Houghton Mifflin Co. News Release - November 17, 2005

Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Houghton Mifflin Launch Reading In Progress Community Literacy Initiative to Support Young Readers

Superintendent Rudy Crew Details Program at the Overtown Youth Center at “Read To Me” Event with Miami Heat’s Alonzo Mourning

MIAMI—November 17, 2005—Young readers in Miami-Dade County will see and experience the support for literacy from their parents and other adults in their communities through Reading In Progress, an outreach initiative launched Thursday by Miami-Dade County Public Schools in partnership with educational publisher Houghton Mifflin Company.

Reading In Progress will bring together elementary school students, their parents, educators, community leaders and businesses to raise literacy as a community priority. The purpose of the initiative is three-fold:

• To educate parents about the importance of literacy and the specific thing they can do to help raise a good reader, and to educate students about the community’s interest in literacy and places they can read;
• To celebrate reading through incentive activities that will excite young readers; and
• To motivate our teachers to be masters in developing young readers.

The initiative is targeted at eight Miami-Dade communities this school year: Florida City and Homestead; Hialeah; Liberty City, Little Haiti, Little Havana, and Overtown in the City of Miami; and Miami Gardens.

“Reading in Progress will support the work being done by our students and teachers in schools by equipping parents with the right tools and information to help them understand the important role they play in developing good reading habits and by bringing reading to the places where children already gather and play,” said Superintendent Rudolph F. “Rudy” Crew.

Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning helped launch Reading In Progress with a “Read To Me” event for elementary school students at the Overtown Youth Center. “Read To Me” events are one of the tactics that the initiative will use to motivate young readers.

The Youth Center will house the inaugural Reading In Progress “Community Reading Corner,” a public space turned into a designated reading area, complete with reading chairs, floor pillows and a variety of reading materials. Working with community leaders and local organizations, a series of Community Reading Corners will be established in the eight target communities.

“Reading has always been a big part of my life. Growing up, it stimulated my imagination and creativity while allowing me to dream of places and things that at the time were not within reach. I am honored to join Dr. Rudy Crew and Miami-Dade County Public Schools to launch the Reading In Progress initiative that encourages the same opportunity,” Mourning said.

Students at the Overtown Youth Center were presented with an inaugural, limited edition "Mark the Bookmark." The bookmark, fashioned in the style of a basketball player and signed by Alonzo Mourning, is the first in a series created specifically for the literacy initiative and designed to underscore the link between being a reader and being a hero. Subsequent designs will represent other heroes, and themes popular with students and will be used in incentive efforts for young readers.

About the Partnership
Last spring, Miami-Dade County Public Schools adopted a district-wide reading textbook for kindergarten through grade 5. Houghton Mifflin, whose reading program was selected, is partnering with Miami-Dade County Public Schools in the Reading In Progress Community Literacy Initiative.

About Houghton Mifflin
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Company is one of the leading educational publishers in the United States, with over $1 billion in sales. Houghton Mifflin publishes textbooks, instructional technology, assessments and other educational materials for elementary and secondary schools and colleges. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers. Houghton Mifflin offers computer-administered testing programs and services for the professional and certification markets. With its origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. The Company's Web site can be found at www.hmco.com.