Local student and published author lands book signing in Washington, D.C.

5th grader pens non-fiction work using “myStory Book” from Pearson, available for schools statewide

Orlando, FL (December 2, 2011) —A young, local rising star has been asked to do a book signing in Washington, D.C. after penning a winning non-fiction story using a social studies program for elementary school students that will be available statewide starting next school year.

Eleven-year-old Chae Humphrey has been asked to sign copies of her myStory Book work of nonfiction at a national conference for educators in Washington, D.C. this month.

Chae wrote her “My Florida” story after reading “A Changing State,” a part of the new myWorld Social Studies program within Pearson’s social studies materials for elementary students. Chae wrote passionately about places and institutions near and dear to Floridians, from the Kennedy Space Center to St. Augustine to the Seminole Tribal Fair, as well as covering such personal topics as making new friends and learning to play guitar.

Chae is available next week to talk about her “My Florida” story and discuss what it’s like to do a book signing at age 11 upon her return from the National Council for the Social Studies Conference.

Because social studies is so much more than maps and dates – it’s stories about where we’ve been and where we’re going – myWorld Social Studies from Pearson uses the latest research and technology to make storytelling the most effective way to teach social studies. The myStory Book program provides students with an exciting opportunity to write and illustrate their own digital book, reinforcing critical literacy and language arts skills. Students’ books are published and bound as hard- or softback books.

Florida students will make history by turning to Apps, eTexts and other digital materials as the state aims for all curriculum materials to be digital by 2014. The new social studies materials available next school year will replace textbooks that have been in classrooms over the last decade.

“Children love hearing and telling stories, and they retain what they hear in narrative form. Our history is comprised of many stories, and children today use digital resources to learn and create many of those stories. Florida educators are eager to use this same digital media to help students understand current issues, how the past affects them and their future, and how they can be active participants in their community,” said Mark Shufelt, Pearson Vice President for Florida.

The myWorld social studies programs for elementary and middle school students allow teachers to make the most of limited instructional time to cover academic standards with print, digital and blended learning opportunities, while reinforcing reading and writing skills found in the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards and Common Core Standards.

At the heart of the myWorld Social Studies program is myStoryBook, developed in partnership with Tikatok, a children’s self-publishing platform from Barnes & Noble. Using myStory Book, Chae became a published author by using the latest digital storytelling technology to personalize her own story. Her book, created digitally and published physically on Tikatok.com, shows students and teachers how engaging social studies can be. With the storytelling process embedded at every step of the Pearson curriculum, students can continually make personal connections, develop critical thinking skills, and express themselves in writing – all aimed at engaging and motivating them to excel.

For more information about Pearson’s social studies programs for Florida, please visit http://www.pearsonschool.com/flss.

About Pearson
Pearson (http://www.pearsoned.com) has as its mission to work side-by-side with states, districts, teachers, students and parents to ensure that every child is prepared for college and career (NYSE: PSO)

About the Tikatok and Pearson Partnership
Pearson is partnering with Tikatok (www.tikatok.com), the leading children’s publishing platform and a Barnes & Noble company, to integrate an interactive digital platform for creating personalized online story books with the myWorld Social Studies elementary grades program.