Origin & History

1. Origin & History Readers Theatre can be traced back to 15th century Greece. Rhapsodes spoke and performed to give portions of national epics to the people. Sometimes if there was not dialogue, then two rhapsodes would read the epic alternating as the narrator. During Medieval times churches used mimic actions, symbolic costumes, and dialogue in worshiping chants. (Coger & White, 1967)

2. Definitions • A presentation in which two or more oral readers cause an audience to experience literature by using characterized readings enhanced by theatrical effects. The best of literature is communicated, using a manuscript (Coger & White, 1967). • Each group member is given a line of lines to perform. The group rehearses the script to be read aloud, not memorized, in front of an audience. The main emphasis is placed on the words, not stage performance (Flynn, 2004). • A group rehearses a poem, joke, script, speech, or appropriate text until it can be performed and read with fluency in front of an audience. The use of prompts and physical activity is kept to a minimal (Worthy & Prater, 2002). • Each group members’ part is read with expression (Ediger, 2002).

3. Readers Theatre and the Stage • The presenter must express the emotions, attitudes, and actions of the characters. This is accomplished through face, voice, and body as clues to meaning. • The audience must visualize the scenery, costumes, action, and physical appearance of the characters. • Most of the action occurs in the imagination of the audience. (Coger & White, 1967)

4. Study: Reading Rate(Rasinski, 2002) Rasinski is the director of a university reading clinic, and noticed children of all ages were making poor progress in learning to read. He thought that most of these problems were because students were reading at a very slow, inefficient rate. Research: He implemented Readers Theatre to small groups of 2nd graders over a 10 week period. Each group was given one new script per week. Results: He found significant gains in reading rate and overall reading achievement. An informal reading inventory was used to test the children at the beginning and end of the study.

5. Study: Fluency(Tyler, Brenda Jean & Chard David J., 2000) These researchers realized that fluency was hindering the growth of junior high poor readers. Research: They implemented repeated readings over a seven month period with a group of junior high poor readers. Results: The students participating in the study made almost 12 month’s progress in less that 7 month’s time on standardized comprehension tests.

6. Study: Motivation(Worthy, Jo & Prater, Kathryn, 2002) These two classroom teachers heard a disturbing conversation between two intermediate level students about how boring reading was. As a result, they decided to do something about it and implement Readers Theatre into their classrooms. Research: They assigned these two students to participate and perform Bobbi Salinas’s The Three Little Pigs (Los Tres Cerdos): Nacho, Tito, and Miguel. Results: These students became more enthused about reading, began reading more at home, and as a result their reading proficiency increased.

7. Study: Bilingual Students(Worthy, Jo & Prater, Kathryn, 2002) In their classroom a 5th grade bilingual student, who could speak English well, began losing some of his Spanish-speaking abilities. His mother became very concerned and did not want him to lose his ability to speak Spanish. Research: The teacher had him participate with other Spanish speaking students in an all-Spanish Readers Theatre. Results: He practiced his Spanish and read the script fluently. This motivated him to practice and keep up his Spanish-speaking ability.

8. Study: ESL Students(Liu, Jun, 2000) This teacher decided to use Readers Theatre with 14 ESL university students in a writing class. Research: The study was broken into three phases. Phase 1: Students read aloud chosen sentences from the text to find the main idea. Phase 2: Used student-chosen passages to get individual responses and meaning from the test. Phase 3: Students created their own conclusions to the text. Results: • Readers Theatre encourages and ‘forces’ student participation. • Readers Theatre seems easy and non-threatening to the students. • Readers Theatre is good for developing attentiveness. • Readers Theatre can help teachers avoid bias toward students • Readers Theatre is more interesting and interactive way of getting students to think, to reflect, and to write. • Readers Theatre helps students to analyze their own writing better.

9. References Barchers, Suzanne I. (1997). Fifty fabulous fables: Beginning readers theatre, Englewood, Colorado: Teacher Ideas Press. Barchers, Suzanne I. (2000). Multicultural folktales: Readers theatre for elementary students, Englewood Colorado: Teachers Ideas Press. Coger, Leslie Irene & White, Melvin R. (1967). Readers theatre handbook: A dramatic approach to literature, Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company. Ediger, Marlow (2002) Oral communication in reading. Eric Digest, Opinion Papers, 2-10. Flynn, Rosalind M. (2004) Curriculum-based readers theatre: Setting the stage for reading and retention. International Reading Association, 58 (4), 360-365. Liu, Jun (2000) The power of readers theater: From reading to writing. ELT Journal 54 (4), 354-360. McBride-Smith, Barbara (2001). Tell it together: Foolproof scripts for story theatre, Little Rock, Arkansas: August House Publishers, Inc. Pfeffinger, Charla R. (2003). Character counts! Promoting character education through readers theatre, grades 2-5, Portsmouth, NH: Teacher Ideas Press. Rasinski, Timothy V. (2000) Speed does matter in reading. The Reading Teacher, 54 (2), 146-151. Ratliff, Gerald (2000) Readers theatre: An introduction to classroom performance, Eric Digest, Opinion Papers, 2-11. Tyler, Brenda Jean & Chard, David J. (2000) Using readers theatre to foster fluency in struggling readers: A twist on the repeated reading strategy. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 16 (2), 163-168. Worthy, Jo & Prater, Kathryn (2002) I thought about it all night: Readers theatre for reading fluency and motivation. The Reading Teacher, 56 (3), 294-297.