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Documentation
for Use of Weston Woods Materials |
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| With the passage of the No Child Left
Behind Act (NCLB), there are now three criteria those
educational materials must meet:
• scientifically based research
• state/district curriculum standards
• public opinion.
In the area of scientifically based research, in 1997-1999
the National Captioning Institute, Inc. conducted a
study in the Nelson County, VA Public School system.
The purpose of the study was to examine the benefits
of the use of captioned videos to improve literacy at
the early elementary school level. For a two year period
captioned Weston Woods videos were offered to students
along with activity booklets (with activities similar
to ones offered in the current Weston Woods study guides)
in a test to see if reading scores could be impacted.
Students were given the opportunity to watch the video,
read the book both before and after watching the video,
and then to do activities offered in the activity booklets.
At the conclusion of the project, all the teachers involved
felt their students showed increased enthusiasm for
reading and made improvements to their reading skills,
most notably in comprehension and vocabulary. In addition,
students in the classrooms that were offered the captioned
videos and books, scored statistically significant gains
in their reading scores over students in classrooms
not participating in the programs. |
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| In the area of correlation to state
and national standards, please download
the cross-curricular listing. Each Weston Woods title
is chosen for its' adaptability to meet most State and
National standards. In the area of Reading/Language Arts,
the entire line supports primarily the study of literature
and literary genres - such as folk tales, fairy tales,
legends, poetry, biography, songs, nursery rhymes as well
as providing modeling for students of fluent oral narration,
and enhancing listening skills. |
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| In the area of public opinion,
we offer the following testimonials from users around
the country. (top of page) (product
utilization) |
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| "I use Weston Woods videos
on a regular basis with my 3rd grade class. The majority
of my students are English language learners who have
had very little exposure to quality children's literature.
Watching and learning from a video after we read the story
reinforces English language skills the children have been
practicing, and provide another encounter with the text.
The videos are a valuable teaching tool that the students
and I love." |
- Alexandra Printing,
Teacher, George Washington Elementary School,
Compton, CA |
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| "Weston Woods has always
based its films on quality literature. A favorite story
can be requested by a child thousands of times. Stories
that children hear over and over again become a part of
the way their brain organizes information. It provides
a framework around which they will build. The film allows
the young person to see the story acted out…This
will help the child build vocabulary and understand the
concept of beginning, middle and end." |
| - Dr. Audrey Irene
Daigneault, Pleasant Valley Elementary School Library,
Groton, CT |
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"In my work with reluctant
readers…films and videos have helped me to help
many
children uncover the joy and beauty of children's books.
The quality of films and videos produced by Weston Woods
is so excellent that it captures the essence of the original
book. The youngster viewing these materials is actually
experiencing the book itself." |
| - Rae S. Movshow,
Reading Specialist |
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"As a children's librarian
and former classroom teacher, I have found that the well-made
audiovisual productions of children's literature help
to bring books to life for kids who have been raised on
TV. Weston Woods has a long history of producing excellent
children's literature in audiovisual formats. Their productions
enhance the books they portray while remaining characteristically
true to the originals." |
| - Sean P.S. George,
Youth Services Coordinator, St. Charles Parish Library |
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“As an early childhood
educator, I hold high standards for the products we offer
our
children. I have purchased only Weston Woods videos for
our preschool and kindergarten classes for the past 17
years. The Weston Woods productions are high quality and
represent the excellence we strive for in our facility." |
| - Charlene Ackerman,
Exec. Director, Paul K. Kennedy Child Care Center, IL |
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| "[Weston Woods'] colorful,
whimsical films allow us as children's librarians to connect
a 'sight and sound' generation with classic, old and new
children's books." |
| - Jody Lewandowski,
Librarian, Central Rappanhannock Regional Library, VA |
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| "As a longtime fan of Weston
Woods, I have come to appreciate its commitment and faithfulness
to the spirit of each book that it adapts, as well as
the artistry in each production." |
| - Joe Yranski, Head
of the Donnell Media Center, New York Public Library,
NY, NY |
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| "Weston Woods does a remarkably
good job of bringing the best in children's books to life…you
stay so true to the writer's and illustrator's vision
and style that kids instantly recognize books they've
read and fall in love with the ones they haven't read.
They literally grab the books out of my hands after I've
shown them the films, and even though I think seeing the
images and stories alone is incredibly powerful, if the
movies inspire them to read the books, we've really done
something great." |
| - Kimi Bensen, Education
Programmer, Aspen Film Fest |
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| "Weston Woods videos provide
dramatic, colorful exploration of a myriad of favorite
and newly published children's picture books…No
other publisher of children's picture book videos can
match the story production, camera work, sound and color
quality of Weston Woods films." |
| - Diane Amison, Dr.
Marjorie Dunbar School, Bronx, New York |
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| Additional Research Documentation
(top of page) (product
utilization) |
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| In addition to this specific studies
using Weston Woods materials, the following excerpts are
taken from other studies/research that support the overall
use of a multimedia approach to learning, most notably
for students with varied learning styles. |
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| "In studies conducted, teachers
believed that their students had increased receptivity,
interest, alertness, attentiveness, and curiosity during
multimedia presentations compared with instructor lectures
alone. Video brings a feeling and an understanding of
the world into the more restricted setting of a traditional
class served as to the primary justification for this
belief. Teachers studied believed this increased attention
lead to increased retention and motivation, all of which
ultimately led to better learning and improvement in student
grades." |
| – Leham &
Brickner (1996) Teacher's uses and perceptions of interactive
videodiscs in the science classroom THE JOURNAL OF COMPUTERS
IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHING, 15, 85-102 and Wise,
M., & Groo, F.M. (1996) The effects of enriching classroom
learning with the systematic employment of multimedia.
EDUCATION, 177, 61-69 |
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| "The use of multimedia and
technology in the classroom leads to more knowledgeable
and better teachers. In the article cited here, it was
explicitly noted that multimedia and technology use in
the classroom allows teachers to complement their teaching
styles and to explore alternative approaches to schooling." |
| – Write, M.
& Custer, R. (1998) Why the enjoy teaching: The motivation
of outstanding technology teachers. JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY
EDUCATION, 9, 60-77 |
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| "The use of multimedia and
technology in the classroom changes the quantity and quality
of student-teacher interaction by increasing these interactions
as well as developing a more fluid student-teacher exchange
of information." |
| – Cohen, V.L.
(1997) Learning styles in a technology-rich environment.
JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON COMPUTING IN EDUCATION, 29, 338-350. |
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| "In teachers interviewed
and surveyed, they indicated that they believe technology
in the classroom provides an especially useful tool for
students with learning and attention problems, because
it can present large amounts of information quickly and
in an interesting manner." |
| – Ertmer, P.A.,
Addison, P., & Lane, M. (1999) Examining teacher's
beliefs about the role of technology in the elementary
classroom JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON COMPUTING IN EDUCATION,
32 54-72 |
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"In a researched- based
study, students were examined for the effects of a video-based
second-language program to teach culture to students enrolled
in French courses. Results revealed statistically significant
improvements in participants' overall cultural knowledge
after exposure to videos." |
| – Herron, C.A.,
Cole, S.P., & Corrie, C. (1999) The effectiveness
of a video-based curriculum in teaching culture THE MODERN
LANGUAGE JOURNAL, 83, 518-533 |
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| "Technology has the advantage
of reaching students with different learning styles and
incorporating visual and audio elements." |
| – Cohen, V.L.
(1997) Learning styles in a technology rich environment.
JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON COMPUTING IN EDUCATION, 29, 338-350. |
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