-emotional learning. The partnership also enables educators to utilize MarcoPolo for Educators, a new teacher-facing platform that provides rich content for the classroom and uniquely connects learning from school to home.

The partnership comes as thousands of early learning programs across the country are preparing for summer and a new school year amid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, amplifying the need to strengthen family partnerships and bolster personalized learning experiences at home and in the classroom. Early childhood educators using Teaching Strategies solutions can now enhance learning in class and at home with MarcoPolo's immersive and diverse digital activities designed for independent use and exploration by young children. The alignment of the digital activities to the Teaching Strategies whole-child curriculum and Objectives to Development and Learning framework ensures more meaningful and impactful learning experiences.

"What we know about what children need remains unchanged by the pandemic. But the field is learning about new ways we can thoughtfully leverage technology to support children in any environment, which is why we're excited about our partnership with MarcoPolo," said Breeyn Mack, vice president of education at Teaching Strategies. "Best practice still relies on meaningful relationships between teachers and children, and there is a developmentally appropriate opportunity to empower teachers and caregivers with technology to provide high-quality, personalized, and interactive learning moments. MarcoPolo is very tightly aligned with our pedagogical approach and research-based best practices. Together, we're giving educators the guidance to thoughtfully incorporate child-led digital learning into their instruction."

Among the first products to result from the partnership are "Family Learning Packs," which are now available for purchase by HeadStart centers, early learning centers, and school districts for their students and families. The Family Learning Packs are designed to elevate summer and year-round learning and prepare children for their return to school in the fall. The packs are designed to engage families with learning adventures that combine both digital and physical materials. The packs include a yearlong subscription to MarcoPolo, a yearlong subscription to ReadyRosie, and a physical backpack filled with manipulatives, books, and conversation cards to guide the parent—all linked to digital experiences. All learning materials are aligned to high-quality curriculum, and all resources are available in English and Spanish.

"We are thrilled to partner with Teaching Strategies. By aligning our activities and games with its nationally recognized curriculum, we're giving teachers another tool in their kit to ensure all children can access high-quality learning, whether they're together or learning from home," said MarcoPolo Chief Curriculum Officer Dr. Nermeen Dashoush. "Now, more than ever, we need trusted, research-based solutions that can cater to our children's academic, social, and emotional needs both in the classroom and at home."

About Teaching Strategies
With a strong belief that a child's first eight years form a critical foundation for success in school and in life, Teaching Strategies has been an advocate for the early education community for over 40 years. Today, Teaching Strategies connects teachers, children and families to inspired teaching and learning experiences, informative data, stronger family partnerships, and professional learning through the leading early learning platform. Its products, including the most widely-used curriculum and assessment solutions The Creative Curriculum® and GOLD®, serve more than 5 million children across the globe.

To learn why thousands of early childhood programs and many states choose to partner with Teaching Strategies to help ensure children's success in school and in life, visit teachingstrategies.com and follow us on Twitter @TeachStrategies.

About MarcoPolo Learning
MarcoPolo Learning is an award-winning developer of educational content and technology for early learners.  Serving both the home and school market, MarcoPolo is best known for its flagship learning app, MarcoPolo World School. Emmy-nominated for its premium video content and highly engaging child-facing technology, the program focuses on skills that develop curiosity and a lifelong love of learning.  MarcoPolo's STEAM-focused TV series, The Polos, reaches over 500 million households across the world.

With offices in New York, London and Shanghai, MarcoPolo has put their focus on serving a global audience and distributing its content and platforms by partnering with leading media and educational groups throughout the world, including Teaching Strategies (US), Bright Horizons (US), New Oriental (China), SKY (UK), BT (UK), Viacom (India), NatGeo Kids (Latin America) and many others. MarcoPolo is a venture-backed startup led by strategic investors New Oriental and Boat Rocker Media of Canada.

SOURCE Teaching Strategies