Reader’s theaters. A tale as old as time. Teachers have been using reader’s theaters in the classroom for years and years now because they are the golden nugget of adding in arts to our reading and language arts curriculum.
Students can work on reading, reading out loud, reading with emotion, drama/acting, and more while practicing and performing a reader’s theater.
Ways to make an RT successful:
- Give it an authentic purpose and audience.
- Model, model, model the proper way to read for an RT.
- Pick an interesting topic to the students.
- Choose a good RT based on the reading level of your students.
- Utilize gyms, theaters, and stages in the school to practice reading.
- Film the students practicing for them to go back and watch so that they can see what they look like reading out loud.
A few websites full of good (and mostly free) reader’s theaters:
http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm
https://www.readinga-z.com/fluency/readers-theater-scripts/
http://www.thebestclass.org/rtscripts.html
Beyond these, a simple Google, Pinterest, or Teachers Pay Teachers search can also lead you to great reader’s theaters, whether free or paid.
In my own experience, I saw reluctant readers shine through as they performed an RT on space for a younger grade learning about planets. Their confidence came through as they watched themselves get better and better in the spotlight with practice. Reading wasn’t a chore, it became fun and exciting to them.
What are some great experiences you’ve seen while doing reader’s theaters in your classroom?