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Reading Literacy

Creative Dramatics Lessons That Kids Love

July 22, 2020 By dhcbaldwin 1 Comment

Creative Dramatics from an Awarding Winning Drama Teache

Creative Dramatics Lessons That Kids Love

Dramamommaspeaks Blog Author Deborah Baldwin

Hello!

Today, I wanted to blog about Creative Dramatics Lessons That Kids Love. You may not know me or be familiar with my work.  I’m Deborah Baldwin (but my friends call me Deb.)  I am a recently retired award-winning drama teacher of thirty-eight years.  In that time, I directed over 250 plays and musicals with students and adults as well.  I taught every grade level, but the bulk of my time was spent with secondary students.

Here is my resume if you’d like to see it:

If you’d like a free guide And lesson plan from me, click here LESSON PLAN

Creative Dramatics Lessons That Kids Love

My Teaching Style

Drama is a hands-on class. To this end, I’m always on my feet, modeling for my students while teaching them a host of concepts. It is not unusual to hear my classroom in chortles of laughter because humor is an outstanding way to gain a student’s attention. I empower students at an early age. Although I am always mindful of my learning objectives, I think it’s vital for students to experiment within the confines of my instruction.

I encourage students to be independent and creative thinkers. Many less confident or reluctant students benefit from my teaching methods as together we hit the challenges they encounter. I am creative, intense, driven and brave–these are qualities I nurture in all my students and generally receive outstanding results.

Creative Dramatics Lessons for Elementary Grades by an Award Winning Drama Teacher

If you need some warm ups for your class, whether a core or drama class check out Theatre Games Guide

Strengthening Reading Comprehension Skills

When I was researching this blog post, I found a wonderful site,  http://www.understood.org.  They discussed the reasons for reading aloud (aka drama class!):

1. Decoding

Decoding is a vital step in the reading process. Kids use this skill to sound out words they’ve heard before but haven’t seen written out. The ability to do that is the foundation for other reading skills.

Decoding relies on an early language skill called phonemic awareness. (This skill is part of an even broader skill called phonological awareness.) Phonemic awareness lets kids hear individual sounds in words (known as phonemes). It also allows them to “play” with sounds at the word and syllable level.

2. Fluency

To read fluently, kids need to instantly recognize words, including ones they can’t sound out. Fluency speeds up the rate at which they can read and understand text. It’s also important when kids encounter irregular words, like of and the, which can’t be sounded out.

Sounding out or decoding every word can take a lot of effort. Word recognition is the ability to recognize whole words instantly by sight, without sounding them out.

3. Vocabulary

To understand what you’re reading, you need to understand most of the words in the text. Having a strong vocabulary is a key component of reading comprehension. Students can learn vocabulary through instruction. But they typically learn the meaning of words through everyday experience and also by reading.

What can help: The more words kids are exposed to, the richer their vocabulary becomes. You can help build your child’s vocabulary by having frequent conversations on a variety of topics. Try to include new words and ideas. Telling jokes and playing word games is a fun way to build this skill.

Creative Dramatics Lessons for Elementary Grades by an Award Winning Drama Teacher

4. Sentence Construction and Cohesion

Understanding how sentences are built might seem like a writing skill. So might connecting ideas within and between sentences, which is called cohesion. But these skills are important for reading comprehension as well.

Knowing how ideas link up at the sentence level helps kids get meaning from passages and entire texts. It also leads to something called coherence, or the ability to connect ideas to other ideas in an overall piece of writing.

What can help: Explicit instruction can teach kids the basics of sentence construction. For example, teachers can work with students on connecting two or more thoughts, through both writing and reading.

Making Connections: Using What They Know to Understand

5. Reasoning and Background Knowledge

Most readers relate what they’ve read to what they know. So it’s important for kids to have background or prior knowledge about the world when they read. They also need to be able to “read between the lines” and pull out meaning even when it’s not literally spelled out.

What can help: Your child can build knowledge through reading, conversations, movies and TV shows, and art. Life experience and hands-on activities also build knowledge.

