Free Sample of Take Center Stage A Hilarious Stage Acting Game with Reader s Theater with the Playbook story. The Ice Cream Dream Sample game cards include a few cards from each of 4 decks. Full games include 108 cards. There are 18 cards here for you to print out and play with this free sample. Print 1 copy of the cards in color or black and white.
Cut out the cards and tape the star side to the back of the text side. Or if you can print two-sided, simply print and cut out the cards. Place the cards in 4 decks on table separating them by card type.
Plot Twist Plot Twist Plot Twist s parents taught him to eat healthfully when he was young, so he only eats ice cream as a treat. Earn 3 points. The store clerk encourages Mr. MacRicee to buy fresh vegetables and protein instead of ice cream. Earn 3 points Peanut Butter Ice Cream begins talking to, too! Lose 2 points. Plot Twist The carpenter is too busy to fix the doors in s house for two weeks! Lose 2 points. Beyond the Script Answer the question correctly and earn 3 points. Match the correct word to the following definition: Turning from solid to a liquid. a. freezing b. melting c. heating d. weighing Answer: (b) Beyond the Script Answer the question correctly and earn 2 points. There are 6 servings of ice cream in a carton. If Mr. MacRicee eats a serving for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, how many days will it take him to eat 5 cartons of ice cream Answer: (10 days) Beyond the Script Answer the question correctly and earn 3 points. How many servings of ice cream do you think the average person eats per year? a. 400 servings b. 6 servings c. 107 servings d. 26 servings Answer: (d) Beyond the Script Answer the question correctly and earn 3 points. bought many freezers to hold his ice cream. There were 10 freezers in his bedroom, 15 freezers in his living room, 20 freezers in the family room, and 25 freezers in his garage. How many freezers did Mr. MacRicee have? a. 50 b. 70 c. 65 d. 60 Answer: (b) Beyond the Script Answer the question correctly and earn 2 points. Why did need to call a carpenter to his house? a. He needed a new coffee table. b. He wanted to be a carpenter. c. He needed to have his doors widened. d. He wanted a new friend. Answer: (c)
In Character Answer this question and earn 2 points. If you were Mr. MacRicee, what would you do with all the ice cream you had stored after waking up from your dream? In Character Answer this question and earn 3 points. If the ice cream carton had fallen on the Store Clerk s head instead of s, what do you think his crazy dream would be about? In Character Read each clue and let the player guess one character for each clue. If they guess on the first clue, they receive 3 points, 2 points for getting it right on the second clue, and 1 point on the third clue. a. I convince to buy ice cream. b. I tell to buy more freezers. c. I think should get rid of his bed. Ice Cream Take the Spotlight With Your Voice! Hand this card to the player. Direct the scene on page 1 of your Playbook story that includes 5 characters and begins with : Well, hello there,. What kind of ice cream cone will it be this time?.and ends with. : No! No! me! I taste like ripe fruit. The group of actors may agree to perform all parts in one voice style from the list below, or each player may use a different voice style. Director reads the styles and allows players to choose. sing laugh cry whisper hiss Each actor earns 1 point. Take the Spotlight With Your Body! Hand this card to the player. Direct the scene on pages 1-2 of your Playbook story that includes 4 characters and begins with : soon decided that three scoops were always better than just one.and ends with. : No! No! me! I m English Toffee. My bite-sized candy pieces are so good. Assign a different emotion/character type combination from the list below to each actor. crazy golfer friendly octopus clumsy ballet dancer happy monkey Each actor can choose to perform with the emotion, the character type, or both, and earns 1 point for each performed. Director earns 2 points and can also earn points as an actor when performing his or her own role (or can assign the role). Take the Spotlight With Your Face! Hand this card to the player. Direct the scene on pages 2-3 of your Playbook story that includes 5 characters and begins with : One day was sitting in his living room, thinking about his favorite subject..and ends with. : Yes, that is true. Very true. I like it all day. Assign a different emotion/character type combination from the list below to each actor. lizard with a sore tongue sad blowfish with puffy cheeks bashful monster happy chipmunk smiling tiger Each actor can choose to perform with the emotion, the character type, or both, and earns 1 point for each performed. Director earns 2 points and can also earn points as an actor when performing his or her own role (or can assign the role). Take the Spotlight With Your Voice! Hand this card to the player. Recite this single line of dialogue from your Playbook story as if you were a giggling pirate Do you mean a triple cone with Butter Pecan, Rocky Road, and English Toffee? Player can choose to perform with the emotion, the character type, or both, and earns one point for each performed. You can instead assign the line to another actor and let everyone enjoy his or her performance and give up your points to the other actor. Take the Spotlight With Your Body! Hand this card to the player. Recite this single line of dialogue from your Playbook story as if you were a cheerleader with the hiccups And a triple-scoop cone after breakfast to start your day? Player can choose to perform with the emotion, the character type, or both, and earns one point for each performed. You can instead assign the line to another actor and let everyone enjoy his or her performance and give up your points to the other actor. Take the Spotlight With Your Face! Hand this card to the player. Recite this single line of dialogue from your Playbook story as if you were a squirrel with a mouth full of nuts Oh! I will have all of them. Player can choose to perform with the emotion, the character type, or both, and earns one point for each performed. You can instead assign the line to another actor and let everyone enjoy his or her performance and give up your points to the other actor.
