Reading Online - Electronic Classroom: Internet Resources for Conducting Readers Theatre

Internet Resources for Conducting Readers Theatre

The Internet can be a valuable source of information for teachers who use or plan to use Readers Theatre in their classrooms. This article provides a brief description of Readers Theatre and its many benefits for literacy learning, and goes on to describe Internet sources for scripts and for information on implementation, additional classroom applications, and assessment. The article concludes with an annotated list of useful Web sites for Readers Theatre.

About Readers Theatre

Readers Theatre introduces the element of drama into literacy learning and magically transforms the classroom into a stage. During Readers Theatre time, the reader is at center stage, totally absorbed in reading. The reader is a star.

Readers Theatre is a highly motivational strategy that connects oral reading, literature, and drama in the classroom. Unlike traditional theater, Readers Theatre does not require costumes, make-up, props, stage sets, or memorization. Only a script is needed, from which students read aloud. Using only their voices, facial expressions, and bodies, they interpret the emotions, beliefs, attitudes, and motives of the characters. A narrator conveys the story’s setting and action and provides the commentary necessary for transition between scenes.

The element of drama enables students to realize that reading is an activity that permits experimentation -- they can try reading words in different ways to produce different meanings. Using volume, pitch, stress, and intonation, readers delve into the Readers Theatre text, making printed words come alive and giving their characters life. As they practice their roles, readers are also given the opportunity to reflect on the text and to evaluate and revise how they interact with it (Carrick, 2000).

Educators have long elaborated on the benefits of using Readers Theatre and related strategies for increasing reading fluency and sight-word vocabulary, improving reading comprehension, providing opportunities to interpret dialogue and communicate meaning, and increasing awareness and appreciation of plays as a form of literature. For example, Harris and Sipay (1990) describe script reading as one of the most interesting oral reading activities for children, and Coody (1992) notes that script reading provides a context for purposeful reading. Through this interactive activity the students are energized, actively involved in responding to and interpreting literature (Sebesta, 1997). Readers Theatre reinforces the social nature of reading (Busching, 1981) and provides an opportunity for students of varying abilities to work as a team in a cooperative learning environment (Flood, Lapp, Flood, & Nagel, 1992; Trousdale & Harris, 1993). Because implementation includes many readings of the script, Readers Theatre promotes oral reading fluency (Carrick, 2000; Millin, 1996) and enhances students’ ability to understand and transform text (Stayter & Allington, 1991).

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Finding and Selecting Scripts

Readers Theatre scripts can be purchased through publishers, book vendors, or script services. However, many scripts suitable for a variety of grade and reading levels and representing a range of genres and content matter are available at sites on the World Wide Web. These scripts are free and can be easily downloaded, printed, and duplicated for classroom use.

Selecting a good script is important for a successful Readers Theatre experience. Scripts must be of high quality, interesting, and appropriate to the age, grade, and readability levels of the students who will be engaged in the dramatic activity. They should offer a rich vocabulary, use proper grammar, and be presented in a font and format that is easily read. In particular, the script should contain lively dialogue. The narrator’s role is also important, in that it describes the action of the characters, establishes the setting, and paints the picture by providing necessary background.

Many scripts meeting these criteria of quality are available on the Internet. (As with all materials, however, teachers should read potentially useful scripts thoroughly before distributing them to their students.) For example, Readers Theatre K-3 at the Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) Catholic Schools Web site offers many short scripts for readers aged approximately 5 to 8 years, including “Fire! Fire!” by Bill Martin Jr and “Little Black Bug” by Margaret Wise Brown. Also available on the Internet for this age group are scripts for A Duck So Small by A.H. Benjamin (at the site of Colonel Walker Elementary School in Calgary, Alberta) and Which Shoes Do You Choose? by Aaron Shepard (at his comprehensive Readers Theatre site).

The Internet also offers many scripts for middle and upper elementary students. At the teachers.net “Lesson Bank,” a script for Jane Yolen’s Owl Moon is available. The Princess and the Pea (from Classroom Connections International) and The Hidden One (from Aaron Shepard) are also suitable for this age group. Scripts for middle school students include Aaron Shepard’s adaptation of Mark Twain’s The War Prayer and Rick Swallow’s version of Jon Scieszka’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, while high school students will enjoy Great Expectations from Kate Rickman of the University of California’s Dickens Project and Romeo and Juliet from California high school teacher Hilary Ford.

