Q: How long does it take to implement Speak Out! Readers' Theater within my classroom?
A: It takes about 20 minutes to set students up for using readers’ theater scripts so that they have a clear idea of what to do and what the purpose is. Each script can vary in length, but it takes about 30 minutes for a group of students read each script through one time. Students who are struggling readers or English language learners may benefit from some repeated reading of the scripts with the audio component for fluent models of reading.
Q: What sets Speak Out! Readers' Theater apart from other readers' theater programs?
A: Speak Out! provides an audio CD, multi-level scripts, writing connection, and assessment rubrics.
Q: How is Readers' Theater different from playacting?
Why is
it recommended that students read, but not memorize, scripts? Why is
there no acting and no props, scenery, or costumes?
A: The aim of Readers' Theater is to concentrate on fluency reading.
The skills practiced in Readers' Theater are quite different form those
practiced in staged productions. Readers' Theater facilitates students'
reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary development. When
students concentrate on acting, props, and scenery, reading fluency can
become of secondary importance.
Q: How are students of different abilities able to
work together?
A: The scripts are multileveled in order to cater to the needs and
varying skill levels of mixed ability groups. As a consequence, social
grouping is an option with Speak out! Readers' Theater.
The level of confidence and skill will differ considerably among
students. The more confident reader still benefits from practicing
reading aloud and can be a model for reading with expression. The less
confident student benefits from working with more capable readers and
is able to build confidence and reading fluency through repeated
practice with the audio support and with a partner.
Q: How are Speak Out! Readers' Theater
scripts leveled?
A: The different parts are leveled according to a variety of
readability measures, teacher recommendations, and trialling. These are
expressed as guided reading levels. It should be remembered, however,
that no readability formula can account for everything students bring
to the task by way of interest in and knowledge of the topic. These
factors considerably influence how well a student is able to read a
piece of text, so it is recommended that teachers use their knowledge
of the students and the scripts to match students to parts. There is no
need to be concerned if you don't get it quite right every time. The
recordings will provide support and a good model for those who are
struggling.
Q: How do I occupy the rest of the class?
A: This depends on the type of program your students are used to. If
your students are used to working in centers, continue your usual
program using Speak Out! Readers Theater at one or
more of the centers. If your students are used to working in a whole
class situation, they could all be involved with Readers' Theater, each
working with their own group and rotating through the listening center.
Speak Out! involves students writing Readers'
Theater scripts. They could also be doing this when they are not
working with the teacher.
Q: How does Speak Out! Readers' Theater
help ELL students?
A: Speak Out! Readers' Theater offers motivation,
support, and guidance to ELL students as they learn to read aloud with
increasing fluency. Strickland, Ganske, and Monroe (2002) suggest the
following when working with ELL students. These techniques have been
incorporated into the Speak Out! approach.
- Avoid using oversimplified materials.
- Help students visualize what is being discussed.
- Provide opportunities for students to hear text as they
read it.
- Integrate oral and written language.
- Focus on just a few core vocabulary words at a time.
- Provide opportunities for ELL students to adjust the tone
of the English they use so that it is appropriate for the audience,
purpose, and setting— dramatized stories are perfect for this.
ELL students need opportunities to use the language they are acquiring
in these areas over and over again.
Speak Out! Readers'
Theater provides these opportunities.
Speak Out!
also offers useful integration of language arts with content areas such
as math, science, and social studies. The
Speak Out!
approach to Readers' Theater offers opportunities for ELL students to
talk about text in cooperative, group discussions with first-language
speakers of English.
Speak Out! Readers' Theater
engages ELL students in reflecting on what they have learned as they
write scripts of their own.
Q: Can Speak Out! Readers' Theater
be used as take-home?
A: Speak Out! Readers' Theater is a great resource
for home practice. Students can take the scripts home and practice
reading to them with family members. This can be a particularly
enjoyable experience when students take home scripts they have written
themselves.
Q: Is assessment provided with Speak Out!
Readers' Theater?
A: Speak Out! Readers' Theater provides teachers
with guidance on assessing students' reading levels and accuracy. It
also provides teachers and students with guidance on assessing reading
fluency: smoothness, ability to read with meaning, pace, expression,
volume, and timing. A rubric for teacher, peer, and self-assessment of
reading is provided in the Teachers' Guide.
Q: Should all students listen to the audio support
with every
script?
A: The purpose of the audio support is to provide audio support and a
good model when it is needed. Students vary considerably in the amount
of audio support they need, but all would benefit from at least one
practice with the CD. Within a mixed ability group, some students may
have little need for the recording other than to discuss how they could
utilize ideas from it. Others in the group may need it to listen to the
recording a number of times if they need support to read fluently at
this grade level. The aim, of course, is to be able to read without the
audio support, but in a mixed ability group with students all reading
the same script, a recording is a proven means of providing interim
support and ensuring that all students participate at a similar level.
It is also useful support for the students who chose or are allocated
parts that prove to be a little too difficult for them.
Q: How many times should students practice with audio
support?
A: Students very considerably in the amount of support they
need— some needing little or no support and others needing up
to ten practices with the audio support. Once a student is able to read
the text with fluency, they no longer need the support of a
recording— and this is, of course the aim: to be able to read
fluently without support. If a student is still having difficulty
reading the text with fluency after ten practices, check that the text
level is at the correct instructional level for the student. Teachers'
Guide pages 16-17 provide information regarding assessment.
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