Tommy Johns Presents - Encouraging Kids to Read!

The programs we offer are designed with the state standards and educational goals in mind from the beginning. That's just one of the reasons that our programs are completely different from shows offered by most school show performers. To find out more about the process, and what we mean by educational significance, click here.

Looking to have THE BEST SCIENCE NIGHT or LITERACY NIGHT PROGRAM EVER? Ask about our Best Evening Meeting Ever discount when you call!

Tommy Johns Presents currently offers eight educationally significant programs for elementary and middle schools and libraries, and we add at least one new program every year. Every program is packed with audience participation, comedy, music and more and really motivates and encourages kids to continue their learning after the assembly ends by GOING TO THE LIBRARY!

I Love to Read is an interactive educational show that is part storytelling, part magic show and 100% FUN. I Love to Read shows kids just how much can happen when they LOVE to read!

Tommy uses unusual puppets, crazy comedy, magic and audience participation to show how books can magically let readers meet all kinds of people, have all kinds of adventures and learn to do all kinds of things!

This 45-minute show is filled with volunteers, comedy, costuming, magic and music. New books as well as classics and award winners are featured in the show.

Over and over we reinforce the importance of picking up a book and reading EVERY DAY. This unforgettable show will have your kids talking about the reading program for weeks to come!

I Love to Read is also available in a Middle School version, with age appropriate books, instruction and humor that really reinforce the message of the program for this sometimes challenging age group!

“Tommy Johns is a fabulous performer. The kids love him and he always holds their attention. The show is just as much fun for the adults as it is for the children.”

It's a reading show! It's a cultural arts program! It's a lesson about tolerance and diversity and the power of a story! Wherever You Go, There's a Story! is all of these and more. Take an imaginary trip to all seven continents and discover stories (fiction AND non-fiction) from around the world that entertain, inspire AND reinforce the state standards. Hear the story of John Chapman like you've never heard it before! The show ends with a powerful story of unity and inspiration.

Like all of our programs, "Wherever You Go!" includes magic, puppets, audience participation and a STRONG message about reading and library resources.

“I especially liked the integration of books and reading with the magic and puppets. The puppets and magic were especially well received by the audience.”

Tommy and his friends will be taking your kids on a wild and imaginary tour of their backyards, neighborhoods, and community parks. Through puppetry, magic and storytelling, Tommy and his furry and feathered (puppet) friends will teach young readers about how to use the Scientific Process to answer questions about their own environment. It looks like a science show, but it is all about getting kids excited about READING!

Along the way everyone will learn interesting facts about the plants and animals that live among us everyday, from color changing lizards, and inventive birds, to animals that change forms.

Get ready for another fun, educational, and entertaining program that will have your kids racing for books and talking about the show months after it’s over.

This hands-on workshop, developed in conjunction with staff from the National Science Center in Augusta, GA, allows learners to handle wheels, pulleys, levers, wedges, incline planes and screws in a way that makes abstract concepts "concrete" (yes, the pun was intended!).

Tommy comes in dressed as a construction worker, but the children from the audience are the ones who do the work.

Your tactile learners will come to life as they help figure out how to lift a 50 pound bucket of rocks with a 5 pound weight, and why a wedge is such a handy tool. Using levers, your youngest students will be able to easily accomplish feats that NO human being can accomplish bare handed. This is a presentation that will be remembered and talked about for a VERY long time.

Teachers will have no problem tying lessons into the subjects taught. And because the program also promotes reading and media center resources, it is a program that everyone appreciates! We look at and discuss biographies of inventors, discover that men women and CHILDREN can invent cool stuff, and even look at fictional inventors.

Throughout the program, the kids learn how simple machines help us “Work Smarter, Not Harder.”

Tommy and his puppet friends have done it again! He and a top notch team of performers, educators, and librarians have put together another amazing program for your readers! Like all of his reading programs, Reading Round Up includes costuming, puppets, magic, music, audience participation and a STRONG message about using the resources in the library!

This time, Tommy, his sidekick Roosevelt Rat, and the kids at your library are trying to help Claudia (a very funny hippo with an attitude!) write a story for Cowboy Digest magazine. Claudia needs help with descriptive language, character development, plot twists and other writing tools, and we do our best to help her. The kids at every show will help create a story that teaches them how to become better writers! After each show, the story your students created will be posted on Claudia's blog for the whole world to read!

