Nation's Best-Known, Uncannily Accurate Classroom Poll Enables Students
to State Their Choices, Starting September 22
PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y., Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Want to know who will be
the next president of the United States? Ask a kid!
Over the past 52 years, students voting in the Weekly Reader
Presidential Election poll have predicted the winner of the election 12 out
of 13 times. On Monday, September 22, the 14th Weekly Reader poll opens in
thousands of classrooms across the nation -- and kids from kindergarten
through high school once again will make their opinions heard.
Since 1956, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower ran for re-election
against Adlai Stevenson, more than eight million students have voted in the
Weekly Reader poll. This year, as in 2000 and 2004, the student election is
being conducted in conjunction with the noted polling organization, Zogby
International.
"Weekly Reader's results have been consistently on target in telling
the American people who our next president will be, and we anticipate that
this year will be no different," said Neal Goff, President of Weekly
Reader. "Even though they are too young to vote, America's children know
that this election is important to their future. We're proud of our
extensive educational program about elections, and we know that our
presidential poll gives kids a terrific sense of participation and
understanding."
Will this year's students choose John McCain or Barack Obama? Find out
on October 29, when the Weekly Reader results are announced!
Here are some of the Weekly Reader Presidential Election Poll's
remarkable results over the past 52 years:
-- The poll's been right more than 90 percent of the time. The
eligible candidate that kids named as their choice for president has won
12 out of 13 times -- and in eight out of the last nine elections.
-- Weekly Reader voters often have been on target about the Electoral
College. In 1972, the poll predicted that Richard Nixon would win 49
states, and that George McGovern would take only Massachusetts and
Washington, D.C -- mirroring the actual results precisely. In 1980, kids
predicted the huge sweep by Ronald Reagan.
-- The Weekly Reader survey has, on occasion, been more precise than major
pollsters. For example, most polling organizations said the race between
President Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan was too close to call. But
Weekly Reader kids voted for Reagan by a large margin -- exactly what
happened in the general election. In fact, the kids' results
exactly matched the fraction of votes (41 percent) that Carter received.
-- This student survey has been widely acknowledged as a key indicator of
who will win. In 1984, U.S. News and World Report asked, "Where do
experts differ on the contest for president? Which will come
closest?" It put together a chart that listed eight top pollsters,
including Gallup and Harris, and listed Weekly Reader prominently.
The student election survey is one of many ways in which Weekly Reader
informs and involves the next generation of citizens. Throughout this
presidential election season, Weekly Reader delivers cutting-edge,
up-to-the-minute multimedia materials to schools -- all of it designed to
make learning about the election relevant and fun. The award-winning Weekly
Reader website features a continuously updated Election 2008 area,
http://www.weeklyreader.com/election, which provides topical, targeted coverage of
the election, specifics about the candidates and issues, fascinating
election anecdotes, and instructive interactive games for students in
elementary, middle, and high schools. Teachers can download exclusive
lesson plans outlining the political process. Post-election coverage will
continue online and in Weekly Reader's acclaimed classroom magazines
through the inauguration and first 100 days the new president spends in
office.
About Weekly Reader Publishing
For more than 100 years, Weekly Reader has been a leading publisher of
supplemental educational products to schools and libraries, dedicated to
making learning come alive by creating engaging materials that connect what
children learn to the world around them. Through its flagship product line
-- Weekly Reader classroom magazines -- Weekly Reader reaches an audience
of almost 8 million educators, students, and their parents annually. The
Weekly Reader Publishing Group (WRPG) also includes Weekly Reader
Curriculum Publishing and Custom Publishing; Weekly Reader Research; Gareth
Stevens Publishing; World Almanac Education Library Services; Facts for
Learning and Funk & Wagnall's. WRPG is part of The Reader's Digest
Association, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.weeklyreader.com.
About Zogby International
Zogby International is a public opinion, research, and business
solutions firm with experience working in more than 70 countries around the
globe. Founded and led by John Zogby since 1984, Zogby International ranks
as one of the industry's leaders thanks to its reputation for superior
accuracy and reliability. Zogby specializes in telephone, Internet, and
face-to-face survey research and analysis for political, corporate,
non-profit, and governmental clients. The firm is headquartered in Utica,
New York, with offices in Washington D.C., and Miami.
Stay informed. Visit Weekly Reader Election 2008 at
http://www.weeklyreader.com/election.
SOURCE Weekly Reader Publishing
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Related links:
http://www.weeklyreader.com
http://www.weeklyreader.com/election
CONTACT:
Gabrielle Torello, Communications Consultant,
+1-201-678-2824, gabtpr@yahoo.com, for Weekly Reader Publishing
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