READER’S THEATREREADER’S THEATRECONNECTING CONTENT CONNECTING CONTENT

AND LITERACYAND LITERACY

THE MARRIAGE OF THE MARRIAGE OF ENGAGEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT AND

PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE

AGENDAAGENDA

1.1. The Literacy Research Base for Reader’s Theatre.The Literacy Research Base for Reader’s Theatre.2.2. Improving Student Fluency Skills Utilizing Choral Reader’s Improving Student Fluency Skills Utilizing Choral Reader’s

Theatre and Voice!Theatre and Voice!3.3. Utilizing Language Repetition to Improve Student Fluency;Utilizing Language Repetition to Improve Student Fluency;4.4. Integrating Content Concepts, Phonics and Vocabulary in Integrating Content Concepts, Phonics and Vocabulary in

Reader’s Theatre ScriptsReader’s Theatre Scripts5.5. Utilizing Utilizing Authentic Literacy: technologyAuthentic Literacy: technology to Motivate Students to Motivate Students

in Performing Reader’s Theatre.in Performing Reader’s Theatre.6.6. Tying Literacy to Content Area Subjects Using Reader’s Tying Literacy to Content Area Subjects Using Reader’s

Theatre.Theatre.7.7. Fluency Lesson Model by RasinskiFluency Lesson Model by Rasinski8.8. Deep Reading, Wide Reading and Read AloudsDeep Reading, Wide Reading and Read Alouds9.9. Integrating Original Source Material and PoetryIntegrating Original Source Material and Poetry10.10.Differentiation AspectsDifferentiation Aspects11.11.Professional and Teacher Created ScriptsProfessional and Teacher Created Scripts12.12.Teach research-proven reading comprehension strategies Teach research-proven reading comprehension strategies

using gradual release of responsibility approaches.using gradual release of responsibility approaches.

THE FIVE THE FIVE IDENTIFIED IDENTIFIED AREAS AND AREAS AND RESEARCH!RESEARCH!

TAKE THE QUIZTAKE THE QUIZ

WHICH IS AN IDENTIFIED AREA BY WHICH IS AN IDENTIFIED AREA BY THE NATIONAL READING PANEL?THE NATIONAL READING PANEL?

sustained choral silent reading;sustained choral silent reading;

simultaneous oral and silent simultaneous oral and silent reading,reading,

repeated reading without repeated reading without comprehending,comprehending,

reading nonsense words with at least reading nonsense words with at least 89% comprehension,89% comprehension,

fluency,fluency,

NCLB SPOTLIGHTNCLB SPOTLIGHT

NCLB EXAMPLES OF NCLB EXAMPLES OF FLUENT READING BY 1FLUENT READING BY 1STST GRADERS!GRADERS!

GET KIDS TO READ GET KIDS TO READ FAMILIAR TEXT:FAMILIAR TEXT:

REAL FIRST GRADE REAL FIRST GRADE SAYINGS!SAYINGS!

A miss is as good as a ...................

You can't teach an old dog new .........

Don't bite the hand that ...................

Don't put off till tomorrow what .....

It's always darkest before...................

THE REAL DEAL!THE REAL DEAL!

A miss is as good as a ................... Mr.A miss is as good as a ................... Mr.You can't teach an old dog new ......... math.You can't teach an old dog new ......... math.Don't bite the hand that ................... looks Don't bite the hand that ................... looks dirty.dirty.Don't put off till tomorrow what ..... you put Don't put off till tomorrow what ..... you put on to go to bed.on to go to bed. It's always darkest before................... It's always darkest before................... Daylight Saving Time Daylight Saving Time

READER’S THEATE ANDREADER’S THEATE AND LITERACY IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE FOR

THE ELA Common Core State Standards

Involve content area teachers in teaching the disciplinary Involve content area teachers in teaching the disciplinary literacy Standards. literacy Standards.

The CCSS guidelines on text complexity encourage The CCSS guidelines on text complexity encourage teachers to engage students in reading at least some teachers to engage students in reading at least some texts they are likely to struggle with in terms of fluency texts they are likely to struggle with in terms of fluency and reading comprehension. and reading comprehension.

Teachers must provide significantly greater and more Teachers must provide significantly greater and more skillful instructional scaffolding—employing rereading, skillful instructional scaffolding—employing rereading, explanation, encouragement, and other supports within explanation, encouragement, and other supports within lessons. lessons.

“So what’s all this about the National Reading Panel Report and Fluency?”

THE NATIONAL READING PANEL THE NATIONAL READING PANEL REPORTREPORT

Competent reading requires skills that Competent reading requires skills that extend beyond the single-word level to extend beyond the single-word level to contextual reading, and this skill can best contextual reading, and this skill can best be acquired by practicing reading in which be acquired by practicing reading in which the words are in a meaningful context.the words are in a meaningful context.

