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Reader's Theater, Jr.™
An Original Playbook® Series
Early Childhood Reading Development
Content for Preschool to First Grade
Differentiated Reading Levels: Good, Better, and Best |
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Reader's Theater, Jr.™ is a unique series of ten important early childhood topic sets, each of which include one full length reader's theater story and five mini stories which are designed to be read first and help prepare young readers for the full length story (along with additional materials).
There are few opportunities for Preschool and Kindergarten students to engage in true reader's theater with their own expressive reading roles, but this series takes a step-by-step approach that both provides students with material at a level they can master, and fosters the growth to allow students to get into character and be part of a story. With this progression of skills and teaching methods, the learning is exponential!
The five mini stories, called Mini Transition Books, each focus on a certain element of the main story in a much shorter format, and are designed to be read in a sequence over a series of class sessions that fits a preschooler's attention span and builds learning. The teacher reads the Mini Transition Books aloud the first time through, and on subsequent readings the students will choral read selected parts, marked in a different colored text.
When the class has completed all five Mini Transition Books, they are ready to take specific roles (shared between two to three readers to maximize student confidence) in the full length story, called an Easel Book, and see what reader's theater is all about!
The full length story comes in 11 in. x 17 in. Easel Book format and is designed to be displayed at the front of the class for group reading. The Mini Transition Books are in a smaller 8.5 in. x 11 in. size, but still have oversized text so the teacher can simply hold them at the front of the class. Full sets with both Easel Book and Mini Transition Books also include the story and mini books on Powerpoint, which can be used with interactive white boards.
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Three Options to Choose From!
Adaptable to fit and expand the abilities of students
in Preschool through First Grade!

Option 1: Topic Story Set with Easel Book
and
5 Mini Transition Books for only $99
Allows emerging readers, guided by the teacher to start out
with the simple Mini Transition Books
and progress the the
larger full-length Easel Book story.

Option 2: Topic Story Easel Book only - $39
For slightly more advanced early readers who do not need
the simple Mini Transition Books.
Option 3: Topic Story Mini Transition Books only
– 5 stories - $39
For very early readers who are not yet ready
to engage in reading a longer story.
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Reader's Theater, Jr.™ stories cover 10 important early childhood topics.
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How Many Are We? (counting)
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Lil loves to be on a farm because there are so many animals to count! In fact, there should be ten animals, but they keep disappearing! At first Lil can only count to three, or four, or seven, or nine, but never to ten. Finally, all of the animals come back and she happily reaches her goal of counting to ten with this adorably fun group of farm animals! |
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Super Shapes! (shapes)
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Shapes are everywhere! The children in this story learn about five shapes: the circle, the square, the rectangle, the triangle and the oval. They learn about objects that look like these shapes and rhymes to go with them. Finally, they are presented with various shapes and must figure out what is formed by them. The pieces come together in the shape of their teacher! |
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Open Your Eyes to Exercise! (fitness)
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It’s summer, and that means camp! The camp counselor asks the children to share exercises they know, and each child contributes one, like the Body Wobble and the Scissor Jump. The counselor creates a rhyme to teach these kids how to get active with fun, simple exercises. This gets their bodies moving and ‘opens their eyes to exercise!’ |
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Wow Vowels! (alphabet)
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The vowels, A, E, I, O, and U know they are important! They know vowels are *always* needed to make words, so they form a cool club, the *Wow Vowel* club. Each vowel gives examples of words it can make. But every time they do anything, there is a mystery character who intrudes! Some other letter of the alphabet says it is a vowel too! It seems impossible, until the mystery character is revealed: the letter Y! The other vowels gladly invite Y into their club, and add his rhyme to their poem to celebrate. |
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Music is Magic! (music)
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These musical students are asked to create new words to familiar tunes. At the bottom of each page, theater seats are slowly filling with an audience! At the end of the story, the students are ready to put on a marvelous concert for the now-full theater of people. An optional instrument kit is available for this story that includes child-sized maracas, a bell, a drum, a tambourine, and cymbals. |
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My Season (weather)
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Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall, Lin likes them all! But which one does she like the most? She finds it’s very hard to decide as each season tries its best to convince her that it is the greatest. But in the end, she is still unsure. Which will it be? Lin finally realizes that she likes each season in its own time, and doesn’t have to pick a favorite after all! |
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People Pals (community helpers)
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It is career day at school, and the children’s parents have come to talk about their jobs. There is a fireman, a nurse, a police woman, a garbage man, and a postman. The teacher also talks about her job. The children discuss what they might like to be when they grow up, and the same question is posed to the readers. There is a whole world of opportunities! |
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Just Try It! (healthy foods)
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Students in this story are challenged to try as many new fruits and vegetables as possible. The four children who try the most are given a day at the water park! They also get bragging rights as the bravest in the class. They learn that fruits and vegetables are vital for our health, and it’s important to try new things because you just might like them! |
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What's Mine is Mine (sharing)
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Will and Ann have just moved in, so their dad takes them to meet their new neighbors, Jill and Dan. Jill and Dan don’t seem willing to share their toys, until they learn that it’s no fun to play by themselves. They quickly decide it is much more fun to share and play together, and find out it’s also a good way to make new friends! |
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Live to Learn (loving to learn)
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Ben lives in the Congo, and although he loves school and learning, he often is unable to attend school due to uncontrollable circumstances. Chad, an American boy, has everything he needs to attain an excellent education, but he’s uninterested in learning. This story shows the real differences that exist in opportunities around the world and just how important it is to have a passionate desire to learn. |
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