1. Achieving Fluency in Reading
Using Speak Out! Readers’ Theater
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

2. Why is fluent reading desirable?
We asked the students …
“When your reading’s not fluent it’s
slow and hard work
full of mistakes
got no meaning
got no ‘spression!
boring
kind of jerky
shameful”
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

3. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater
What is fluent reading?
We consulted the experts …
Fluent reading is:
accurate
effortless (free of word identification problems)
appropriately phrased
well paced
smooth
expressive
well understood by both reader and listener
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

4. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater
Fluency is …
A reliable indicator of the development of reading skills
An indicator of present and future skills in reading
A strengthener of present and future skills in reading
A builder of confidence and motivation in reading
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

5. What Instructional Strategies Foster Fluency?
Explicit instruction (teaching phrasing, expression and attention to punctuation)
Modeling of fluent reading for students to emulate
Practice with a variety of different text types
High interest books that foster expressive reading
Texts at an appropriate level of difficulty
Repeated readings
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

6. What Other Instructional Strategies Foster Fluency?
Supported reading practice
Positive performance readings (with feedback)
Opportunities to respond orally and/or in writing to text
Opportunities for ongoing assessment and monitoring that is documented
Opportunities to develop an awareness of fluency and an ability to monitor it (meta-fluency)
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

7. Where will you find all these successful strategies and more?
Readers’ Theater
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

8. What is Readers’ Theater?
Reader’s Theater is repeated oral reading of scripts that are practiced and “performed” to an audience as a group reading presentation. Students rely on their voices, rather than on acting, costumes and props, for a successful presentation.
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

9. Research Evidence for Readers’ Theater
“…an authentic, entertaining and educationally powerful way to read and communicate meaning … Readers’ Theater yields improvements in … word recognition, fluency and comprehension.”
(Rasinski, Timothy V. (2003). The Fluent Reader: Oral Reading Strategies for Building Word Recognition, Fluency and Comprehension. New York: Scholastic)
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

10. Readers’ Theater Research Proven to Improve:
Reading fluency
Reading comprehension
Oral language
Vocabulary
Listening skills
Positive attitude
Cooperative group skills
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

11. What’s so special about Speak Out! Readers’ Theater?
High interest fiction and informational texts that students are motivated by and can learn from
Audio assistance for support, modeling and demonstration
Practical guidance and support for teachers
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

12. What else is special about Speak Out! Readers’ Theater?
A Fluency Assessment sheet for teacher, student and peer assessment
Demonstration scripts
Support for struggling readers and ELL students
Home-school links
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

13. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater
But wait there’s more …
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater fosters the reading-writing connection with an innovative Readers’ Theater dimension …
Writing: inspiration for young writers from award winning authors (including Joy Cowley) who guide students in how to write their own scripts for Readers’ Theater
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

14. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater
“While Readers’ Theater has a lot of power on its own, the power is greatly increased when kids prepare their own scripts – they are truly integrating reading, writing, and thinking skills.”
(Prescott, 2003 The Power of Reader’s Theatre: An Easy Way to Make Dramatic Changes in Kids’ Fluency, Writing, Listening and Social Skills” in the Scholastic Instructor,” 2003)
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

15. Students who will benefit from Speak Out! Readers’ Theater:
Speak Out! is for all students …
Students learning to read
Reading underachievers and reluctant readers
Language delayed students
Students with a variety of special needs
Poor comprehenders
Slow, non-fluent readers 
Students learning English
Gifted and Talented
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

16. Speak Out Reader’s Theater
Literacy for all students in small, mixed ability groups
Now I know you haven’t all come along to hear about a commercial programme
But bear with us as we explain what this audio-assisted reading programme is all about because even if you decide, at the end of the session, that this particular programme isn’t for you we’re hoping to convince you that there are lots of features you can incorporate into your reading programmes that will benefit the students you have concern for and there may even be some features that you listed for your Ideal Reading Programme. But not just any old books, any old audio support and activities and definitely not just any old procedure will do.
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

17. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

18. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater What, how, when and where?
Students work in mixed ability groups of up to six ; one group, several groups or the whole class; in or out of the classroom
They practice alone and together with audio support where needed
Flexible timetable (a week, a semester …)
20 – 30 minutes daily
They present to an audience
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

19. Procedure Students’ reading levels are established
Students practice at their instructional reading level …which is achievable but challenging
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

20. Procedure Scripts are allocated to group/s
Group is orientated to the script
Students practice reading all of the script with audio support as a group, in pairs, or alone
Group presents to audience (Presentation may be evaluated)
Parts are allocated Practice continues at school and/or at home
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

21. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater
Four sets :
Grade 2 (blue)
Grade 3 (yellow)
Grade 4 (turquoise)
Grade 5 (purple)
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

22. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater Scripts
are multi-leveled with parts in each script that are on, above and below grade level
Grade 2: Levels E – Q
Grade 3: Levels F – S
Grade 4: Levels K – W
Grade 5: Levels L – W
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

23. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater
Each box contains:
6 copies of different scripts (60 books)
CD with audio support for all 10 scripts
Teachers’ Guide
Sturdy Storage Box
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

24. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater Scripts
Written by a variety of authors including award winning authors Joy Cowley, Diana Noonan and Don Long
Comprise fiction, legends and non-fiction with curriculum links to Math, Science and Social Studies
Consist of 12 two-colour pages with 700 – 1200 words (similar amount of text for each character)
Include glossaries
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

25. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

26. Speak Out! Teacher Support
Practical Teachers’ Guides
Provide at each level:
An easy to follow classroom program
Research evidence for Readers’ Theater
Guidelines for supporting struggling readers and students learning English
FAQs
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

27. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater Activities
Optional, generic activities for consolidation,
enrichment and extension of skills learned
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

28. What Makes Speak Out! Readers’ Theater effective?
Explicit instruction during Orientation
CD provides support and modeling of fluent reading for students to emulate
Peer support and modeling
High interest scripts that foster expressive reading
Text at an appropriate level of difficulty
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

29. What else makes Speak Out! Readers’ Theater effective?
Repeated readings and the incentive to practice
Opportunities to respond orally and/or in writing to text with activities
Opportunities for ongoing assessment, feedback and monitoring that is documented
Opportunities to develop an awareness of fluency and an ability to monitor it (meta-fluency)
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

30. Speak Out! Readers’ Theater

31. Why is fluent reading desirable?
Leaving the last word to the students …
“When your reading is fluent it’s
got rhythm and flow
kind of like talking
got meaning
interesting
a lot cooler; that’s a cert!
fun ‘cause it’s easy
like getting your training wheels off”
Speak Out! Readers’ Theater