Pearson's Vocabulary Central App for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch Offers Grammar on the Go for Today's Texting Generation

New York, NY (PRWEB) December 9, 2010

R U able 2 rd ths? If so, you get an A+ in SMS (Short Message Service), today's communication method of choice for our texting and twittering tweens and teens. As this rapid fire messaging language has gained in popularity, however, many educators are questioning whether basic grammar and writing skills are being left behind. Pearson's Vocabulary Central app is designed to help reinforce these skills in entertaining ways, through interactive songs, trivia games, and flashcards, anytime, anywhere.

Vocabulary Central is available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch through iTunes for $ 2.99 in individualized editions for grades 6-12.

Students work with flashcards to build their understanding of specific vocabulary words. Each flashcard provides an explanation of the word, a model sentence, synonyms and antonyms, word families, and background information, all with accompanying audio. After practicing, students are able to earn points through the Quiz mode.

Once all flashcards have been reviewed within a series of lessons, access is available - for grades 6-10 - to videos featuring scrolling lyrics that provide musical and contextual clues to help students discover the meaning of the vocabulary words highlighted in blue.

Through the Vocab Trivia activity, students read word-related questions and choose the best answer. The faster the questions are answered, the higher the scores. If students wait too long, incorrect answers start to vanish, along with the chance to score more points.

"Vocabulary Central is designed so that students can work at their own pace to build their vocabulary skills, and have fun along the way," said Doug McCollum, Pearson's General Manager for Literacy. "It's the latest in Pearson's series of innovative apps for meeting today's on-the-go tweens and teens in their digital world."

Other Pearson Apps available for the K-12 age range include Grammar Jammers, which offers interactive animated videos to help make mastering the rules of grammar a fun, melodic, and memorable experience for learners anywhere, anytime. Additional Pearson apps for school are in the works for the 2010-2011 school year in the areas of Literacy, Science, and Humanities.

About Pearson

Pearson (NYSE:PSO), the global leader in education services, education technology and school solutions, provides innovative print and digital education materials for preK through college, student information systems and learning management systems, teacher professional development, career certification programs, and testing and assessment products that set the standard for the industry. Pearson's other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group. For more information, go to http://www.pearsoned.com.

Contact:

Rod Granger

Pearson

rod.granger(at)pearson(dot)com

800-745-8489

Twitter: @rodgranger

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MEDIA ADVISORY: Don't Forget - Pearson's Common Core Virtual Conference Kicks Off Tuesday, February 22

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 21, 2011

What: Common Core Virtual Conference for Everyone Transitioning to the New State Standards

Four days of free online access to high-quality information to guide educators through the goals and background of the Common Core State Standards and tips for a successful implementation in districts and schools
Common Core authors and knowledge leaders to offer a range of virtual panels, presentations, and interactive demonstrations, including information on next-generation assessment and professional development opportunities tied to the Common Core
Register at http://www.pearsonschool.com/2011CommonCoreVcon

Who & When:

Common Core expert presentations (all sessions at Eastern Standard Time) will include:

February 22

11 a.m. - Dr. Jane Schielack, Professor of Mathematics at Texas A&M University - Interpreting and Implementing the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics K-8
Noon - Dr. Freddy Hiebert, Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley - The Common Core State Standards of Text Complexity: What does it mean? How can we make it happen?
1 p.m. - Dr. Hung Hsi-Wu, Member of the Mathematics K-12 Common Core State Standards Development Team and Professor of Mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley - What is different about the Common Core Mathematics Standards?
2 p.m. - Ciprinao Munoz, Senior Assessment Specialist at Pearson, and Christine Rozunick, Manager of Science Content Development with Pearson's Assessment and Information Group - Formative and Interim Assessments: What they are and how they could be used as a part of a comprehensive system to assess the Common Core State Standards

February 23

11 a.m. - Dr. William McCallum, Lead on the Mathematics K-12 Common Core State Standards Development Team, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, and Head of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Arizona - Focus and Coherence in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
Noon - Evelyn Arroyo, Author and Founder of A+RISE: Research-based Instructional Strategies for ELLs - Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners
1 p.m. - Phil Daro, Chair of the Mathematics College and Career Readiness Common Core State Standards Workgroup, Member of the Writing Team for the Mathematics K-12 Common Core Standards Committee, and Senior Fellow at America's Choice - Common Core Mathematics Instruction
2 p.m. - Dr. Skip Fennell, Member of the Mathematics K-12 Common Core State Standards Development Team, Professor of Education at McDaniel College, and Past-president of the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics - Common Core State Standards - What are they; how did we get here and what's next?

February 24

11 a.m. - Grant Wiggins, President of Authentic Education - Understanding by Design
1 p.m. - Sally Hampton, Chair of the English Language Arts College and Career Readiness Common Core State Standards Workgroup, Member of the English Language Arts K-12 Common Core State Standards Committee, and Senior Fellow at America's Choice - Common Core English Language Arts Instruction
2 p.m. - Shilpi Niyogi, Executive Vice President, National Services, Pearson - Next Generation Assessments: Preparing Students to be College and Career Ready

February 25

10 a.m. - Karen Wixson, Member of the English Language Arts K-12 Common Core State Standards Development Team and Professor of Education at the University of Michigan - CCSS-Reading: Not the Big 5 Anymore
11 a.m. until 4 p.m. - Curriculum and the Common Core: How Pearson solutions are helping teachers meet the Common Core State Standards and how educators can use these programs to effectively transition

Where: Register at http://www.pearsonschool.com/2011CommonCoreVcon

All webinars are archived for later access

Contact: Kate Miller, Pearson, kate(dot)miller(at)pearson(dot) com; 800-745-8489

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