Readers'+Theater

=Readers’ Theater= You and your students are bound to love Readers’ Theater! Readers’ Theater (also spelled "Reader’s Theatre" or "Readers Theater") is an activity in which students, while reading directly from scripts, are able to tell a story in a most entertaining form, without props, costumes, or sets.This is a //reading// activity, and students are not asked to memorize their lines. They are, however, encouraged to "ham it up" and use intonation and gestures appropriate to their characters and their characters’ words.
 * Readers’ Theater serves many useful functions:
 * It provides repeated reading practice—an important factor in building fluency. Repeated reading practice also improves students’ confidence in, and enthusiasm for reading. It’s an enjoyable change of pace from everyday practice sessions. My students love it! And so do we. Students are so thrilled at their newfound skill that they ask to perform for younger classes.
 * It’s a wonderful opportunity for children who are used to feelings of failure to provide expertise entertainment for others.

The Internet is a terrific source of entertaining scripts--and they’re often free! The ready availability of online resources allows for easy editing and personalization of individual scripts. I simply copy the script to my word processing program, adapt the script to my students’ needs, and print it up! (Of course, most scripts available online are intended only for educational, not commercial, use.) We encourage you to try Readers’ Theater scripts with your students. Below you’ll find links to instructions and scripts that your students will enjoy.

Guides for Implementing Readers’ Theater

[|Readers' Theater Tips from Reading A-Z] This handy guide offers tips for using Readers' Theater scripts and staging your play.

[|Readers on Stage: Tips for Reader’s Theater by Aaron Shepard] You’ll find detailed guides for scripting, staging, and reading from this authority on Reader’s Theater. Even more information can be found on [|Aaron Shepard’s RT Page].

[|Teacher’s Guide to Readers’ Theatre] Excerpted from "[|Readers Theatre in Elementary Classroom]" and "[|Strategies for Reading: Readers Theatre in the Middle School]" by Lois Walker.

[|Internet Resources for Conducting Readers Theatre] This article from the International Reading Association’s [|Reading Online] contains a wealth of useful links to Readers Theater sites on the Internet. The author also gives an overview of Readers Theater and how it may enhance literacy learning. Internet sources for script writing, implementation and assessment are also provided.

[|Classroom Theater] Bruce Lansky describes Readers Theater and shows how performers and audiences will find this genre entertaining. [|Scripts] and [|lesson plans] are included.

[|The Readers Theatre with Sam Sebesta] Sam Sebesta, an educator who has advocated Readers Theater for decades, answers questions about how to use this powerful genre. He discusses getting started, the special needs of ESL students and shy students, and how to help players get into character.

[|Readers Theatre Strategies in the Middle and Junior High Classroom] Lois Walker

[|Introduction to Readers Theatre: A Guide to Classroom Performance] Gerald Lee Ratliff

[|Readers Theatre Digest] Aficionados of Readers’ Theatre will enjoy Bob Demers’ site in which ideas and scripts are exchanged.

Books With Readers’ Theater Scripts

[|Readers Theatre for Beginning Readers] and [|Fifty Fabulous Fables: Beginning Readers Theatre] Suzanne I. Barchers

[|Stories on Stage: Scripts for Reader’s Theater] Aaron Shepard

[|Readers Theatre for Young Adults: Scripts and Script Development] Kathy Howard Latrobe

[|Mel White’s Readers Theatre Anthology]

[|Fall Is Fabulous! Reader’s Theatre Scripts and Extended Activities] [|Super Science! Reader’s Theatre Scripts and Extended Activities] Lisa Blau

[|Tadpole Tales and Other Totally Terrific Treats for Readers Theatre] [|Frantic Frogs and Other Frankly Fractured Folktales for Readers Theatre] [|Silly Salamanders and Other Slightly Stupid Stuff for Readers Theatre] [|Science Fiction Readers Theatre] Anthony D. Fredericks

[|Social Studies Readers Theatre for Children: Scripts and Script Development] Mildred Knight Laughlin, Peggy Tubbs Black, Margery Kirby Loberg

Readers’ Theater Scripts Online

[|Reading A-Z Reader’s Theater Scripts] are adapted from the their own downloadable leveled books. These Reader’s Theater scripts offer an easy and dynamic way to practice reading in coordination with books bearing the same characters and plot. You can download one Free Readers' Theatre Script, in addition to more Reading A-Z samples by clicking [|here].

[|Readers Theatre Scripts from Lois Walker] Lois Walker is one of my favorite Readers’ Theater writers. The stories Walker presents are humorous and engaging, but I particularly enjoy the lyrical manner in which she writes them.

[|Readers Theater K-3] Scripts for students in grades K-3 are derived from poems, stories and chants. The scripts are engaging for primary students, but may be of little interest to older, remedial readers. This resource site is part of a general site on emergent literacy, called [|Early Literacy]. Primary teachers will want to bookmark this site! In addition to the numerous Readers Theater scripts in the site, you’ll find comprehensive research and resources for teachers of emergent readers.

[|Reader’s Theater Scripts and Plays] I’ve used some of these scripts with my struggling readers. Students love "Dinosaur Land" in which the herbivore and the carnivore argue over who is the best. The numerous Readers Theater writers with works on this page include Aaron Shepard, Rick Swallow, and Stephen Kohner.

[|Readers Theatre Scripts of the Month] Lisa Blau’s scripts are particularly visually attractive and inviting. Blau adds a new script to this site each month.

[|Readers Theater/Language Arts Home Page for Teachers] Rick Swallow presents a wide variety of lighthearted and entertaining scripts. My students loved them!

[|Zoom Playhouse] Okay, Zoom Playhouse uses props and is more like creative drama than Readers Theater, but children will still benefit from the entertaining scripts used for this PBS show.