So I’m pretty excited about this newest product. I’ve been working on it since….wait-are you ready? Since August. I started using it with my kids the past two weeks and now I’m regretting I took so long on it!
I love Readers’ Theater. Not only do multiple research studies support its use, I’ve found it effective for my own students. So what exactly is it?
Readers’ theater is an evidence-based strategy for improving reading fluency. In readers’ theater, students rehearse reading a script repeatedly to prepare for a later performance for peers or other audiences. Students are assigned parts or roles for performing the reading of the play’s text.
Martinez, Roser, and Strecker (1999) researched the effects of readers’ theater compared to a control group over a 10-week period in two second-grade classrooms. Results showed an average 17 wpm gain for the readers’ theater group compared to the control group’s 6.9 wpm gain.
Other researchers reported positive results for the use of readers’ theater. Griffin and Rasinski (2004) provided three years of data that indicated that fourth-grade students made more than two years of gain in reading achievement during a single year when readers’ theater was a regular part of the classroom reading program.
The best part? Students found readers’ theater to be an engaging and motivating way to practice reading!
I wanted so badly to use Readers Theater with my own students. However, the plays usually contained parts for 15 or so students…and I only had 2-4 students in my groups. That meant there were a lot of parts left for Mrs. Allison. =)
So….I made my own and targeted it towards my students with articulation goals. I tried to mix the most common sounds so that I can easily use it with diverse groups. I’ve discovered this product:
1. helps my students remember their correct sounds
2. provides practice for using appropriate tone of voice and intonation
3. improves their confidence, especially if they can then perform for a small audience.
Each play contains both a student copy and an SLP copy for easy data tracking!
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Jenna Rayburn says
February 23, 2014 at 2:40 amThis looks awesome Nicole! Right into my ‘wish list!’
Jenna
1sparklleslp says
February 23, 2014 at 3:23 amAbsolutely incredible! Years back the reading specialist and I ran a Reader’s Theater group during lunch. Loved it to target articulation and social language. I recently went through my files and found some of our selections and said I need to start using these again. Thanks so much for creating. My wish list is growing!
annied says
February 23, 2014 at 3:25 pmThis is such a great idea. I have used reader’s theater for carryover, but the plays were too long for a speech session and of course had too many roles. I love the adaptation. On my wish list!