6. Working Memory and Attention

These two skills are both part of a group of abilities known as executive function. They’re different but closely related.

When kids read, attention allows them to take in information from the text. Working memory allows them to hold on to that information and use it to gain meaning and build knowledge from what they’re reading.

What can help: There are many ways you can help improve your child’s working memory. Skill builders don’t have to feel like work, either. There are a number of games and everyday activities that can build working memory without kids even knowing it.

Creative Dramatics from an Awarding Winning Drama Teacher

Maybe you are researching Back to School lessons. Or you are looking for drama units, lessons and plays for your elementary students. Or you want to save yourself time? 

I can help you. 

Here is my opinion about expectations of our elementary students. My Pet Peeve

Here are a few of my lessons for elementary students:

Birthday cake with puppy wearing a hat

It Could Always Be Worse Readers Theater

  • Tableau, Grades 3 and 4
  • Chanting, Grades 3 to 5
  • Costume Design with Goldilocks and the Three Bears
  • Creative Movement
  • Costume Design with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  • The Little Girl and the Winter Whirlwinds
  • Costume Design with Alice in Wonderland Characters

Each lesson comes with a teacher’s letter, procedure, a warm-up, materials list, teacher’s script and assignments.

Recently, I created fifteen minute radio theater plays for grades 3 to 5.  These are royalty free, too! 

  • Radio Theater Play of The Brave Little Tailor
  • Radio Theater Play of It Could Always Be Worse

Recently, I created fifteen minute radio theater plays for grades 3 to 5.  These are royalty free, too!

I hope you’ll check out my creative dramatics lessons.  My thirty-eight years of teaching drama education serve me well in creating these lessons and/or adapting some which I all ready used in the classroom.

Have you taught creative dramatics with your students?  I’d love to hear about it.  Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Looking for a freebie or two?  Go to:

Free Teaching Resources Blog Hop

Free Stuff!

 

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Filed Under: arts education, Back to School, creative dramatics, creative movement, Creativity, DeborahBaldwin.net, drama education, Education, play reading, Radio Theatre, Reading Literacy, reading skills, teaching strategies, theater, youth theatre Tagged With: arts integration, back to school, costume design, creative dramatics lesson for back to school, drama lessons, dramamommaspeaks, elementary level plays, radio plays for elementary, radio theater for elementary, reading comprehension, teaching style, VIRTUAL LEARNING

Learning Through Reader’s Theater Scripts

March 21, 2020 By dhcbaldwin 3 Comments

Learning Through Readers Theater Scripts

Today’s let us consider an old friend of mine–readers theater.  Learning through readers theater scripts is effortless.  I’m getting ahead of myself here.

Shocking News

Did you know that 40% of our students can not read fluently.  Forty per cent!  Yikes.

READING WITH GRANDAUGHTER WHEN SHE WAS 18 MOS.

When we were raising our daughters, I made it a point of reading to our daughters at least thirty minutes twice a day.  I know not everyone has that privilege. Now I offer to read to my grandchildren whenever I can.  This little imp in the photo is our granddaughter who loves to read.  It’s no wonder–look at her in the photo! You can see her delight in the story and pictures.

But back to our students reading issues.  If you are looking for a way to keep your students engaged and sort of in the drama class (or actually Reading or Language Arts class) mindset, here’s an idea:

Teach through a reader’s theater script!

Rehearsal Schedule for a Readers Theater Performance

Here is what I would do in this situation—

Day One:

  •  Select a reader’s theater which you know your students will enjoy
  • Announce to the students in the class you will be performing a readers theater play
  • Teach about readers theater and its many assets (script in hand, no memorization, everyone works together)
  • Inform parents and invite them to the performance.  (Day Six)

Day Two:

  • Hand out scripts to students
  • Read aloud the script.
  • Afterward instruct students to select three roles they are interested in performing and send you their choices. You’ll send them an email with the cast list.
  • Cast the roles

Day Three:

