1. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
BLAST School Outreach
Lights, Camera, Action! Reader’s Theater for
School-Aged Children
Laura Bandura and Bonny Yeager

2. What Is Reader’s Theater?
Activity in which students, while reading directly from scripts, are able to tell a story in an entertaining way without props, costumes, or sets
Reading activity in which students are NOT asked to memorize their lines
Students are encouraged to "ham it up" and use intonation and gestures appropriate to their characters
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

3. Importance of Reader’s Theater
It provides repeated reading practice--an important factor in building FLUENCY!
Repeated reading practice also improves students' confidence and enthusiasm for reading
It is an enjoyable change of pace from everyday reading practice sessions in school
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

4. Importance of Reader’s Theater
It is a wonderful opportunity for children who have not experienced success in the classroom to provide their peers with entertainment and expertise
Words and phrases which might be beyond a reader's demonstrated reading level can, through repetition, be more easily assimilated into a working vocabulary
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

5. Reader’s Theater- A “Dramatic Success”
“A 1999 study in The Reading Teacher by Strecker, Roser, and Martinez… showed that 2nd graders who did Readers Theater on a regular basis made, on average, more than a year's growth in reading.”
-Jennifer O. Prescott, Scholastic Instructor
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

6. Who is Reader’s Theater For?
Everyone!
Most Reader’s Theater scripts can be adapted to fit the reading level of children of all ages and reading abilities
Preschool students can participate in Reader’s Theater by acting out the parts read by the teacher or by participating in repeated text.
English Language Learners
Stories are made immediately accessible by providing a visual context for the words that are read.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

7. Reader’s Theater for Non-Readers
Explain student responsibilities and what reader’s theater entails
Model story by doing an interactive read aloud first
Talk with students about how successful readers look at the text and the illustrations to understand what is going on in the story
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

8. Reader’s Theater for Non-Readers
Example: Whole Group Reader’s Theater
Yo! Yes? By Chris Raschka
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

9. Reader’s Theater For Readers
Explain student responsibilities
Model story by doing an interactive read aloud first
Highlight each part in the script to help students stay on track
Talk with students about how successful readers read with expression
Give students time to look over the scripts and ask about words they may not know
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

10. Example: Scripted Reader’s Theater
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
by Jon Scieszka
Found on
CHARACTERS: (9)
Narrator 1 Narrator 2 Narrator 3
Narrator 4 Narrator 5 Narrator 6
Pig 2 Pig 3 Wolf
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

11. Strategies for Success
Questioning:
“How do you think a snake would sound?”
“How might your character be feeling when he or she says…”
“What do we need to do with our voices when we see an exclamation point, a question mark…”
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

12. Strategies for Success
Repetition:
Present the same Reader’s Theater several times in a week/two weeks, each time changing something up a bit
When a child has the opportunity to read a book/story several times that they begin to feel comfortable with that book/story
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

13. Strategies for Success
Creative Expression:
Focus on the book’s illustrations during the read-aloud, matching intonation with character depiction
Have the students make puppets, use props, create scenery, etc. This will not only help them to understand their characters, but will also help to build interest
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

14. Strategies for Success
Signage:
Using signs to represent parts is an easy way to keep readers on task and focused on what part they are to read.
Helps the teacher see who is playing what role in order to provide assistance with difficult text or to keep students on task.
Helps the other students see who is playing what role in order to visually understand the script.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

15. Where Can I Find Quality Scripts…
Resource books
Websites
Authors’ Websites
Yourself!
* See handout for lists of recommended books and websites
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

16. Adapting Books into Scripts: Fiction/Picture Books
Books or folktales are best suited for adaptation when they:
are rich in dialogue / lively narration
have well-defined, exciting characters
have compelling storylines (action, humor, etc)
are tales that "flow" along at a steady pace, action and conflict
enough parts for groups of kids
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

17. Adapting Books into Scripts: Fiction/Picture Books
The Very Ugly Bug by Liz Pichon
Adapted by Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach
Characters:
Narrator 1 Green Bug
Narrator 2 Ugly Bug
Narrator 3 Mr. Ugly Bug
Red Bug Bird
Blue Bug
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

18. Adapting Books into Scripts: Fiction/Picture Books
Stone Soup
Teach cross-cultural concepts through folktales
Compare and contrast different versions of the tale
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

19. Adapting Books into Scripts: Nonfiction Books
Provides good material, especially those about historical figures
With a little imagination, students can even transform a science book into a play by personifying animals and natural objects
There is a lot of excitement with bringing their natural world to life in the classroom
Can have students adapt shorter selections into their own Reader’s Theater scripts
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

20. Using Poetry in Reader’s Theater
Very similar to adapting fiction/picture books for reader’s theater
Poems are ideally suited for Reader’s Theater when they have:
Beautiful, flowing and fun language
Use of imagery, alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme
Conversational parts that can be easily adapted to dialogue
Humor!
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

21. Using Poetry in Reader’s Theater
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman
Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes
Eric Carle’s Animals Animals
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

22. Breakout: Adapting Scripts
Using the materials provided to you, think about how you can use the book to create a fun, engaging Reader’s Theater script.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

23. Incorporating Reader’s Theater
Complement the School Curriculum
Example:
The Perfect Pet by Margie Palatini
“Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog” by Judith Viorst
“Pets: True or False?”
Turn into a Reader’s Theater Game Show
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

24. Incorporating Reader’s Theater
“Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog” by Judith Viorst
Poem for 6 Readers, adapted by Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach
Reader 1: Mother doesn’t want a dog.
Reader 2: Mother says they smell,
Reader 3: And never sit when you say sit
Readers 1,2,3: Or even when you yell.
Reader 4: And when you come home late at night,
Reader 5: And there is ice and snow,
Reader 6: You have to go back out because
Readers 4,5,6: The dumb dog has to go.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

25. “Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog”
Reader 1: Mother doesn’t want a dog.
Reader 2: Mother says they shed,
Reader 3: And always let the strangers in
Readers 1,2,3: And bark at friends instead.
Reader 4: And do disgraceful things on rugs,
Reader 5: And track mud on the floor,
Reader 6: And flop upon your bed at night
Readers 4,5,6: And snore their doggy snore.
Readers 1 & 2: Mother doesn’t want a dog.
Readers 3 & 4: She’s making a mistake.
Readers 5 & 6: Because, more than a dog, I think
All Readers: She will not want this snake.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

26. Incorporating Reader’s Theater
Enhance Thematic Programs or Storytimes
Example: Australia Thematic Program
Wombat Goes Walkabout by Michael Morpurgo
Big Rain Coming by Katrina Germein
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

27. Incorporating Reader’s Theater
Independent Activity
Keep copies of Reader’s Theater Scripts available to children
Provide blank script pages for students to write or adapt their own scripts
Encourage children to work together to create scripts or props, then plan a performance night and invite parents and community members
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

28. That’s a Wrap!
Reader’s Theater is an excellent tool to improve upon students’ fluency and expression while reading.
Above all, they will have fun with books!
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

29. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach
References
Cecil, N.L. (2003). Best practices for early literacy. Scottsdale: Holcomb Hathaway, Publishers, Inc.
Prescott, J.O. (2003). The power of Reader’s Theater. Scholastic Instructor. Retrieved April 24, 2007 from
Lobrom A. & Selman, R. (2007). The interdependence of social awareness and literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 60(6),
Livingston, N., Kurkjian, C., Young, T., & Pringle, L. (2004). Nonfiction as literature: An untapped goldmine. The Reading Teacher, 57(6),
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach