Gift of Time
Now in its 10th year, Classroom Adventures is Mary's program created with the purpose of giving back to teachers who have inspired her for 30+ years. The Program is a Gift of Time as it allows teachers to expand their use of the Magic Tree House adventures in the classroom and stimulate kids' interest in subjects across the entire curriculum and STEAM education.
The program uses kids' love of Magic Tree House (MTH) adventures and their identification with Jack and Annie to spark interest in learning and stimulate their curiosity about the world around them.
MTH fiction adventures and nonfiction Fact Trackers are the ultimate paired texts as they guide teachers striving guide students to decipher text, compare and contrast, and form opinions.
Program resources are free and include:
- A "Curriculum Key" that classifies every Magic Tree House book and nonfiction Fact Tracker with regard to subjects and curriculum standards
- A Reading Level Guide for all books in the series
- Individual lesson plans for each fiction book and nonfiction Fact Tracker that may be downloaded and used in your classroom
These resources are a true Gift of Time to elementary school teachers searching for creative ways to inspire their students and still meet curriculum standards.
Schools who have used our resources to incorporate Magic Tree House books and Fact Trackers in their classrooms have seen significant results in higher reading levels and an overall increased enthusiasm for reading and learning.
Magic Tree House Research Study
In 2015-16, a study was conducted to collect real data showing the books’ effectiveness in the classroom.
Professor Susan B. Neuman, a highly respected Professor of Childhood Education and Literacy Development at New York University, conducted the year-long study.
Following are some of her findings:
- “Children really benefit from a rich storehouse of wonderful books. Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House Collection enhances children's motivation to read and to learn.”
- “Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House Collection provides a unique opportunity for children to enjoy fiction and nonfiction books across a wide range of subject areas. What a wonderful way to develop knowledge through fascinating stories and information text.”
- “There was a virtual consensus that these resources enhanced [each school's] ability to use books throughout their curriculum, whether they were teaching science, social studies, or integrated language arts. Therefore, it was clear from our analysis that Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House collection was unique in providing books that could enhance other subject domains as well as the overall curriculum.”
- “The inclusion of Mary Pope Osborne’s books, all of which were high-quality fiction and nonfiction books in classrooms for Schools A and B, was seen as a major motivating factor in helping children not only to learn to read, but to create the desire to read."
Mary's Classroom Adventures Program also provides for a Gift of Books to children in underserved schools across the country. Title 1 educators are invited to submit a brief proposal telling us how they plan to use Magic Tree House books in their classroom; selected schools will receive a grant of books to help these teachers to accomplish their goals.
RESOURCES
LESSON PLANS:"It's obvious we need to find better ways to teach all children to read. But I believe that literacy is not enough. We need to give children a passion for reading. Once ignited, this passion can be a fierce motivation for a young person to try to change his or her life for the better."
-Mary Pope Osborne
Porchworthy Productions, LLC