  • Announce to the class the cast list
  • Teach students how to hi-light their lines.
  • Read aloud script a second time

Day Four

  • Discuss any questions or moments you want to clarify with the students (Such as when it says “ad-lib.” what does that mean?)
  • Instruct the students to complete any assignment you may have given them to accompany the script and send to you

Days Five, Six and Seven

Day Five

  • Read the script aloud  again and coach the class focusing on vocal inflection, variety, tone and enunciation (Also, you may want to coach them on physicalizing of the character. How would an angry man look?  What about a frightened giant?)
  • If you want the students to have costume pieces, perhaps you could discuss ideas for costume pieces they may have at home? (Maybe the students could use some foil and tagboard and make a crown, for instance.  Or a student portraying a chicken could make a demi-mask to wear during the reading.)

Day Six

  • Performance Day! 
  • Either rehearse the script once more or the teacher gives any last-minute directions
  • Record the performance (It will be so fun for the students to see it afterward!)

Day Seven

  • Hold a post production discussion about the experience (Maybe a little party could be held with everyone bringing their own snack and drink to the class?)

Young Woman at her Study Room Smiling at Camera

Grab my FREE guide and ten page lesson to help you boost student engagement here:

Reader’s Theater is an excellent way to involve all readers, no matter their skill level.

In case, you are unfamiliar with Reader’s Theater here is a good definition from the Education World website, a wonderful retired Language Arts Teacher,

“In Reader’s Theater, students “perform” by reading scripts created from grade-level books or stories — generally without benefit of costumes and props. The goal is to enhance reading skill and confidence through practice with a purpose. Reader’s Theater gives students a real reason to read aloud.

“A great deal of fluency research reiterates the need for repeated reading,” reported Finney. “Without fluency, there is little comprehension; the value of Reader’s Theater is increased tenfold when used as a strategy for increasing understanding of what is being read.”

Reader’s Theater motivates reluctant readers and provides fluent readers with the opportunity to explore genre and characterization.”

Asian teenage boy with disability in wheelchair reading book in library Disability Stock Photo

Reluctant Learners and Readers Theater

Are reluctant students successful with readers theater? Yes, yes and one more yes!

Reader’s Theater motivates reluctant readers and provides them a safe environment.  They can actually “hide” behind a script.  As they focus on the script, they become unaware of reading aloud in front others.

If you are ready to try a readers theater unit, here are a few of mine.

 

The products come with:

  • a warm up
  • advice in directing reader’s theater
  • blocking plot for teacher’s staging needs
  • a lesson about the country or culture of which the folk tale hails (i.e. Italian language, Yiddish language, Grimms Brothers, Inuit dance, etc.)
  • script with roles for 15 to 30 students, depending upon the script
  • original song and sheet music (optional for performance)
  • sound bytes of music

Comprehensive? You bet!

Check out my store at:  Dramamommaspeaks Store

These scripts are field-tested and created by a veteran drama teacher and director of thirty-eight years.

Who am I?

Deborah Baldwin, Dramamommaspeaks

I am a retired drama educator having taught for thirty-eight years in both the public and private sectors. Whew! During this time, I created a curriculum for studies in creative dramatics, creative movement, introduction to musical theater, musical theater, film making, technical theater, introduction to Shakespeare, introduction to theater as well speech and debate. I created seven youth theater companies that continue today in various parts of the Midwest, oversaw productions for thirty-eight years and developed a national playwriting contest for youth theater scripts. In addition, I am an award-winning director who has directed over 250 plays and musicals with children and adults alike. My sister was an elementary teacher for many years as were my aunts. In the late 1800s, my fraternal grandmother was known for her strength in teaching math in the wilds of Kansas. My maternal grandmother established the first kindergarten in Osaka, Japan in the 1890s. In short teaching is in my blood and comes to me joyfully and naturally.

I hope you’ll consider teaching readers theater to your students through distance learning with the help of a company such as Zoom.  I’d love to hear how it goes for you, too!

