Block, Scholastic use the Big Red Dog to implement nationwide reading program
By Lara Hendrickson
Staff Reporter

Professor of education Cathy Block said she is on sabbatical from TCU this semester to work with the Scholastic Program in continuing promotion of literature in thousands of elementary schools nationwide using the Clifford, the Big Red Dog book series.

Block has worked at the university for 26 years and is now co-authoring several books through Scholastic, she said. When Block was teaching, administrative assistant Rachel Escamilla said, Block used the program with her TCU students for them to use at elementary schools, and that Block and the Scholastic program are currently on their way to accomplishing their goal of child literacy.

“Some students (that the education department works with) already get books from Scholastic,” Escamilla said, “They really learn a lot from them.”

Block said children all over the world love the Big Red Dog and that no matter what school district they are in, they deserve to have a good teacher and learning environment.

Block, an author for Scholastic since 1997, said Scholastic approached her this past October and asked her to work with them to promote Literacy Day Nov. 1. From there, the Clifford series was implemented for students to read in schools and the program grew, she said.

“The program has been implemented in (more than) 3,000 schools,” Block said. “We are trying to spread the use of the program all across America, including across 180 countries.”

Block said it is just as important to have teachers or role models to read the books to the students as it is for them to have the books themselves.

“Scholastic’s favorite quote is ‘Every reader grows with a good book and a great teacher,’” Block said.

Block said this program of teaching and promoting literacy could possibly be fully integrated into the curriculum for education majors in the future.

Block is currently working on researching the overall effectiveness of the program, as well as serving on the Board of Directors with professors from Harvard, Ohio State and other Scholastic employees, she said.

The number of people who want to get involved has also grown, Block said.

“Originally, Garth Brooks and Clifford went to different schools to promote literacy,” she said. “Now Tom Hanks and Whoopi Goldberg, along with President George W. Bush and Laura Bush have adopted schools to read books to children and tell them why reading is important.”

Junior education major Jess Erwin said it could be extremely beneficial for education majors to learn more about this program.

“Anything that makes children want to read more is an important part of education,” Erwin said.

Scholastic is continuing President Bush’s No Child Left Behind program, which leaves no child over third grade illiterate, Block said. By March, the Board of Directors hopes to have all of the largest 200 school districts in the country involved, including many inner-city schools, she said.

Lara Hendrickson
l.c.hendrickson@tcu.edu