16. READER'S THEATER:
A Collaborative Reading-Writing-Speaking Activity
A Collaborative Reading-Writing-Speaking Activity
- Students form groups of 4-5 readers.
- Each group reads and discusses a short story.
- Each group turns their short story into a 5-10 minute Readers' Theater script (no costumes, no sets or props, no movement)
- Readers practice effective speech techniques (voice projection, variations in vocal speed, enunciation, emotion, inflection, posture, gestures, facial expressions—see Speaking Strategy #1.
- Each group presents their story with 4-5 characters/actors or with a narrator and 3-4 characters to the rest of the class.
- Alternative: After reading a whole-class novel, 5-6 groups each take a major story plot event and turn into a Readers' Theater script and perform the story in chronological order for themselves or another class.
15. ENCOURAGING DIVERSE READING
To encourage students to read diversely, I created this chart so readers can track the diversity (and variety) of their reading over the term.
To encourage students to read diversely, I created this chart so readers can track the diversity (and variety) of their reading over the term.
For Book Club selections, offer choices by diverse authors, featuring diverse characters, settings, reading levels and formats (prose, verse, graphic, and multi-formatted), written from a variety of POVs. See "Planning A Diverse Library and my graphic lists of suggestions for Book Clubs for diverse reading.
14. READING INFORMATIVE TEXTS in a variety of formats and in a range of reading levels
The range of reading levels, and the diverse formats of these sample texts will appeal to different readers while offering similar information but differentiation. Below is a sample TEXT SET:
The range of reading levels, and the diverse formats of these sample texts will appeal to different readers while offering similar information but differentiation. Below is a sample TEXT SET:
Informative Texts are available written in a variety of FORMATS: Reader's Theater, Cartoons and Graphica, A-Z Books, Poetry, Picture Books, etc.
Ideas, strategies, and lessons for setting up INFORMATIVE TEXT (Book) CLUBS are outlined in Talking Texts : A Teachers' Guide to Book Clubs across the Curriculum, Ch 9. Book Clubs can each read a text on a different, but related topic; Book Clubs can each read a different text on a whole-class topic; or Book Club members can each read a different text on a Book Club topic.
13. Another SAMPLE READING WORKSHOP FOCUS LESSON: Setting a Purpose for Reading
This is an example for a 10-15 minute Reading strategy lesson—Setting a Purpose for Reading—using one short text (newspaper article) for the Teacher Model and another short text (poem) for the Guided Practice and readers' whole-class, book club, or independent text for the Independent Application.
This is an example for a 10-15 minute Reading strategy lesson—Setting a Purpose for Reading—using one short text (newspaper article) for the Teacher Model and another short text (poem) for the Guided Practice and readers' whole-class, book club, or independent text for the Independent Application.
Another way to keep the Focus Lessons short is to use the same text—a poem, a picture book, a news article—for the Teacher Model (the beginning of the text) and for the Guided practice (the next part of the text); if the lesson is based on the chapter of a whole-class text, readers can finish the chapter for the Independent Application of the lesson.
See also Strategy #8, a sample Focus Lesson on Making Predictions
See also Strategy #8, a sample Focus Lesson on Making Predictions
12. INTER-BOOK CLUB MEETINGS
After readers hold their 20-minute Book Club meeting, Book Club members meet for 5-10 minutes in small groups with other Book Clubs to compare/contrast their novels and characters. See sample instructions.
Add to the strategies in my blog "The 5 Steps of Facilitating Book Clubs."
After readers hold their 20-minute Book Club meeting, Book Club members meet for 5-10 minutes in small groups with other Book Clubs to compare/contrast their novels and characters. See sample instructions.
Add to the strategies in my blog "The 5 Steps of Facilitating Book Clubs."
This is another Book Club strategy from TALKING TEXTS: A Teachers' Guide to Book Clubs across the Curriculum.
