Readers Theater - An Introduction

After this weeks reading for class,  I was inspired to further research Readers Theater to learn more about its potential in the classroom. Readers Theater is an interpretive voice-only performance of a text. Because rehearsal of a text requires lots of practice, the repeated reading is a great way to improve fluency and comprehension when reading. In the article we read from Vasinda and McLeod (2011), the organizers of the study used Audacity audio software to add a podcasting element to Readers Theater. Both the students and the teachers agreed that the addition of the technology allowed for a wider audience for their work, added an element of permanency so students can always re-watch their work, and it helped with visualization of the text. Along the same lines of permanency, something the article didn't mention but we've learned about was digital portfolios, and recording podcasts can be a good way for students to gather all their work in a digital library, and teachers can track progress throughout the year.

I found a great article about Readers Theater at Education World which details the basics of the instructional strategy, but it also goes into more detail about the benefits for struggling readers - students are tricked into rereading, but they don't mind because its fun! One key takeaway I got from this article that wasn't mentioned in our class reading was the importance of picking a good script. The author said boring scripts are the same as boring stories, which makes sense. She said she looks for 5 key elements when choosing a script for Readers Theater:

• Peppy dialogue
• A little action
• Laugh-out-loud parts
• Lively narration
• Enough roles for all

The article also links to an archive of scripts to get teachers started, but in a simple Google search, I found so many more options.

I've used Audacity before, and I took another look at the program from the perspective of a teacher. While it does have many advanced features, the basic interface is pretty straightforward and I think students would pick up on it pretty quickly. Overall I thought the idea of Readers Theater was very interesting and the addition of podcasting has a lot of benefits for students and teachers! 


References:
Education World: Reader's Theater: A Reason to Read Aloud. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev082.shtml