Toni Buzzeo, Author, Library Media Specialist

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Read! Perform! Learn! 10 Reader's Theater Programs for Literacy Enhancement
by Toni Buzzeo
Upstart Books, 2006 ISBN: 1932146598
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About the Book: Liven up your library lessons with fun reader’s theater programs! The ten scripts in Read! Perform! Learn! make it easy for all of your students to be involved in each performance. Each chapter includes an introduction to the book and script, an author interview, the reader’s theater script and corresponding activities that connect to content standards.

Scripts include:

Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss

Chicken Soup by Heart by Esther Hershenhorn

Dinosnores by Kelly DiPucchio

Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Mudball by Matt Tavares

Old Cricket by Lisa Wheeler

Rain Romp by Jane Kurtz

The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill

School Picture Day by Lynn Plourde

Violet's Music by Angela Johnson

Reviews and Awards

"Read! Perform! Learn!: Ten Reader's Theater Programs For Literacy Enhancement by author and School Library Media Specialist Toni Buzzeo is an informative and "classroom teacher friendly" curriculum supplement with respect to the world of theater, the English language, and the benefits of literacy for children. Acting as an elaborate and in-depth guide for media, Language Arts, and the performing arts, and reading proficiency, Read! Perform! Learn! deftly introduces an effective and accessible approach to teaching children an enhanced standard of reading skills for the artistic, entertaining, and usefully applicable areas of English. As a curriculum enhancement resource for educating of children grades K-5 in the subjects of literature, theater, and English Language Arts, Read! Perform! Learn! is very strongly recommended for library media specialists, children's librarians, and classroom teachers, and home schooling parents. ~ Midwest Book Review, June 2006 (reprinted in full with permission of the publisher)

"While most teachers love to read, it is still difficult for them to find ways to reach students who either struggle with reading or hate it completely. It is especially hard if the students are in a class with higher performing readers. One way to meet the needs of all readers is through Reader’s Theater, the act of taking a story and creating a play where each child has a part. The author of this book has made Reader’s Theater easy. She has taken ten popular children’s books and turned them into short plays with between ten to fifteen characters in each. In addition, she includes an interview with the author and activities to connect the content areas. She even includes the handouts necessary for some of the assignments. All teachers of elementary reading will find this book useful. It is especially helpful for new teachers, since lesson objectives (similar to most state standards) are listed for each activity. The copyright allows for class copies of the plays and the worksheets. The only thing needed is a copy of the original children’s book. This is a book that teachers can use the first day they buy it. Ages Adult. ~ Heather Robertson Mason, Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (reprinted in full with permission of the publisher)

Patterns for Masks and Hats

Download a set of mask patterns for the Reader's Theater script of Dinosnores!

Download a set of hat patterns for the Reader's Theater script of Even Firefighters Hug Their Moms!