I am thinking about starting a readers theatre group in my class. Have any of you tried this or ARE doing RT w/ your first graders? If so, any tips?
PS. I am wanting to start this with my very high/fluent readers; but will eventually pull in all of my students for the exposure to it.
Please consider having your lower group do it... it's much more important for them-- your high readers already are fluent and RT's #1 best attribute is that is focuses on multiple re-readings until the kids are fluent. I guess your higher kids might benefit from being able to listen to each other and read with expression, but my guess is that if they are very fluent, they are already reading with expression.
I do reader's theaters all year long, starting with The Foot Book at the beginning of the year. (I have rebus version of it) You can make up your own reader's theaters for your lower groups by retyping their favorite books or by splitting short poems into parts.
When we have RT time, different groups meet around the room and they read from a script that is on their level.
For your very lowest readers, send the RT home as reading homework to be read every night before they ever meet. If that's not an option, meet with them for a week prior to have them follow along with you as you read all the parts.
I've found for my low readers that multiple readings of text is the very best way to raise them up as readers. That is the time when they experience what our higher readers are constantly experiencing: smooth, EASY reading and success.
I've attached some for you... tried to also include some easy ones. Note: with the foot book, you'll have to cut each page in half vertically, then staple.
a small RT for our Christmas program this past year. I have very low second graders and they pulled it off very well. I had to write my own play, but I know there are several books out with plays already written in them.
I wouldn't just have the high group do it. This might be the one thing that will get your strugglers to enjoy reading. Pick names out of a hat and just give the better readers the longer parts.
I use Harcourt Trophies for my reading. In each theme I am able to find at least one story that lends itself to doing a Reader's Theater script. I rewrite whichever story has a lot of conversation in it. I write a script by doing the title, the characters in a list, and then the story. I add a narrator to tell some parts that can't be said by a character and that keeps the play moving along. The children use a cutout of their character which is laminated and put on a wooden stick. Harcourt has the pictures for every story. After they are done reading from the lamlinated script (they each get a copy), the group can change parts and do it again and again until the time is up for them to change to another station.It helps build fluency and the kids love it.
I let my groups of students work on RT during our workshop time. They really enjoy it. I agree though that you should do it with all groups of students. I don't think necessarily because your high ones are already fluent [I have very advanced readers that still struggle to read with expression and flow], but I do think RT is viewed as something special and it will do all your students good to feel like you have the confidence in them to be able to do this.
I just did a huge research paper for grad school on fluency and did a lot of research on readers' theatre. It's a great tool for building fluency, especially for low to mid level readers. I did one reader's theatre project with my top readers and they loved it, but I want to start doing it with mixed groups of readers. I will use book muncher's scripts and try it out with more groups of kids. I am attaching the script I used for The Paper Bag Princess
I am SO SO SO Happy!!!! I was just complaining that I want some NEW, FUN and EXCITING things to do for the rest of the year!!! My search is over. I will use a bunch of RT to help everyone!!!!! Can you tell how happy I am????
This thread has inspired me to do a RT with my intervention group as a treat because they have been working so hard. I think I will try the Paper Bag Princess as it lends itselg nicely to my group (1 girl). All I will have to do is add a second narrator and we will be ready to go. This is a natural lead into an author study, seeing I have a ton of Robert Munsch books. These kids are chomping at the bit to read and keep asking to borrow books, so this will be perfect.
I love coming here to PT because I get inspired so often!!! Teachers sharing with each other, how perfect is that???
I posted my original question at 6 am and by 10:22 am I had 10 responses! Wow! Any teacher not using this site are truly missing out! Thanks to you all for your awesome, inspiring, and fun ideas for RT. Thanks especially for the scripts! Lets keep the ideas rolling...
Randee
I would love to incorporate reader's theatre with my students. My question is, do most of you do this with the whole class, or with a small group of students? It seems like there are very few readers' theatre scripts with, say, enough parts for 20 children. How could you accommodate the whole class? I LOVE the scripts that have been posted so far!
I used Reader's Theatre during my Workstation Rotation Time. First, each group was given their scripts when they rotated to the Teaching Table (ie Guided Reading Table -- I sometimes do Guided Writing so we came up with a name that covered both concepts). That way I could account for different reading levels and sizes of group. Each group read their scripts with me, allowing me to correct their pronounciation of unfamiliar words and discuss the meaning of other words. Just like guided reading, we discussed the plot of the story and made connections. We also discussed reading with expression, pausing, etc.
For the next rotation, the students found their scripts in one of the stations they rotated to. They had a chance to practice on their own. Another day, we reviewed speaking with expression, etc and then everyone had another chance to practice at the same time.
Eventually, every group performed for the rest of the class and after some fine-tuning, they visited and performed for other classes. I do teach grade 5 this year but did something similar when I had grade 1/2. (I think I relied on parent volunteers more to make sure the students were on track.)
Hi Book Muncher,
I have heard a lot about RT but not quite sure how to begin. I took a look at the ones you posted and it seems like the children will have a lot of fun with them. Does everyone have the same play but done in small groups? Or do you group them by levels and give each group a different title and each person has a part in their small group? Do they stand up in front of the class and read it out loud to the class with props? Anything you could add would be a great help! Thanks
teachrchick's Message:
I would love to incorporate reader's theatre with my students. My question is, do most of you do this with the whole class, or with a small group of students? It seems like there are very few readers' theatre scripts with, say, enough parts for 20 children. How could you accommodate the whole class? I LOVE the scripts that have been posted so far!
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The Bad Case of Stripes script is for 18 and Cinderella Bigfoot is for 15 students. They may have some scripts for more students. I stumbled on this website during a search for a script that I could incorporate into my tutoring session. I'm sure you'll love it!
I usually don't have the kids work on one RT at a time due to level... usually reader's theater time in my classroom would look like:
groups around the room (diff. # in each group) sitting in circles and reading their parts. When they finish it, they start right over again. The very hardest thing I've found is getting everyone to follow along when they aren't speaking. Usually, though, the rest of the group holds them accountable.
I like for them to be in small groups, and I really like twos because of my learning objective: multiple re-readings for fluency. The goal would be to keep them actually reading for a large percentage of the time.
So if I ever do a full class reader's theater (sometimes we'll do this for a performance or a special occassion or something) then I double up a lot of kids on every part so that many people are reading. In that case, I might put together small groups that have one of everyone in them or we just practice whole group.
many of my students are below grade level so as part of Fluency First interventions each of my reading groups has a reader's theatre script each week along with their fluency homework.....performances will be held on as ready basis....they like to play their parts.....what rate,
accuracy and expression!
I love all the RT materials. Thanks Bookmuncher for the low level scripts. It inspires me to do some other things or rewrite some plays that I have. I just thought if any of you have the Plays from the Scotts Foresman first grade basal "Wishes" I know MR.FIG would make a great RT.
I was doing high stakes testing with a small group of 3rd graders. When the test was over and we had down time I pulled this RT and the third graders loved it. It just proved to me what I already knew that our students sometimes need to have fun things to read that still have purpose. At first the girls were doing it mainly then the boys wanted a share of the action. Thought I would share what I did since everyone has been so generous. This site gives a new meaning of true educators."Sharing"
I love that site! I just spent about an hour checking it all out! His writing ideas are great and the math papers will be helpful too! The readers' theatre is great too! Thanks a bunch!
03-17-2007, 07:00 AM
I was just complaining that I want some NEW, FUN and EXCITING things to do for the rest of the year!!! 
My search is over. 
I will use a bunch of RT to help everyone!!!!! Can you tell how happy I am????
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