What: Reader’s Theatre is a way to involve students in reading aloud. In reader’s theatre, students “perform” by reading scripts created from grade-level books or stories. This is usually done without costumes or props.

Who: Grade level and content area do not matter as long as an appropriate piece of text is selected.

Why: Reader’s Theatre gives students a reason to read aloud. It helps to improve students’ fluency and comprehension.

How: The teacher selects a piece of text. Either the teacher or students create a script. The author’s words and phrases are kept intact, but are divided into meaningful parts, when creating the script. Students are assigned roles according to the script. Students practice their scripts several times, then perform in front of the class.