What is N.I.E.?

What is NIE?

The Bee's Newspaper in Education (N.I.E.) program is a cooperative effort between schools and the newspaper to promote the use of the newspaper as an educational resource.

Why use NIE?

From your viewpoint as a teacher, the newspaper can be an important motivator for your students. Newspapers contain information on current world, international, national and local events. Most of these happenings have a direct effect on all our lives. Students know this. They check the newspaper to find out what is going on in their neighborhoods.

Even students who see themselves as sub-par readers still read the comics, entertainment pages and sports section. It is often easy to induce them to extend their reading to news, editorials and syndicated columnists, as well.

If they read the newspaper regularly, young people not only strengthen their reading skills, but also are exposed to news stories that relate to every subject in their curriculum: mathematics, history, literature, government, politics, international relations, citizenship, science and technology.

If they write about what they read, students expand their communication skills, learn to do research and begin forming their own opinions on matters of community interest. Student interest in virtually all subjects can be stimulated by framing their study in the context of current events that affect their own lives and those of their families.

From your community's viewpoint, young citizens who have daily newspaper reading habits are well informed and better able to practice democratic ideas and ideals. Newspapers provide students with a broad outlook -- and the skills and information that are essential keys to productive adult lives.

There are other, less obvious benefits. Students learn at varying speeds and in different ways. Most textbooks cannot take individual differences into account, but newspapers contain information written at a variety of reading levels and so are well suited to individualized instruction.

Furthermore, regular reading of the newspaper can help your students develop critical thinking skills. Newspapers display history as it unfolds. As a consequence, they report the diverging views and opinions that are inevitably a part of creative controversy. Reading and interpreting current happenings -- and, especially, writing about them -- press students to learn to analyze and evaluate information and its sources. Controversy is a part of the process of making choices. It feeds our interest in human events, both as citizens and students.

I'm a teacher. How do I get started?

If you are an experienced N.I.E. teacher and you know how to use the newspaper in the classroom, we suggest a regular N.I.E. subscription . It allows you the freedom and flexibility you want. There's no cost and you can get the newspaper for the entire school year.

If you are new to N.I.E. and want a little more structure, we suggest one of the special projects listed on the home page . Our special projects are built around themes, such as a serialized story, Hispanic heritage, Black history, the stock market or water conservation, just to name a few.

Contact N.I.E.

For more information on the educational services provided by The Sacramento Bee, write to: Educational Services Manager, The Sacramento Bee, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852. You may also reach the Educational Services Department by phone at (916) 321-1785, by fax at (916) 326-5500, or by email at nie@sacbee.com.

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