Readers On Stage

"Stories on Stage" is a collection of reader's theater scripts for young readers, adapted from stories by fifteen different authors, including Louis Sachar, Nancy Farmer, Russell Hoban, Wanda Gag, and Roald Dahl. Coming from such genres as humor, fantasy, and multicultural folktales, stories were selected for their dramatic quality, literary value, and appeal to young people. While focusing on ages 8 to 15, the collection features a wide range of reading levels. The scripts in this collection are -- "Three Sideways Stories From Wayside School," by Louis Sachar -- "Mr. Twit's Revenge," by Roald Dahl -- "Millions of Cats," by Wanda Gag -- "Tapiwa's Uncle," by Nancy Farmer -- "How Tom Beat Captain Najork," by Russell Hoban -- "Harriet," by Florence Parry Heide -- "Mr. Bim's Bamboo," by Carol Farley -- "Talk," by Harold Courlander -- "The Jade Stone," by Caryn Yacowitz -- "The Bean Boy," by Monica Shannon -- "The Kid from the Commercial," by Stephen Manes -- "The Fools of Chelm," by Steve Sanfield -- "Mouse Woman and the Snails," by Christie Harris -- "Westwoods," by Eleanor Farjeon -- "The Legend of Lightning Larry," by Aaron Shepard. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is the author of many books, stories, and scripts for young people, as well as professional books and resources for writers and educators. He has also worked professionally in both storytelling and reader's theater, as a performer, director, and teacher trainer. Aaron's lively and meticulous retellings of folktales and other traditional literature have found homes with more than a dozen children's book publishers, large and small, and with the world's top children's literary magazines, winning him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. His extensive Web site, visited by thousands of teachers and librarians each week, is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater, while his stories and scripts have been featured in textbooks from publishers worldwide, including Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, SRA, The College Board, Pearson Education, National Geographic, Oxford University Press, Barron's, Hodder Education, and McGraw-Hill. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// "What? Don't have time to write up your own scripts for reader's theater? Not to worry. Aaron Shepard will get you started with his stellar scripts -- perfect for duplicating, handing out to your students, and bringing to life. This is one must-have book." -- Judy Freeman, Author, More Books Kids Will Sit Still For "One of the challenges of teaching is instilling in our students a love for reading. By transforming imaginative stories by some of our favorite authors into clever scripts, Aaron Shepard once again provides the means for teachers to nurture a passion for the written word. This second edition of Stories On Stage is a most worthwhile addition to your cache of reading strategies that work." -- Susan Finney, Author, Keep the Rest of the Class Reading and Writing While You Teach Small Groups "Reader's theater gets a boost from this collection. . . . The scripts are simple and direct, multicultural, and easily reproducible for classroom use." -- Ilene Cooper, Booklist (American Library Association), Jan. 1, 1994 "An intriguing, well-rounded collection. . . . The tone and content of source material is effectively preserved." -- The Horn Book Guide, July-Dec. 1993

The books in Bob Books Set 2 - Advancing Beginners provide your new reader with more material at the beginning level. These twelve stories in mostly three-letter words build confidence for the very youngest readers. Simple text combined with slightly longer stories builds reading stamina. Elements of humor and surprise keep childrenÕs interest high. Add Bob Books Set 2 to your collection for invaluable beginning reading practice. Reading this foundation set help children master basic phonics before they advance to consonant blends. Inside this eBook youÕll find: - 12 easy-to-read books, 16 pages each - Mostly two and three letter words (C-V-C words) - Can be "sounded out" (phonics based) - Limited sight words - 20 to 30 words per book

Sight words are common words that appear again and again in your childrenÕs reading material. Knowing these words Òby sightÓ is essential for reading fluency. This set provides practice at the beginning reading level, and introduces 30 of the most common and easy sight words. Our method makes the process of learning to recognize sight words very simple for the young reader. Consistent short vowels and simple stories mean children sound out (decode) the story, and learn only three sight words per book. With plenty of repetition and context clues, your young reader will quickly master early sight words with Bob Books Sight Words - Kindergarten. Inside this eBook youÕll find: - 10 easy-to-read, hilarious small books, 12 pages each - All stories told in three and four letter words, plus sight words - Consistent short vowels mean easy decoding in the rest of the story - Three new sight words introduced in each book

Pictures, words, and sentences that focus on the letters of the alphabet. Pre-reading skills.

Readers at this level are able to tackle longer sentences and longer books but still love the accomplishment of reading a book all the way through. Bob Books Set 4 continues to build reading skills, while also providing engaging stories that build success. In Bob Books Set 4, the simple narrative and design help children focus their skills on decoding, while introducing more challenging concepts and longer words. The delightful illustrations and humor help keep young readers engaged. Inside this eBook youÕll find: - 8 easy-to-read books, 16-24 pages each - Many four and five letter words (one syllable) - Two syllable words - Many consonant blends (such as nd, sn, st, ck) - A few vowel combinations (such as ou, ee, oo) - Many words can be "sounded out" (phonics based) - Limited sight words - Up to 150 words per book

Play Readings: A Complete Guide for Theatre Practitioners demystifies the standards and protocols of a play reading, demonstrating how to create effective and evocative readings for those new to or inexperienced with the genre. It examines all of the essential considerations involved in readings, including the use of the venue, pre-reading preparations, playwright/director communication, editing/adapting stage directions, casting, using the limited rehearsal time effectively, simple "staging" suggestions, working with actors, handling complex stage directions, talkbacks, and limiting the use of props, costumes, and music. A variety of readings are covered, including readings of musicals, operas, and period plays, for comprehensive coverage of this increasingly prevalent production form.

