The Storyline Online website, a literacy development initiative from the Screen Actors Guild of America, is a collection of short stories narrated on screen by actors (some of whom each of you will recognise, depending on your era!). The stories take between 5 and 10 minutes each to tell, and feature animations and images from their respective book illustrators. They are charming and captivating, and very educational in that subtle way that means students don’t notice they’re learning until it’s over!! Each story has a downloadable worksheet of ideas for activities to accompany it. This is the educational application of the multimedia internet at its very best. Bookmark it now…but be warned, when you start watching you’ll need time – it’s addictive!
The SAG website states “In 2001, the SAG Foundation was given a generous grant by Verizon to create digital videos featuring professional actors reading quality children’s books. These imaginatively produced videos fully captured the intricate illustrations, colors and textures of each book. Storyline Online also features supplemental activities for each book developed by an early literacy specialist. Together, the videos and related curriculum strengthen comprehension, verbal and written skills of English language learners worldwide. Available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, free of charge, Storyline Online ensures that every child who has access to an Internet connection can be exposed to a story.”