Newspaper in Education (NIE) NIE is a cooperative program between schools and their local newspaper to promote reading as a lifetime habit and to encourage informed citizens. The program is international in scope and is more than 75 years old in the United States. Newspapers in Your Classroom The newspaper is the most up-to-date textbook you can use to supplement your curriculum. Research over the past 50 years has shown that students who use newspapers
as a regular part of their subjects have:
  • Increased awareness about their world
  • Improved attitude about their community and school
  • Increased interest in subject matter
  • Better achievement scores in core subject areas
Newspaper Use & State Standards Students gain knowledge and skills in many subject areas when using the newspaper. Some examples include:
  • Competency in writing for various purposes, audiences, and topics
  • Reading comprehension of printed material
  • Oral communication skills
  • Understanding of rights and responsibilities in a democratic society
  • Cooperation in decision-making
  • Computing to make estimates
  • Comparing mathematical and real-world objects
NIE Services for Teachers Newspaper in Education (NIE) services available to more than 100 area schools
  • Business-sponsored classroom newspapers (no cost to teachers) for special dates
  • Discounted papers (25 -cent) newspapers throughout the year
  • Free Curriculum materials to correlate with various grades and subjects
  • Free tours, classroom presentations, and workshops

NIE Contact: 
Sandra K. Kawatski
La Crosse Tribune Education Coordinator
sandra.kawatski@lee.net
(608)791-8308 or 1-800-262-0420, ext 308



Teachers: Click here
to Visit the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial website for many
teaching ideas.

Further Reading:
Books with Newspaper-Related Themes:

Elementary – Middle School

The Furry News by Loreen Leedy
Big Bear, Rabbit, and other animals write, edit, and print their own newspaper, “The Furry News.” Newspaper terms and tips for making your own newspaper included.

Nothing is Impossible, said Nellie Bly by Judy Carlson
Biography of reporter Nellie Bly and her trip around the world in less than 80 days.

Princess of the Press: The Story of Ida B. Wells-Batnett by Angela Shelf Medearis
Biography of the journalist, newspaper owner, and suffragette who campaigned for civil rights and helped found the NAACP

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Wolf gives his own version of what really happened when he met the three little pigs.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus by Francis P. Church
Illustrated version of Church’s famous editorial from the 1897 New York Sun

The Get Real Series by Linda Ellerbee
1. Girl Reporter Blows Lid off Town
Casey Smith, 11-year-old journalist, revives her middle school’s defunct newspaper and investigates what looks like a cover-up of environmental pollution.

2. Girl Reporter Sinks School
Casey Smith, 11-year-old journalist, investigates a cheating ring operating on campus

3. Girl Reporter Stuck in Jam
Trying to get a story for the school newspaper about a physical abuse victim,
Casey neglects her friend Ringo, the school’s first male cheerleader.

4. Girl Reporter Snags Crush!
Casey Smith protests Crush Cola’s corporate sponsorship of her school, a deal which would give the company a monopoly on the soda sold there.

The Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt by Patricia MacLachlan
Eleven-year-old Minna Pratt learns about life from her eccentric family, her first boy friend, and Mozart. Her brother sings the headlines.