11. NOTEPASSING AS A DISCUSSION STRATEGY
When I ask teachers how many students typically participate in a class discussion, the answer is always, “Three to four—and always the same students.”
How do we encourage all students to participate in a discussion and how does this work with time and noise constraints?
Students love to write and pass notes—secret missives meant for the eyes of one person at a time. And notes allow time to plan a response and the knowledge that the response will be read and considered. Also, the fact that they do not need to look someone in the eye when making a response is comforting to many of our students. Teachers can effectively employ this technique in their classrooms through a discussion strategy: NOTEPASSING.
After teaching students how to initiate conversations with reflections that will invite further discussion and teaching some discussion “extenders” [see Strategy #9], I introduce Notepassing as a discussing strategy.
These are the teacher’s oral directions from my article “During Reading Response: Notepassing Discussion”:
Both teachers and students have seen the many advantages of this type of conversation which include
While I could have posted this as a Speaking or Writing Strategy, I decided to post it as a Reading Strategy because it is extremely effective when discussing text—novels, short stories, poetry, articles, and even textbook chapters.
How do we encourage all students to participate in a discussion and how does this work with time and noise constraints?
Students love to write and pass notes—secret missives meant for the eyes of one person at a time. And notes allow time to plan a response and the knowledge that the response will be read and considered. Also, the fact that they do not need to look someone in the eye when making a response is comforting to many of our students. Teachers can effectively employ this technique in their classrooms through a discussion strategy: NOTEPASSING.
After teaching students how to initiate conversations with reflections that will invite further discussion and teaching some discussion “extenders” [see Strategy #9], I introduce Notepassing as a discussing strategy.
These are the teacher’s oral directions from my article “During Reading Response: Notepassing Discussion”:
- Divide into groups of three [the best number for this activity. If there needs to be 1-2 groups of four, those groups may make another pass—see #6.] After you divide into groups, there is to be no talking.
- Each student is to individually read the article (or textbook chapter or the next novel chapter).
- On a separate sheet of paper, write a two-minute response to the text. Think of something meaningful, significant, or interesting to write about—a good discussion point. Write or print legibly so what you write can be read by others. Then sign your first name. [When the timer signals two minutes, the teacher tells students to finish the sentence they are currently writing and sign their names.]
- Within your triad, pass your paper to the right. Write a two-minute response to the comments made by the person whose paper you receive, continuing the conversation as we discussed. Then sign your name.
- Again pass the papers to the right within your triad. Read the two responses. Write a two-minute response to the comments on the paper you receive, continuing and extending the conversation started by the first two responders; then sign your first name. [When the timer signals two minutes, the teacher tells students to finish the sentences they are currently writing and sign their names.]
- Return the note to its original owner who will read all the responses. [During this time, groups of four can pass and write one more time if the teacher wishes.]
- Your group should now talk about insights or points made in their comments.
- THEN each triad prepares to share with the class:
- The different topics of your “conversations”
- One point about the text on which you all agree and think is important
Both teachers and students have seen the many advantages of this type of conversation which include
- Everyone participates and has a turn
- Everyone has some time to think about their responses
- With even 30 students “discussing,” the room is quiet
- There were no non-verbal reactions to comments
- All comments have an audience
- All students are writing at the same time, so there are actually 3 conversations going on in each group (only 1-2 are shown below).
While I could have posted this as a Speaking or Writing Strategy, I decided to post it as a Reading Strategy because it is extremely effective when discussing text—novels, short stories, poetry, articles, and even textbook chapters.
10. TEACHING DISCUSSION STRATEGIES
It is important, especially when facilitating class or small group discussions, to teach students strategies to develop conversations, especially when everyone agrees with a point that has been made. Students need to practice strategies that extend conversations, building on each other's comments and insights. In promoting productive conversations, it is even more essential to teach the language to respectfully disagree. Disagreements, when held while valuing everyone's opinion, may lead to even more in-depth discussion.