Take Center Stage Score Card Player 1 is the oldest player and Player 6 is the youngest player. Agree on how many rounds (or Acts) you wish to play. The player with the most points wins! Game starts with Player 1 drawing from the Take the Spotlight deck. Then, Player 2 is instructed to as indicated in Act 1. Players continue to draw as assigned until all have completed Act 1. Award points as indicated on each card. When a player draws from the Take the Spotlight cards, other players can earn points as co-players. If these points are earned write them in the box for each player and total each player s points per round. See the example below. Name of Story Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Name of Player Name of Character Example Take the Spotlight Total Total Total Total Total Total Beyond the Script In Character Plot Twist Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays 3+2 5 2+1+2 5 1+2 3 2 2-2+1-1 2+2 4 Act 1 Take the Spotlight Beyond the Script In Character Plot Twist Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays Act 2 Take the Spotlight Beyond the Script In Character Plot Twist Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays Act 3 Plot Twist Take the Spotlight Beyond the Script In Character Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays Act 4 In Character Plot Twist Take the Spotlight Beyond the Script Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays Act 5 Beyond the Script In Character Plot Twist Take the Spotlight Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays Act 6 Beyond the Script In Character Plot Twist Take the Spotlight Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays Total All Remember - the person to your left draws and reads your card unless it s a Take the Spotlight card! Also, remember to focus on your Face, Body or Voice as shown at the top of each Take the Spotlight card! Be sure to clap for your fellow players when they over-act!
TM with.. R The Game for Actors... and Over-Actors! How to Play How to Play Game Contents 6 Playbook Stories 1 Instructional Score Pad (50 sheets) 27 "Beyond the Script" Cards 27 "Take the Spotlight" Cards 27 "In Character" Cards 27 "Plot Twist" Cards Game Instructions (Score Cards are Reproducible.) Object of the Game: Earn the most points after drawing at least once from each of the 4 unique Performance Card Decks and answering questions, reading plot twists, and performing or directing scenes from the Playbook story with hilarious emotions and character types. Take Center Stage can be played by two or more people and involves reading a story like a play, but without memorizing your lines! This is called Reader s Theater and is an educational and entertaining way to read with kids and build reading fluency while having fun. That s edu-tainment! It s not just for kids. No matter how old you are, you can enjoy reading, acting, and especially over-acting! Reading the Playbook Story Before You Play 1. Using the Guide for your Playbook story, assign character roles based on the age or reading ability of the readers in your group. Depending on the number of readers, some or all players may be assigned more than one character role. 2. Read the Playbook story aloud together with every reader beginning with his or Character Summary (shown in the front of each book) and reading his or her role with expression and enthusiasm throughout the story. Bring the story to life together with creativity and excitement! (The story needs to be read at least once before playing the game for the first time.)
Playing the Game 1. After reading the Playbook story, set up your game by placing each of the four decks of cards separately face down in the center of the table within reach of all players. 2. Player 1 is the oldest player and Player 6 is the youngest player. Assign all player numbers in order based on oldest to youngest. Write their names on the Score Card along with the character(s) they portrayed in the story. Also, write the name of the Playbook story you read aloud together. 3. Each player plays the game as the same character he or she portrayed while reading the story. If a player read more than one role in the story, he or she should choose only one character to play in the game for scoring purposes. If you have only 4 players, for example, cross out Player 5 and 6 on the score card. However, in any "Take the Spotlight" scenes that involve a player's second or third character role from the story, he or she still reads these parts in the game and still receives points in the normal manner. Players that portray more than one role in the story have the potential to earn more points in the game. 4. The game starts with Player 1 drawing from the "Take the Spotlight" deck. Then, Player 2 is instructed to " " as indicated in Act 1. Players continue to draw as assigned in the instructional Score Card until all have completed Act 1. Award points as indicated on each card. When a player draws from the "Take the Spotlight "cards, other players can earn points as coplayers. If these points are earned, write them in the box for each player and total each player s points per round. See the example on the Score Card. 5. Cards are drawn from the decks and read aloud by the player to the left of the current player! This is important as answers are on the cards! Certain cards will instruct that the card be handed to the player and the player then reads and completes the instructions on the card. Usually all "Take the Spotlight" cards are handed to the player. 6. If game play has to stop before all players have completed an Act (round), then total the points for each player up to the last completed round to determine the winner. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins! Name of Story Name of Player Name of Character Example Take the Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays Spotlight Act 1 Take the Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays Take Center Stage Score Card Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Total Total Total Total Total Total Beyond the Script 3+2 5 2+1+2 5 1+2 3 2 2-2+1-1 2+2 4 Spotlight Act 2 Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-p la ys Act 3 Plot Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays Act 4 In Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays Tw ist Character Act 5 Beyond Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays the Script Act 6 Points earned for each player s assigned card and for any co-plays Total All Player 1 is the oldest player and Player 6 is the youngest player. Agree on how many rounds (or Acts) you wish to play. The player with the most points wins! Game starts with Player 1 draw ing from the Take the Spotlight deck. Then, Player 2 is instructed to as indicated in Act 1. Players continue to draw as assigned until all have completed Act 1. Award points as indicated on each card. When a player draw s from the Take the Spotlight cards, other players can earn points as co-players. If those points are earned write them in the box for each player and total each player s points per round. See the example below. Tak e the Spotlight Plot Tw ist In Character Beyond the Script Beyond the Script Tak e the Spotlight Plot Twist In Character In Character In Character Beyond the Script Take the Spotlight Plot Tw ist Plot Tw ist In Character Beyond the Script Take the Spotlight Remember! The person to your left draws and reads your card unless it s a Take the Spotlight card. Remember to focus on you Face, Body or Voice as shown at the top of each Take the Spotlight card! Plot Tw ist Plot Tw ist In Character Beyond the Script Take the Spotlight
The Performance Card Decks Take the Spotlight Take the Spotlight cards give players a chance to read lines from the story with different meaning and inflection by focusing on face, body, or voice expressions. It also gives them a chance to really act and even over-act which makes for hilarious fun! Kids learn that how you say or read something can really change its meaning. Cards either instruct the player to recite a specific line from the story using a particularly funny combination of emotional expression and character type, or to be the director of a specific scene from the story and direct other readers to read their lines in this way. Each card indicates at the top whether the readers should focus their expression with their face, body, or voice. However, even when you focus on your face or body, your voice will typically change, too! That s the way it naturally happens and the result is hilarious and hugely entertaining! Actors can choose to perform with the emotion, the character type, or both, and earn 1 point for each performed. Players can also assign the acting of any role to another player and let everyone enjoy his or her performance and give up their own points to the other actor. For "Direct a Scene" cards, the director earns 2 points and can also earn points as an actor when performing his or her own role (or can assign the