Readers Theatre is also a suitable activity for theme units. To enhance a study of poetry, for example, elementary school students might enjoy preparing Readers Theatre presentations of a version of Shel Silverstein’s “Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too,” available from the site of Joseph Lee Elementary School of Boston, Massachusetts, and Aaron Shepard’s version of Ernest Lawrence Thayer’s “Casey at the Bat.” Mr. Popper’s Penguins (part of an online unit housed on the South Dakota “K-12 Teacher Server”) and Helen Lester’s Tacky the Penguin from teachers.net are two scripts that would complement a thematic unit on penguins. Scripts for a unit on fables include “The City Mouse and the Country Mouse,” “The Lion and the Mouse,” and “Belling the Cat,” all available from education consultant and author Lisa Blau’s archive of Readers Theatre scripts, while a unit on multicultural folktales could include the Indonesian story Cicak and Kancil (available from Curriculum Corporation), The Calabash Kids: A Tale of Tanzania (Aaron Shepard), and the American tale Polly Ann and John Henry (Storycart Press).

Creating a script is another exciting option in Readers Theatre. Finding the right source for inspiration is important. Quality children’s literature with spirited dialogue is a good choice; however, poetry or nonfiction texts can also be used (see, for example, a script based on Gail Gibbons’ Whales at the teachers.net site). Aaron Shepard’s Tips on Scripting provides information on how to create scripts from books, magazines, and poetry. Teachers of early elementary students may find Michael Grote’s (a professor of education at Ohio Wesleyan University) guidelines for creating a script from a book helpful. Christmas Is More Than Presents at the Classroom Connections International site is an example of an original Readers Theatre script written by children.

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Procedures for Implementation

A Readers Theatre project can last several days, with the exact number varying with the length of the script and the amount of daily class time allotted for reading. On average time spent on one script in the primary grades is generally 5 to 10 days. Following is a day-by-day outline of how a 5-day project with a short script might progress:

Day 1

Distribute a copy of the script to each student.
Read the title of the script and its author together with the students.
Encourage students to make predictions about the story, characters, etc.
Read the script aloud to the students as they follow along.
Ask for feedback: How did you like the story? Did this story remind you of another story? What about our predictions?
With student input, generate a list of vocabulary words from the script. Write the words on the board or on large sheets of paper, and keep the list posted for the duration of the project. Refer to the list daily, focusing on the words’ pronunciation and meaning.

Day 2

Divide the class into pairs. Assign a number of pages to be read -- longer scripts can be divided into several parts -- and a time limit for paired reading. Students should take turns reading every other entry in the script; this ensures that they will all have the same amount of material to read. Pairs can reread the pages again if they finish before the end of the assigned reading time.
While the students are reading the script, circulate among them to offer assistance in the correct pronunciation of words, reading with feeling and emotion, and reading at an appropriate rate and volume.
Close the session by doing a group read-around of the script or by assigning roles and having students perform a segment of the script.

Days 3 and 4

Continue the paired reading and circulating and modeling, until the entire script has been read by all students.
Once the students become familiar with the script, they can begin working in groups of three or four, with each group member reading an assigned role or roles.

Day 5

Option 1: Assign parts and let the students perform informally for their class or for other classes. A reader can read more than one part, especially if there are several smaller parts. Everyone should be given an equal opportunity to read as much of the text as possible, or students with smaller parts may see themselves as poorer readers or may lose interest or enthusiasm.
Option 2: On certain occasions, the students can engage in giving a major performance. This can be done by assigning roles, transforming the classroom into a theater, and inviting other classes or parents to a special presentation. Such a production may feature two or three groups, with each group reading a different script.

The Internet offers additional resources and ideas for implementing Readers Theatre. For example, Saskatchewan (Canada) Education suggests procedures for using Readers Theatre at the elementary level. Aaron Shepard offers Tips on Reading, and Lois and Herb Walker’s Scripts for Schools provides Teacher Tips for primary, intermediate, and teen and adult readers (use the drop-down menu and scroll to “Free Teacher Aids”).