To help Claudia understand the elements of a good story, we will be looking at lots of books including award winners, books that have been made into movies, classic children's books and folk tales from across this great land of ours, and from other lands as well. Filled with book talks, storytelling, and a neat moral at the end of the show, this program drives home the importance of good writing.

Reading Round Up is also available in a Middle School version, with age appropriate books and writing tips that really reinforce the message for this sometimes challenging age group!

This holiday season treat the kids to a program that’s trainloads of fun, filled with puppets, magic, storytelling, music, and audience participation. This imaginary train ride magically takes kids around the world to learn about winter holidays like: Diwali, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Ramadan, Chinese New Year, Hanukkah and of course, Christmas.

Yes, the program is educationally significant (we can't help ourselves, we are obsessed with creating the most educational programs available without compromising entertainment value), and yes, the program strongly encourages children to read. But don’t think for a minute that the show is anything less than sheer delight for everyone, including teachers and staff. When you hear the sleigh bell ring at the end of the show, you won’t be the only one to wipe a tear from your eye.

WE Can Do This!

Think of it as a CRCT PREP rally!

We Can Do This!, the CRCT preparation and test taking skills assembly program, is very popular every spring and it's everything you've come to expect from Tommy Johns Presents! The 45 minute assembly program will feature Petey the Possum, and how he faces his biggest fear: The TEST! It is very entertaining, and like all our shows, it includes magic, puppets, audience participation and comedy. Most importantly, the program has three objectives.

3. We Can Do This! will motivate kids to do their best by discussing the importance of the

CRCT to the school and to the student and by helping them see that they CAN do it.

For after the show, there are teacher support pieces and classroom exercises. Everyone attending the event will get a bookmark with a test taking strategies checklist on it as a reminder of what we learned. There is also a reproducible take home piece to show parents how they can help get their kids ready for the test and why it's important.

We Can Do This! is not just a "rah rah" event. It's an assembly program designed to reinforce what their teachers have been telling them all year long - that if they prepare well, understand the importance of the CRCT, and approach it with an "I Can!" attitude, they can do well on the most important test of the year!

Here's what your colleagues had to say about "We Can Do This!"

"All of the information was extremely relevant to the CRCT. The strategies were the same ones we have been stressing to our students, but I think it helps to hear it from someone else and in another format."

Carrie McAtee, Mimosa, Elementary School, Roswell, GA

"We just had Tommy Johns perform his CRCT assembly program, 'We Can Do This!' for the entire school and he was great. 'Awesome' was the comment of one of our 1st grade teachers!

Tommy is very professional and entertaining. He weaves magic and puppets into important messages about preparing and taking the CRCT and the children loved the program. This is just what our children needed after taking benchmark tests; a positive, upbeat message. Another teacher commented that she really appreciated the fact that the assembly was academically oriented."

Karen Liebert, International Studies Elementary Charter School, Albany, GA

"The students heard from you some of the same things that their teachers have been telling them. I think it's a good reinforcement."

