Readers Theater involves students who read out loud a play or a simple script in its simplistic form. This is usually without props, scenery, or furniture. Students can re-write scripts, poems, or write their own to perform. This type of theater develops confidence, vocabulary, grammar, vocal performance, and literacy.
Why Choose Readers Theater?
It is a fun and creative way of introducing literature, to young students. Studies show that when students are visceral and physical while learning reading, they retain more as a result.
How Does it Work?
Reader’s Theatre is relatively easy to set up in your classroom. Basically all your students, a good script, and some kind of name tags, props, or masks.
You can present your Readers Theatre in a number of ways. You can have your students with their name tags cards around their nets or maths over their faces even half-mask work really well.
Students practice or rehearse their scripts if they want to but they are not required to learn these off by heart. It is really about them exploring the language and literature to expand vocabulary and practice their vocal skills.
Students are able to perform and enjoy the experience and also learn how to perform while using rich language.
Ways in which you can get your students warmed up for performing is by using fun improvisation games. Check out my internal link to another post to find out how to use them with your students.
Where Would I Get My scripts
Reader’s Theatre scripts can be obtained in a number of ways, such as purchasing scripts from Teacher’s Pay Teachers’ store, or writing your own or adapting a popular School book or poem.
The students themselves can adapt a story and write their own scripts depending on their ages. Some teachers have had their students rehearse and rehearse with their scripts off the page, for more polished results. Teachers just want students to get in front of the class to express themselves using the language using script in hand.
Other really great ways to get scripts are by using ready made scripts that are tried and true and done with students in which teachers have bought and used all over the world. One Reader’s Theater set of scripts focus on Fun Fairytales and elements of the English language. It’s excellent for students getting to vocalize and express themselves and learn about the English Language at the same time. You can purchase a good set here from Amazon.
Or for older students, there is always learning about history and a great set with good reviews is here with this link.
How do I implement Reader’s theatre in my classroom?
As per the above paragraph, obtain a popular and well-loved picture book and then write a simple script. You can write a simple script by writing the character’s names on the left hand side of the page and writing thier lines. For example:
Little Piggy 1: Oh gosh, gee wiz, I am loving my new house build with sticks
My brothers are going to be so jelous.
Little Piggy 2: Wow, I really love your house little brother. But do you think
it will last in the wind?
Continue this with all the characters in the book until your script reads well out loud. Do you need to write word for word from the book absolutely no. You can chop and change to suit your style and all your students.
Ways to Perform Readers Theater
When having students perform. They can stand in front of their audience. And different characters can have their names on a piece of cardboard with a string attached to the top so that it hangs around their neck.
If you want to go simple, or you need to do is write on a large white sticker the character’s name, and place it on them.
Again you can use half masks where students have either coloured and cut out their mask and have inserted elastic on the sides so they can wear them. The only problem with full marks is that it’s difficult to hear what they are saying.
Students can be arranged in a semicircle or in a line and in front of the class once they performing the text. You can if you wish have the students black or move their performances, but then you are ebbing into performance or performing a play, which is fine if that’s where you want to head to.
Students can speak individually in turn, or they can speak in choral form. Choral form means students chant or speak the words out loud in two or more students. This can give it a great dynamic sound and reinforce specific parts of the plot.
(Incidentally, this stems from Ancient Greek performances too)
And if you go down the performance track, where performance is the only objective, students may be more interested in how they perform text rather than the enjoyment of the text itself. The basis for Readers Theater is to enjoy reading text and language aloud using performances as its platform.
What are some video examples of Readers Theater?
Here are some really good examples of Readers Theater with Children of different ages all over the world.
And in Elementary school examples;
Tips and Tricks with Readers Theater
Use smaller groups rather than the whole class for readers theatre, to begin with. You can have your whole class use readers theatre with different scripts and all the same script if you wish.
Adapting a popular children’s book make sure that you read the story to the children first so that they actually do love the script itself.
When you were beginning to write your script make sure that it’s short and easy to begin with so students have an easy way into using Readers Theater.
You can move into more complex Readers Theatre scripts when students feel more confident.
Check out some great books online on Reader’s theatre as well as the videos which show you some great examples of how aesthetics can be utilised in the classroom.
What sort of theme should I choose for Readers Theater?
The world is your oyster really. You can write a script on a current topic it such as COVID-19 and have children battle it and win.
You could also have ready theatre themes on particular topics such as global warming, climate change, rights for children, or even for fairy tales which are very popular.
Children of any age is from 5 to 13 or take really well to Readers Theatre, so choose a theme that is well suited to the age group. Older students such as tweens and teenagers also do well with coral reading and this also leads into Spoken Word genre which is also very popular.
Where can I perform Readers Theater?
Students can perform Readers Theatre in the classroom which is where most teachers prefer, especially when they are starting out. Other ideas are to perform in your performance hall, gym, a designated performance space outside. Basically whenever and wherever your Readers Theater performance can be produced, is where you choose. People do love creative and unconventional spaces. Could be an idea for an open evening of some kind.
Think about performing outside or an unusual location which could give the readers theatre the edge.
Where can I get some Readers Theatre props?
You can give props by searching the store teacherspayteachers.com or Etsy which have a great range of paper hats and cut-outs for readers theatre purposeful stop where you can make your own using card stock Pins in tape. The students can make their own if they which.
This particular set is from my own Teachers store ‘Fun Creatives’ and I have had feedback on my products which have been really great.
Students color and cut out and glue to fit on their heads with the extra paper band. Or they can use elastic for the sides to make into a mask.
Your local thrift or dollar store would be fine to obtain simple props. Or if you prefer more specific props head on over to Amazon which will likely have nearly everything you’ll need.
Or if you or your class wish to, make props at school from simple to more interesting materials and items. Check out this link for more information on my post props in the theater.
This could be a project-based type of interactive and wholistic Unit or simply as part of your literacy program.
Readers Theater is for the very young and the old. It is a genre which allows the language to come alive and off the page. Readers Theater allows students to express themselves using language skills, both written, and orally. Scripts are easily obtainable and easy to use with students. Simply done and performed. It’s a great way to get students enthused about literacy.
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