New Playbook®Implementation Video
for Middle and High Schoolers
with Wacky Theater Host, Isaiah Ireys!
Introduce your 5th-12th graders to Playbooks® with instructions presented
in an entertaining, role-playing format
and footage of junior and high school students
having a blast with Reader's Theater!
(plays automatically if Windows Media Player
and ActiveX Control are installed)
* If the video does not play, install Windows Media Player.
This video is now available on DVD and comes free with any Grade Level Kit order. It's also available for $5.00 and is now included on the same DVD with the K-5 Implementation video.
Reader's Theater Exercise 25:
Help Struggling Readers in
Middle School and Beyond
Today, our secondary schools are faced with a surprising number of students who cannot read at a basic level. With most high school classes presuming a certain reading ability level of the students, those who are below grade level may easily fall further and further behind.
It is impractical for subject area teachers who see their students for only one hour or less per day to be solely responsible for teaching reading fluency. However, when teachers can relate fluency-building activities to their normal curriculum, it can be very helpful.
For example, one of the goals of a secondary-level English class is to develop critical thinking and writing skills. Playbook® stories consistently provide opportunities for interpretation and analysis.Playbook® stories also come with specific educational content areas such as history or science, allowing you to teach your subject in a way that is sure to captivate students' attention. For example, our Journeys of Discovery series for Grades 5- 8 teaches the stories of the Aztecs' journey to their homeland and the Pilgrims' voyage across the sea. View more Playbook® content areas.
This month's exercise provides an excerpt from a Middle School to High School level Playbook®, Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors. It is accompanied by a writing assignment asking your students to relate the themes found in the play to possible modern-day events. This way, your students can practice reading skills and critical thinking skills at the same time.
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Playbooks, Inc. hosts
Reader's Theater Workshops at 2010 National Title I Conference
in Washington, D.C.
Schedule and format change alert: Our workshops are now being offered
as
1-hour fun "Prizes and Popcorn" presentations in Executive Suite #9146
(9th floor) at the two times below.
Thursday, Jan. 21 from 6-7:00 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 22 from 7-8:00 a.m. Be sure to check the leader boards
at
the convention center for final verification as locations can change.
You will still get hands-on information, research and a demonstrataion of Playbooks® Reader's Theater in action! But best of all, you also receive a Free Give-away bag that includes a fun sparkle microphone prop, a sample Playbook®, and a gift certificate for a free Downloadable Playbook® story! The bag will also include our full catalog and one lucky recipient will receive a bag with a special ticket inside for a free full story set valued at over$60!
First come, first served and
while supplies last! You can also Reserve Your Free Spot Here to guarantee that you get a Give-Away Bag.
January's Monthly Special
December's special extended
due to popular demand!
Pick one of the following:
Use Coupon Codes Jan-3-Sets
Jan-2-Sets or Jan-1-Set on your PO.
*Limit 1 per customer.
Is the TV Ruling Over Reading? Reader's Theater can rule over TV!
We all know that successful readers read often, but how can a teacher instill that notion into students and parents when most of American homes today are ruled by the almighty television set? Reader's Theater can help shift this pattern!
Let’s face the facts: according to recent research, American children between the ages of 2 and 17 watch television on average 25 hours per week or 3 ½ hours per day. One in five children watches more than 35 hours of TV per week (Gentile & Walsh, 2002). Get more statistics on children watching TV.
It is proven that many children spend more time watching TV than any other activity except for sleeping. Consequently, many teachers experience the frustration of shortened attention spans due to the fast-paced visual stimulation found in TV and videogames.So, how can you, as educators, help prevent this tube trouble? Well, it’s not an easy task but there are some solutions to counteract the damages that are taking place due to too much television and not enough reading.
First, encourage parents to spend their time with their children reading together rather than watching television. As teachers, you can help your students by giving regular take-home reading assignments that ask for parent participation. These assignments should be interesting and fun for both the students and the parents in order for students to develop a love of reading outside of the classroom. Reader's Theater is the perfect tool for this because the character dialogue and opportunity for acting mimics the draw of television programs and can involve the whole family! The plot is carried forward by the students themselves as they bring their characters to life. With parent participation, the value is even greater because parental interest is essential in allowing students to reach their full potential for success in reading and school.
Playbooks® offers take-home packs (Lend and Extend Reader's Theater™) for our story sets so students can check Reader's Theater books out of the classroom and read them at home with their families.Find out more... Of course, Reader's Theater can also be used in the classroom for excellent results in building reading fluency.
The bottom line is that children need to find reading fun in order to want to practice at home... and Reader's Theater provides that very opportunity. With Reader's Theater, reading becomes more enticing than TV because, like TV, it can be funny, interesting, or emotionally engaging, but unlike TV, students can play an active role in portraying those qualities.
Request a Share Kit - Free
to facilitators of conferences
approved by Playbooks®
Includes:
1 Table Top Display shown (48" x 36")
1 RT Classroom Implementation DVD
1 Catalog
25 Mini Catalogs
25 Full Title/Price List by Grade Level
25 Topic Theme/Character Education Title Summaries
1 or 2 Door Prizes of Small Group Sets*
Additional conference raffle drawing and prize sign-up sheet.
(*Upon special approval based on conference type) _____________________________
Workshops on the Web
Playbooks® Workshops on the Web are shown live and your questions and interaction are welcomed.
Story Synopsis: It’s time for Prince Sherman to choose a bride, but that’s actually the last thing he wants to do. In the first place, he is horribly shy. Also, the girls who are always flocking around him are only interested because he’s a handsome prince. He wishes he could find a girl he could talk to who would like him for who he is, but apparently that sort of girl just doesn’t exist. It seems like his life only goes from bad to worse until he’s found by the very girl he’d always hoped to meet. Except, of course, he can’t marry her because she’s not royalty. Will Prince Sherman ever find happiness? They say love always finds a way!
This simple accessory pack allows you to split a typical one-story set of six books into three Lend & Extend™ take-home packs, designed to be checked out of the classroom or school library.
