"There is a mystery in every play that is written, no matter whether classical and poetic or modern and demotic, and it is the sound and the rhythm of the writing which take us there." Cicely Berry, the Royal Shakespeare Company's Voice Director, has been working alongside some of Britain's greatest actors and directors for over fifty years and is widely regarded as one of the most significant voice teachers in the world. From Word to Play draws on Cicely's extensive experience of working with theatre companies in Britain and throughout the world. It is her manifesto for a return to the words themselves: for moving away from an over-conceptualised, over-literal view of language and rediscovering the meaning in its sounds and rhythms. At the heart of this book is a concise, practical guide for directors in rehearsal, setting out work strategies that help bring out both the shape and the details within all kinds of text - whether verse or prose, seventeenth-century or contemporary. With a Foreword by Michael Boyd, Artistic Director of the RSC.

Why do certain words make us blush or wince? Why do men and women really speak different languages? Why do nursery rhymes in vastly different societies possess similar rhyme and rhythm patterns? What do slang, riddles and puns secretly have in common? This erudite yet irresistibly readable book examines the game of language: its players, strategies, and hidden rules. Drawing on the most fascinating linguistic studies—and touching on everything from the Marx Brothers to linguistic sexism, from the phenomenon of glossolalia to Apache names for automobile parts—Word Play shows what really happens when people talk, no matter what language they happen to be using.

I could have done a much better job of empowering my students with language had I had this book as a young teacher. - Carol Ann Tomlinson Author of The Differentiated Classroom Vocabulary is key - to comprehension, to deep academic understanding, to communication. But with so many words and so little instructional time, how can teachers ensure that students do more than merely memorize word lists? That they make words their own and use them well in all their reading, writing, and speaking activities? In Word Play, Sandra Whitaker, a National Board Certified Teacher, leads the way to effective, meaningful vocabulary instruction that helps students in every subject area. With Word Play you'll teach so that students don't just what know what words mean, but how they convey meaning and what their appropriate uses are. Three aspects of learning must work together for successful vocabulary instruction, and Whitaker details what they are and how to teach them: Morphemic structure - where words come from, how they are formed, and how they can be changed to form new words Conceptual meaning makers - the small but important group of context-specific terms that support meaning making within assigned texts but are rarely used outside those texts Academic vocabulary - cross-discipline and discipline-specific words that support learning by helping students determine meanings in relation to the subjects they study and use precise language to communicate their thinking. Whitaker makes the theoretical practical, presenting the theory and research behind high-quality instruction, then following up with engaging, interesting ways for students to practice all three aspects of vocabulary. You'll replace monotonous memorization with enjoyable activities that capitalize on adolescents' natural interest in words and language. Illustrating her strategies with student samples and stories from real classrooms, Whitaker even presents ideas for differentiation that make vocabulary instruction accessible for all students. Give the gift of language. Put away the boring word lists and teach in ways that promote usage, not memorization. You'll encourage a deeper understanding of texts across the curriculum and provide avenues for students to express their thinking more precisely. Put joy into words with Word Play.

'No matter how eloquently a dog may bark, he cannot tell you that his parents were poor but honest.' Only words can do that. Words are magic. Words are fun. Join Gyles Brandreth - wit and word-meister, Just A Minute regular, One Show reporter, denizen of Countdown's Dictionary Corner, founder of the National Scrabble Championships, patron of The Queen's English Society, QI, Room 101, Have I Got News For You and Pointless survivor - on an uproarious and unexpected magic carpet ride around the awesome world of words and wordplay. Puns, palindromes, pangrams, Malaprops, euphemisms, mnemonics, acronyms, anagrams, alphabeticals, Tweets, verbiage, verbarrhea - if you can name it, you should find it here, along with the longest, shortest, wittiest, wildest, oldest, latest, oddest, most interesting and most memorable words in the English language - the richest, most remarkable language ever known.

A hands-on alphabet extravaganza! The letters of the alphabet come to life in this bright, graphic, and delightfully interactive ABC novelty board book that pairs early learning with captivating play. Just punch out the oversize neon letters and assemble the simple words featured on each spread, or spell new words. It's the perfect way to play, spell, and learn, from A to Z!

You can be sitting in the train working a puzzle but it can take you far away from the everyday. Before you know it you're at your stop or about to pass it. It's not like you were even in the train. It's something different, something removed from the ordinary." --Maki Kaji, The Japanese Times The Nation's No. 1 Newspaper offers puzzle-smiths the ultimate book featuring a new collection of challenging conundrums. Three varieties of word puzzles meet for true wordsmiths: WHATZIT?, a word phrase game; Up & Down Words, a mix-and-match world clue game; and QuickCross, a mini crossword puzzle.

Smut sells. Michael Rourke learned this the hard way. Struggling to make ends meet as a mystery writer, he sold his soul - and his pride - as he pedaled sex and lust writing under the pen name Christoph Strong. No one knew he was the one behind the steamy stories on the bestsellers lists. And he planned to keep it that way. Until he met her. Monica Singer, an infamous blogger, is keen to discover the truth of his secret identity. During a chance meeting at a book convention, Michael and Monica form an instant connection. And soon, an industry rivalry becomes something else entirely. But as Michael starts to let his guard down, he doesn't realize that the person he's learning to trust may be hiding secrets of her own. Secrets that could ultimately destroy everything.

TEACH YOUR CHILD TO READ WHILE HAVING FUN! Simple sentences and strong picture cues help guide young children to reading success with this award-winning learn-to-read series. What could be more exciting than hearing your child read a book to you for the first time? The Now I'm Reading! books for emerging readers are just right for children who want to read but aren't quite ready to sound out words using phonics. Each of the 8 stories in PRE-READER: MORE WORD PLAY focuses on 2 to 3 high-frequency sight words and combines simple, patterned text and strong picture cues to give just the right amount of support to the earliest readers. Inside this eBook, you'll find: · 8 stories, each with "Words to Know" and "Stretch Your Mind" activity sections · Parent/Teacher Guide · Activity Book Perfect for ages 3 and up! Books in the NIR Pre-Reader Level focus on read-along stories, strong picture clues, predictable patterned text, letter and sound recognition, and beginning sight word instruction. The concepts and skill progression in the NIR series are aligned to meet Common Core State Standards. This book is Fountas & Pinnell Leveled with a range of LB-B; information on individual booklet levels and Lexile Measures is available at the Now I'm Reading website.

Learning activities that emphasize word play can help preschoolers keep busy and learn about the world around them. Original.

Introduces the wacky world of wordplay with puns, spoonerisms, games of word substitution, and more.