role). Create Your Own Scene cards prompt players to act or direct a scene with a certain plot twist in the story. Actors earn 2 points for their creative expression and directors earn 4 points for devising the scene. Directors do not act in scenes they create. Take the Spotlight with your Voice! Players recite lines from the story while focusing on expressing the emotion and character type indicated on the card with their voices. Actors have unlimited opportunities to change the volume, pitch, speed and accent of their voices! Take the Spotlight with your Body! Players recite lines from the story while focusing on expressing the emotion and character type indicated on the card with their bodies. Actors should stand up and have fun with physical movement! Feel free to change your voice, too! Take the Spotlight with your Face! Players recite lines from the story while focusing on expressing the emotion and character type indicated on the card with their faces. Actors can have fun with silly and serious faces! Feel free to change your voice, too! Be sure to clap for your fellow over-actors! Take the Spotlight With Your Body! Direct the scene on page 7 of your Playbook story that includes 3 characters and begins with Grasak: Why don t you just talk to her, for starters?.and ends with. Pess GarbanDo you want a note from my mother? Take the Spotlight With Your Face! Assign a different emotion/character type combination from the list below to each actor. Direct the scene on page 2 of your Playbook story that includes 4 characters and begins with King: Who did she say she was?.and ends with. Grasak: Then maybe we can all go to bed. Assign a different emotion/character type combination from the list below to each reader. tired baby happy chipmunk bashful monster snobby rich person Each actor can choose to perform with the emotion, the character type, or both, and earns 1 point for each performed. Director earns 2 points and can also earn points as an actor when performing his or her own role (or can assign the role). mad ballerina frustrated crossing guard excited race car driver Each actor can choose to perform with the emotion, the character type, or both, and earns 1 point for each performed. Director earns 2 points and can also earn points as an actor when performing his or her own role (or can assign the role).
Playbook, Playbook Format, StageBook, Bringing Stories to Life by Reading Together, Being a Star Makes Reading Fun, Take Center Stage, The Game for Actors and Over-Actors, A Hilarious Stage Acting Game with Reader's Theater, Take the Spotlight, Take the Spotlight With Your Voice, Take the Spotlight With Your Face, Take the Spotlight With Your Body, Beyond the Script, Plot Twist,and In Character are all trademarks of Playbooks, Inc. The unique Playbook Format with character colorization and specialized readability levels is a proprietary method of book structure, writing, format, construction, re-construction, displaying and printing that is protected under U.S. Patent Nos. 6,683,611 and 6,859,206 with additional patents pending. Plot Twist In Character Beyond the Script Plot Twist cards are simple changes in the story that can affect the plot in complex ways. Players simply earn points or loose points based on the twist of the plot. In Character cards expand on character depth by asking questions about how characters deal with certain situations in the story. Also included are fun "Guess the Character" cards with up to three clues and chances to earn up to three points. Beyond the Script cards are supplemental questions that help to reinforce concepts from the story and go beyond the story into the content areas of Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Health, etc., as well as Character Education. These cards provide great educational opportunities and are fun to answer for earning points. Take Center Stage The Game for Actors... and Over-Actors! A Hilarious Stage Acting Game with Reader's Theater Playbooks, Inc. 111 Corporate Dr. Ste 240 Ladera Ranch, CA 92694 1-800-375-2926 www.playbooks.com Plot Twist The queen realizes she has used up her usual supply of peas, and has to go searching for one before Princess Garbanza can go to sleep. Lose 1 point. In Character Answer this question honestly and earn 2 points. Finding and carrying all those mattresses was a lot of work for Grasak! If you were a princess or a prince, would you be willing to help your servant with extra work? Why or why not? Beyond the Script Answer the question correctly and earn 3 points. Prince Borso and his family have traveled around the world to find a princess for him to marry. If they were to visit the castle of King Henry VIII, where would they go? a. France b. Spain c. England Answer: (c) Copyright 2008, Playbooks, Inc. Ladera Ranch, CA. All Rights Reserved.
This next section provides all Playbook story documents. Print only 1 copy except for the actual story (which you print a copy for each reader). Print in color or black and white, however, color is best for viewing the color-coded text which helps readers identify their roles more easily during reading.
FREE Activity Sheets Available for this Story! The Ice Cream Dream Written by: Patricia Fine Illustrated by: John Portez Edited for Multi-Level Readability by: Patricia and John Fine, Retired Teachers presented in. Brought to you by. Download them at: www.playbooks.com/ supplements PUBLISHED BY PLAYBOOKS, INC. Copyright 2004 by Playbooks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Illustrations copyright 2004 by Playbooks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. First published by Playbooks, Inc. 2004. Playbook, Playbook Format, and Playberized are trademarks of Playbooks, Inc. The unique format of a Playbook with character colorization and specialized readability levels is a proprietary method of book structure, writing, format, construction, re-construction, displaying and printing with patents pending. For information regarding licensing the rights to write, edit, construct, re-construct, display, print or publish any book in Playbook format or in Playberized Format (using character colorization), call 1-800- 375-2926. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, call Playbooks, Inc. at 1-800-375-2926. This book is subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including 2004 PLAYBOOKS, this condition being INC. imposed LAGUNA on the HILLS, subsequent CALIFORNIA. purchaser. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Being a Star Makes Reading Fun Welcome to the world of Playbooks and the beginning of a wonderful reading adventure! When you read a Playbook, you and other readers become the characters in the story. As you read your part out loud, you will have fun acting like your character. Together with the other readers, you ll explore the story plot learning what will happen next. It s an exciting journey of discovery that pulls you into the story and you ll want to read it out loud again and again. HOW DO YOU GET STARTED? Begin your reading adventure with the character summary, which is located in the front of the book. You ll notice right away that the words and sentences for each character appear in a different color on this page and throughout the book, which makes it easy to follow along and read your part. As a reminder, the top of each page shows a chart with each character s name in the assigned color. It doesn t matter whether you are a beginning reader or experienced reader, there is a part for everyone. The number of characters in the story may not necessarily match the number of readers in your group. Readers can play more than one main character role, or they can combine a main character role with a shorter role. Have each person read the character summary from his or her own copy of the book to become familiar with all the characters and their personalities. Then, based on each person s reading comfort level, he or she can pick one or more characters to read out loud. The most experienced reader typically reads the narrator role. It s important for teachers and parents to refer to the Teacher or Parent Guide when assigning roles. Consult the reference section on the next page for more information. Sometimes you will see black italicized text inside parenthesis before or in the middle of sentences. These are called cues and tell you how to read a sentence with expression. For example, if the cue says (with surprise), speak the sentence with surprise in your voice! Cues are not read out loud. Have fun bringing your character to life by bringing your voice up and down, speaking softly or loudly, changing your facial expressions, and moving your hands or body. Trying different voices or accents can also be lots of fun. You can even wear simple costumes to help you get in character. Consider going on a scavenger hunt around your house or in your classroom to find simple items you can wear such as a hat or pair of glasses. Playbooks, Inc. offers optional mini costume kits at www.playbooks.com.
