Commemorating Juneteenth

My most poignant play—and it’s perfect for celebrating Juneteenth! Based on actual slave narratives, Freedom for the First Time is historically-accurate, kid-friendly, and …

Monster Fun for Spring

I recently surveyed my fifth graders about what they’d like more of. It probably won’t surprise you that “more Zoom” …

So Bad, It’s Funny

Call them flops, bombs, fiascos. Read Aloud Plays have turned out to be pretty ideal for the Covid classroom because …

Compelling Reader’s Theater for Black History Month

February is Black History Month. While I encourage you to acknowledge it with some dedicated activities, I’m also reminded that …

Reader’s Theater for MLK Day

MLK Day feels especially important this year. Let’s face it, we have a lot of work to do if we’re …

Girl Power!

Let’s start with Sybil Ludington. She’s known as the “female Paul Revere.” Although her story is less well known, her …

Time to Deck the Halls

One of the department stores in my area pushed out their holiday inventory well before Halloween, which seem mighty early …

Honoring our Veterans

As a way to honor America’s veterans, I’m offering my play “War Stories” for free through Veteran’s Day. All you …

How to Create that Interactive Vibe

I’ve heard many teachers lament that this online instruction deal isn’t what they signed-up for, yet here we are. What …

Has “Patriotism” Become a Dirty Word?

When I started working on Read Aloud Plays: Symbols of America for Scholastic back in 2001, the September 11th attacks …