Helen O'Brien, Level Grove Elementary School, Cornelia, GA

	Tommy Johns Presents Curriculum Based School Assembly Programs that Encourage Kids to Read! Atlanta (770) 640-6509 Toll Free 1(866) 490-READ Home About Us Programs Fees Schedule Clients FAQ’s Contact Us Blog
Our Programs and the Curriculum Topics They Support Include: Go Wild! (Reading, Scientific Process, Life Sciences, AL/GA Facts) We Can Do This! (CRCT Preparation, Test Taking Skills, Motivation) Work Smarter! (Reading, Simple Machines, Inventions) Wherever You Go, There's a Story (Reading Motivation, Social Studies, Geography, Multi-culturalism) I Love to Read! (Reading Motivation, Library Skills) Arctic Express (Reading, Winter Festivals, Cultural Diversity) Reading Round Up (Reading, Writing Process, Using Details, Figurative Language, Folk Tales) PLUS Middle and High School Programs and YA Public Library Programs!
	Programs TOP The programs we offer are designed with the state standards and educational goals in mind from the beginning. That's just one of the reasons that our programs are completely different from shows offered by most school show performers. To find out more about the process, and what we mean by educational significance, click here. Looking to have THE BEST SCIENCE NIGHT or LITERACY NIGHT PROGRAM EVER? Ask about our Best Evening Meeting Ever discount when you call! Tommy Johns Presents currently offers eight educationally significant programs for elementary and middle schools and libraries, and we add at least one new program every year. Every program is packed with audience participation, comedy, music and more and really motivates and encourages kids to continue their learning after the assembly ends by GOING TO THE LIBRARY! _____________________________________________________________________________ I Love to Read is an interactive educational show that is part storytelling, part magic show and 100% FUN. I Love to Read shows kids just how much can happen when they LOVE to read! Tommy uses unusual puppets, crazy comedy, magic and audience participation to show how books can magically let readers meet all kinds of people, have all kinds of adventures and learn to do all kinds of things! This 45-minute show is filled with volunteers, comedy, costuming, magic and music. New books as well as classics and award winners are featured in the show. Over and over we reinforce the importance of picking up a book and reading EVERY DAY. This unforgettable show will have your kids talking about the reading program for weeks to come! I Love to Read is also available in a Middle School version, with age appropriate books, instruction and humor that really reinforce the message of the program for this sometimes challenging age group! Back to top _____________________________________________________________________________ “Tommy Johns is a fabulous performer. The kids love him and he always holds their attention. The show is just as much fun for the adults as it is for the children.” Monica Davis, Stevenson Library, Stevenson, AL _____________________________________________________________________________ Wherever You Go, There's a Story! It's a reading show! It's a cultural arts program! It's a lesson about tolerance and diversity and the power of a story! Wherever You Go, There's a Story! is all of these and more. Take an imaginary trip to all seven continents and discover stories (fiction AND non-fiction) from around the world that entertain, inspire AND reinforce the state standards. Hear the story of John Chapman like you've never heard it before! The show ends with a powerful story of unity and inspiration. Like all of our programs, "Wherever You Go!" includes magic, puppets, audience participation and a STRONG message about reading and library resources. Back to top _____________________________________________________________________________ “I especially liked the integration of books and reading with the magic and puppets. The puppets and magic were especially well received by the audience.” Amy Billings, Gwinnett County Public Libraries _____________________________________________________________________________ Go Wild! A Humorous and Engaging Tour of The Scientific Process Tommy and his friends will be taking your kids on a wild and imaginary tour of their backyards, neighborhoods, and community parks. Through puppetry, magic and storytelling, Tommy and his furry and feathered (puppet) friends will teach young readers about how to use the Scientific Process to answer questions about their own environment. It looks like a science show, but it is all about getting kids excited about READING! Along the way everyone will learn interesting facts about the plants and animals that live among us everyday, from color changing lizards, and inventive birds, to animals that change forms. Get ready for another fun, educational, and entertaining program that will have your kids racing for books and talking about the show months after it’s over. Back to top _____________________________________________________________________________ “Book him. You won't be sorry.” Louise Brown, Lena Cagle Library, Bridgeport, AL _____________________________________________________________________________ Simple Machines Made Simple! This hands-on workshop, developed in conjunction with staff from the National Science Center in Augusta, GA, allows learners to handle wheels, pulleys, levers, wedges, incline planes and screws in a way that makes abstract concepts "concrete" (yes, the pun was intended!). Tommy comes in dressed as a construction worker, but the children from the audience are the ones who do the work. Your tactile learners will come to life as they help figure out how to lift a 50 pound bucket of rocks with a 5 pound weight, and why a wedge is such a handy tool. Using levers, your youngest students will be able to easily accomplish feats that NO human being can accomplish bare handed. This is a presentation that will be remembered and talked about for a VERY long time. Teachers will have no problem tying lessons into the subjects