MAKING THE MOST OF THE STORY You can start the story by reading it out loud the first time or by practicing your part on your own. As you get better with your role, you may want to change the way you express your character s personality or you may want to switch roles with another reader. Be creative! When all your readers get comfortable with their roles, you may want to perform in front of a friendly audience. Reading out loud is so much fun that it s easy to forget about the other readers. So be sure to read with good manners! Here are some helpful hints. Don t talk when other readers are reading. Keep up and be ready to read when it s your turn. Speak loudly and clearly so everyone can hear you. Stay in character for the whole story! Most importantly, enjoy your Reader s Theater experience. You and your cast of characters are ready to begin your Playbook adventure! FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS Being an active participant in a story spikes the reader s curiosity to learn more about the story s theme. Playbooks, Inc. provides classroom activity suggestions and worksheets to reinforce concepts from the story and go beyond the story into the content areas of Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Health, etc., as well as Character Development. Activities range in skill level and age appropriateness, so the teacher or parent can choose activities that best suit the readers. Activities include: comprehension quizzes, crossword puzzles, word search, vocabulary, discussion and writing prompts, story mapping, word problems, etc. To download FREE supplemental activity sheets currently available, please go to: www.playbooks.com/ supplements. Visit the Playbook website frequently as we are continually updating it with new storyspecific supplements. RESOURCES/RESEARCH The Playbook format is based on current instructional research. Using the Department of Education s published standardized measurement scales as a guide, credentialed teachers edit and approve all the Playbook stories and supplemental activity sheets for multiple reading levels and content. A Recommended Reader Assignment chart that identifies the reading level for each story character is included in the group set. For additional FREE copies, please go to: www.playbooks.com/rra.htm, and locate the story s title. Rewarding a child for exceptional effort and performance is an excellent practice for boosting a child s reading confidence. To download FREE Award Certificates to recognize star performers, please go to: www.playbooks.com/award/certificate.htm. For specific guidance on implementing a Playbook story in the classroom or in the home, download a FREE Teacher or Parent Guide at the following link. TEACHERS: www.playbooks.com/schools/teacherguide.pdf PARENTS: www.playbooks.com/parents.shtml Seeing readers develop a passion for reading while working with the Playbook format will be one of your greatest rewards.
Character Summary Before beginning this story, it is helpful for each reader to read his/her character's summary aloud. I love ice cream. I eat it every day. It is sooo good. I like chocolate best. I am a clerk. Sometimes I work at the Sweet Treat Shop, and sometimes I work at the food store. Sometimes I even work at the store where they sell things like TV sets and freezers. I sell all he needs. Ice Cream I am creamy vanilla, but I can change into other flavors, too. I talk to all the time, and he really listens to me. I always have good ideas that I suggest to him. Do you want to hear some of them?
Character Summary Before beginning this story, it is helpful for each reader to read his/her character's summary aloud. Ice Cream I am yummy chocolate, but I can also change into other flavors many more than my dear friend above. When I talk, Mr. MacRicee listens. It s not that I m bossy, I just have better ideas than some flavors I could name. Ice Cream I am fruity strawberry, and I can change into any flavor you can name with no problem at all. I m sure that likes me best. I know that my ideas are much better than the others. Just how far do you think will go? As the narrator, I am the master storyteller! It s up to me to keep the story alive and interesting with each exciting detail. So, I must read everything with expression and excitement.