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Additional Classroom Applications

Readers Theatre scripts can be used to teach a variety of concepts and skills -- and here again, the Internet offers a great deal of support. For example, FictionTeachers.com provides several lesson plans and scripts adapted from Bruce Lansky’s Girls to the Rescue and Newfangled Fairy Tales series, suitable for elementary and middle school students. A Student CyberGuide from the Nashville (Tennessee) Schools Web site to accompany study of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath outlines how secondary school students can present their research in Readers Theatre format.

One script at the Aaron Shepard site, The Hidden One, a Native American Cinderella tale, supplies a wealth of content that can be used to teach concepts or reading skills required at about the third-grade level. Activities that could accompany this script include the following:

Compare and contrast this story to Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters or the traditional Cinderella story, using a Venn diagram.

Complete a character map of one of the leading characters in the story, perhaps using one of the graphic organizer forms found at the Oak Park (Illinois) district Web site.

Choose a character in the story. Determine the character traits and the events related to that character, and map them using the form from a Connecticut teacher’s writing project Web site.

Complete a story map from the same Connecticut teacher’s site.

List four examples of cause and effect.

Sequence the important parts of the story or complete the series of events chain, perhaps using the forms from the Connecticut teacher.

Using your script, complete the synonym and antonym chart:

Word	Synonym	Antonym
invisible	hidden	visible
younger		older
smiled		frowned
narrow		wide
vanish	disappear
hidden		discovered
near		far

The already-mentioned Which Shoes Do You Choose? is a lively script suitable for students in the primary grades. It tells the story of Katie, who goes to the store to buy new shoes. The shoe clerks use very descriptive language when they explain the types of shoes they have in stock. This script is ideal for teaching adjectives or descriptive words. Examples of activities include

Identify an adjective, descriptive word, or phrase and use your voice or body to act out the meaning of the word (such as “super-speed jet shoes,” “hop-like-a-frog shoes,” or “snail shoes”).

Write an original verse using the pattern in the script. Illustrate your verse. Compile the verses and illustration into a class book.

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Assessment

According to Dixon, Davies, and Politano (1996), “Readers theatre is enhanced by evaluation that supports student learning” (p. 97). Evaluation may measure aspects of fluency, such as volume, rate, tempo, and intonation during a presentation, or it may focus on how students work together as a group. Evaluation could also measure skills or concepts that were features of the script, such as characterization and story elements. Evaluation can be self-directed, with the students making observations and reflecting on what they learned and on what they need to improve. It can also include an audio- or videotape of the Readers Theatre activities or the final performance. These tapes can be placed in students’ portfolios.

Saskatchewan Education offers a sample assessment for oral interpretation -- a basic rating form that can be used for evaluating various elements of oral reading, including pronunciation, rate, volume, enunciation, pitch, word grouping, and intonation. This form can be used at all grade levels and with students of various reading abilities. A sample assessment for Readers Theatre provides an assessment that can be used with middle school and high school students. This tool evaluates a student’s attitude, use of voice and body, and development of the assigned character. Both assessments are found at the site’s “Speaking” page and can be reached by scrolling.

A specific assessment rubric for presenting Readers Theatre, available from Pearson Education Canada, is suitable for middle school and high school students. This rubric assesses knowledge and understanding of the elements of Readers Theatre, with a focus on thinking and inquiry, communication, and application.

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Conclusion

Energize your classroom! Excite even the most reluctant readers! Raise the curtain! Let Readers Theatre begin!

The Internet allows teachers to acquire the materials needed for implementing Readers Theatre economically, conveniently, and quickly. A recent Google search revealed almost 5000 Web sites that provide scripts, lesson plans, ideas, or useful information relating to using Readers Theatre in the classroom. A few of my favorites are listed below.

Aaron Shepard’s RT Page is the foremost site for Readers Theatre information and resources. Aaron’s Readers Theatre Editions provides 27 free scripts. Each begins with a notation on genre, culture of origin, theme, and suggested reading level. The site also provides tips on scripting, staging, reading, and performing.

