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Our Premier After School Program
The Readers Theater
 The Readers Theatre began in September 2004 at a low performing public middle-school in Fontana California. Children, ages 11 thru 14, attending this school represent every subgroup targeted under the federally mandated law - No Child Left Behind. Most significant are the gifted & talented and special education students, the English Language Learners, and the free lunch recipients.
Out of a population of approximately 1300, an average of 12-15 students participate four days a week for two hours after school to read a variety of literary scripts aloud in circles with their peers. The common denominator which attracts the readers to our program is the shared joy of reading aloud, speaking, acting, and demonstrating verbal and physical expression through storytelling, poetry, and spoken word.
Last year the students demonstrated a significant improvement in oral language development, English fluency, self-esteem, and gender specific and cross gender social interaction by the end of the school year. In June 2005, most of the students had raised their grade point averages, and received achievement awards at the end of the year awards presentations, in recognition of their outstanding progress in Language Arts and Math.
 The Readers Theater provides students from every ethnic group with an outlet for their literary, dramatic and creative talents, and is a research-based and proven teaching strategy under No Child Left Behind. One credentialed teacher-volunteer facilitated the program this past school year.
Each day healthy and delicious snacks are provided and readers can nibble while receiving assistance with homework assignments, which they must complete before they can join the reading circle. Every session provides readers the opportunity to direct, lead, follow, give and take directions, and practice cooperative skills with other students. Speaking and decoding skills are practiced repeatedly during the two hour session. Nickel scholarships ($5.00) are given to students who write their own scripts or adapt a story into a script.
See our record of contributions to a local public middle school -
The Readers Theater is a program that is easily adapted as an alternative program, i.e., disciplinary intervention, a reading lab, summer and intercession programs, and character education. Significant funding is needed to increase results-driven after-school program from two to four hours, five days a week.
 The PhiLill Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to Edutainment through the Arts. Entertainment in a variety of genres is used as a tool for Educating the greater community on topics important to the enrichment of the community. A major focus is our vision for the success of every child attending California public schools. It is our belief that each child can learn and that he or she possess unique gifts, talents and multiple intelligences in the Arts.
After school programs, such as The Readers Theatre, provide a safe and nurturing environment for latch key children, and can be easily supported by modest, regular funding to reinforce state standards. For the children the result is a greater love for reading, a broader literary knowledge base, higher test scores, and overall student achievement, particularly among minority populations.
As our premier after school program, The Readers Theater keeps students focused on achievement, by improving reading fluency and scores, as well as reinforcing self-esteem, motivation, and school attendance.
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"Diversity" by artist Charles Bibbs
www.theworldart.com
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