Readers Theatre: An Exercise in literacy

TheatreArtsandLiteracyGrade660+min.
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JessicaStrydhorst-EDU424
ContentAreaLiteracyLessonPlan
October20,2016

Focusofthelesson(s)
- Tostrengthenliteracythroughtheatrearts
- ToparticipateinReadersTheatreandpracticereadingoutloudwithexpression.
- Touserepetitiontopromotefluencyandenhancecomprehensionofthetext.
- UsingthosecomprehensionandfluencyskillstoperformaPlay

*Lessonsinthefuturewillfocusonhowdifferenttypesofliterature(playsvs.novels)require
differenttypesofwriting.Partofliteracyisbeingabletowritefordifferentpurposes.By
practicingreadertheatre,studentsbecomemorefamiliarwiththistypeofliteratureandthusare
ontheirwaytolearninghowtowritethingsofthatnatureandexpandingtheirwritingabilities
andliteracy.

Ont.CurriculumExpectations(fromOntarioArtsandLanguageCurriculumsforGrade7)
- (Drama)B2.1constructpersonalinterpretationsofdramaworks,connectingdramaissues
andthemestotheirownandothersideas,feelings,andexperiences(TheArts1-8,p.139)

- (Drama)B2.3identifyandgiveexamplesoftheirstrengths,interests,andareasfor
improvementasdramacreators,performers,andaudiencemembers(TheArts1-8,p.139)

- (Oral)1.3identifyavarietyoflisteningcomprehensionstrategiesandusethem
appropriatelybefore,during,andafterlisteninginordertounderstandandclarifythe
meaningofincreasinglycomplexorchallengingoraltexts(Language1-8,p124)

- (Oral)1.4demonstrateanunderstandingoftheinformationandideasinincreasingly
complexoraltextsinavarietyofways(Language1-8,p124)

- (Oral)2.1identifyarangeofpurposesforspeakingandexplainhowthepurposeand
intendedaudiencemightinfluencethechoiceofspeakingstrategies(Language1-8,p125)

- (Reading)2.1analyseavarietyoftextformsandexplainhowtheirparticularcharacteristics
helpcommunicatemeaning(Language1-8,p128)

- (Reading)3.1automaticallyreadandunderstandmostwordsinawiderangeofreading
contexts(Language1-8,p129)

- (Reading)3.3readappropriatetextswithexpressionandconfidence,adjustingreading
strategiesandreadingratetomatchtheformandpurpose(Language1-8,p129)

- (Writing)4.2describehowtheirskillsinlistening,speaking,reading,viewing,and
representinghelpintheirdevelopmentaswriters(Language1-8,p132)

LearningGoals
- Thestudentwillreviewthedifferencebetweenanovelandascript
- ThestudentwillreadaloneandwithagroupandpracticeperformingaReaders
TheatrePiece.
- Thestudentwilldiscovertheirgrowingabilitytoreadaloudwithagreatersense
offluency,expression,andcomprehensionandgrowintheirreadingout-loud
confidence

Evidenceoflearning/understanding
- Iwillknowstudentshaveachievedthelearninggoalsandintendedoutcomes
throughmyAssessmentusingtheReadersTheatreRubric
- Iwillknowstudentshaveachievedthelearninggoalsandintendedoutcomes
throughtheirownSelfAssessmentandhowitcomparestomyassessmentoftheir
learning
- Iwillknowstudentshaveachievedthelearninggoalsandintendedoutcomesby
theirExitslip/JournalResponseshowingthattheyfeelmoreconfident,fluent,
expressive,andaremoreabletocomprehendwhattheyarereading.Andifnot,
thattheyidentifywhatstepstheyneedtotaketogetthere.

Materials
- PrintedoutcopiesofReaders
TheatreScriptstopickfrom
(http://www.thebestclass.org/rtscr
ipts.html)
- Responsejournals(ifusedbyyour
class)
- ReadersTheatreRubric
(1/studentforself-eval,1/student
forteacherassessment)
- Exitslip(justapieceofblank
paper)

TheLearningPlan:
(Tosetthescene,wehavebeenlearningaboutthedifferencesindifferenttypes
ofliterature,specificallycomparinganoveltoascriptanddiscussingthedifferencesand
whytheymatter.Thestudentshavehadseveralassignmentsandassessmentsthatshow
theyunderstandthesesimilaritiesanddifferenceswell.Nowthetimehascomeforusto
takethisknowledgeoffofthepageandintoaperformancespace)

Teacherprepbeforeclass:
1. Selectanappropriatenarrativeorplayandpreparesrehearsalcopies.
2. Ifitisnecessary,highlightindividualcharactersroles
3. DecideonGroups(ifnecessary):dividestudentsintogroupsandgiveeachgroup
thesameplay/narrative,oralternatively,thegroupscanbeassigneddifferent
plays/narratives.

Introductiontothelesson
- AverydramaticreadingofapieceofReadersTheatretogivethematasteofwhat
iscomingupandalsotodemonstratewhatfluentandexpressivereadingsounds
like.Payparticularattentiontothewaysthatoralexpressionaffectsmeaning
(e.g.,howdifferentcharactersfeelingsmaybeconveyedthroughdifferencesin
intonation).

TheProcedure
- Modeled,guided,groupinstructionalstrategies
- MixtureofRepeatedReadings&ReadersTheaterwithafocusonfluency

1. Afterdemonstratingexpressivefluentreadingofashortscript,discusswiththe
classthemeaningofthattext.Keepthediscussionbrief,itisjusttogiveatasteof
whatistocome.