If you’d like to read more about my lessons, look at:

Eight Benefits for Students When Reading Plays

The Reasons Reader’s Theater is Successful with Our Students

The Reasons Teaching Multiculturalism in the Classroom is Vitally Important

Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

 

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Filed Under: arts education, Distance Learning, drama education, elementary, excellence in teaching, High School, middle grades, readers theater, Reading Literacy, reading skills, Teacherspayteachers, teaching strategies, youth theatre Tagged With: DISTANCE LEARNING, drama lessons, grade 10, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, grade 6, grade 7, grade 8, grade 9, home schooling lessons, reader's theater, telecommunication, zoom

The Reasons Reader’s Theater is Successful with Our Students

December 6, 2019 By dhcbaldwin 8 Comments

The Reasons Reader’s Theater is Successful with Our Students

When I was a little girl, I loved to read aloud.  I was good at it, too!  I think it’s where I realized performing was something I loved because by reading aloud it gave me an opportunity to try out characters and voices.

My teachers readily noticed this about me, too. As a result, I was always asked to read aloud.  I felt very special at the moment.

Because I am very creative and drill work absolutely bores me, I wasn’t always the best student.

But reading aloud?  Oh, that’s so me….

I was looking around the internet to find some other educators (which there are many) who believed as strongly as I do about reading aloud.  My favorite method is through reader’s theater.

In case, you are unfamiliar with Reader’s Theater here is a good definition from the Education World website, a wonderful retired Language Arts Teacher,

“In Reader’s Theater, students “perform” by reading scripts created from grade-level books or stories — generally without benefit of costumes and props. The goal is to enhance reading skill and confidence through practice with a purpose. Reader’s Theater gives students a real reason to read aloud.

“A great deal of fluency research reiterates the need for repeated reading,” reported Finney. “Without fluency, there is little comprehension; the value of Reader’s Theater is increased tenfold when used as a strategy for increasing understanding of what is being read.”

Reader’s Theater motivates reluctant readers and provides fluent readers with the opportunity to explore genre and characterization.”

Yes, yes and one more yes!

Reader’s Theater motivate reluctant readers and provides them a safe environment.  They can actually “hide” behind a script.  As they focus on the script, they become unaware of reading aloud in front others.

Here are the Reasons I think Reader’s Theater Works:

  1.  It strengthens one’s reading–repeated reading of words makes them familiar.
  2.  It’s a safe way to involve reluctant readers.
  3.  Generally, the stories are short and highly engaging.  (No one wants to read a boring script aloud!)
  4.  It’s a great way to read different genres without having to commit to an entire book.
  5.  It “feels” like you are performing, but in a non-threatening manner.
  6.  Because students feel safe, their inner performer is more likely to emerge.

My only advice: I wouldn’t suggest putting kids on a stage to try out reader’s theater.  You have just shot yourself in the foot!  I promise, it won’t go well.

The Reasons Reader’s Theater is Successful with Our Students

Here is more from Education World.

Judy Freeman a literature consultant states,

“Reader’s Theater allows children the luxury of lingering over a story; acting it out many times so they come to understand all its nuances,” Freeman explained. “Too often, children read a story and only understand it at its most superficial literal level. With Reader’s Theater, they’re not just reading a story; they’re living it.”

 

“Always perform a Reader’s Theater script at least twice,” she advises. “The first time, the children will be struggling with words and their meanings, and with making sense of the play. It’ll be rough, but who cares? The second time, they’ll be able to focus on enjoying the performance and their parts in it. You can, if you wish, carry it further, adding props, costumes, and scenery; memorizing lines; or even putting on the play for other groups. You don’t have to, though. It’s the process that’s important here, not a finished product.”

That’s an important statement–it’s not a finished product.

To sum up in one phrase–Reader’s Theater allows for trial and error when reading.

Multicultural Folk Tales Reader’s Theater Scripts

I’ve penned several reader’s theater scripts.  Each is based on a multicultural folk tale.

Reader’s Theater:  The Sprightly Tailor

If you are looking for some different reader’s theater scripts, I’m your gal.  Because of my extensive experience teaching and directing (38 years–yikes!), you can trust the quality of these scripts.

