NIE: NEWSPAPERS HELPFUL IN CLASSROOMS

Freshmen at Notre Dame High School have learned that people really use the vocabulary words their teacher has them study.

The students participate in the Southeast Missourian's Newspaper In Education program and read their vocabulary words on the pages of the newspaper.

Betty Cox, who teaches freshman English at Notre Dame, said, "They are kind of excited when they find a vocabulary word they just learned. And it proves I didn't just dig these words up out of the dictionary. People really use them."

Cox is among 342 teachers at 60 schools in four counties using the Southeast Missourian newspaper in their classroom. On Mondays, the largest NIE delivery day, 5,292 papers are delivered.

Today marks the start of Newspaper In Education Week.

Cox asked her students recently to write about the newspapers used in their English class. "I was almost chagrined at the number who wrote that they enjoyed reading the papers because they get out of class and don't have to study.

"They look at it as time out from class, but I look at the newspapers as a teaching and learning tool," she said. "I guess I am sneaking up on their blind side."

Cox has students read examples of satire in Mike Royko's column on the editorial page.

Students use the newspaper for spelling exercises and in their vocabulary lessons.

"I think the fact it's not a textbook makes the newspapers more exciting to them," she said. "Students are programmed to think learning must come out of a textbook."

She said the fact that newspapers contain current information is also a plus.

"They know the textbooks are five to eight years old, but here's something that happened yesterday."

Kim McDowell, coordinator of the NIE program for the newspaper, explained that the retail cost of the program is about $150,000. The Southeast Missourian absorbs half that cost, $75,000. The newspaper has been working over the past couple of years to generate community support for the other half of the cost.

This year 17 companies have signed on as sponsors. A number of other businesses and individuals have supported the effort through the YELL for Newspapers program. Combined, $31,500 has been raised toward the cost of the program.

"Each year the interest grows," said McDowell said. "Teachers themselves are able to use the newspapers in more creative ways. And the response we hear back is always that the kids are enthusiastic about learning and working with newspapers."

The NIE program stems from the Southeast Missourians Adopt-a-School partnership with L.J. Schultz Middle School in Cape Girardeau. The newspaper helps students at the school publish their own newspaper.

"Teachers began asking for copies of the Missourian for the library and then for reading classes," McDowell said.

At the same time, officials at the newspaper learned about a nationwide program called Newspaper in Education (NIE). "We tried providing newspapers during NIE week for several years. And the response was phenomenal."

This is the third year the Southeast Missourian has delivered newspapers daily to classrooms.

"We have been amazed at the response," McDowell said. "And we continue to be amazed at the enthusiastic way teachers and students write about newspapers in their classes."

Students write that they enjoy reading everything from the comics and Dear Abby to the police report and political news.

"It's a current textbook filled with true-to-life examples," McDowell said. "It's Life: 101."

In 1991, NIE joined with the Area Wide United Way to sponsor Yell for Newspapers, a community effort to raise money for literacy programs, including NIE. The second YELL event, held in September, was as successful as the first.

"Again we have been overwhelmed by the response of the community," she said.

Gerald Landewee uses the newspaper with his first graders at Nell Holcomb School.

The new readers are excited about using newspapers, Landewee said.

"We look for different words, short vowel words, long vowel words.

"In math we sometimes look for a number between 20 and 30 and circle it or make up addition problems from the pages of the newspaper," he said.

"Back at election time, they got to know about President Clinton and former President George Bush."

As new readers, children should be exposed to as many different reading materials as possible, Landewee believes. He uses the newspaper, magazines and books.

"One thing about a newspaper is that it's a different size than a book. And there is a variety of print on every page. And there are different types of pictures and advertisements."

With first graders, Landewee said hands-on activities are a must. Since each child has his own copy, students can cut and circle and mark on the pages.

"Whenever I have a pile of newspapers on the table, the students get excited."