Reader’s Theater With Paula

Through Reader’s Theater, the children bring stories to life, strengthen their literacy skills, and enjoy self-expression.  

We begin by listening to a story, and then we use the story as a springboard to write dramatic dialogues that change the story in some way.  Then, the children read and dramatize the dialogues that they have created.

For example, sometimes the children write dialogue for characters that are depicted in the illustrations, but don’t have dialogue in the text. Other times, the children might write dialogue that answers questions they have about the events in the story.  When we read The Ghost and Lone Warrior, they wrote dialogue to answer their question about why the Ghost chose to appear to the Warrior and not to the Warrior’s friends.  Or, the children may write dialogue that solves problems in the story, as they did when we read Dr. DeSoto, and they generated different solutions for how Dr. DeSoto, a mouse dentist could help the dangerous fox while keeping himself and his wife safe.

By doing Reader’s Theater, the children experience the beauty of literature and the joy of using their voices to interact with it. They create their own dialogues and then act out the story using their own words; they become co-authors who use their imaginations and voices to interact with literature. Reading and dramatizing dialogues that they themselves have written makes the activity meaningful to the children, and empowers them because they experience that together with others, they can effect change in their world in a joyful and creative way.  They are becoming more confident, deepening their literacy skills and social skills, and having fun (without electronic devices!). And, children learn best when they are having fun!