A Word About Anagrams If you look at the name, MacRicee, you will see that if you change the letters around they spell ice cream. When you change letters around like this, you have made an anagram. You can try it with short words with only three letters, for example, top can be changed to pot or even opt. You can try it with your own name, for example, my name Pat can be changed to tap or apt. You can use longer words with four or five letters, for example, tale can be changed to late, and adobe can be changed to abode. I am sure that you will be able to think of all kinds of great anagrams. Why not give it a try! Your Name Possible Anagrams
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream Chapter 1 Single-scoop Once there was a man named who liked ice cream. Really, he didn t just like ice cream he loved it. Whether it was in bars or cups or sandwiches or on a stick or in sundaes, malts, sodas, or floats, he loved it all. It was as if ice cream spoke to him. Even if he had already had some during the day, he would walk down to the Sweet Treat ice cream shop every night after dinner for a single-scoop cone. Well, hello there,. What kind of ice cream cone will it be this time? Let me see. This is so hard. me! I m. I m creamy and smooth. No! me! I m. I m sweet and yummy. No! No! me! I m. I taste like ripe fruit. So what do you think? What kind do you feel like tonight? Oh! I will have all of them. Three scoops, eh? Very good! soon decided that three scoops were always better than just one, so from then on he started to order triples. The day soon came, though, when other flavors were getting his attention. 1
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream me! I m Rocky Road. I m filled with walnuts and marshmallows. No! me! I m Butter Pecan. I have a rich, nutty taste. No! No! me! I m English Toffee. My bite-sized candy pieces are so good. Hmm let me see. Maybe I will have all of those, too! Do you mean a triple cone with Butter Pecan, Rocky Road, and English Toffee? Yes, for one of my cones and my other... So then you want another cone with,, and? Yes! That is what I said. Yes, sir,. All very good choices! One day was sitting in his living room, thinking about his favorite subject. You guessed it, ice cream. 2
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream I love ice cream after dinner. But you also like it after lunch. That is true, isn t it? And you also like it after breakfast. That is true, isn t it? And you also like it as a snack. That is true, isn t it? Yes, that is true. Very true. I like it all day. So, why don t you have a triple-scoop cone after lunch? And two triple-scoop cones after dinner? And a triple-scoop cone after breakfast to start your day? I do not think the Sweet Treat Shop is open for breakfast. That s not a problem. No problem at all. There s no problem here! What do you mean? Well, you have a refrigerator, don t you? Well, it has a freezer section, doesn t it? Well, it s full of ice cream, isn t it? No, it is not. But it could be. And it would be. And it should be. What do you mean? You could go to the grocery store. 3
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream That would be a good idea. And you should buy a lot of ice cream in cartons. What kind? Oh, let s see a pint of Coconut Pineapple. Oh, let s see a pint of Wild Raspberry. Oh, let s see a pint of Black Cherry. That does it! I am going to the store! 4
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream Chapter 2 Double Dipping In no time at all, was wheeling a shopping cart through the store to the ice cream section. Now, let me see. Can I help you, sir? I need pints of ice cream. Right over here, sir, on your left. Oh, they are small. You re right! We should have said quarts. You re right! We should have said gallons. You re right! We should have said drums. 5
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream Now, now. Not so fast. This is very hard. May I suggest some Butterscotch Ripple? May I suggest some Swirl? May I suggest some Peppermint Twist? quickly filled his shopping cart with six quarts of ice cream the new flavors that had been suggested, and then his old favorites,,, and. Are you ready, sir? Yes, I am. Thank you for your help. Are you going to have a party with all that ice cream? No, it is all for me. Oh, my! When he arrived home, he could hardly fit all the cartons into the freezer section of his refrigerator. You don t need those vegetables. Get rid of them! You don t need that meat. Get rid of it! You don t need those frozen dinners. Get rid of them! You are right. I will get rid of them. Then I can fit in more ice cream. The next day, he returned to the store. He took a long time to choose. How about some Chip Cookie Dough? How about some Peanut Crunch? How about some Malted Milk Ball Crisp? When he came to the check out counter with his cart full of ice cream, the clerk was very surprised. 6
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream Did you already eat all the ice cream you bought yesterday? Well, I did eat a lot. But today I need more. I guess you really like ice cream! At home, had a hard job fitting all the cartons into the freezer section even though he had gotten rid of all the other food. There is no more room. I will have to eat a lot more ice cream today. And. I have an idea! Tomorrow you need to go shopping! I have an idea! Tomorrow you need to go to the appliance store! I have an idea! Tomorrow you need to buy a freezer! What a good idea! I am happy I had this idea. How big do you think? To see the remainder of this original story, you may purchase it for immediate download in Adobe Acrobat PDF format or in a Bound Set at www.playbooks.com 7
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream Three by five. Right? Four by six. Right? Five by seven. Right? Right! A big one will be good. bought a freezer the next day, and the day after that, it was brought to his house. He went to the store again to fill the new freezer with even more flavors of ice cream. My goodness! It s again! Good morning, sir. More cartons of ice cream today? Those cartons are too small. Do you have bigger ones? The half gallon size is very good for families, sir. Half gallons are good. Especially if it s Pistachio Puff. Half gallons are good. Especially if it s Black walnut Whip. Half gallons are good. Especially if it s Pecan Crunch. The clerk told Mr. MacRicee to be careful when he lifted the heavy cartons down from the top shelf, but he was in a hurry, and he didn t listen. One of the cartons fell on his head, but he was so busy thinking about buying the ice cream that he didn t pay much attention to it. 8
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream Ouch! Are you hurt? Can I help you? No, it is O.K. I will take all of those. All of the flavors in that case, sir? Yes. That is what I said. The grocery clerk could not believe his ears. But he packed all the half gallon flavors into several boxes and put them into s car. He was a very good customer, and the clerk didn t want to make him angry. When got home, he spent a lot of time putting all the new half gallons of ice cream away in his freezer. This is good. I have a lot of room. I can buy some more later. Tomorrow, how about some Fudge? 9