AND HERE’S SOMETHING ELSE…

Each of these units comes with original songs written especially for the piece.  How cool is that?

This is not just a script, it’s a unit!

Here’s what you receive:

  •  Letter to teacher
  •  Warm up exercise
  •  Advice in directing reader’s theater
  • Blocking plot for teacher’s staging needs
  •  Scripts with roles for large classes
  • Original song

Does this sound good to you?  Check them out at:  Dramamommaspeaks Store

Here’s a new bundle you may enjoy:  Comical Reader’s Theater Scripts and Units

The Reasons Reader’s Theater is Successful with Our Students

When I taught at Smithton Middle School in Columbia, MO I used reader’s theater with an after school Drama club for ESL students.  This was about fifteen years ago.  At the time I used one of Aaron Shepherd’s scripts.  They are terrific.

Another time, I used a reader’s theater script version of Holes.  We invited reluctant readers to be involved.  I asked several administrators and teachers to play the adult roles.  It was absolutely awesome and we performed the script for the entire school.

What a boost in self confidence this was for those boys.

I co-created a youth theater program in Columbia as well–P.A.C.E. or Performing Arts in Children’s Education. We performed A Christmas Story as a stage reading.  Stage readings are very similar to reader’s theater.  You might think performing with script in hand would distract or detract from the performances.  Nope.  The audience loved it anyway.

So, I hope you’ll give reader’s theater a try whether you are in a drama class, high school language arts or social studies.  It’s not just for elementary students anymore.

What reader’s theater have you done in your class?  I’d love to hear about it.  Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Deborah Baldwin, Dramamommaspeaks

Abdullah's Gold
Abdullah’s Gold
The Little Girl and the Winter Whirlwinds
The Little Girl and the Winter Whirlwinds
Saturday, Sunday and Monday
Saturday, Sunday and Monday
It Could Always Be Worse
It Could Always Be Worse
Li Chi the Serpent Slayer
Li Chi the Serpent Slayer
Sedna, an Inuit Tale
Sedna, an Inuit Tale
The Brave Little Tailor
The Brave Little Tailor

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Filed Under: arts education, drama education, excellence in teaching, play reading, Reading Literacy, reading skills, Teacherspayteachers, teaching strategies, theatre Tagged With: creative dramatics, elementary drama, middle school drama, reader's theater, reading class, reading strategies

What is Talk like a Pirate Day?

September 16, 2019 By dhcbaldwin 1 Comment

Today, I’d like to share about the question, What is Talk Like a Pirate day?” Simply put, it’s a non-official day where people talk like pirates.  It’s just fun!

Here is the origin:

Talk Like a Pirate Day is the brainchild (if that’s the right word) of two friends, John Baur and Mark Summers, who thought, ‘wouldn’t it be fun to have one day a year when people shake off their serious side and talk like pirates?’ The idea for the day actually originated on June 5, 1995, during a game of racquetball, when one of the men was injured and yelled “Aaarrr.” However, out of respect to the anniversary of the World War Two Normandy landings, the men postponed their celebration. They later chose September 19 because it was Summers’s ex-wife’s birthday and therefore would be easy to remember. (That is so funny!)

Since September 2002, when syndicated columnist, Pulitzer Prize Winner Dave Barry wrote about the idea, John and Mark have been deluged with letters and e-mails about how “Talk Like a Pirate Day” can be applied in various settings.

An observer of this holiday would greet friends not with “Hello, everyone!” but with “Ahoy, maties!” or “Ahoy, me hearties!”. The holiday, and its observance, springs from a romanticized view of the Golden Age of Piracy.

What is Talk like a Pirate Day?

English actor Robert Newton is the “patron saint” of Talk Like a Pirate Day. He portrayed pirates in several films, most notably Long John Silver in both the 1950 Disney film Treasure Island and the 1954 Australian film Long John Silver, and the title character in the 1952 film Blackbeard the Pirate. Newton was born in Dorset and educated in Cornwall, and it was his native West Country dialect, which he used in his portrayal of Long John Silver and Blackbeard, that some contend is the origin of the standard “pirate accent”. This was parodied in the 1950s and 1960s by British comedian Tony Hancock.

