Transcript The Effects of Reader’s Theater on Fluency

The Effects of Readers Theater
on Fluency
Julie Duncan
First Grade
Casar Elementary
Background
I
have wanted to use a strategy to help my average
readers read more fluent and not word by word.
“Reading fluency, the ability to read accurately, at
an appropriate rate, and with meaningful
expression and phrasing has been shown to be
associated with reading comprehension for students
in the intermediate grades.” (Rasinski, T).
Modeling fluent reading in my read-alouds hasn’t helped.
( Rasinski, Blachowicz, & Lems,2006, p.87)
I
have wanted to explore the Readers Theater strategy
after a teacher’s suggestion.
Research Questions
What are the effects of using
Readers Theater on
the reading fluency of my first
grade students?
Can Readers Theater improve
their prosody, expression, and
reading rate?
What effects will Readers
Theater have on reading levels?
Methods
Participants
 I chose six of my average students to form a small
group. All students needed help with expression,
prosody, and automaticity with text.
Instruction
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We met M-Th from 8:30-9:00am and presented our scripts on Fri.
We used a small storage room across from our classroom to have
more privacy and not disturb the other students who were doing
silent reading.
Methods
I chose scripts from different websites to make each reading
experience different. Some were fiction and one was nonfiction.
Our scripts were:
The Three Bears http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/pdf/GK-1/F_Final.pdf
Which Shoes Do You Choose? http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/RTE22.html
The Great Big Enormous Turnip http://www.mrsmcgowan.com/reading/readerstheater.htm
Around the Water Cycle http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/400.html
My lesson plans included:

Monday- I introduced and read the script whole group. Then, I had the students read the script
independently to themselves, asking for help with words they didn’t know.
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Tuesday- Paired students and had them read scripts out loud to each other, alternating parts.
Then, I assigned roles and let students read through their scripts once.
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Wednesday- Read through the script out loud. Teacher echo read with students and gave ‘mini
lessons’ on fluent reading. Sent home scripts for more practice.
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Thursday- Read through script a couple times and tape recorded.

Friday- Presented Reader’s Theater to the class.
Methods
Independent Reading
Partner Reading
Whole Group Reading
Data Collection / Data Analysis
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For my baseline data I used the
January oral reading fluency
assessment from DIBELS and January
Star reading scores.
I took notes during our lessons and
after each script I assessed again
using DIBELS. This was tape recorded.
I Star tested at the end of project.
I listened to the recorded data and
using a 0-2 point scale I assessed
indicators of fluency for each student.
Scores were averaged in each
category.
(see example below)
Indicators of
Fluency
Pausing?
Expression?
Confidence?
Automaticity?
0 = many
1= some
2= none
0
1
1
1
Accuracy?
2
Results
Indicators of Fluency
Results
DIBELS ORF
Words per minute
*Kelci
Alex
4th
3rd
2nd
1st
Jan.ORF
Riley
Kendal
Zachary
Isiah
0
20
40
60
80
* Student moved schools – this is 2 week data
Results
Star Reading Levels
3
2.5
2
Mid year
End
1.5
1
0.5
0
Isiah
Zachary
Kendal
Riley
Alex
*Kelci
Discussion
Fluency Indicators
• Overall gains made in pausing
• Overall gains made in expression
• Confidence made with each script
• Automaticity gains ( except 3rd script )
• Accuracy gains ( except 3rd script )
DIBELS
• All made progress
• Zachary scored less wpm on last week than January benchmark
He did make gains on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd weeks
• Kendal made most gains overall- 29 wpm gain!
Star Reading Levels
• All students increased about a book level- All above 2nd grade
“Around the Water Cycle”
Future Directions

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I would like to take stories and make
them into Readers Theater scripts. This
way I can control the reading levels of
text.
I would like to explore having the
students write their own scripts.
I would like to use Readers Theater for
teaching Integrated Studies.
Resources
Aaron Shepard's Reader's Theater
http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/index.html
Scripts and Tips for Reader’s Theater
 Storycart Press http://www.storycart.com/
Storycart® Press offers a variety of products to support the use of Readers
Theatre in the elementary classroom or reading resource room.
 Reader's Theater Scripts and Plays
http://teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm
Plays and scripts to print and read.
 Reading Lady
http://www.readinglady.com/Readers_Theater/Scripts/scripts.html
A great site with over 40 scripts that you can download in either Microsoft
Word or Adobe format.
 Classroom Theater
http://www.fictionteachers.com/classroomtheater/theater.html

References
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A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF READERS' THEATER ON SECOND AND THIRD
GRADE SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS' FLUENCY GROWTH. By:
Corcoran, Carol A.. Reading Improvement, Summer2005, Vol. 42 Issue
2, p105-111
Bringing Reading Alive Through Readers' Theater. By: Casey, Shirley;
Chamberlain, Rachel. Illinois Reading Council Journal, Fall2006, Vol. 34
Issue 4, p17-25
Carrick, L. (2001, July/August). Internet resources for conducting Readers
Theater. Reading Online, 5(1). Available: http://www.readingonline.org
DIBELS (n.d.).DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills).
Retrieved March 2009, from http://dibels.uoregon.edu/dibelsinfo.php/
Rasinski, T.V. (2000). Speed Does Matter. The Reading Teacher, 54,146-151
Rasinski, T. V. , Blachowicz, C. & Lems, K. (2006) Fluency Instruction:
Research Based Best Practices. New York: The Guilford Press.
Rasinski, T. Guided Fluency Instruction: Moving Students to Independence.
Scholastic, 3, 1-8.