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream Tomorrow, how about some Brownie? Tomorrow, how about some Chip? I can buy all those tomorrow. But when tomorrow came, and went shopping again, he found that he was wrong about how much room he had left in his freezer. Now what can I do? Buy another freezer. Buy two more freezers! Buy three more freezers! I can do that, but where will I put them? In the dining room you will dine on ice cream. In the living room... you will live for ice cream. In the bedroom you will wake up to ice cream. But what about my things? Do you really need that couch? Do you really need that dining room set? Do you really need that bed? Well, I. What s the problem? You can sit on a freezer and watch TV. What s the problem? You can eat on a freezer. What s the problem? You can sleep on a freezer. returned to the appliance store to buy more freezers. Good afternoon, sir. What can I show you today? 10
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream I want to see. Just a minute. Weren t you here yesterday? You bought a large freezer, right? Yes, yes, I did. Is there a problem? Oh, no. But I need more. How many more? Three would be good. Six would be better. Nine would be best. I will take nine more. Did you say nine? 11
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream Yes, I need nine more. When can you send them? To your store, sir? No, to my house. Your house? May I ask you why you need nine, sir? 12
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream For my ice cream! The appliance store brought nine more freezers the next day, and continued to go to the grocery store often to make sure he always had a good supply of ice cream. Chapter 3 Triple Threat continued to eat ice cream day after day, meal after meal. In fact, it was the only thing he was eating. He soon noticed that his clothes were getting smaller. Oh, my! These pants are too small. I need new ones. Get size twenty! Get size forty! Get size sixty! A week later, at the grocery store, the clerk did not recognize because he was so much fatter., is that you? Yes it is! Oh, I m sorry. You look different. What do you mean? Well bigger? I like your shirt. It is new. All my shirts are new. 13
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream And his sweaters. His old sweaters shrank. And his coats. None of them fit any more. Even his shoes. Even his feet got fatter. continued to put on weight until he started to look rather like a giant tub of ice cream himself. He decided that is was too much trouble to go to the grocery store, so he started to phone in his order and have it brought to his house. A gallon of Cherry Cheesecake, I think. And two gallons of Cookies and Cream, I think. And three gallons of Rainbow Blast, I think. That is very good. The truck will be at your house at two,. I 14
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream will bring it myself. Thank you. I will be here. Some weeks passed, and found that he was so fat that he couldn t get through the doors of his house any more. I need more room. The doors are too narrow. Make them one foot wider. Too narrow! Make the doors two feet wider. Much too narrow! Make the doors three feet wider. So, he had to call a carpenter to make changes that were needed. After the carpenter made all the changes, Mr. MacRicee s house looked rather strange. 15
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream That is much better! At least now he could move from room to room, and, what was more important, he could get to the front door when the truck came with his daily supply of ice cream. Ooh! Blackberry Delight with sugar cone bits! Ooh! Cherry Swirl with chocolate covered peanuts! Ooh! Cheesecake with almond pieces! Right in here! Yes, sir,. Put some in the ten freezers in the bedroom. Put some in the fifteen freezers in the living room. Put some in the twenty freezers in the family room. How about the garage? Are there freezers there, too? Well, only twenty-five. Twenty-five? Is that why your car is in the driveway? Yes. There is no more room for it. I see. O.K.! I will fill those freezers with ice cream, too. And the man from the grocery store brought the whole truckload into the garage. 16
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream Chapter 4 Four Score The next day, at three in the morning, a terrible thing happened. The electricity went out on s street. Because it was while he was sleeping, he didn t notice it at first, but when he got up and got ready for breakfast, he had a nasty surprise. This ice cream is soft. It is very soft! It s not just soft. It s runny! 17
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream It s not just runny. It s melting! Melting! Why? He soon found out that the electricity was off, and that the ice cream in all of his eighty freezers was melting. As the day got warmer, the ice cream started to melt faster, and soon it was running out of the freezers! Oh, my! What shall I do? It s all over the floor! It s all over the rug! It s all over the carpet! Soon was standing in a pool of melted ice 18
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream cream. Oh, dear! Oh, dear! It s running down the stairs! It s running out the door! It s running down the street! There was a terrible mess all over the place. And because the doors had been made wider, what little furniture he had left and all the freezers floated out of the house, too. They were all swirling around in the street in the melted ice cream. Oh goodness! There are rivers of ice cream! No, there are seas of ice cream! No, no, there are oceans of ice cream! People who lived on s street were screaming and shouting and running up on their porches and climbing trees to get away from the ice cream. Children were yelling and splashing in it like they would in rain puddles. Dogs were howling, and cats were yowling. There was noise and disorder everywhere. And then, the worst thing happened, fell down and was swept away in the melted ice cream. Help! Help! Save me! Can you swim? No. Can you swim? Of course not! Can you swim? 19
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream Help! Help! Do not worry,! I will save you! It was the man from the grocery store. He was rowing a small boat toward through all the melted ice cream. But was so fat that as soon as he climbed into the boat, it tipped over. When he came up for air, he hit his head on the boat. Ouch! The last thing he remembered hearing was the grocery clerk saying. Are you hurt? Can I help you? 20
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream Suddenly he was back in the grocery store, in the ice cream section, with a cart full of half gallons of all different flavors. He felt a big bump on his head. He looked at himself carefully, and he was his normal size. Wow! He rushed home without buying anything. He was thrilled to see the doors of his house were their normal size, too. There was no melted lake of ice cream, and his neighbors were acting quite normal, for them anyway. Whew! He ran in and out of all the rooms, and only found one freezer. Whee! So what happened? 21
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream It was all a dream! More like a nightmare! Yes, it was all a dream! So had been hit on the head by a falling half gallon of Chip ice cream and had passed out. All the rest of what happened was a bad dream. He had dreamt the whole thing while he was lying in the ice cream section of the grocery store, in the middle of cartons of and and and many other flavors. Oooh! My head! Can you believe this? You mean we re not real? Of course, we re not real! had learned his lesson. Did he still like ice cream? Of course! But he was never greedy with it again. He took all the ice cream that was stored in his freezer and gave a party for the children in his neighborhood. Then he gave the large freezer to a local club that helped needy families. The freezer section of his regular refrigerator had plenty of room for the small amount of ice cream he now kept in it. He still walks down to the Sweet Treat Shop for a cone every once in a while, but now he only gets a single-scoop. He had learned his lesson. Is this story over now? I hope so. We already have parts in another story. Thank goodness! Let s go then, or we ll be late! THE END 22