DOES FLUENCY AFFECT DOES FLUENCY AFFECT COMPREHENSION?COMPREHENSION?

It appears that oral reading practice and It appears that oral reading practice and feedback or guidance is most likely to feedback or guidance is most likely to influence measures that assess word influence measures that assess word knowledge, reading speed, and oral knowledge, reading speed, and oral accuracy. Nevertheless, the impact of accuracy. Nevertheless, the impact of these procedures on comprehension (and these procedures on comprehension (and on total reading scores) is not on total reading scores) is not inconsiderable, and in several inconsiderable, and in several comparisons it was actually quite high.comparisons it was actually quite high.

FLUENCY INSTRUCTION FOR FLUENCY INSTRUCTION FOR WHICH GRADES?WHICH GRADES?

““A growing number of studies are A growing number of studies are demonstrating that fluency is a demonstrating that fluency is a major concern for students in major concern for students in grades 4 and 5, in middle school, grades 4 and 5, in middle school, and in high school.” and in high school.” (Rasinski 2012).(Rasinski 2012).

WHAT ELSE DOES RASINSKI SAY?WHAT ELSE DOES RASINSKI SAY?Through repeated readings of a particular text, students Through repeated readings of a particular text, students increase their fluency and comprehension of the passage increase their fluency and comprehension of the passage practiced. What is more important, however, is that the practiced. What is more important, however, is that the repeated readings also lead to gains in fluency, repeated readings also lead to gains in fluency, comprehension, and overall reading on other passages not comprehension, and overall reading on other passages not previously encountered. In other words, student practice on previously encountered. In other words, student practice on certain passages generalizes to improved performance certain passages generalizes to improved performance across all reading. Repeated or practiced reading is best across all reading. Repeated or practiced reading is best accomplished through performance activities. When accomplished through performance activities. When students are asked to perform for others, they have a natural students are asked to perform for others, they have a natural inclination and desire to practice the passage to the point inclination and desire to practice the passage to the point where they can read it accurately, with appropriate rate, and where they can read it accurately, with appropriate rate, and especially with meaningful expression and phrasing.especially with meaningful expression and phrasing.

DO YOU NEED SPECIAL DO YOU NEED SPECIAL TRAINING?TRAINING?

There is clear and substantial research There is clear and substantial research evidence that shows that such procedures evidence that shows that such procedures work under a wide variety of conditions work under a wide variety of conditions and with minimal special training or and with minimal special training or materials.materials.

EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS STUDY EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS STUDY BY PEARSON AND TAYLORBY PEARSON AND TAYLOR

SCAFFOLDINGSCAFFOLDING

Oral reading can be the scaffolding tool Oral reading can be the scaffolding tool from modeling to independence.from modeling to independence.

Techniques:Techniques:

Choral ReadingChoral Reading

Paired ReadingPaired Reading

Echo ReadingEcho Reading

You can divide up “speeches” among You can divide up “speeches” among groups or students.groups or students.You can set up different groups to read You can set up different groups to read different parts of a role.different parts of a role.Feel free to adapt part of a book for Feel free to adapt part of a book for Reader’s Theatre.Reader’s Theatre.Write the script to develop what you want Write the script to develop what you want to stress: character, content, vocabulary, to stress: character, content, vocabulary, sight vocabulary, etc.sight vocabulary, etc.Pre-teach harder words or terms.Pre-teach harder words or terms.Keep it simple. Your first scripts should be Keep it simple. Your first scripts should be easy to manage and learn.easy to manage and learn.

Make the scripts easy to read. Use a large Make the scripts easy to read. Use a large readable font.readable font.

Too many words creates too much confusion.Too many words creates too much confusion.

Finish a part on the same page. Don’t have Finish a part on the same page. Don’t have carry-over of a part to the next page.carry-over of a part to the next page.

WRITING THE SCRIPTS

STAGING THE SCRIPTSSTAGING THE SCRIPTSDo a read aloud first. Let them follow along.Do a read aloud first. Let them follow along.Groups should be talking to each other.Groups should be talking to each other.Narrators can address the audience.Narrators can address the audience.Make the scripts available and easy to read for Make the scripts available and easy to read for students.students.Gesturing and miming are encouraged.Gesturing and miming are encouraged.Uniform dress for groups can be used.Uniform dress for groups can be used.Small props can be used.Small props can be used.Sound effects are great!Sound effects are great!Rehearse! Rehearse! Rehearse! (lines and mimes)Rehearse! Rehearse! Rehearse! (lines and mimes)Be a facilitator!Be a facilitator!

LET’S SEE SOME SAMPLESLET’S SEE SOME SAMPLES

• Professionally Written ScriptsProfessionally Written Scripts• Teacher Created ScriptsTeacher Created Scripts