Carson Family Foundation Grant: Reading with Connections in-residence
- School Year: 2017-2018
- Applicants: Amy Fisher, Lead Teacher Cathy Fagan, Christine Mori, Josh Ranaudo
- School: Wolcott
- Subjects: Language Arts
Connections is an in-school residency program, through the Hartford Stage Company, that uses theater techniques to strengthen reading comprehension and build excitement about reading. For five consecutive days, a teaching artist will visit each of the fourth grade classrooms at Wolcott Elementary School to lead drama activities based on a work of literature chosen by the fourth grade teachers. Students are engaged through theatre skills that are inherently active and collaborative, and reinforce grade level Common Core State standards. Through improvisation, role-play, dialogue, and other theatre techniques, students explore the context, plot and characters of a fourth grade level book, building prior knowledge, creating suspense, and encouraging empathy.