Some time ago, I posted a basic how-to (and why-to!) guide to Reader’s Theater. Few strategies have had a bigger positive impact on building engagement and community in my ELA classroom.
However, it’s important to remember that engagement and community are the first steps toward what we’re really after: comprehension. As ELA/Social Studies teachers, we are committed to helping young readers step into reading material and apply it to a broader context. In short, we want true interaction with the text, not simple compliance. We want to go beyond simply getting the assignment completed.
Engagement: Why it’s Crucial
Done correctly, reader’s theater is highly engaging.In fact, it might be my most successful teaching strategy ever.
If students don’t engage with reading material, they simply won’t learn from it. They won’t advance as readers or learners or critical thinkers. Engagement is everything.
Done correctly, reader’s theater is highly engaging.
I use it in carefully-selected small groups. I sometimes provide a quick (and painless) icebreaker activity or question to get them more comfortable with each other. Something as simple as a quick brainteaser or: “Your first task is to figure out who had the least nutritious breakfast this morning” or “Who in your group woke up the earliest this morning?” can really get them talking.
Self-Selection: How each student gets what they need
After some kind of an opening question or easy group task, students are then directed to scan the reader’s theater script and select which parts they want. Students will select based on their confidence level and this almost always leads to the stronger students doing the heavy lifting. This provides practice for our most able readers–especially if I, the teacher, have selected an above-grade level text. Also, students who struggle will have the additional support of listening to someone else read aloud the words while they follow along.
Important teaching tip: I make it a requirement that students follow along with the script. They aren’t allowed to wait until it’s their turn to read to pay attention.
Comprehension in the Moment: Discussion
I find that students become comfortable enough with each other that they will ask questions about the material as they go. If I find this isn’t happening, I will embed comprehension or discussion questions in the text to answer as they go.
Huge Bonus: The Untangling of Dialogue
Sometimes, we assume that when students read fiction, they can identify which character is saying which line of dialogue. Since lines of dialogue don’t always have dialogue tags, especially when the interaction is between just two characters, this isn’t always the case. Also, some literary texts weave interior dialogue with spoken dialogue, and it can be difficult for a reader to understand what a character is thinking versus what they are saying out loud. For example, in the final chapters of Fahrenheit 451, Montag’s thoughts and what he is saying to Faber are tough to differentiate. So, I create a Reader’s Theater Script that untangles this for them. If I then have them go back to the original text for focused analysis, students begin to learn this skill for themselves.
Frankenstein: “It’s Alive!”
The first time, I “taught” Frankenstein, I failed. I mean, really. Totally. I wouldn’t even call it teaching. Students struggled and struggled. And struggled. They hated it.
A few years later, I tried again. I knew I loved this novel–how could I invite students in? Especially considering how incredibly antiquated the language was.
The answer was reader’s theater. I created my own scripts and students begged for more. They asked permission to go into the hallway and create videos of their performances. Some later told me Frankenstein was their new favorite novel.
What’s even better: reading Frankenstein in their reader’s theater groups featured among their best memories of middle school.
Inspire! Middle Grades ELA and Social Studies 