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream MEASUREMENTS TO LEARN Dry and Liquid Measurements 1 scoop of ice cream = 4 ounces (oz.) 4 ounces = 1/4 pint (pt.), or 1/2 cup (c.) 8 ounces = 1/2 pint, or 1 cup 2 pints = 1 quart (qt.), or 4 cups 4 quarts = 1 gallon (gal.), or 16 cups 1 drum = 5 gallons ALSO 16 ounces = l pound (lb.) 2,000 pounds = 1 ton (t.) 24
Ice Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream About the Author Patricia Fine received her B.A. from Mt. Mary s College and an M.A. from California State University, Los Angeles. She has taught high school, college (both undergraduate and graduate levels), adult education, and tutored privately. She and her husband, John, are both retired teachers, and have three grown children and four grandchildren. As a published author of short stories, Pat has a talent for bringing human qualities to the interesting and delightful animal characters she creates in her stories. She is also a Jeopardy game show winner. Her hobbies include flamenco dancing, playing the piano, reading, collecting books, and knitting. About the Teacher Editors Patricia and John Fine As teachers, both Pat and John worked with students from Kindergarten to high school. Patricia taught high school, college (both undergraduate and graduate levels), and adult education. She coached nature bowl and "quiz kids" teams on the elementary level and currently tutors elementary students in small groups or one-on-one. John spent most of his teaching career at the elementary school level - mainly in fifth and sixth grade. During his "early retirement" period, he worked with all elementary levels K-6, and did extensive testing at the kindergarten level. In his present position as Student Teacher Supervisor at Cal State, Fullerton, he is in weekly contact with elementary teachers, students and staff, K-6 making him totally familiar with curriculum and state requirements on all elementary levels. About the Illustrator John Portez has created illustrations for a variety of products during his professional career ranging from t-shirt graphics and corporate logos to whimsical murals and character designs. His work for Playbooks is an enjoyable new adventure for his "inner child," and fulfills an ongoing goal of contributing to younger generations through his artwork. John and his family live in Southern California. 26
Recommended Reader Assignment FOR TEACHER S USE ONLY - NOT FOR STUDENT USE The Ice Cream Dream Presented in... Reader No. Story Character Group 1 Reader Group 2 Reader Group 3 Reader Group 4 Reader Group 5 Reader 1 15% of story Stage 2 - Beginning Reader 2 10% of story Stage 3 - Transitional Reader 3 Ice Cream 9% of story Stage 3 - Transitional Reader 4 Ice Cream 10% of story Stage 4 - Intermediate Reader 5 Ice Cream 10% of story Stage 4 - Intermediate Reader 6 46% of story Stage 4 - Intermediate Reader To download and print additional copies of this page, visit www.playbooks.com/rra.htm 2007, Playbooks, Inc., Ladera Ranch, CA
Playbook Reading Levels In order to assist teachers and facilitate the assigning of roles for Reader s Theater small group reading, Playbooks, Inc. has developed a simplified series of reading levels. The following provides an approximate correlation between these levels and other reading level scales. Reading Level Correlation Approximate Correlation to Other Reading Scales Playbook Reading Level Playbook roles written at this level have Fountas & Pinnell/ Guided Reading Reading Recovery DRA Lexile Stage 1 Early Reader Grades K-1 Stage 2 Beginning Reader Grades 1-2 simple sentences and sight words or words introduced by another character role, 3-4 words per sentence, and 1-2 sentences per passage. simple sentence structure with slightly longer passages and more high frequency words, and 2-3 sentences per passage. C-F 3-10 4-10 100-199 F-K 10-18 10-24 200-399 Stage 3 Transitional Reader Grades 2-3 Stage 4 Intermediate Reader Grades 3-4 Stage 5 Advanced Reader Grades 5-6 Stage 6 Expert Reader Grades 7-12 some large chunks of texts with an increase in vocabulary difficulty and sentence structure, and 3-4 sentences per passage. longer passages and more elaborate vocabulary and sentence structure, and 4-5 sentences per passage. some use of complex sentences and concepts, more developed character dialogue and detailed text, and some figurative language. complex sentences, more advanced sentence variation, and figurative language. L-N 20-22 28-34 400-599 O-S 24-26 38-40 600-799 T-Y 28-30 44 800-999 Z 32-34 1000-1100 For Use by Teachers or Parents
GREAT NEWS! A FREE story-specific supplement is now available for this story. Provided in this supplement document are fun and beneficial activity suggestions and worksheets to reinforce concepts from the story and go beyond the story into the content areas of Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Health, etc., as well as Character Development. Activities range in skill level and age appropriateness, so teachers or parents can choose activities that best suit the readers. Activities include: assessment worksheets, comprehension quizzes, crossword puzzles, word search, vocabulary, flash cards, discussion and writing prompts, story mapping, word problems, etc. To download the FREE supplemental activity sheet for this story, please go to the following link and look for the story s title: www.playbooks.com/supplements. Playbooks, Inc. 111 Corporate Dr. Ste 240 Ladera Ranch, CA 92694 1-800-375-2926 www.playbooks.com 2007 Playbooks, Inc., Ladera Ranch, CA
Being a Star Makes Reading Fun! Playbooks allow your children to express themselves through reading! A great alternative to watching television or playing video games! PARENT S GUIDE The U.S. Department of Education has declared that reading aloud is the single most important activity that parents can do with their children to ensure their future success and that reading aloud should continue throughout the grades. Playbooks are designed to be read aloud, like a play, and are a fun, entertaining, and memorable activity that allows parents and their children to read aloud together at the same time. In a Playbook, the text for each of the story s characters is presented in a different color. This makes it easy to read like a play. Each of your readers chooses the character in the story they wish to play and the fun begins! Edited by credentialed teachers, the unique Playbook Multi-Leveled format provides dialogue for the story s characters at a variety of reading levels. Children are at an advantage when they can read at their own level with confidence and enthusiasm while still being exposed to richer vocabulary and sentence structure read by you or other readers in your family. Reading in an interactive and multi-leveled manner allows all your children to read with self assurance and enthusiasm, which can translate into higher confidence and self-esteem in the classroom. Reading a Playbook story doesn t require preparation nor does it take a lot of time. Discover how a Playbook Reader s Theater story makes reading enjoyable for the whole family. Reading with your children encourages a passion for reading and teaches them that reading is valuable. Children of all ages and reading abilities, from Kindergarten to High School, benefit from reading aloud. As a child s reading skills grow, his or her performance in many other school subject areas Family Guide Page 1