****A "CENTRAL TEXT" IN NEW YORK STATE'S COMMON CORE CURRICULUM**** Want to try reader's theater but don't know where to start? Or have you tried it but want to find ways to bring it more to life? Or are you just looking for a fun, easy way to lure young people into reading fluency, cooperative effort, effective communication, and love of literature? "Readers on Stage" is a collection of resources for scripting, directing, and teaching reader's theater, primarily to ages 8 and up. Part 1 offers three sample scripts to learn from and enjoy: "The Legend of Lightning Larry," "Peddler Polly and the Story Stealer," and "The Baker's Dozen." Part 2 highlights each major aspect of reader's theater -- scripting, staging, and dramatic reading -- offering tips and tricks you're not likely to find elsewhere. For instance, you'll learn how young readers can easily create their own scripts! Part 3 provides all the plans, notes, handouts, and worksheets from actual reader's theater workshops, ready for copying. Use them to start with reader's theater tomorrow in a classroom or library, or to lead your own workshop for adults. Finally, Part 4 gives listings of additional resources. Whether you're working with young readers, training teachers, or directing a professional company, you'll want this unique, detailed guide. NOTE ON THE EBOOK: The sample materials in this book are meant to be fully reproducible -- but as most ebook apps do not allow printing, reproduction is generally possible only from the print edition. For the ebook, these materials are provided for viewing alone. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is the author of many books, stories, and scripts for young people, as well as professional books and resources for writers and educators. He has also worked professionally in both storytelling and reader's theater, as a performer, director, and teacher trainer. Aaron's lively and meticulous retellings of folktales and other traditional literature have found homes with more than a dozen children's book publishers, large and small, and with the world's top children's literary magazines, winning him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. His extensive Web site, visited by thousands of teachers and librarians each week, is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater, while his stories and scripts have been featured in textbooks from publishers worldwide, including Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, SRA, The College Board, Pearson Education, National Geographic, Oxford University Press, Barron's, Hodder Education, and McGraw-Hill. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// "At last! If you've been looking for a complete resource for teaching and using readers theatre, look no further. From scripts, to implementation strategies, to materials for workshops, Readers on Stage has it all. Aaron Shepard draws upon decades of work to provide a practical, well-organized, and reader-friendly book. Don't miss it!" -- Dr. Suzanne Barchers, author, "Readers Theatre for Beginning Readers," and publisher, Storycart Press "For more than a decade, Aaron Shepard has been recognized nationally as an innovative, skilled, highly successful practitioner of readers theatre with emphasis on support of literature and reading, especially for teachers at elementary and middle-school levels. His latest book gives concise, clear, and practical tips for scriptmaking and staging, along with useful scripts and work materials." -- Dr. William Adams, Director, Institute for Readers Theatre

****A "CENTRAL TEXT" IN NEW YORK STATE'S COMMON CORE CURRICULUM**** Want to try reader's theater but don't know where to start? Or have you tried it but want to find ways to bring it more to life? Or are you just looking for a fun, easy way to lure young people into reading fluency, cooperative effort, effective communication, and love of literature? "Readers on Stage" is a collection of resources for scripting, directing, and teaching reader's theater, primarily to ages 8 and up. Part 1 offers three sample scripts to learn from and enjoy: "The Legend of Lightning Larry," "Peddler Polly and the Story Stealer," and "The Baker's Dozen." Part 2 highlights each major aspect of reader's theater -- scripting, staging, and dramatic reading -- offering tips and tricks you're not likely to find elsewhere. For instance, you'll learn how young readers can easily create their own scripts! Part 3 provides all the plans, notes, handouts, and worksheets from actual reader's theater workshops, ready for copying. Use them to start with reader's theater tomorrow in a classroom or library, or to lead your own workshop for adults. Finally, Part 4 gives listings of additional resources. Whether you're working with young readers, training teachers, or directing a professional company, you'll want this unique, detailed guide. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of numerous children's books and magazine stories, as well as three books on reader's theater. He spent five years as a professional actor in reader's theater, performing in schools and conducting workshops for teachers, librarians, and students. He now hosts Aaron Shepard's RT Page, the Web's most popular reader's theater destination, with visits by thousands of teachers and librarians each week. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// "At last! If you've been looking for a complete resource for teaching and using readers theatre, look no further. From scripts, to implementation strategies, to materials for workshops, Readers on Stage has it all. Aaron Shepard draws upon decades of work to provide a practical, well-organized, and reader-friendly book. Don't miss it!" -- Dr. Suzanne Barchers, author, "Readers Theatre for Beginning Readers," and publisher, Storycart Press "Aaron Shepard skillfully envelops us in the wonderful world of readers theatre. His new book melds the how-to-do-it with engaging, entertaining scripts. This is a welcome contribution to the field." -- Dr. Shirlee Sloyer, professor, Hofstra University, and author, "From the Page to the Stage" "For more than a decade, Aaron Shepard has been recognized nationally as an innovative, skilled, highly successful practitioner of readers theatre with emphasis on support of literature and reading, especially for teachers at elementary and middle-school levels. His latest book gives concise, clear, and practical tips for scriptmaking and staging, along with useful scripts and work materials." -- Dr. William Adams, Director, Institute for Readers Theatre "Readers on Stage solves the instructor's problem of how to cover all aspects of readers' theater for the drama student. Even a person experienced in theater has much to learn from Aaron Shepard's insightful book." -- Dr. Rebecca Saunders, Professor of Drama, Lesley University