That’s so fun!

What is Talk like a Pirate Day?

You know who loves stuff like this?  Our students.

If you know me, you know I teach theater with a twist.  I thought, “How can I teach some acting skill, explore a radio theater play and celebrate Talk like a Pirate Day simultaneously?”

Enter:  Talk Like a Pirate Day drama lesson!

What is Talk like a Pirate Day?

I loved working on this lesson.  I decided to introduce dialects and accents through it.

Plus, how about reading aloud The Frozen Pirate radio theater play? If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m really just a kid at heart.

When I began adapting radio plays for the classroom, I ran upon The Frozen Pirate.  I’d never heard of the story, but it’s a good one.

Who is William Clark Russell, the author?

At the age of 13 Russell joined the United Kingdom’s Merchant Navy, serving for eight years. Wow! The hardships of life at sea damaged his health permanently, but provided him with material for a career as a writer. He wrote short stories, press articles, historical essays, biographies and a book of verse, but was known best for his novels, most of which were about life at sea. He maintained a simultaneous career as a journalist, principally as a columnist on nautical subjects for The Daily Telegraph.

Russell campaigned for better conditions for merchant seamen, and his work influenced reforms approved by Parliament to prevent unscrupulous ship-owners from exploiting their crews. His influence in this respect was acknowledged by the future King George V. Among Russell’s contemporary admirers were Herman Melville, Algernon Swinburne and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Frozen Pirate is a story of a ship captain and his valet whose ship runs ashore on a desolate, icy island.  While scavenging for a place to protect themselves from the storm, they find a pirate ship frozen into the rocks. I’ve adapted it into a radio play.

The ship is full of loot, gold and oh yes, several pirates.  The valet makes a fire and guess what?  One pirate warms enough to come back to life!

Teaching with a Twist

This is a good example of how I teach theater with a twist–I view trendy topics and figure out how to assimilate them into a drama classroom.

 

Halloween? 

That’s an obvious one–stage makeup and studying sound effects. But how about costume design for Halloween characters?

Thanksgiving?

Tableau and movement do great with subjects of Thanksgiving.

Christmas?

Students can study stage properties through viewing video examples on holiday movies.  There are scads of them.  Also, another good costume design lesson is that of The Nutcracker Ballet.

See?

Costume Design with Nutcracker Characters

It’s not that the usual methods are poor.  Everyone does monologues, scenes, improvisation, etc. That’s important. However, I have found that if you teach any length of time, you are going to grow bored with the tried and true resources you use. Frankly, every lesson but acting is interesting to reluctant learners.  Acting makes you feel vulnerable and they don’t want that.  Check out: Ten Ways to Teach Reluctant Students in Your Theater Class

So how about trying something new?  

Once, a director suggested to me  I deliver a particular line in a play differently each night.  I was portraying the part for several weeks and I worried about becoming stale.

There’s an old exercise where we teach students the differences in the meaning to “Close the door. Close the door. Close the door.”

At first, I stayed with something safe such as, “You are welcome.”

Over time, I adapted the exercise with other lines.  You know, it worked! Suddenly, the lines became fresh to me all over again as if I had just picked up the script for the first time.

That’s why my resources work too!

Try a different lesson with a different perspective, like this Talk like a Pirate Day lesson.

What are some of your favorite lessons you have created?  I’d love to hear from you.

Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Deborah Baldwin, author

 

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Filed Under: acting, arts education, drama education, excellence in teaching, High School, middle grades, Radio Theatre, Reading Literacy, Teacherspayteachers, teaching strategies, youth theatre Tagged With: accents, costume design, dialects, pirates, sound effects, stage makeup, stage properties, tableau and movement, Talk like a Pirate Day

Some “Hoppy” News For Peter Rabbit Fans

September 21, 2017 By dhcbaldwin Leave a Comment

Peter Rabbit film

http://variety.com/2017/film/news/peter-rabbit-movie-trailer-james-corden-1202565619/

Oh my, James Corden is the voice of Peter Rabbit in a new film Peter Rabbit!

