Reading Strategies for Middle and High School - Readers Theater

 Reading Strategies for Middle and High School

Readers Theater

I love when it's time to read a play in class. The assigned reading parts take away the anxiety for both me and my students because everyone knows what and when they are expected to read aloud. It also helps avoid the confusion that some stories have of identifying and following the speaker or narrator. The easily chunked reading passages give students an expectation and goal of how much they are expected to read in class.

If only all stories could be divided into easy ready parts.

Readers Theater is not only beneficial for emerging readers but middle and high school students as well. Older students need, and enjoy, the benefits of practicing reading fluency while increasing comprehension.

According to Scholastics, Reader's Theater is a strategy that engages students in developing reading fluency while developing reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

"Readers Theater is readers reading a script adapted from literature, and the audience picturing the action from hearing the script being read aloud.  It requires no sets, costumes, props, or memorized lines.  Instead of acting out literature as in a play, the performer’s goal is to read a script aloud effectively, enabling the audience to visualize the action.  Performers bring the text alive by using voice, facial expressions, and some gestures" (Scholastics)

The benefits of using Readers Theater in the classroom include increased comprehension; motivation; increase in speaking, writing, and listening fluency; and increase in student engagement.

Creating Your Own Scripts

Readers Theater can be created from any kind of literature including short stories, poetry, picture books, folk and fairy tales, non-fiction, and magazine articles. Some stories are easier to convert than others. Look for stories with a large amount of dialogue, interesting storyline, developed characters, conflict, and humor.

Creating Readers Theater Scripts in class can be a great opportunity to help students condense material and work on their editing and format skills.

If you are looking for ideas, or don't have the time to create your own Readers Theater Scripts, check out my Teachers Pay Teachers Store for No Prep Readers Theater Short Story Lessons and Digital Escape Room Games. Click the images below for more information.