Using Reader's Theater in the Classroom

Reader’s Theater is a learning tool teachers can use to help students interact with literature and practice relevant skills. By using Reader’s Theater scripts, students can act out scenes found in literature books without memorization. Students of all ages can perform informally in front of their classmates and make the stories they are reading in class come alive.

There are many benefits to using Reader’s Theater as an instructional strategy, including the fact that students can improve both their reading fluency and comprehension skills. It is a flexible tool, and can be used for a variety of purposes, such as a supplemental reading activity, an assessment, a skills-based lesson, or a content-driven assignment. The following are ways in which I have utilized Reader’s Theater in my sixth grade classroom.

An Introductory Lesson

Throughout the school year I try to introduce my students to as many different forms of literature as possible. Reader’s Theater is the type of learning tool that engages students from the moment I hand out the scripts. Students are required to participate in some capacity, and many are eager to jump in.

When I begin my annual poetry unit, I like to start with narrative poems. After defining narrative poetry and sharing examples, I have students read and perform the Reader’s Theater version of “Casey at the Bat.” Students read the script silently, and then we perform it as a class. Reluctant readers often enjoy being the fans, which allows them to speak their lines as a group. After the performance, I have students list one attribute of a narrative poem with an example from the Reader’s Theater play as a “ticket out of class.”  

A Fun Review

I also use Reader’s Theater as a way to review story elements. I do this by dividing the class into two or three groups, depending upon the plays chosen. Sometimes I choose themes and/or genres to allow for continuity in the follow-up journal responses. After the class has been divided, I hand each student a copy of the script their group is to perform. First, students read the entire play independently. Then, students choose roles and begin practicing with their groups. Once students have had time to practice, each group presents their play to the class. We do not use props (though many other teachers do so successfully), and students read aloud from their scripts. As a review, the audience identifies various story elements after the Reader’s Theater performance. Students enjoy this review, and as a follow-up, I have students complete a journal response relating to the different elements identified.

An Informal Assessment

In addition to introductions and reviews, another way in which I regularly use Reader’s Theater is as an informal assessment tool. It is a quick and enjoyable way to monitor students' progress in reading fluency and comprehension. For my kinesthetic learners, a Reader’s Theater play gives me a more accurate way to assess how well they comprehend various plot events since they get to physically act out the events; it also helps those students to produce better summaries and literature responses. When assessing comprehension skills, I find that allowing students to become a part of the story through a presentation of Reader’s Theater is effective in observing their development of comprehension of the story itself. Many times, it is during the practice or performance that students ask questions to help clear up any confusion they have about a story or poem. As always, students have time to read through and practice their scripts before they perform. During the performance, I can assess students’ fluency and intonation as they read. When I assess an entire class, I have students perform their parts during guided reading groups, which allows each individual to participate in a more relaxed environment. I have found that students with “stage fright” are more fluent in a smaller group.

Reader’s Theaters in Writing

Although there are numerous resources available to find stories written in the Reader’s Theater format, I also like to have students write their own. We use a Reader's Theatre script that we've previously used as a model. They can write the script in a small group or with a partner. As a culminating activity to a folk tale and fable lesson, I have students choose one to rewrite as a Reader’s Theater. I provide students with blank scripts, and when they finish their final copies, they present their plays. Students have been very successful with this assignment and are eager to perform their work.

In summary, using Reader’s Theater in the classroom can serve various objectives, from introducing a new unit of study to assessing understanding. It allows students to engage in literature through critical thinking and physical interaction. From reading and performing to writing, its uses are defined by the teacher and the students.

More Lesson Ideas:

Fluency Instruction: Reader’s Theater

This lesson focuses on practicing fluency skills. Students read and perform Reader’s Theater scripts that focus on a variety of sound decoding and voice inflections. This is a great example of how to use Reader's Theater to teach specific skills.

Reader’s Theater: Presenting Historical Facts through Theater

Reader's Theatre extends across the curriculum to social studies in this lesson. Students learn about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights by performing a Reader’s Theater. 

Reader’s Theater: Asian Folktales

Students learn how to transform Asian folktales into Reader’s Theater scripts and then perform their work for the class. The inspiration for this lesson comes from Aaron Shepard, a writer of Reader's Theater scripts.

Civil War Reader’s Theater

This lesson includes both an elementary and middle school version of a play. Through reading and performing this script, students learn about the Civil War and answer questions to assess their comprehension. Teachers can modify this lesson for use with other historical topics.