Reader's Theatre
Reading a script can never be more fun.
Day 1 |
Day 2 |
Day 3 |
Day 4 |
Day 5 |
Each students receives a copy of the script. The script is first read by the teacher only and then one sentence at time with students repeating. |
Students read the script as a whole class and then read the script in small groups. |
Assign students a role and put them into groups. In small groups, students practice their parts with each other. |
Have students practice their assigned roles in their small groups, as a way to continue rehearsing for the final performance day. |
Students are finally ready to perform the script in front of the audience (i.e. the class). |
Day 1 |
Each student receives a copy of the text. I read the text to them and they repeat the lines with me. At the end of the reading, students can underline unknown words. They can then ask me and/or other students to provide a definition of the word. This usually takes us 10 to 15 minutes to complete. |
Day 2 |
Students practice reading the text. We do not practice performing, but rather reading the words and sentences correctly. On this day, I do not assign roles. I just select one student to read the first line and then call on another student to read another line. This is a lot like repeated reading or shared reading. Alternatively, you can pair students up or put them in teams as per the number of characters in the script, and then get them to practice with each other. The teacher can then circulate the classroom to provide concise and quick feedback. |
Day 3 |
On the last day, I call students (one per character) up to our "stage" and get them to read the script. The rest of the class listens while their peers perform. We spend about 10 to 15 minutes on this. |