This chart is from Talking Texts: A Teacher's Guide to Book Clubs across the Curriculum which explores this topic in more detail.
It is important, especially when facilitating class or small group discussions, to teach students strategies to develop conversations, especially when everyone agrees with a point that has been made. Students need to practice strategies that extend conversations, building on each other's comments and insights. In promoting productive conversations, it is even more essential to teach the language to respectfully disagree. Disagreements, when held while valuing everyone's opinion, may lead to even more in-depth discussion.
This chart is from Talking Texts: A Teacher's Guide to Book Clubs across the Curriculum which explores this topic in more detail.
9. "TEACHING" THE WHOLE-CLASS NOVEL
Step 1: Determine what LESSONS you want to use the novel to teach: reading strategies, literary elements, author’s craft, response,…. Plan daily reading Workshop Focus Lessons (see Reading Strategy #8). We are teaching readers, not novels.
Step 2: Determine any background knowledge readers need to have, i.e. historical fiction , or if reading the novel will provide that information. See Reading Strategy # 1 for a KWHLR Chart for determining/activating prior knowledge.
Step 3: Divide the novel into reading chunks: 1-2 chapter(s)/day or a few chapters to discuss every other day (alternating with Writing Workshop days).
Step 4: Determine how to assess if and how readers are reading and comprehending, i.e. teaching Reading Response strategies.
Step 5: Plan After-Reading Assessment/Presentation or choices.
Read novel through Reading Workshop Format:
Step 2: Determine any background knowledge readers need to have, i.e. historical fiction , or if reading the novel will provide that information. See Reading Strategy # 1 for a KWHLR Chart for determining/activating prior knowledge.
Step 3: Divide the novel into reading chunks: 1-2 chapter(s)/day or a few chapters to discuss every other day (alternating with Writing Workshop days).
Step 4: Determine how to assess if and how readers are reading and comprehending, i.e. teaching Reading Response strategies.
Step 5: Plan After-Reading Assessment/Presentation or choices.
Read novel through Reading Workshop Format:
All novels do not need to be read as whole-class novels. I moved from short stories > whole-class novel > Book Club novels > independent, self selected novels (sometimes on the same topic or in the same format or genre (see "Losing the Fear of Sharing Control: Starting a Reading Workshop").
8. A SAMPLE READING WORKSHOP FOCUS LESSON: Making Predictions
This is an example of designing a Reading/Writing FOCUS LESSON or GRADUAL RELEASE OF RESPONSIBILITY LESSON or READING STRATEGY LESSON (actually this is all 3 together). This was the format I used for teaching all my Reading and Writing Workshop Daily Focus Lessons, teaching narrow concepts in each lesson, teaching to Mastery.
For more about the Gradual Release of Responsibility model, see https://www.literacywithlesley.com/blog/teaching-through-the-gradual-release-of-responsibility-model
This is an example of designing a Reading/Writing FOCUS LESSON or GRADUAL RELEASE OF RESPONSIBILITY LESSON or READING STRATEGY LESSON (actually this is all 3 together). This was the format I used for teaching all my Reading and Writing Workshop Daily Focus Lessons, teaching narrow concepts in each lesson, teaching to Mastery.
For more about the Gradual Release of Responsibility model, see https://www.literacywithlesley.com/blog/teaching-through-the-gradual-release-of-responsibility-model
7. STUDENT BOOK REVIEWS TO SHARE READING
Strategies for readers to share books they read with other readers:
1) Each marking period my readers were required to write a formal BOOK REVIEW (argument writing). We scaffolded as follows:
MARKING PERIOD 1: The CLASS first analyzed 3 published book reviews as mentor texts, noting elements that were included in ALL reviews and elements included in only SOME reviews. The "All" became required elements for their reviews; the "Some" were optional. I required a certain number of "optional" elements, differentiating.
