1. Xing Ya Elementary School Anna Cheng
Reader Theater
Xing Ya Elementary School
Anna Cheng

2. What’s “Reader Theater”?
Dramatic reading / reading aloud with feelings
No memorization
Costume optional
Like radio drama,
but performs in
front of an audience

3. Why “Reader Theater”?
“In Reader's Theater, students "perform" by reading scripts created from grade-level books or stories -- generally without benefit of costumes and props. The goal is to enhance reading skill and confidence through practice with a purpose. Reader's Theater gives students a real reason to read aloud.”
-- Education World

4. How RT Relates to English Teaching?
A way to practice and monitor listening, speaking, and reading skills
Listen and read while waiting to speak his own lines
Practice fluency with a purpose
Little preparation needed

5. Importance of Fluency Fluency: Fluency is important because it is…
ability to read at a good pace, without errors and with expression
Fluency is important because it is…
a bridge between word recognition and comprehension
indicator of possibility of problem
in reading comprehension

6. How to Improve Fluency? Input, input, input! Fluency ≠ Speed reading
Make use of CDs, DVDs…
Fluency ≠ Speed reading
Narrator v.s. character
Variation in tone

7. Input Material Chants or songs Stories Jazz Chants Small Talk
Holiday Jazz Chants
Stories

8. Example: The Little Red Hen

9. Chorus For the shy ones, the beginners Chorus Lines: Power in number
Repetition = practice
Chorus Lines:
Simplified lines or repetition
Rhymes / Chants

10. Ex: Three Little Pigs Tune: It’s So Easy
It’s so easy to build a house. (x2)
It seems so easy, so easy, so yeah~
So dog-gone easy, so easy, so wo~
When you try real hard, you can make it.
It’s so easy to blow a house down…

11. Preparation Select a script Make copies
Number of characters, difficulty…
Make copies
Wide margin
Big font size
Add blank lines,
page number…

12. During Practice Smooth flow Line up Step forward / back to front
Basic formation: Straight line,
semi-circle
Step forward / back to front
Notation:
Ex:
Assign Roles

13. Script Source From songs / chants From picture books
Five Little Monkeys
How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?
Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer
From picture books

14. The Lion and the Mouse

15. The Hare and the Tortoise

16. Green Eggs and Ham Resource, resource, here and there… animation
storytelling
musical
variation RT

17. Click, Clack, Moo Resource, resource, everywhere! animation
storytelling
musical
Home video RT

18. There was an Old Lady…
animation
storytelling RT
School performance