Origin

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 months progress in less that 7
  months 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 Salinass 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.