Growing In
Independence and Fluency: Lights! Camera! Action!
Rationale:
As
students are beginning to break the reading code and discover the possibilities
of literature, it is important to nurture this growing interest with reading
success.
Students can find reading success through repeated readings.
Repeated readings will make the words in the passage become sight
words and the student will continue to grow as a reader.
Students will become more expressive readers.
In order to make
repeated readings more interesting, each small group of students will practice a
"script" for reader's theater to perform for the class at the end of the week.
Materials:
Low-
commitment costumes
Scripts
(found on this website:
http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm)
Speed
reading checklist (attached)
Class set of
timers
Procedure:
1. Say:
We are going to do something super fun this week!
We are going to have a play on Friday!
If that makes you nervous, don't be.
Our play isn't going to be scary.
Your audience is going to be just your classmates and we are going to
practice your script so many times you will know it like the back of your hand!
When we practice it over and over it will help us to be wonderful fluent
readers!
2. I am
going to split you up into small groups and then we will talk about which script
you want to perform on Friday.
(The teacher will divide groups into small groups of 2, 3, or 4
students.
These groups will need to be flexible depending on roles and parts available.)
3. I am
going to put a list of available plays on the board. (The teacher should narrow
the options on the website down to a select few titles that are of particular
interest to her classroom).
Your group needs to come up with a group name and then send a
representative up to the board to sign your group up for which act you want to
perform in our literature play.
Our goal is to become great readers.
This week we are going to work on our expression.
Let me show you some examples of expression.
(On Board) "We are going to the mall after class!" (teacher reads with
excitement) I see the exclamation point so I knew I had to say it with
excitement.
For this sentence: "What are you going to buy?" I see the question mark so I
know to read it as a question.
(The teacher reads the question).
We have to make our voice go up and down when we read with expression.
We want to read it like we would talk.
On Board: "I think I am going to buy a dress." (teacher uses
expression) If we don't use expression then we will get bored reading it and
your audience will get bored listening to you.
4. Ok, we
are going to jump right in!
Today we are going to practice our lines by doing "line snaps."
Line snaps are when actors and actresses practice saying their lines
without worrying about costumes or where you are supposed to stand or any of
those important things.
Right now we are just going to worry about our words.
I am passing out a sheet of paper.
This paper is going to be something you fill out for your buddy.
Who can read me what it says? That is right! The top part says "Time
after 1st read, 2nd read, 3rd read."
What on earth?
I want you to let your buddy read his part all the way through and I
want you to time him using your timer.
Then I want you to write down his time after each run through.
You will probably see the time get to be less and less!
Somebody different read the bottom part to me.
Yes, that says "I noticed my partner read.. (teacher rereads sheet)."
What does that mean?
It means that you are going to checkmark those blanks if you noticed
your partner remembered more words, or was reading faster (teacher pretends to
run fast in place) smoother, that. Means. Not. Choppy. That. Means. Your.
Partner. Read. His. Words. Without. Pausing. Or. S-o-u-n-d-i-n-g t-h-e w-o-r-d-s
o-u-t. I want
you to check "with expression" if your partner was more expressive and dramatic
when he read (teacher should say this part with ample expression and drama.)
I am going to walk around the room to help your group if you need it.
5. As the
teacher walks around the room she will have students orally summarize their
group's passage.
She will also make notes about each child's fluency and errors.
6. For
the remainder of the week the teacher will continue to allot time for the
students to practice the reader's theater scripts and prepare for the
production.
The students will maintain interest if the teacher has them read their lines in
various scenarios.
Practice reading with costumes on (dress rehearsal), practice reading
with stage directions, practice performing in front of one other group, practice
performing in front of a favorite neighboring teacher, etc.
Throughout the week the students will continue to use the attached
form to assess the fluency gains of their peers.
The teacher will review these as an assessment and compare her own
notes on each child from the beginning of the reader's theater cycle to the
fluency gains as demonstrated by the performance.
On Friday the students will have a grand performance for the other
members of the class.
On the following Monday, the cycle of reader's theater can begin
again.
J
7. The
next week's reader's theater will be a student written sequel of the play.
The groups can trade their sequels and have a different group perform
their written sequel.
Then the group that wrote the sequel can help/interact with the group
that is performing it.
Reference:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/readerstheater.htm
http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm
Speed
Reading Record:
Name:_________________________
Date:___________
Time:
- After 1st read
_______
- After 2nd read
_______
- After 3rd read
_______
-Partner Check Sheet for students to assess their partner's fluency:
When I listened to my partner read:
After 2nd
After 3rd
1. Remembered more words _______
_______
2. Read faster
_______ _______
3. Read smoother
_______ _______
4. Read with expression
_______ _______