Achieving Fluency in Reading with Reader s Theatre

Transcription

1 Achieving Fluency in Reading with Reader s Theatre Reader s Theatre; a new or newly resurrected approach to developing reading fluency is proving to be extremely popular with both teachers and students. What is Reader s Theatre? How does Reader s Theatre differ from traditional school plays and what benefit is it to students? What exactly is reading fluency, why is it important and what instructional strategies foster reading fluency? What contribution can Reader s Theatre make? How does Reader s Theatre fit with the NZ Curriculum? How is Reader s Theatre best implemented and what features might you consider if you plan to develop your own or purchase a Reader s Theatre resource? What is Reader s Theatre? Reader s Theatre is repeated oral script reading that is practised and performed to an audience as a group reading presentation. Students rely on their voices, rather than on acting, costumes and props, for a successful presentation. Think of a Reader s Theatre script as a bit like a radio play; indeed the performance to an audience can take the form of making an audio recording of the reading or reading over the school intercom system. How does Reader s Theatre Differ from Traditional School Plays? The main difference between Reader s Theatre and traditional school plays is the former involves script reading rather than memorising. With traditional plays the emphasis tends to come off actual reading as students concentrate on who will wear what, what props will be needed and who will stand and move where. The physical copy of the script is inclined to get in the way so the lines are often memorised. With traditional plays the interest is often conveyed by what can be seen happening on stage. With Reader s Theatre, not a lot can be seen happening on stage at all as presenters usually simply stand still or sit to read the script. The fluent reading of the script hence becomes the most important element of the presentation. For a successful Reader s Theatre presentation and to hold the interest of the audience, presenters must use a different set of skills to those they use when practising and performing traditional plays. They need to use their voices to greater effect to hold the interest of the audience and to convey what the characters are feeling. A lot of careful consideration needs to be given to why characters say certain lines, how they would say them and why. This kind of thoughtful consideration develops comprehension as well as fluency. Because they don t memorise their parts students need to follow the entire script so they know when it s their turn to read. A script for a traditional school play may need adapting to make it suitable for Reader s Theatre. A narrator, for example, may be needed to read stage directions. What benefit is Reader s Theatre to students? Researchers consistently confirm what a lot of teachers have known for some time; Reader s Theatre is an authentic, entertaining and educationally powerful way to read and communicate meaning Reader s Theatre yields improvements in word recognition, fluency and comprehension. (Rasinski 2003) 1

2 Reading Fluency What exactly is reading fluency? Students consulted seemed to have a pretty good notion about what it s like when your reading s not fluent it s slow and hard work it s full of mistakes it s got no meaning got to spression it s boring kind of hard work it s shameful The experts agree and elaborate further. They tell us that fluent reading is accurate, effortless (free from word identification problems), appropriately phrased, well paced, smooth, expressive and well understood by both the reader and the listener. Furthermore they tell us that fluency is a reliable indicator of the development of current and future reading skills, a strengthener of current and future skills in reading and a builder of confidence and motivation in reading. Teachers will also concur that fluency in reading is important and most teachers will be implementing at least some of the following instructional strategies commonly regarded as being useful tools to foster reading fluency. o Explicit instruction (teaching phrasing, expression and attention to punctuation) o Practice with a variety of text types and subjects o High interest texts that foster expressive reading o Texts at an appropriate level of difficulty o Repeated readings o Modelling of fluent reading for students to emulate o Supported reading practice o Positive performance readings (with feedback) o Opportunities to respond orally and/or in writing to text o Opportunities for ongoing assessment and monitoring that is documented o Opportunities to develop an awareness of fluency and an ability to monitor it (meta-fluency) (Johns and Berglund, 2002; Rasinski 2003; Kuhn and Stahl, 2000) What Contribution can Reader s Theatre Make to Improving Fluency? Experienced and successful teachers would use a variety of different techniques in order to help students to become fluent readers. If, however, a teacher were looking for a single programme or technique that addressed a good number of these instructional strategies then he or she would be hard pressed to find a better alternative to Reader s Theatre. Practising for a Reader s Theatre presentation is purposeful and enjoyable. Explicit instruction can take place in context. It s possible to implement a variety of text types and subject matter. High interest texts suited for use as scripts for Reader s Theatre are in abundance and a lot are accompanied by an indication of reading difficulty. In order to ensure a successful presentation of Reader s Theatre (and there won t be too many students who would be happy with an unsuccessful presentation!) then a lot of repeated practice will be needed. Most students will happily engage in the repeated practice they need if they can avoid being embarrassed in front of their peers. Modelling and support happens naturally in a group setting and/or with the introduction of an audiorecording of the script. Positive performance readings are almost guaranteed with the right 2

