'Spotlight on Music' in Sweet Harmony With South Carolina Schools

'Spotlight on Music' in Sweet Harmony With South Carolina Schools

K-8 music product swept 2008-2009 district adoptions by more than 85 percent

NEW YORK, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Schools across South Carolina are enjoying the instructional benefits of Macmillan/McGraw-Hill's Spotlight on Music in the classroom, following adoptions by individual districts throughout the state representing more than 85 percent of the market statewide.

Spotlight on Music not only captured 85 percent of individual South Carolina district adoptions for Grades K-8, it received an even higher adoption rate for Grades K-5 within the state. Whether in small districts such as Calhoun County and Saluda County, or among the state's largest districts including Aiken, Charleston, and Greenville county schools, Spotlight on Music appealed universally to adoption officials seeking a robust, interactive program for sequenced music instruction.

Scott Chappell, Mossy Creek Elementary School music teacher in the Aiken County Public School District, said Spotlight on Music's combination of a strong printed curriculum and built-in interactive media features provides a helpful basis for engaging students in the learning process. "I'm a strong believer that you need to use a wide variety of materials in teaching your kids," Chappell said.

Chappell said with his youngest students, he appreciates the Big Books that provide visual reinforcement for lesson concepts. For older students, the non-English language song recordings are particularly useful in providing an audible reference, he said.

"When I want the students to sing in a foreign language, I usually start with the Spotlight on Music recording," Chappell said. "Then we'll sing it in that language, and then I'll teach it in English."

Chappell said his classes recently studied music originating from Southeast Asia with Spotlight on Music's electronic listening maps and interactive world instruments content. Presenting orchestral instruments via CD-ROM also created greater and more immediate understanding among students, he said. "They hear it, they see it -- it's there for them. It doesn't take the place of a real concert, but it comes so much closer to making it a real, live experience than pointing to a picture of a violin or a flute," Chappell said.

In addition to South Carolina, Spotlight on Music has been adopted by a majority of music teachers across the nation in such states as Texas, North Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, Alabama, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Indiana, Oregon, and Tennessee.

For more information about Spotlight on Music, visit www.macmillanmh.com/music.

About Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

Macmillan/McGraw-Hill is part of McGraw-Hill School Solutions Group (MHSSG). The group combines Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, which focuses on Grades PreK-6, and Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, which serves Grades 6-12. MHSSG is the only major educational publishing business to provide a comprehensive approach to the development of print and digital instructional materials from pre-kindergarten through high school. Additional information is available at http://www.macmillanmh.com/.

About Glencoe/McGraw-Hill

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill is part of McGraw-Hill School Solutions Group (MHSSG). The group combines Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, which focuses on Grades PreK-6, and Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, which serves Grades 6-12. MHSSG is the only major educational publishing business to provide a comprehensive approach to the development of print and digital instructional materials from pre-kindergarten through high school. Additional information is available at http://www.glencoe.com/.

About McGraw-Hill Education

McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) , is a leading global provider of print and digital instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 60 languages. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/.

   Contact:  Tom Stanton                             Yvonne Pentz             McGraw-Hill Education                   Paul Werth Associates             (212) 904-3214                          (614) 224-8114             tom_stanton@mcgraw-hill.com             ypentz@paulwerth.com  

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Source: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: Tom Stanton, McGraw-Hill Education, +1-212-904-3214,
tom_stanton@mcgraw-hill.com; or Yvonne Pentz, Paul Werth Associates,
+1-614-224-8114, ypentz@paulwerth.com

Web Site: http://www.macmillanmh.com/

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