When you read this procedure, ask yourself these questions:
1. Will my lowest ability readers be successful?
2. Will my highest ability readers be engaged?
3. If my goal is to have my students read 3,000 words a day, will this help achieve this goal?
4. While students are reading aloud, can I circulate with a clip board taking notes on fluency or other assessment activites?
Readers Theater in Threes
Objective
Students read a literature selection orally three times to gain fluency and comprehension. Since they each have different parts to read, they must follow along while their peers are reading in order to contribute.
Materials
NOTE: You do not need specialized materials for this procedure. That's why I call it Instant Reader's Theater.
• section of text for students to read. This text should have at least three “voices”. For example, words spoken by male characters, words spoken by female characters, and the rest of the text (narrator’s words)
Procedure
After the teacher reads a chapter from the class novel or text while students follow in their own, students are told to read the selection silently to prepare for Readers Theater. High readers are told that re-reading the selection is optional. They can read something else. Low readers read this with a partner or the teacher.
Students are then grouped into triads. This works best if you avoid putting more than one low student in each group. Students are assigned parts to read aloud. High students start with the narrator’s words since this part is nearly always the most difficult. Low students are given the part with the fewest words for the first run through. The groups begin reading at a signal. They continue reading while the teacher checks in with each group. At a signal, the groups rotate parts. Arrange this so the lowest readers do not have the narrators’ part until after they’ve heard it read by the other group members.
The teacher roams through the groups helping out and making narrative comments on an assessment clipboard. A motivational follow-up could be that three students are chosen to read the selection for the class gathered on the rug, or recorded for the class web site.
