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Sometimes in the primary grades we get so focused on teaching the decoding skills that come with learning to read that it becomes easy to overlook reading fluency. Today I am so excited to share a fun and engaging way to work with beginning readers on their reading fluency.
If you would have asked me as a first or second year teacher if my kindergarten students could perform a readers theatre I would have told you ‘NO WAY!’ But over the years, as I’ve gotten more confident with myself I have dared to try many new things in the classroom. Some of them were flops – but some of them were not. And readers theatre was not just a NOT – but it was so far away from a flop that now they are a routine occurrence in my classroom!
What is Readers Theater?
If you are not familiar with readers theatre it is similar to a play in that each person reads a different part. However, students do not need to memorize lines and there is no need for props or sets. This makes it the perfect combination for a busy teacher like you!
Readers Theatre is a fun and engaging way to help your students build strong reading fluency skills. The key is finding a readers theatre script that connects with your students reading level. For beginning readers this can be tough because there are a lot more options for more advanced readers. But it is not impossible to find readers theatre scripts for even the lowest reading levels.
The Goal: Reading Fluency!
With readers theater the goal is to help students improve their reading fluency. That is, help students improve the rate and ease with which they read words. Ultimately, we want our students reading to sound as smooth as if they were just talking. But at the beginning of the reading journey this is usually not the case. That is why it is important to work on reading fluency. The more students see and read words in print, the more they practice phonics rules and the more they read and re-read, the better their fluency becomes.
Well, reading and re-reading can be just plain boring. I mean, who wants to reread the same sentence or two over and over again. That’s where readers theater comes in. By reading with classmates in a story format, students are engaged in a completely different way than if they were just rereading on their own.
Readers Theater and Shared Reading for Primary Students
Without a lot of options, I set out to create some readers theater scripts for my kindergarten students. What resulted was a 5 day shared reading lesson plan that my students love!!! In each script set, you get the same story written at 4 different reading levels. This makes a great way to differentiate for your students, while still giving all students a common experience for whole class discussion and extension activities.
Each day students will interact with the readers theatre script in different ways. This not only exposes them to multiple readings, which is a key for fluency, but it also allows you to reinforce other important reading skills too! The students absolutely love reading the story as a group. There is something about a readers theatre that makes them feel so “grown up” and special. They love becoming a character and making the story come to life.
Everything you need for the week of reading is included so it is easy to prepare. I have found that it has saved me a lot of time too! {That’s a teacher WIN for sure!} So far I have put together readers theatre scripts for The Little Red Hen and Little Red Riding Hood. But there are more coming!
As I’ve watched my students engage in reading with more excitement I know that readers theatre has been an important part of that.
Shhhh! Can you keep a secret? I’m thinking about using Readers Theatre for an End of the Year Parent program. I know my students would love it and I’m pretty sure the parents would too!
Fun Reading Fluency Practice: Save This Idea for Later!
Not ready for readers theater right now? No problem! Just pin this to your favorite classroom Pinterest board so you can quickly find it later!
