Zaner-Bloser and Thoughtful Learning Partner to Bring 21st Century Skills to the Classroom

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Zaner-Bloser and Thoughtful Learning announced their partnership to deliver Inquire—a research-based, cross-curricular guide for 21st century learning—to the classroom.

To meet the growing demands of today's schools, students must become adept at thinking creatively and critically, collaborating with peers, navigating technology, and retaining and analyzing information. And in the workforce, managers frequently rate these skills as some of the most important factors in making hiring decisions. Inquire helps students to develop these—and other—critical 21st century skills.

Published by Thoughtful Learning, the distinguished educators who developed this invaluable resource, Inquire provides strategies for success in the classroom, in the workplace, and in life, as students

• build 21st century skills such as critical and creative thinking, problem solving, communicating, and collaborating.
• improve information and media literacy by using Internet resources, evaluating media messages, finding reliable websites, using primary sources, documenting sources, and avoiding plagiarism.
• develop inquiry skills, including questioning, planning, researching, creating, improving, and presenting.
• gain exposure to active, project-based learning.

"All students need to have at their fingertips the 21st century literacy and learning skills instruction that Inquire provides. We are thrilled to partner with Thoughtful Learning to help broaden the reach of this valuable resource in the educational marketplace," said Zaner-Bloser President, Bob Page.

"Our partnership with Zaner-Bloser will help to further advance the mission that each of our companies share, which is to develop and deliver educational materials of the highest quality. With the support and expertise of Zaner-Bloser's sales and marketing teams, we are confident that this innovative guide will be seen as an invaluable tool for educators across the country," said Thoughtful Learning President, Chris Erickson.

Both the Inquire Student Edition and Teacher's Guide are available online and in print.

About Zaner-Bloser

Zaner-Bloser, a wholly owned subsidiary of Highlights for Children with more than 120 years of experience in education, is one of the premier publishers of research-based reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, and handwriting programs. The Zaner-Bloser mission is to create dynamic, appealing, and effective educational programs and services. Zaner-Bloser focuses on distinctive programs that inspire all students to become engaged, literate participants in the global society.

About Thoughtful Learning

A division of Sebranek, Inc., Thoughtful Learning is comprised of educators, writers, and designers who are dedicated to helping students and lifelong learners succeed in a global, information-rich world. For the last 30 years, Thoughtful Learning has developed innovative, research-based instructional materials for learners at all grade levels (through college) and for individuals in the business world.

SOURCE Zaner-Bloser