Read on…

Everyone’s favorite rambunctious rabbit finds new life as a party animal in the first trailer for the live-action/animated comedy “Peter Rabbit.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The film stars James Corden as the the titular mischievous bunny whose feud with Mr. McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson) escalates as they rival for the affections of the animal lover who lives next door (Rose Byrne). The film also stars Sam Neill and features the voices of Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki, and Daisy Ridley as his triplets Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail.

The trailer shows Peter and his furry friends raiding Mr. McGregor’s vegetable garden and trashing his home in a wild party, then frantically dispersing when the farmer returns home unexpectedly. The critter exudes so much charm that even a fox who previously tried to eat him is a welcome party guest.

Book Series

The movie is based on the character from Beatrix Potter’s children’s book series. Peter Rabbit first appeared in “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” in 1902 and the series has since sold more than 150 million copies worldwide in 35 languages.

The film is directed by Will Gluck who also wrote the screenplay with Rob Lieber. Gluck’s previous directing work includes “Easy A,” “Friends With Benefits,” and the 2014 remake of “Annie.” Lieber has previously written the screenplay for “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.”

“Peter Rabbit” hits theaters on Feb. 9, 2018.
Staff Writer

Matt Fernandez

Staff Writer

@matt_fern

 

 

 

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Filed Under: drama education, Reading Literacy, youth theatre Tagged With: 2018 films, books into films, classic books

Revolutionary Program for Bored Kids on Airplanes

September 3, 2017 By dhcbaldwin 2 Comments

Here’s an article about a revolutionary program for bored kids on an airplane.  How cool!

Recently, my husband I flew across the ocean to England. There were several kids on board. One little girl had a terrible time on the trip because her mother didn’t bring many things for the girl to do. Then I ran onto this article about a pilot program being tried on Easyjet! .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Jet Launches ‘Flybraries’ Book Club To Keep Kids Entertained On Flights And Encourage Reading
Huffington post U.K.

An airline has come up with the perfect solution to keep kids entertained on flights, while also encouraging their passion to read.

EasyJet has today  launched ‘Flybraries’ (flying libraries), which will see 7,000 books take to the skies in 147 planes.

The launch followed a survey of 2,000 parents, which found 83% think their kids read less than they did when they were children.

Children will be offered books to read on the plane from a book trolley.
They have to leave the books on the plane when they land, but they can download free samples of other classics to read afterwards from the easyJet bookclub.

The airline has teamed up with Jaqueline Wilson and Puffin Classics to compile a selection of books kids will enjoy.

Books onboard flights include ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland’, ‘The Wizard Of Oz’ and ‘The Railway Children’.
Dame Jacqueline Wilson, who is supporting the campaign, said: “The long summer break is the ideal opportunity for children to get stuck into a great story.
“Books stimulate a child’s imagination and development. Reading soothes, entertains, grows vocabulary and exercises the mind and a flight is the perfect place to escape into a literary adventure. That’s why I think this campaign is such a clever match.”

EasyJet CEO Carolyn McCall said: “Our in-flight lending library means young passengers can pick up a brilliant book during their flight and then return it to the seat pocket at the end of the flight for the next customer to enjoy onboard.

“We think it will be popular with parents and children alike.”
To find out more, visit easyJet’s bookclub online here. http://www.easyjet.com/en/bookclub?awc=6296_1504300509_e305347aaa9fe84b6c2185488f5c9b97&utm_medium=Afiliacion&utm_source=Awin_UK&utm_campaign=home&amc=aff.easyjet.27953.32832.19310
Contact me at Dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

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Filed Under: Bumbling Bea, Reading Literacy Tagged With: airplane programs for kids, reading, reading program for kids, the summer slump

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