There seems to be tons of reading materials out there to focus on fluency, comprehension, specific phonics skills – the list really does go on and on. But something that shouldn’t get swept under the rug is the magic of Reader’s Theatre. Oftentimes, we forget about these plays because we are so wrapped up in our phonics activities and decodable readers. But Reader’s Theatre is always a huge hit with students because it gets them up and moving, gives them a little bit of the spotlight, and is an active way to practice reading! So let’s not forget about these guys that have tons of benefits!
Benefits of Reader's Theatre
Doing Reader’s Theatre in your classroom creates confidence in kids as they perform in front of their classmates. And for the students whose confidence could use a little boosting, it’s a great way for them to step outside of their comfort zone and try something new. Reader’s Theatre also is a great way to practice fluency and comprehension. If you’ve read any of my blog posts on fluency, then you know it’s important to incorporate authentic, real-life texts within your classroom when students feel ready.
But what if a Reader’s Theatre play was decodable, so that students could have immediate access to them? Well, that’s what I created just for you! Because I believe in Reader’s Theatre so much, I created Decodable Reader’s Theatre Plays that you’ll for sure want in your classroom! The best part about this resource is that they’re decodable – so you don’t have to wait until your students are perfectly fluent readers to start introducing them to these scripts! And because they come in many different phonics patterns, you can use them to easily differentiate based upon student need. They’re suitable for all types of readers within your classroom. No matter what their reading range is, all students will benefit from this resource because it provides a chance to further their reading confidence as well as practice fluency!
Phonics Based Reader's Theatre
Let’s take a closer look at these phonics based Reader’s Theatre plays!
What makes this resource so great?
These Decodable Reader’s Theater Plays do a lot! Students will review phonics patterns, practice decoding in context, and focus on reading fluently. With an additional page included for each page, students are encouraged to respond to comprehension questions. The nature of each play also helps build confidence in readers. Another amazing aspect of this resource is that it provides you with a super great Friday Fun activity! It’s the perfect switch up kids need from other phonics activities that gets them moving about the room. These plays also introduce them to authentic texts and encourage them to read with their classmates as a team to perform a play.
What’s included?
When you snag these decodable plays, you get 20 Decodable Reader’s Theater plays that contain 2 plays for phonics pattern: CVC words, digraphs, beginning and ending blends, added endings, CVCe words, r-controlled vowels, vowel teams, and diphthongs, and a review of ALL of these phonics patterns! Each play also contains comprehension questions that pertain to each story along with a drawing activity. They’re perfect to print out on colored paper according to phonics skill!
How do I use this in my classroom?
If you’re a classroom teacher, reading specialist, classroom aid, ESL teacher, tutor, or working with your own children – if you have four or more kids you’re working with, this resource is for you! One example of using this resource is in small groups. Choose an appropriate play for the group you’re working on (perhaps they’re working on vowel teams, for instance) and assign the characters to four students. Before beginning, you might choose to read the lines out loud together in the first round. Students can then practice their own parts privately as they focus on expression, pace, smoothness, and phrasing. This is great practice for reading authentic texts and reading out loud. When the practicing is done, students can read the play out loud and act out their parts. Afterwards, students complete the comprehension page and students can give a go at switching roles! If time allows, students can decide to make props, a background, or anything else that fits into the play and the plot.
Another idea is to make these part of a rotation around the classroom. Place these plays around the room and set them in the middle of a group of four desks. Divide students up into groups of four, and send them to a station to practice their play with each other. You can choose to pair up the students with another model student or based upon phonics skill. When students are finished practicing, they can come up as a group and perform in front of the class! Since these plays are short and sweet, there’s time for everyone to have their chance at being an actor on stage!
Decodable Reader’s Theater Valentine’s Day FREEBIE
Love is in the air this time of year, and there’s lots to give away! Check out my FREE Valentine’s Day Decodable Readers and begin to fall in love with these awesome Reader’s Theater plays. When you download the freebie, you’ll get two Decodable Reader’s Theater plays with a fun Valentine’s Day theme. This is the perfect Valentine’s activity for your classroom to add some love into the day! Students won’t even know they’re working on decoding, fluency, and comprehension with all the fun they’re having performing these plays. So put a little love into your classroom and snag this Valentine FREEBIE!
