Childrens Museum of Los Angeles

Reading Edge is a high-impact and multi-dimensional outreach program that brings the excitement and novelty of discovery-based literacy, technology, and arts learning to both formal and informal education settings.

In Reading Edge, we meld elements of State Standards-based language arts, dramatic arts, and technology curricula into a two-hour per day, twice weekly, eight weeklong residency program.

The program sequence begins with a riveting Reader's Theatre performance of classic pieces of children's literature. However, this drama is not just meant to be watched and imitated. Instead, the performance serves as a memorable and inspirational jumping-off point for children, teachers, and program staff to delve into the disciplines that make the performance great. During the eight-week residency, children write their own stories, illustrate those stories on computers, and turn their stories into a musical performance. They then rehearse their stories, create songs, choreography, costumes, backdrops and props. This residency concludes with a culminating event where children perform their stories for parents, siblings and fellow students.

The quality and quantity of learning for participants in our program is deeper and more long-lasting because it is not a one-shot outreach program. Instead RE's programmatic methodology incorporates the elements of best teaching practices.