The class then wrote a review together, critiquing our whole-class novel. Students brainstormed ideas together, collaborated on appropriate language, and then readers wrote individual reviews (or in pairs), using as much from the class discussions as they wished.
MARKING PERIOD 2: BOOK CLUB members collaborated on a Book Review, critiquing their Book Club novel, each member analyzing a different literary element.
MARKING PERIODS 3 and 4: Readers INDIVIDUALLY choose 1 of their self-selected, independently-read texts to review.
Reviews were typed and illustrated, usually with a picture of the cover, and housed in the Roessing Readers' Reviews binder which was divided by genre (as was our classroom library) for readers to peruse when looking for a next book to read.
√These also could be uploaded to a class, teacher, or library computer as a digital binder.
Pictured are my GUIDELINES FOR REVIEWS. See The Write to Read: Response Journals that Increase Comprehension and Talking Texts: A Teachers' Guide to Book Clubs across the Curriculum for student samples and other ways readers shared their readings, individually and collaboratively.
Also, scroll down to the BOOK TALKS short.
1) Each marking period my readers were required to write a formal BOOK REVIEW (argument writing). We scaffolded as follows:
MARKING PERIOD 1: The CLASS first analyzed 3 published book reviews as mentor texts, noting elements that were included in ALL reviews and elements included in only SOME reviews. The "All" became required elements for their reviews; the "Some" were optional. I required a certain number of "optional" elements, differentiating.
The class then wrote a review together, critiquing our whole-class novel. Students brainstormed ideas together, collaborated on appropriate language, and then readers wrote individual reviews (or in pairs), using as much from the class discussions as they wished.
MARKING PERIOD 2: BOOK CLUB members collaborated on a Book Review, critiquing their Book Club novel, each member analyzing a different literary element.
MARKING PERIODS 3 and 4: Readers INDIVIDUALLY choose 1 of their self-selected, independently-read texts to review.
Reviews were typed and illustrated, usually with a picture of the cover, and housed in the Roessing Readers' Reviews binder which was divided by genre (as was our classroom library) for readers to peruse when looking for a next book to read.
√These also could be uploaded to a class, teacher, or library computer as a digital binder.
Pictured are my GUIDELINES FOR REVIEWS. See The Write to Read: Response Journals that Increase Comprehension and Talking Texts: A Teachers' Guide to Book Clubs across the Curriculum for student samples and other ways readers shared their readings, individually and collaboratively.
Also, scroll down to the BOOK TALKS short.
6. TEACHING READING STRATEGIES & LITERARY ELEMENTS through SHORT STORIES
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At the beginning of each year, I employed shorts stories to teach reading strategies, such as
And for teaching/reviewing literary elements, such as
For each lesson on the first day I taught a literary element and we read about half the story. The second day I taught a reading strategy lesson, and we usually finished the story. In some cases we had a quick review of the previous lesson using the new text. We read the stories in a variety of ways: I read aloud, modeling fluent, expressive reading; students volunteered to read the dialogue as the characters, and I read the narration, much like Readers' Theater: I read the beginning of the story and then students read individually to themselves to a certain point in the story. Then readers were given a short writing assignment, many times just taken to the draft stage. All lessons were taught through the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model [see my GRR Blog]. For the first lesson on Activating Background Knowledge, we read a short informational article, first filling out the What I KNOW (or think I know) and the What I WANT to Know parts of a K-W-L Chart to activate background knowledge of any kind associated, no matter how tenuously, to the topic or title of the article. Pictured are lessons with 9 short stories. In my case the stories all came from our Prentice Hall anthology; I chose the stories that best fit each lesson I was teaching. And also pictured is an expanded sample lesson. |
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5. GENRE RECORD CHART to ENCOURAGE WIDE READING
I designed this chart for students' Reading Journals to encourage readers to try different GENRES.
1.After readers finished a book—whether a whole-class, book club, or independent self-selected reading, they placed a star sticker in the appropriate square.
