Readers Theater For Building Fluency

A guide to readers' theater covers such topics as writing scripts, managing performances, and assessing performances.

Act out the tragic and true story of the betrayal and assassination of Roman ruler Julius Caesar in 44 BC. Worried that the newly powerful Caesar will become a dictator, Casius enlists the help of Caesar's trusted friend, Brutus, to preemptively murder the ruler. This script includes roles written at various reading levels, allowing teachers to implement differentiation and English language learner strategies into instruction. This feature allows teachers to assign each role based on their students' individual reading levels, encouraging everyone to get involved in the same activity. Whether students are struggling or proficient readers, they can all gain confidence in their reading fluency and feel successful. By performing together, students will also practice interacting cooperatively, reading aloud, and using expressive voices and gestures while storytelling. With an accompanying poem and song to give readers additional fluency practice, this script is a dynamic resource sure to engage a classroom of varied readers.

Why has comprehension instruction become so complex? Sharon Taberski cuts through the pressurized, strategy-overloaded, fluency-crazed atmosphere surrounding reading instruction to lay out the reading and writing workshop practices that are most effective in developing readers in the primary grades. She shares the daily how-tos needed to sustain a literacy block that engages children in authentic reading and writing practices including dozens of effective practices that illustrate amazing ways to organize instructional and independent reading for kids including: letter and sound searches that improve students' word accuracy and fluency companion books bags that develop their confidence and comprehension strategy sheets that make children's thinking about text concrete a Putting Our Strategies to Work Board that enables students to reflect on and discuss the meta-cognitive strategies they're using Idea Books and Ta-da Publishing Books that help children get inside the reading and writing process and see how each feeds the other. Two Options for dynamic DVD-based staff development: for your workshop or PLC, the Lessons from the Ground Up DVD features 105-minutes of video clips of Sharon in the classroom, modeling effective ways to develop comprehension plus a 64-page facilitator's guide supports the DVD, lesson by lesson. It's All About Comprehension is a long-term staff development initiative with 3 DVDs (7 hours) of whole-class, small-group, and one-on-one instruction from Sharon.

This Shakespeare reader's theater script builds fluency through oral reading. The creative script captures students' interest, so they want to practice and perform. Included is a fluency lesson and approximate reading levels for the script roles.

Act out the story of Romeo and Juliet, lovers from two feuding families who must marry in secret and face the tragic consequences of the fateful hatred between their families. The roles in this script are written at different reading levels. This feature allows teachers to easily implement differentiation and English language learner strategies and assign specific roles to students in a way that accommodates individual reading skills. By using differentiation strategies, teachers can get everyone involved and engaged in the same activity, whether they are struggling or proficient readers. Everyone can feel successful and can enjoy improving their fluency through performance! While performing this story with others, students can also practice interacting cooperatively and using expressive voices and gestures. With an accompanying poem and song for additional fluency practice, this script is a dynamic resource for students. This colorful, leveled script is sure to get all students participating and confidently practicing fluency in a unique way. This 6-Pack includes six copies of this title, a lesson plan, and an audio CD.

Improve students' reading fluency while providing fun and purposeful practice and performance through Reader's Theater Scripts. Engage students through Reader's Theater to make learning fun while building knowledge of Texas history and the significant people, events, and places that make Texas what it is today. Improve vocabulary and comprehension with repeated practice and performance of the scripts along with TEKS-based activities in the lesson plans, which include word study, comprehension questions, and extension activities. Make your classroom a Reader's Theater classroom today!