READERS THEATER FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CLASSROOMS
Why Should Readers Theater Be In Your Special Needs Classroom?
Kristina Mastro's massive success story. This video was taken from a YouTube account for special ed classrooms, "teachertubeSPED." They have many videos by special education teachers with helpful tools to implement into classrooms ranging from k-12th grade.
The following information is taken from the website http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/power-readers-theater.
readers theater is a way to develop skills beyond just reading. how can you get started? |
Within a classroom, kids can go from the top of Mount Everest to the bottom of the ocean, and even into ancient history- all while sitting in their own chair. You don't need elaborate costumes, or makeup. So what do you need?
First, you'll need a script. There are many places you can find these completely free. Some links for these are on the left. It is smart to start with short scripts for the kids to gain an understanding of Readers Theater. Start small! Its is best to start with read a longs modeled by none other than you. You can start with reading in unison throughout the classroom, and move on to where students are reading one line after another, since they have already heard it once out loud. Everyone gets a chance to try and they can even take their scripts home to practice with help from their families. |
practicing
Rick Swallow, a former sixth-grade teacher for 25 years at Vista Square Elementary School, in Chula Vista, California, remembers a student who had virtually no interest in reading — until he got the part of the hero, Max, in Maurice Sendak's classic Where the Wild Things Are. "I couldn't supply him with enough reading material with 'parts' that he could act out in his head," recollects Swallow. "He became an avid reader. I don't know what ever happened to him, but I envision him on a stage somewhere."
So often in classrooms, we focus on reading comprehension and end up missing a lot of reading skills. Readers theater makes kids excited about learning to read. In special ed classrooms, it develops reading skills that the students have not had the chance to develop. It puts them in a role that they are outside of themselves and get to enter a world where they are not different from others- but are the hero, the doctor, or the animal.
Readers Theater is, in part, a performance. Most books don't get read more than one time. But these scripts get looked over and over 20- sometimes 30 times! Without knowing it, these kids could memorize the script without even realizing that they have been developing reading skills the whole time. While memorizing is not encouraged, since it takes away the interpreting part of literature, it makes the kids feel like they had a massive success since they have memorized an entire script by reading it so many times.
So often in classrooms, we focus on reading comprehension and end up missing a lot of reading skills. Readers theater makes kids excited about learning to read. In special ed classrooms, it develops reading skills that the students have not had the chance to develop. It puts them in a role that they are outside of themselves and get to enter a world where they are not different from others- but are the hero, the doctor, or the animal.
Readers Theater is, in part, a performance. Most books don't get read more than one time. But these scripts get looked over and over 20- sometimes 30 times! Without knowing it, these kids could memorize the script without even realizing that they have been developing reading skills the whole time. While memorizing is not encouraged, since it takes away the interpreting part of literature, it makes the kids feel like they had a massive success since they have memorized an entire script by reading it so many times.
presenting
There are lots of ways to present in these classrooms, the most basic of these being sitting at desks and just reading aloud. You can go more in depth by assigning parts to students and giving them a picture of their character (as pictured to the left) and sitting in front of the rest of the classroom to present their parts. For lower level students you can even put pictures of their assigned animal next to their lines on the script so they don't have to process that it is their line, they can just see their picture.
If you would like your students to stand while reading their parts, providing them a music stand will help them to focus on what they are reading as opposed to having to pay attention to holding their books, binders or whatever the scripts are placed in.
That brings us to the final part of the presentation- what will they hold the script in? Binders are a wonderful option because everything is in one place and they are easy to hold and put together. Another option is to provide a book that you have pre-made for the class so they don't have to put work into anything besides the reading and comprehension. This is especially good for lower functioning and younger students.
It has also been found successful to go through the readings multiple times, giving the roles to different people each time. This keeps them interested and entertained while developing reading skills since they are not able to memorize just one part.
If you would like your students to stand while reading their parts, providing them a music stand will help them to focus on what they are reading as opposed to having to pay attention to holding their books, binders or whatever the scripts are placed in.
That brings us to the final part of the presentation- what will they hold the script in? Binders are a wonderful option because everything is in one place and they are easy to hold and put together. Another option is to provide a book that you have pre-made for the class so they don't have to put work into anything besides the reading and comprehension. This is especially good for lower functioning and younger students.
It has also been found successful to go through the readings multiple times, giving the roles to different people each time. This keeps them interested and entertained while developing reading skills since they are not able to memorize just one part.
enjoy a new and creative way to develop reading skills and comprehension with your students!
For more information feel free to visit- http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev082.shtml and http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/power-readers-theater.
Laney Campbell is a junior at the University of Texas at Arlington. She is currently studying speech communication and intends to continue after undergrad to get her speech therapy degree, and possibly on to medical school after for a neuro degree. Currently she works at Starbucks and enjoys coffee, friends, and family.
Colton Culberhouse is a junior at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is currently studying speech communication and intends to coach high school basketball and teach Special Education. Colton is currently a 7th Grade Boys Basketball Coach at Pantego Christian Academy.
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Readers theaters through symbols
DeShana Head is a senior at the University of Texas at Arlington majoring in Communication Speech. It is her plan to undergo a Masters Degree in Speech Pathology. Previously employed through Mansfield ISD she worked as a paraprofessional in a special needs classroom, were she was able to create her on lesson plans and present them to the students.
Overview
Students become excited and enthusiastic about reading when they are presented with the opportunity to participate in Reader's Theatre. In this lesson, students develop scripts, perform in groups, and practice using their voice to depict characters from texts. Through this activity, students have the opportunity to develop fluency and further enhance comprehension of what they are reading.
Students become excited and enthusiastic about reading when they are presented with the opportunity to participate in Reader's Theatre. In this lesson, students develop scripts, perform in groups, and practice using their voice to depict characters from texts. Through this activity, students have the opportunity to develop fluency and further enhance comprehension of what they are reading.
Resourceshttp://www.readwritethink.org
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Preparation
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INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN
- Present the script to the students as a play and unlike the puppets there use to using they have the chance to act (like real movie stars !!!) Explain to them that they during this play they will mostly be making movements and only a few students will use their voices.
- Review the vocabulary
- According to the play you use, decide who will be your main characters, these will be the students using their voices.
- Using the script, divide the class into groups that represents a color or action.
(main character do not follow the directions of the popsicles sticks they follow their lines) - Explain to each group what action they should perform when they see there stick being waved.
(main characters will have a separate set of actions) - It is important that you stress to the children that they must pay attention to your direction and to know what color group they are in.
- For rehearsals, set the children in the individual groups and have them practice their action on the que of their color being waved.
- For the main characters, have them also work on their actions and lines, which will vary depending on the complexity of the play and the ability of that classroom settings.
- Once everyone is comfortable with there actions and lines it's showtime!!!!
preview
jackandthebeanstalk.docx | |
File Size: | 8 kb |
File Type: | docx |