Slappy Hooper was the biggest, fastest, bestest sign painter of all time. Just give him some paint, and a brush and “slip, slop, slap” the job was done– and never a brush stroke in sight! Poor Slappy’s signs were TOO good. They attracted bees, melted snow, and the eagle flew right off one sign. His customers were very unhappy. At last Slappy found a job that fit his skills– perfectly painting rainbows, sunrises and sunsets.
“The Legend of Slappy Hooper,” an American Tall Tale by Aaron Shepard, was performed as a readers’ theater Friday, Nov. 15, at the Greene County Community Center by the Jefferson-Scranton and Paton-Churdan Home School Assistance Program (HSAP) students.
Readers’ theater provides a fun way for students to improve their reading fluency. Prior to selecting parts and reading the script, the students learned what fluency is: a combination of reading words accurately, at the correct speed, and with expression. Some exercises in voice inflection livened up the lesson.
The students had several rehearsals before performing for family and friends. They also practiced reading their lines at home, thereby improving their fluency. Unlike a play, readers’ theater lines are read rather than memorized. Any costuming or props are minimal or totally absent.
The HSAP is offered by the local school districts to provide support to home school families who enroll in the program.
