Another great
activity for building vocabulary as well as fluency and comprehension is
Readers Theater. So it can address CCSS for ELA in the Reading Informational
Text #4, #1, and 2.
Additional benefits of RT include:
—Promotes student
cooperation.
—Improves listening and speaking skills.
—Helps even the
shyest students develop self-confidence
when reading aloud.
Why does Readers Theater work?
—Children are natural
performers and love using their imaginations
—RT allows emergent,
struggling, and advanced readers to participate in the same activity with equal
success.
—It gives repetitive
reading a purpose.
Because I’m a science
geek, I’m a sucker for RT scripts that teach science. In fact, I’ve written a few of them myself.
Why is RT a good
technique for life science instruction?
—Students are more
likely to retain science concepts (not to mention new words, which is what CCSS
for ELA in the Reading Informational Text #4 focuses on) when they’re
incorporated into a fun activity
—Students feel a
connection to “their” creature, see the world from that animal’s POV
—Students gain a
deeper understanding of animal behaviors and lifestyles
—Students learn how
living things interact
—Students become more
aware of the roles plants and animals play in their environment.
So if you haven’t
given Readers Theater a try, now’s your chance. And because writing scripts is
often better than trying to find one that’s already published, I’ll teach you
how to over the next few weeks. Stay tuned.