2. Explainthepurposeoftodaybyaskingthemquestions:

DoyouthinkIhadeverreadthatpieceIreadoutloudtoyoubefore?(yes).Whydo
youthinkthatIhavereaditbefore?(Becauseyousoundedlikeyouknewwhatwas
happening,becauseyoureaditquickly,becauseyouwereexpressiveandnaturaletc.)

DoyouthinkthatyouunderstoodeverythingthatIreadasmuchasyoucouldever
possiblyunderstandit?(No,ifyoureaditagain,wemightpickupsomethingswedidnt
catchthefirsttime.)

Whenyouweremuchyounger,werethereeverthingsthatyouhadtodo,eitherin
classorathome,thatyouhadtodooverandoveragaintogetthemright?(yes,like
tyingmyshoes,likelearninghowtoread,likelearningthetimestables...etc.)

Whydowedothingsoverandoveragain?Whatdoesthathelpuswith?(Ithelpsusto
becomefamiliarwithit,sowedonthavetothinksohardaboutit,sothatitcomesmore
naturally...etc.)

Exactly.Thatiswhytodaywearegoingtotrytogetreallyfamiliarwithatext.That
way,youwillgetachancetogetreallygoodatreadingitoutloudandthenwewillbe
abletohaveaperformancetoshowoffthesereadingskillsofyours.

3. Explainthatthefirstthingwearegoingtodoisstartbyreadingthroughthe
scriptonourown.Afterthat,youwillbeputingroups,circleupyourchairs,and
goaroundthecircleeachtakingaturntoreadthenextpart.Youwillnothave
yourrolesyet,everyonecanreadanypart.Ifyouareagirl,youcanreadaboy
part,andifyouareaboy,youcanreadagirlpart.Lateron,Iwillseeifyouare
readytobegivenyourownroles.Showmeyouare!

IndependentPractice
4. Ifyouhavecreatedthegroupsbeforehand,giveeachstudentacopyofthe
ReadersTheatreScripttheywillbereadingfrom.Havethemsitquietlyandread
throughthescript.Thisshouldtakeabout5minutes(ormore,dependingonthe
scriptsthatyouhavechosen).

5. Oncetheyaredonethat,havethemwrite2sentencesonanexitsliporintheir
responsejournalsansweringthese2questionsthatyouhavewrittenonthe
board:

Onascaleof1(not)to10(well),Howwelldoyoufeelyouknowand
understandthestoryandwhatitgoingon?

Inyourownwords,whatisthestoryabout?

6. Oncetheyhavecompletedthis,givethemeachacopyoftheReadersTheatre
Rubric.Explainthattheywillbefillingthisinandturningitinattheendofthe
class(ortheendoftheday-itisuptotheteachersdiscretion).Itmaybe
necessarytoexplaintothemthatthisisaself-assessment,thatitisnotfora
grade,instead,itisjusttohelptheteacherunderstandhowthestudentsare
feelingaboutwheretheyareat(withreadingoutloudandfluency)andtoseeif
theyfeelbetterthenexttimewedoit.

GroupPractice
7. Oncethisisunderstood,havethemformtheirgroupsandbegintoreadinturns
goingaroundthecircle.Theteacherwillbecirculatingamonggroupstoprovide
feedbackandcoaching.Checkforunderstandingandensurethatthestudents
havegoodcomprehensionoftheirscripts.

8. After1read-through,havethemanswerthose2questionsintheirresponse
journalsoronanexitslipasecondtime.Ifclasstimeisalmostup,havethemfill
outtheirself-assessment.Ifnot...

9. Havethemcontinuere-reading.

10. Afterthegroupshavehadadequatetimetobecomefamiliarwiththescript,you
canhavestudentschoose(ortheteacherassigns)roles.
**thiscouldtakemorethanoneclasssession,thereisflexibilityinstoppingand
restartingonanotherdayifmoretimeisneeded.Thisdependsonthepacethat
theclassmovesat.

11. Ifmoretimeandpracticeisneeded:Havethestudentstakehomecopiesoftheir
scriptstopracticereading(butnotmemorizing)theirrolesathome.

CulminatingActivity:
12. Studentsperformtheirscripts(i.e.,readthemexpressively)infrontofan
audience,whichmaysimplyinvolveotherclassmembers,orwhichmayinclude
differentclassrooms,teachersand/orparents.
*Ifthisperformanceisonasecondorlaterdayofclass,havethemfilloutanother
self-assessmentusingtheReaderstheatrerubricanduseitincomparisontotheir
firsttoseewhatstepsneedtoberepeatedandwherestudentsmayneedtospend
moretimeorbeassisted.

AccommodationsandModifications:
- Havetheoptionofeasierscriptswithfewerwordsforstrugglingreaders
- Re-Writethescript(orthestudent'spartofthescript)withprintthatiseasyto
readi.e.largerorinpreferredfont.SupplyBraillescriptswhenneeded.
- Givethestudents(whomayneedtimetomentallyprepare)theirpartinadvance.
Encouragethemtopracticeathomewiththeirparents
- Havestrugglingstudentsreadpartstogether.
- Allowadvancedstudentstowritepartsoftheirownscript.
- Whenassigningroles,besensitivetostudents'individualneeds.Assignroles
accordingly;provideextra,individualpracticeifneeded.

Conclusiontothelesson
- Dependingonhowfarthelessonprogressed,makesuretoendwithsome
discussiononhowstudentsfeltaftertheirfirsttimereadingthrough,andhow
thatchangedwhentheydidfurtherread-throughs.
- Iftheperformancedidnothappenyet,remindthemtokeeppracticingtheir
readingoutloudathometobeready!