Practicing reader’s theater scripts is a fun way to build reading fluency, comprehension, and engagement! When the scripts play out classic stories this practice becomes interdisciplinary combining reading fluency, vocabulary, literature, public speaking, and holiday fun.

I love using these activities before the holidays and before summer break. The kids are ready to change up the routine. They enjoy working in groups and being creative! It’s fun & incorporates many of our educational standards.

Why Use Reader’s Theater?

Reader’s theater allows my students to use their vivid imaginations and hone their presentation skills. It is also a great tool to teach standards from each of the English language arts domains: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. A few of the Common Core State Standards that apply to reader’s theater are listed at the end of this post.

In my classroom, using reader’s theater has:

• increased student engagement!
• strengthened reading fluency!
• provided them with a purpose for reading.
• increased student confidence.
• helped students work collaboratively.

How to Get Started Using Reader’s Theater

Reader’s theater scripts can be found in many places, but my favorite scripts to use in my classroom include:

6 Teaching Tips for Incorporating Reader’s Theater

1.  I like to choose four different plays that require between four to six actors each or a play like “Scrooge” that has 16 characters and a chorus that allows every student to participate.

2.  I begin by familiarizing the class with the characters & unknown vocabulary, and assigning parts.

3. I give a copy of the chosen script to each member of the group. To build fluency speed, have students pre-read their scripts silently several times. (To build fluency with improved expression, begin to practice out loud.)

4. Then, have students get in their groups, then read the script all the way through independently.

5. Next, students highlight their lines, and practice with their group members. I remind students to read the words as if they are talking. I tell them to use punctuation and context clues to help guide their intonation as they read. As they practice, they become more fluent with the words. Struggling readers begin to gain the confidence as they repeat their lines with more expression.

6. Finally, each group introduces their play and puts on their character name tags. Reader’s theater can be made into a costumed, staged performance or kept simple with students sitting on chairs in front of the class. Do what works best for your schedule!

Common Core State Standards Met Using Reader’s Theater

MI.CC.RL.3.		Reading Standards for Literature
		Key Ideas and Details
RL.3.1.		Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RL.3.10.		By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
MI.CC.RF.3.		Reading Standards: Foundational Skills
RF.3.4.		Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
RF.3.4(a)		Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
RF.3.4(c)		Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
MI.CC.W.3.		Writing Standards
		Text Types and Purposes
W.3.3.		Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
W.3.3(a)		Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
W.3.3(b)		Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.
MI.CC.SL.3.		Speaking and Listening Standards
		Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.3.1.		Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.3.1(a)		Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
SL.3.1(b)		Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
SL.3.1(c)		Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others.
SL.3.1(d)		Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.
SL.3.2.		Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
		Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.3.4.		Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
MI.CC.L.3.		Language Standards
		Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.3.4.		Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L.3.4(a)		Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
L.3.5.		Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
L.3.5(a)		Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).
L.3.5(b)		Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful).
L.3.6.		Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them).