Reader's Theater

My 3rd/4th grade group has been practicing a script for a Reader’s Theater called “Soccer Luck - The Play”. For those who aren’t familiar with it, a Reader’s Theater is a presentation of a story. Readers read from a script and the character parts are divided among the readers. Because readers read directly from a script, there is no need for memorization or costumes. ELLs benefit from Reader's Theater activities in a number of ways, including fluency practice, comprehension, engaging in a story and focusing on vocal and physical expression.

After a brief explanation from me about the Read Aloud Rubric they would use to self-assess, the students practiced reading their parts aloud and then offered each other feedback about their reading. After a couple of practice runs, I video recorded them. They then watched the video and critiqued themselves. It was interesting to see how they picked up on things about themselves and continued to practice as I recorded them; each time wanting to improve, based on their self-assessment on the rubric.