I love how you simplified and broke down complex ideas in an engaging way. I feel empowered and inspired to bring these strategies /lessons into my classroom–starting the first day of class! Dr. Degen is brilliant and I want more! – Meg Nguyen

I believe it is an essential component for any literacy teacher for all levels. The scope of the plays and content covers interpretive and presentational language, as well as critical thinking and analysis… more importantly, it equips educators with the tools to empower students to develop their own voice. – Diana Torres Rivera Ph. D.

This was one of the most useful workshops I have ever attended, and in 20 plus years of teaching, I have attended many PD sessions. Dr. Degan’s teaching style clarifies the material in a friendly, yet professional manner. The skills and tool learned are more than useful and are for immediate use in the classroom. And, I enjoyed working with my group mates. – Leslie Hegarty

This has been, without a doubt, the most effective workshop I’ve attended in my entire teaching career. The skills and tools I learned are immediately adaptable in my classroom and, I’m sure, will have a profound impact on my students’ writing. I am going to recommend this workshop as a “must do” for the entire English department at my school. – Jason A Walker, Ph.D.

Join Dr. Degen in his classroom, live or virtually, experiencing the research-based reading and writing plays internalized by top performing students of Language Arts.

 What do neuroscientists, psychologists, and athletic coaches have to tell English teachers about their instruction? 

That reading and writing are not magically or genetically bestowed gifts, but activities that involve a process, abilities that can be acquired through training. And that our students best acquire these abilities when we design lessons that take into account how their brains naturally learn. 

Day 1– The Reading Plays — using visual and written texts, we’ll experience lessons that help students develop an interpretative point of view that moves beyond plot 

Day 2 — The Grammar Plays –transforming syntactical style through imitation and competitive games, we’ll experience how grammar instruction ignites the brain’s instinct for challenge and authentic purpose 

Day 3 — The Writing Plays — using the reading plays to guide the creation of the essay, we’ll draft the thesis and topic sentences of the essay and focus on developing a single paragraph, implementing the strategies of coherence and unity