3 text and amount of practice. A means of providing feedback can be easily introduced, if it doesn t happen naturally. A logical follow-up to Reader s Theatre is engaging students in responding orally and/or in writing to the script. A lot of discussion will occur inevitably as students discuss why a character says certain lines, how he would say it and where the emphasis should be. Assessment is a logical component of Reader s Theatre as students evaluate their own and their peers presentations and as teachers evaluate their students improving fluency. Meta-fluency, best described as knowing what fluent reading is, knowing when you re reading fluently, when you re not and knowing what to do about it, happens naturally with Reader s Theatre. Reader s Theatre and the New Zealand Curriculum Reader s Theatre can support teachers to meet the English in New Zealand Curriculum goals and achievement objectives as well as provide support for assessment of oral language fluency by the teacher and the students. Reader s Theatre engages young learners in reading scripts. It can also involve students in writing scripts. It is aligned with the English in the New Zealand Curriculum statement in the following ways: Oral Language Reader s Theatre involves students in speaking and listening Written Language Reader s Theatre involves students in reading and can involve them in writing Visual Language Reader s Theatre involves students in presenting and viewing, using dramatic texts How is Reader s Theatre Best Implemented? Reader s Theatre is a flexible group reading approach that can be used in a number of ways. Teachers could choose to: Use Reader s Theatre as part of their guided reading programme on a daily basis, for a block of time Deliver Reader s Theatre during their literacy session Implement Reader s Theatre during another timetabled slot Use Reader s Theatre as a learning centre for small group work while the teacher leads a guided reading group Use Reader s Theatre to assist Special Education students or English language learners develop fluency Plan for the whole class to be working in mixed-attainment groups, or Plan for one or two groups to be working on Reader s Theatre at any one time Train Teacher Aides or other adults to work with groups Run an intensive block of Reader s Theatre on a daily basis for a number of weeks, or Run a one week Reader s Theatre programme at different times during the year. For maximum benefit, teachers are advised to keep in mind the following tips: Match students carefully with scripts and parts in the scripts as students should read parts that are achievable. To encourage students to read all of the script, it is recommended that parts not be allocated too soon. When students read all of the script, many times, they achieve a more complete understanding, and their reading mileage is increased. 3

4 Time spent modelling, demonstrating, and discussing best practices with students will be time well spent Features to Consider When Choosing a Reader s Theatre Resource Depending on teachers and students needs there are a variety of options available for purchasing or developing resources for Reader s Theatre. There are scripts available on the internet as well as guidelines for adapting narrative into a script for Reader s Theatre. Ready made resources are also available for purchase from several publishers. Whether purchasing or developing your own, consider including the following: o Short, interesting scripts of relevance to NZ students, that students are happy to practise repeatedly and that an audience will respond to positively. o Levelled scripts that allow students to practise at their instructional reading level o Multi-levelled scripts that allow students of mixed ability to work with and learn from each other o Scripts that have links to a variety of curriculum areas; Maths, Science, Social Studies as well as general fiction. o Audio Support which is particularly beneficial for students who need extra support, such as struggling readers and students learning English o A form of assessing reading fluency: smoothness, ability to read with meaning, pace, expression, volume, and timing. o Involving students in the writing of scripts for others to present which is authentic, meaningful, and extremely motivating. o Involving families in Reader s Theatre both as an audience to present to and as a means of enabling students to practise their reading at home. Reader s Theatre is certainly getting the vote from teachers and students for providing a fun-filled medium for students to practise developing fluency in reading. And developing reading fluency is something the students recognise as being very desirable. They tell us When your reading is fluent it s got rhythm and flow kind of like talking got meaning interesting a lot cooler that s a cert! easy like getting your training wheels off How s that for meta-fluency? References 4

