Do you use Reader’s Theater in your elementary and middle school classroom?
What even is Reader’s Theater and how can we use it with our students? If you’re a teacher looking for a new way to improve reading fluency with your class then keep reading, as I’m going to give you a run down of Reader’s Theatre, the benefits, tips on how to use it effectively and also a FREE Reader’s Theatre script to try out with your kiddos.
Now, if you’ve been around on the Love 2 Learn English site long enough you will know that performing arts, drama and English is my jam. These are my passions in life and that’s why I teach them. I’ve been teaching theatre class since I was 16 and English as a second language ESL for around 12 years now and you will be interested to know that mixing these two disciplines have a great result for students. Every year I teach I find myself teaching a mix of both classes through Reader’s Theater. The kids absolutely love it and it really improves their language skills but what is it?
What is Reader's Theater?
Reader’s Theaters are normally short scripts where students each read a part that tells a story. All of the scripts I write myself, normally have a moral, or something to learn from the story, such as a famous person’s life, an event in history or a life lesson, for example being kind to others or it's okay to be different. Students practise reading in groups and can perform to the class.
However, Reader’s Theater is different to drama scripts because there is no movement and more emphasis on reading, vocal technique and delivery.
What are the benefits to using Reader’s Theater in the classroom?
Oh my goodness, there are so many pros to using this type of activity with your school class. Let’s take a look.
Improves reading fluency - As students practise the script they will repeat it quite a few times before they perform it. Therefore they get better at sight reading and sentence fluency. For ESL this is great for learning vocabulary and grammar structures in use.
It develops vocal delivery and technique - The children are playing characters and so will learn to use different voices to create their part. As there is no movement their voices need to tell the story. This leads to better storytelling and pronunciation and reading proficiency. We always strive for better pronunciation with our ESL’s so this is a great activity for them.
Promotes teamwork - Working in small groups promotes teamwork in the classroom. The stronger reader’s in your class can help the weaker reader’s. What a nice way to encourage kindness in your classroom.
Students gain confidence in reading - by playing a role, students often come out of their shell so to speak, as they are not reading for themselves they are reading as a different person. I have found that even my shyest students really get involved and make a big effort during this activity. This is definitely one of the best benefits of Reader’s Theater for all students including ESL.
It’s FUN and the students love it! - It’s not another boring reading activity, such as a long book or text that for some students is very demotivating. With this type of drama activity children get to use funny voices and perform in front of others. This is very exciting and I always find my students asking to 1 - practise the script whenever they have free time and 2 - start a new Reader’s Theater. This is a big win in my book.
A great activity for holidays and events - You can add something dynamic to your holiday planning to make seasonal times of year even more interesting for your class. I always do a Reader’s Theater at Halloween, Christmas and Easter. Have a look at these ones.
The worksheets help evaluate students' work - All of my Redaer’s Theater scripts include at least one worksheet, but usually more than one. Why do I do this? I like to use the worksheets to ask students' opinions on the story, or what they have learnt during this activity. Sometimes, the worksheets also contain questionnaires about the story or character too. This gives a more in depth level of comprehension to your students, which is another pro in my book. For ESL using worksheets is a great way to practise the vocabulary used in the scripts and practise writing skills.
So, How do you use Reader's Theater in your classroom?
Super simple, find a script with a theme you like, or connected to something you are already studying in class. Print enough copies for one for each child. Split your class into groups (be sure to read my top tip for this below). Over the course of a week, or two, let them practise the script in their groups, with you walking around to listen and help in each group. Have a set day to perform it and do the performance. After, complete the worksheets included.
A great reusable resource you can use year after year in your classroom.
My Top Tips for using Reader's Theater
Encourage children to use different voices and or accents to really experience different characters within the story.
To make the groups, you could just let them go with their friends, but for maximum improvement, which is our aim, I recommend mixing the levels. For example I always put stronger reader’s together with the weaker readers in the group so they can help each other, promoting kindness in the classroom.
Connect the Reader's Theater script with something you are already studying. This really helps students get engaged with the activity and actually have a better understanding of the concept you are trying to teach. For example if you are studying Black History Month or Women's History Month you could connect a Reader’s Theater script telling the story of Harriet Tubman or Rosa Parks (both of which I have written and are available here).
Letting students bring one piece of clothing or an accessory to help them become the character is another way to make the experience more engaging. My students absolutely love this part and it’s a great way for them to see themselves as the person they are reading for. NOTE - I do limit it to only 1 piece of clothing or accessory as otherwise things can go missing or get a bit chaotic in class and we don’t want that.
Create a poster for the Reader's Theater. This is another great activity to get your students motivated and excited about the story. If they can visualise it then they have a better understanding of the story, the place and the characters.
This. This is why I love performing arts and ESL so much and mixing them together helps students have a deeper understanding of language, vocabulary, events and people.
It’s such a good way for students to have fun whilst learning, so much so that actually they don’t realise they are learning at all!
What about that freebie I promised? …. Well here it is. It’s a script from a set of 6 about ways to save the planet for Earth Day in April or works well if you are studying the environment too. I hope you enjoy using it with your class.
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