From the Gingerbread Man to Cinderella, education professionals Kathy Pero and Carla Valles have taken Readers Theater to new heights in the Elyria Schools. The duo began re-writing and personalizing traditional plays and fairytales; fitting them as perfectly as a glass slipper to the students they served within their classrooms that provide special education services. Pero, an Intervention Specialist, first brought her concept of Readers Theater to Valles, her teammate and Special Ed. Paraprofessional, in 2014. Their exclusive performances began that year with "The Gingerbread Man." Each play they've produced since has been adapted from a well-known story but transformed in words and characters by Valles, who in her free time is a playwright and actor in her own productions and in community theater. The talented twosome joins us in this episode of Petey Podcast! (Kathy Pero currently works at Elyria's Crestwood Elementary School, and Carla Valles works at Northwood Campus.)
Expert Resources: Check out some of the Readers Theater productions of the past on Elyria Schools Pioneer TV YouTube, as well as some of the other fun projects by Pero and Valles on Pioneer TV: The Lorax, Charlotte's Web, Charlotte and the Chocolate Factory, The County Fair, Service Squad, Science Fair, Cinderella.
It's a great day to be a Pioneer! Thanks for listening. Find Elyria Schools on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!