At Scripts for Schools , Herb and Lois Walker provide several free scripts as well as Teacher Tips for teachers working with early primary through adult readers. Use the drop-down menu and select “Free Teacher Aids.”

At his Readers Theatre/Language Arts for Teachers Home Page,veteran sixth-grade teacher Rick Swallow offers more than 30 scripts, including ones for Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, and Jon Scieszka’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. Editing some of the scripts may make them easier to read for young children.
A large collection of short scripts suitable for kindergarten to Grade 3, a truly valuable resource, is available at the Web site of the Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) Catholic Schools.
A Readers Theatre slide presentation from the Washington County (Maryland) school district guides participants through the process of selecting, practicing, and performing poetry, with a focus on the last element. The presentation is suitable for upper middle school and high school students. Information regarding volume, rate, pitch, enunciation, and articulation as well as a description of Readers Theatre are also provided.
A project of Australia’s Department of Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, Dramatic Storytelling in the English Classroom by Dianne Pizarro and Ruth Buchanan offers simple, concise, concrete suggestions on adapting material for Readers Theatre as well as implementing ReadersTheatre in the classroom.
Storycart Press offers several free scripts plus a fee-based script subscription service.
Readers Theatre Scripts of the Month are available from consultant and author Lisa Blau. New scripts are posted each month, and previous month’s scripts are available in an extensive archive.
A Readers Theatre adaptation of The Hat by Jan Brett and student examples of extension activities are available at New Jersey teacher Susan Silverman’s extensive Web site.
ProTeacher! offers links to many Readers Theatre sites.
Scripts from short plays performed on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) children’s television series ZOOM are available at the Zoom Playhouse.
Sam Sebesta answers questions from readers and provides information about using Readers Theatre in the “Specialists Speak” area of the Teacher Vision Web site. Questions and answers change weekly.
At the Stewart Resources Centre site of the Saskatchewan Federation of Teachers, Making Connections with Readers Theatre by Ina Holmen and Marg Mayotte offers many ideas for the classroom.
At Washington State teacher Colleen Gallagher’s Teaching Is a Work of Heart site, visitors will find numerous scripts and other resources on the Reader’s Theater Scripts and Plays page.

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References

Busching, B.A. (1981). Readers Theatre: An education for language and life. Language Arts, 58, 330-338.
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Carrick, L.U. (2000). The effects of Readers Theatre on fluency and comprehension in fifth grade students in regular classrooms. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Lehigh University. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
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Coody, B. (1992). Using literature with young children (4th ed.). Debuque, IA: William C. Brown.
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Dixon, N., Davies, A., & Politano, C. (1996). Learning with Readers Theatre. Winnipeg, AB: Peguis.
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Flood, J., Lapp, D., Flood, S., & Nagel, G. (1992). Am I allowed to group? Using flexible patterns for effective instruction. Reading Teacher, 45, 608-615.
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Harris, A.J., & Sipay, E.R. (1990). How to increase reading ability: A guide to developmental and remedial methods (9th ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman.
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Millin, S.K. (1996). Effect of Readers Theatre on oral reading ability and reading attitudes of second grade Title 1 students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.
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Sebesta, S.L. (1997). Having my say. Reading Teacher, 50, 542-551.
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Stayter, F.Z., & Allington, R. (1991). Fluency and the understanding of texts. Theory into Practice, 30, 143-148.
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Trousdale, A.M., & Harris, V.J. (1993). Missing links in literary response: Group interpretation of literature. Children’s Literature in Education, 24, 195-207.
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About the Author

Lila Carrick is a teacher in an early intervention reading program for first-grade students in the Plainfield Public Schools, New Jersey, USA, and an adjunct assistant professor at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She recently received her doctorate in reading education from Lehigh University, where she investigated the effects of Readers Theatre on fluency and comprehension of fifth-grade students. Lila enjoys sharing information about Readers Theatre with other educators. She has made presentations on using Readers Theatre in the classroom at several local, regional, state, and national conferences, including those of the International Reading Association, New Jersey Reading Association, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the College Reading Association. Reach her by e-mail at Lilacarr@aol.com.

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Citation: Carrick, L. (2001, July/August). Internet resources for conducting Readers Theatre. Reading Online, 5(1). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=carrick/index.html