TOP 10 REASONS TO USE NEWSPAPERS IN THE CLASSROOM

It is an influential and integral part of our society. Freedom of the press is guaranteed under the Constitution.
It's an adult medium. No child, at any age or reading ability, likes to be seen carrying around "Dick and Jane," but they all are proud to be seen reading and carrying the newspaper. Newspapers are more timely than textbooks, and haven't the stigma attached to remedial materials.
Newspaper news stories are models of clear and concise writing; the newspaper also contains many different types of writing models: narrative, persuasive, expository. Newspaper stories are also written for various reading levels.
The newspaper can be marked, cut, pasted and colored — which makes it useful for young children even before they learn how to read. It's active, not passive, learning.
The newspaper is such a vast store of information. It contains something for everyone: science as it happens, real math problems, sequencing using comic strips. The list could go on and on.
Newspapers bridge the gap between the classroom and the "real" world. Students learn life skills, make career decisions, and become more motivated to learn by using the newspaper in the classroom.
Newspapers can stand alone as teaching tools — or be used as supplements to other instructional materials, such as the Internet.
The advantages of using the newspaper in the classroom is well-documented by research. (A compilation of this research is available in "The Newspaper: A Reference Book for Teachers and Librarians," by Dr. Edward F. DeRoche, 1991.)
Newspapers In Education programs have a wealth of additional services to offer teachers such as in-service workshops (at a nominal fee), advisory boards, free newspaper-based curriculum materials on every subject under the sun.
Most of the materials and delivery of newspapers to the classroom is FREE to educators!