taught. And because the program also promotes reading and media center resources, it is a program that everyone appreciates! We look at and discuss biographies of inventors, discover that men women and CHILDREN can invent cool stuff, and even look at fictional inventors. Throughout the program, the kids learn how simple machines help us “Work Smarter, Not Harder.” Back to top _____________________________________________________________________________ Reading Round Up! Making the Writing Process FUN and FUNNY! Tommy and his puppet friends have done it again! He and a top notch team of performers, educators, and librarians have put together another amazing program for your readers! Like all of his reading programs, Reading Round Up includes costuming, puppets, magic, music, audience participation and a STRONG message about using the resources in the library! This time, Tommy, his sidekick Roosevelt Rat, and the kids at your library are trying to help Claudia (a very funny hippo with an attitude!) write a story for Cowboy Digest magazine. Claudia needs help with descriptive language, character development, plot twists and other writing tools, and we do our best to help her. The kids at every show will help create a story that teaches them how to become better writers! After each show, the story your students created will be posted on Claudia's blog for the whole world to read! To help Claudia understand the elements of a good story, we will be looking at lots of books including award winners, books that have been made into movies, classic children's books and folk tales from across this great land of ours, and from other lands as well. Filled with book talks, storytelling, and a neat moral at the end of the show, this program drives home the importance of good writing. Reading Round Up is also available in a Middle School version, with age appropriate books and writing tips that really reinforce the message for this sometimes challenging age group! Back to top _____________________________________________________________________________ Arctic Express! This holiday season treat the kids to a program that’s trainloads of fun, filled with puppets, magic, storytelling, music, and audience participation. This imaginary train ride magically takes kids around the world to learn about winter holidays like: Diwali, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Ramadan, Chinese New Year, Hanukkah and of course, Christmas. Yes, the program is educationally significant (we can't help ourselves, we are obsessed with creating the most educational programs available without compromising entertainment value), and yes, the program strongly encourages children to read. But don’t think for a minute that the show is anything less than sheer delight for everyone, including teachers and staff. When you hear the sleigh bell ring at the end of the show, you won’t be the only one to wipe a tear from your eye. This is a show children will remember for the rest of their lives. Back to top _____________________________________________________________________________ WE Can Do This! *Think of it as a CRCT PREP* rally! We Can Do This!, the CRCT preparation and test taking skills assembly program, is very popular every spring and it's everything you've come to expect from Tommy Johns Presents! The 45 minute assembly program will feature Petey the Possum, and how he faces his biggest fear: The TEST! It is very entertaining, and like all our shows, it includes magic, puppets, audience participation and comedy. Most importantly, the program has three objectives. 1. The program shows students several test taking strategies that will help them face the challenges of a test like the CRCT (or any academic test they face). 2. The program will teach the students ways to prepare for the test days (studying content as well as physical and mental preparation). 3. We Can Do This! will motivate kids to do their best by discussing the importance of the CRCT to the school and to the student and by helping them see that they CAN do it. For after the show, there are teacher support pieces and classroom exercises. Everyone attending the event will get a bookmark with a test taking strategies checklist on it as a reminder of what we learned. There is also a reproducible take home piece to show parents how they can help get their kids ready for the test and why it's important. We Can Do This!** is not just a "rah rah" event. It's an assembly program designed to reinforce what their teachers have been telling them all year long - that if they prepare well, understand the importance of the CRCT, and approach it with an "I Can!" attitude, they can do well on the most important test of the year! Here's what your colleagues had to say about "We Can Do This!" "All of the information was extremely relevant to the CRCT. The strategies were the same ones we have been stressing to our students, but I think it helps to hear it from someone else and in another format." Carrie McAtee, Mimosa, Elementary School, Roswell, GA "We just had Tommy Johns perform his CRCT assembly program, 'We Can Do This!' for the entire school and he was great. 'Awesome' was the comment of one of our 1st grade teachers! Tommy is very professional and entertaining. He weaves magic and puppets into important messages about preparing and taking the CRCT and the children loved the program. This is just what our children needed after taking benchmark tests; a positive, upbeat message. Another teacher commented that she really appreciated the fact that the assembly was academically oriented." Karen Liebert, International Studies Elementary Charter School, Albany, GA "The students heard from you some of the same things that their teachers have been telling them. I think it's a good reinforcement." Helen O'Brien, Level Grove Elementary School, Cornelia, GA Back to top _____________________________________________________________________________ © COPYRIGHT 2000-2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Tommy Johns Presents 1650 Bainbridge Way Roswell, GA 30076-1621 (770) 640-6509