BRINGING CLASSICS TO LIFE

A reading program that brings reading and theatre together for students in grades K through 8.

RESEARCH-BASED

Children learn by doing. In this program, children practice reading rigorous texts while acting out play adaptations of timeless stories. Grounded in research, the program builds reading fluency and comprehension while exposing children to some of the best stories ever told. The program is highly effective at developing a love of reading in even the most reluctant readers.

CREATIVE

In this age of testing, the ELA classroom frequently lacks opportunities for creative expression. As children bring these stories to life through dramatic readings, they flex their creativity. Children learn how to play a character, changing their voice and speaking style to suit their role, and learning a sense of timing and tone. Not only is this creative work highly enjoyable, it stimulates their imagination, helps them to integrate their own experiences and fosters confidence in public speaking.

INCLUSIVE

Each play has enough parts for every member of the class, so that every child participates in the reading fully. There is no need to group children by ability. The program is designed to be a whole-classroom solution. Children with below-level reading skills participate equally and as fully as children with on-level or above-level reading skills. This inclusivity is a wonderful, community-building counterpoint to small group work. It allows all children to work together and learn from one another.

We provide on-site professional development at schools that includes modeling instruction in classrooms, one-on-one coaching with teachers, and training sessions for the entire faculty to ensure effective implementation. We also offer 45-minute webinars for schools wishing to offer professional development for faculty at lunch time or during individual prep lessons.

Targeted Assistance teachers can also receive professional development in using the plays to support reading fluency and comprehension. They are also perfect for use in after-school settings, summer schools and Saturday academies.

Each play comes with an academic workbook featuring both story-based math and language arts activities. These provide word problems or “story problems” requiring students to flex their mathematical thinking skills on math problems that are set within the story they have just read. The workbooks also provide reading comprehension and writing activities that help develop both literary analysis and written expression.