2. Whenever readers accumulated 3 stars in one genre, they were encouraged to try another genre. It was not necessary to acquire 3 stars in every block but to at least try 1 book in as many as possible.
Of course, teachers can include any genres, or even formats—prose, verse, graphic, multi-formatted, they wish; this chart represents how our classroom library was designated.
There was no prize or grade for number of stars or number of squares; the chart provided a visual record of their reading for readers and for me and one basis of self-reflection of themselves as readers. I did overhear 8th graders make such comments to each other as, “I see you have been reading quite a lot of genres. How did you like …” or, about themselves, “I never thought I would like reading ….”
In its blank format, this is one of the many reproducible forms for readers’ journals from THE WRITE TO READ: Response Journals that Increase Comprehension.
1.After readers finished a book—whether a whole-class, book club, or independent self-selected reading, they placed a star sticker in the appropriate square.
2. Whenever readers accumulated 3 stars in one genre, they were encouraged to try another genre. It was not necessary to acquire 3 stars in every block but to at least try 1 book in as many as possible.
Of course, teachers can include any genres, or even formats—prose, verse, graphic, multi-formatted, they wish; this chart represents how our classroom library was designated.
There was no prize or grade for number of stars or number of squares; the chart provided a visual record of their reading for readers and for me and one basis of self-reflection of themselves as readers. I did overhear 8th graders make such comments to each other as, “I see you have been reading quite a lot of genres. How did you like …” or, about themselves, “I never thought I would like reading ….”
In its blank format, this is one of the many reproducible forms for readers’ journals from THE WRITE TO READ: Response Journals that Increase Comprehension.
4. BOOK TALK GUIDELINES
A BOOK TALK is an oral presentation by a teacher, librarian, or student-reader who tells about a book to stimulate other readers’ interest and encourage and motivate them to read a text – an “AD” for a book.
1. Besides teacher and librarian Book Talks, to introduce readers to more texts, invite student-readers to sign up in advance for extra-credit Book Talks. Teachers/Librarians will then know when to plan for 5 minutes at the end of an upcoming class.
2. Teachers need to teach effective Public Speaking Techniques first: volume, enunciation, pacing, eye contact, posture.
3. In order to present and earn extra credit, the presentation needs to be practiced and fit the time limit.
4. Presenters are to have a copy of the book or be able to project a picture of the front cover.
1. Besides teacher and librarian Book Talks, to introduce readers to more texts, invite student-readers to sign up in advance for extra-credit Book Talks. Teachers/Librarians will then know when to plan for 5 minutes at the end of an upcoming class.
2. Teachers need to teach effective Public Speaking Techniques first: volume, enunciation, pacing, eye contact, posture.
3. In order to present and earn extra credit, the presentation needs to be practiced and fit the time limit.
4. Presenters are to have a copy of the book or be able to project a picture of the front cover.
3. PRE-READING FREE-WRITE ACTIVITY to Set a Purpose for Reading
OBJECTS STORY, a PRE-READING ACTIVITY: Students draft a story based on 10 objects from a text they will read.
1. Writers begin their individual stories. Sometimes I started writers off with the opening sentence from the text to be read or a sentence that would set the mood.
2. After students have drafted a sentence or two, I pull 10 objects from a box or bag; pulling out one object every minute.
3. As I pull and announce an object, writers have to include the object within their next sentence or two, until they have included all 10 objects and a final sentence. Writers are not to worry about mechanics.
3. When we finish, writers can share their stories.
These are not finished writings; they may not even make much sense. As with our daily free-writes (see Strategy Short below), the focus is Writing Fluency (and making writing fun). When I tell writers that the author has used these same items in their story, the student writings lead to anticipation about the text; readers cannot wait to read and find out how these objects fit in the story (purpose for reading).
I have used this strategy/activity with Langston Hughes' "Thank You, Ma'am," but it would work with any story or novel.
