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Reader’s Theater
*** This Guide is No Longer Being Actively Maintained ***
by Barbara Hildenbrand, Librarian
Are you looking for a novel way to encourage children to enjoy reading? You may want to try Reader’s Theater. Reader’s Theater is a way to involve children in reading aloud to encourage them to enjoy reading. Children read aloud from xeroxed scripts, usually without costumes or props. My first introduction to Reader’s Theater was at a seminar, “The Best Children’s Books of the Decade and How to Use Them in Your Program (Grades K-6)”, given by Children’s Literature Consultant, Judy Freeman. The workbook from this seminar contains a ready to use script for CLAY BOY by Mirra Ginsburg (Grades 1-2). This pathfinder will discuss more sources of Reader’s Theater scripts for use with children.
Please Choose from the Following:
Books
Articles
Databases
Websites
Books
Here are some useful Subject Headings to search for materials:
Reader’s Theater
Children’s Plays
Stage Adaptations
Tales-Study and Teaching (Elementary)
Fairy Tales-Parodies, Imitations, etc.
Reading (Elementary)
Oral Reading
Language Arts
Books
Presenting
Reader’s Theater
Bauer, Caroline Feller
The HW Wilson Co., 1987.
The author advocates reader’s theater as a way of making reading fun. She offers poems and plays that most seven-to-twelve year olds will be able to read. Contains tips for using reader’s theater and working toward a performance level.
Frantic
Frogs and Other Frankly Fractured Folktales for Readers Theatre
Fredericks, Anthony D.
Teachers Ideas Press, 1993
Contains 20 reproducible scripts with an emphasis on humor for grades 4-8.
Show Time at the Polk Street School
Giff, Patricia Reilly
Delacorte Press, 1992.
The author has written short, easy to perform plays from her Kids of the Polk Street School Series. Plays include: The Candy Corn Contest, The Secret at the Polk Street School and Fancy Feet.
The
Herbie Jones Reader’s Theater
Kline, Suzy
New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1992.
The author has created twenty-one funny read aloud scripts from the first four Herbie Jones books. Offers tips on dramatic reading.
Tell it Together, Foolproof Scripts for Story Theatre
McBride-Smith, Barbara
Little Rock: August House Publishers, Inc., 2001.
School Librarian and storyteller Barbara McBride-Smith presents twenty-three story scripts for ages nine to twelve. Some scripts are appropriate for teens. The author explains that Story Theatre is Reader’s Theatre “on steroids”.
Readers Theatre for Children, Scripts and Script Development
Laughlin, Mildred Knight
Englewood Col., Teachers Ideas Press, 1990.
Defines Readers Theatre and its value. Contains scripts of classic children’s books for use with elementary school students. Contains a readers theatre program featuring Betsy Byars. Offers script writing tips.
If you browse the stacks, try these call
numbers:
372.4—Elementary Education
372.676—Elementary Education
398.2—Folklore
792.022—Stage Presentations
808.545—Rhetoric and collections of literature
812.54--Drama
Articles
“The Power of Reader’s Theater: An Easy Way to Make Dramatic Changes in Fluency, Writing, Listening, and Social Skills.” In Instructor. Jennifer O. Prescott. Jan-Feb. 2003 v. 112 p. 22(7)
Databases
For articles about Reader's Theater, see OCPL’s Online Databases. Here you can access magazine and journal articles, newspapers, and reference books 24 hours a day using your OCPL library card.
For in-library use of the online databases, please see a librarian.
Websites
Reader’s Theater
Editions
Contains free scripts adapted from stories
written by Aaron Shepard and other authors.
Editions are free scripts for reader’s theater (or readers theatre) adapted
from stories written by Aaron
Shepard and others—mostly humor, fantasy, and world tales from a variety
of cultures. A full range of reading levels is included, with scripts aimed
mostly at ages 8–15. The scripts may be freely copied, shared, and performed
for any noncommercial purpose, except they may not be posted online without
permission.
Timeless Teacher Stuff
Contains reproducible scripts, which Rick Swallow has collected in 25 years of teaching. Scripts are appropriate for elementary school students.
Reader's Theater - Scripts for School
Commercial source of reader’s theater scripts for schools.
Literacy Connections
Guides for implementing readers’ theater, books with readers’ theater
scripts and readers’ theater scripts online.
Last updated: June 26, 2010