SETTING THE STAGE CASTING THE CHARACTER ROLES Using typical age ranges and grade levels for most children, the various character parts in a Playbook story accommodate three to four different reading levels. Some stories can include up to six levels. The Story Character Assignments chart on the next page shows all the characters in your story, along with information as to the size and reading level of each role. To determine which reader should take each character role, use the Reading Level Chart on the bottom of the next page as a starting point for selecting the character parts. Your child s reading ability may be higher or lower than his or her age or grade in school. You can also determine the best level by having your child take the Playbook Reading Test available on our website, www.playbooks.com/schools/readtest.htm. Another method for assigning character roles is to have everyone read the Character Summary section at the front of the Playbook story, either silently or aloud. Based on each person s own reading comfort level, he or she picks one or more character parts, or a parent can simply cast all the parts based on what he or she believes is the best role and reading level for each reader. BRINGING THE STORY TO LIFE No memorization is necessary for reading a Playbook Reader s Theater story. As family members read their parts aloud, each from their own copy of the story, they act like their characters using gestures and expressions to bring the characters personalities to life. They discover the story as it happens and can be as creative as they want. A Playbook story makes reading a fun and engaging family activity rather than a task, and your family members will want to read it aloud over and over. As readers become more familiar and confident with reading their roles aloud, they may want to change the personality of their character or switch to a higher level role. This helps children grow in their reading ability. READING PERFORMANCE TIPS Reading aloud is an enjoyable and interactive experience that helps children develop fluency and confidence in their reading abilities. At first a reader may feel uncomfortable reading his or her part aloud. In this case, you may want to read the part aloud as a group or you can model the part and have the reader repeat after you. If a reader makes a mistake, encourage him or her to correct the mistake and keep going. Your supportive coaching will motivate the readers to reread and improve upon their previous efforts. Here are some other suggestions that can help readers enhance their reading performance. You may want to read these aloud to your group. Get to know your character. Ask yourself questions and imagine how the character would answer them. Your responses will help you portray your character in the story. Use the (cues) in the story text to help you with your vocal expression. Be animated with your facial expressions, body gestures, and vary how you use your voice. Try different voices or accents. Use the punctuation marks in the sentences to guide you with vocal changes, pauses and reading pace. Hold the book so your face can be seen and your voice can be heard. Speak the character dialogue slowly and clearly so you can be understood. Be a good listener while others are reading their parts. Keep up and be ready to read when it s your turn. When others are reading their parts, be quiet and stand or sit still to minimize distractions. Consider simple costumes to help you get into character such as wearing a pair of glasses or hat. If you have an audience, involve them by looking up from the book and making eye contact. Take your time, breathe deeply, relax and have fun! Family Guide Page 2
STORY CHARACTER ASSIGNMENTS The Ice Cream Dream Presented in... Story Character Assign your readers, and write them here. (Readers can take more than one role.) 15% of story Stage 2 - Beginning Reader 10% of story Stage 3 - Transitional Reader Ice Cream 9% of story Stage 3 - Transitional Reader Ice Cream 10% of story Stage 4 - Intermediate Reader Ice Cream 10% of story Stage 4 - Intermediate Reader 46% of story Stage 4 - Intermediate Reader PLAYBOOK READING LEVELS Stage 1 - Early Reader Kindergarten/1st Grade Typically Ages 4-6 Stage 2 - Beginning Reader Grades 1-2 Typically Ages 5-8 Stage 3 - Transitional Reader Grades 2-3 Typically Ages 6-9 Stage 4 - Intermediate Reader Grades 3-4 Typically Ages 8-10 Stage 5 - Advanced Reader Grades 5-6 Typically Ages 10-13 Stage 6 - Expert Reader Teen/Adult Reader To download and print additional copies of this page, visit www.playbooks.com/families/rra.shtml Family Guide Page 3
ENCOURAGING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR Reading aloud and performing as a character is so much fun that it s easy for some children to get too excited and may distract other readers. Before you start, ask the readers what they think are acceptable and not acceptable types of behavior while reading the story. When children help to develop the guidelines, they feel ownership and will more likely follow their own rules and everyone receives the maximum benefit from this family activity. Some ideas for redirecting attention might include using Movie Director Language such as, cut, action, or quiet on the set. Make sure all the readers know what the signals mean and how they are supposed to respond before you start reading. REWARDING PERFORMANCE It s always best to focus on what children do well instead of where they stumble. Acknowledge each reader s strengths which can range from good voice inflexion to great acting skills. Try using statements that begin with the phrases, I like the way you... or I see how you, or I notice. You may want to incorporate a reading award system that tracks each reader s progress, such as expression, articulation, good manners, and being ready to read. By reinforcing the positive, children are more likely to continue to improve and stay motivated to read more often, especially when it gains them positive attention from the adults in their lives whom they respect and love. READING ROLE MODELS AND BUILDING READING FLUENCY Modeling is a key component to building fluency. Reading fluency is the ability to read a text accurately, quickly, smoothly, and with the right intonation and expression. Fluency is important, because it helps children understand what they read. Children learn reading fluency best when they listen to someone read more advanced text than what they can read on their own. This is because children have a higher listening comprehension than reading comprehension. Reading a Multi-Leveled Playbook helps parents and older siblings become the reading role models for younger children. Playbooks provide a reading dynamic that creates lifetime readers. Playbooks, Inc. 111 Corporate Dr. Ste 240 Ladera Ranch, CA 92694 1-800-375-2926 www.playbooks.com 2007 Playbooks, Inc., Ladera Ranch, CA The unique format of a Playbook with character colorization and specialized readability levels is a proprietary method of book structure, writing, format, construction, re-construction, displaying and printing and is protected under U.S. Patent No s 6,683,611 and 6,859,206 with additional patents pending. Family Guide Page 4