Visiting a classroom where a teacher from one of my workshops introduced this activity to her students, I watched a student employ it as part of a Book Talk for her class, asking students to write a story as she pulled objects from her novel. After 2-3 students shared their drafts, Brianna presented her Book Talk on Smile.
[Pictures used with students, parents, and teacher permission].
1. Writers begin their individual stories. Sometimes I started writers off with the opening sentence from the text to be read or a sentence that would set the mood.
2. After students have drafted a sentence or two, I pull 10 objects from a box or bag; pulling out one object every minute.
3. As I pull and announce an object, writers have to include the object within their next sentence or two, until they have included all 10 objects and a final sentence. Writers are not to worry about mechanics.
3. When we finish, writers can share their stories.
These are not finished writings; they may not even make much sense. As with our daily free-writes (see Strategy Short below), the focus is Writing Fluency (and making writing fun). When I tell writers that the author has used these same items in their story, the student writings lead to anticipation about the text; readers cannot wait to read and find out how these objects fit in the story (purpose for reading).
I have used this strategy/activity with Langston Hughes' "Thank You, Ma'am," but it would work with any story or novel.
Visiting a classroom where a teacher from one of my workshops introduced this activity to her students, I watched a student employ it as part of a Book Talk for her class, asking students to write a story as she pulled objects from her novel. After 2-3 students shared their drafts, Brianna presented her Book Talk on Smile.
[Pictures used with students, parents, and teacher permission].
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2. A BOOK PASS |
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Directions:
Adaptation:
Purpose: to put books in the hands of readers.
In 10-15 minutes, students are exposed to 10-15 books which they can add to their "Book Pass: Books for Future Reading" chart in their reading journals, one of the reproducible forms from The Write to Read: Response Journals that Increase Comprehension (Corwin Press).
- Place a different book on each student's desk.
- Students have 1 minute to look at the front and back covers and read part of the first page (to see if they like the author's writing style and if they think the reading will be at their comfort level).
- After 1 minute on the timer, together they pass the book to the next student.
- Students write any titles that interest them for future reading on their Reading Journal chart [pictured above].
- If a student finds a novel they want to read and is ready for their next read, they take the novel out of circulation, replacing it with one from a pile placed on a nearby desk.
Adaptation:
- Put 5-6 desks in a circle.
- Place novels of a particular genre in the middle of each circle, i.e., Fantasy Novel circle, Romance Novel circle, Sports Fiction circle, Dystopian Lit circle, Graphic Novel circle.
- Students sit in the circle that most interest them, at least for their future reading.
- Book Pass proceeds within each circle as decribed above.
Purpose: to put books in the hands of readers.
In 10-15 minutes, students are exposed to 10-15 books which they can add to their "Book Pass: Books for Future Reading" chart in their reading journals, one of the reproducible forms from The Write to Read: Response Journals that Increase Comprehension (Corwin Press).
1. THE K-W-H-L-R CHART to Activate Prior Knowledge & Set Purpose for Reading
Beginning a new topic? See what your students already KNOW (activating background knowledge) and guide them to what they WANT/need to know and HOW and where they can find out. Then they notice what they LEARNED to finally promote REFLECTION to synthesize learning.
This is how I adapted the customary K-W-L chart to begin many of my units, especially in my Humanities class which covered Holocaust and Apartheid studies and Shakespeare.
This form is from my 9/11 Book Club unit in Chapter 10 TALKING TEXTS: A Teacher's Guide to Book Club across the Curriculum (Rowman & Littlefield) and can be used in all content areas
This is how I adapted the customary K-W-L chart to begin many of my units, especially in my Humanities class which covered Holocaust and Apartheid studies and Shakespeare.
This form is from my 9/11 Book Club unit in Chapter 10 TALKING TEXTS: A Teacher's Guide to Book Club across the Curriculum (Rowman & Littlefield) and can be used in all content areas