5 Allington, Richard L. (2001). What Really Matters for Struggling Readers: Designing Research-based Programs. New York: Addison Wesley Longman. (See especially pages ) Blum, I.H., Koskinen, P.S., Tennant, N., Parker, E.M., Straub, M., and Curry, C. (1995). Using Audio-taped Books to Extend Classroom Literacy Instruction into the Homes of Secondlanguage Learners. Journal of Reading Behavior, 27(4): Bremner, Sue. and Dufficy, Paul. Meeting diverse reading needs in a multilingual classroom. In Beyond the Reading Wars PETA (2006). Chomsky, C. (1978). When You Still Can t Read in Third Grade: After Decoding, What? In What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction, ed. S. J. Samuels. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Clay, Marie M. (1972). The Early Detection of Reading Difficulties. Auckland, NZ: Heinemann Education. Clay, Marie M. (2001). Change Over Time in Children s Literacy Development. Auckland, NZ: Heinemann Education. Department of Education, Science and Training. Teaching Reading, National Inquiry in the Teaching of Literacy December Flynn, Rosalind ( ). Curriculum-based Reader s Theatre: Setting the Stage for Reading and Retention. The Reading Teacher, 58(4): Griffith, Lorraine Wiebe, and Rasinski, Timothy V. (2004). A Focus on Fluency: How One Teacher Incorporated Fluency with Her Reading Curriculum. The Reading Teacher, 58(2): Johns, Jerry L., and Berglund, Roberta L. (2002). Fluency: Evidence Based Strategies. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt. (See especially pages ) Kuhn, Melanie R., and Stahl, S.A. (2000). Fluency: A Review of Developmental and Remedial Practices. Ann Arbor, MI: Centre for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement, University of Michigan. Martinez, Miriam, Roser, Nancy L., and Strecker, Susan ( ). I Never Thought I Could Be a Star : A Readers Theater Ticket to Fluency. The Reading Teacher, 52(4): McCormack, Rachel L., and Paratore, Jeanne R. (2003). After Early Intervention, Then What? Teaching Struggling Readers in Grades 3 and Beyond. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Pikulski, John J., and Chard, David.J. (2005). Fluency: Bridge between Decoding and Reading Comprehension. The Reading Teacher, 58(6): Pinnell,G. S., Pikulski, J.J., Wixson, K. K., Campbell, J.R., Gough, P.B., and Beatty, A.S. (1995). Listening to Children Read Aloud. Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education. 5

6 Prescott, Jennifer O. (2003). The Power of Reader s Theatre: An Easy Way to Make Dramatic Changes in Kids Fluency, Writing, Listening and Social Skills. Scholastic Instructor, 112 (January February): Rasinski, Timothy V. (2003). The Fluent Reader: Oral Reading Strategies for Building Word Recognition, Fluency, and Comprehension. New York: Scholastic. (See especially pages ) Rasinski, Timothy V., Blachowicz, C and Lems, Kristin [eds] (2006) Fluency Instruction. Research- Based Best Practices. The Guilford Press New York Roser, Nancy L. (2001). Supporting the Literacy of Bilingual Middle Graders with Culturally Relevant Reader s Theatre Scripts. Paper presented at the 46th Annual Convention of the International Reading Association, New Orleans, LA. Roser, Nancy L., May, Laura A., Martinez, Miriam, Keehn, Susan, Marmon, Janis M., and O Neal, Sharon (2003). Stepping into Character(s):Using Reader s Theatre with Bilingual Fourth Graders. In After Early Intervention, Then What? Teaching Struggling Readers in Grades 3 and Beyond. eds. Rachel L. McCormack and Jeanne R. Paratore. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Samuels,S.J.(1997). The Method of Repeated Reading. The Reading Teacher, 50: (Originally published in 32: ). Speak Out Reader s Theatre (2007) Teacher s Guide. South Pacific Press Ltd., Wellington Strickland, Dorothy S., Ganske, Kathy, and Monroe, Joanne K. (2002). Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers: Strategies for Classroom Intervention 3 6. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. (See especially pages ) Worthy, Jo, and Broaddus, Karen ( ). Fluency Beyond the Primary Grades: From Group Performance to Silent, Independent Reading. The Reading Teacher, 55(4): For an extensive list of Reader s Theatre references and resources, go to If you d like to trial a FREE Reader s Theatre script Meryl-Lynn: infor@rainbowreading.co.nz 6