Integrating English Language Arts and Theater

Close Reading Strategy:Creating a Reader’s Theater

AFB, LK 10-3-13

Common Core Link

A significant body of research links the close reading of complex text—whether the student is a struggling reader or advanced—to significant gains in reading proficiency and finds close reading to be a key component of college and career readiness.

(Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, 2011, p. 7)

What Is Close Reading?Close, analytic reading stresses engaging with a text of sufficient complexity directly and examining meaning thoroughly and methodically, encouraging students to read and reread deliberately. Directing student attention on the text itself empowers students to understand the central ideas and key supporting details. It also enables students to reflect on the meanings of individual words and sentences; the order in which sentences unfold; and the development of ideas over the course of the text, which ultimately leads students to arrive at an understanding of the text as a whole. (PARCC, 2011, p. 7)

AFB, LK 10-3-13

Suggested Steps for Close Reading

Step 2:

Look at key ideas and details. Get the gist of the text.

Step 3:

Analyze and determine the craft and structure of the text to connect to the author’s purpose.

Step 4:

Based on text evidence, delve into critical thinking questions through the use of rhetorical/literary devices.

Step 1:Teacher sets the purpose for reading. Students do a pre-read of the text.

Ladies First Pamela Purse yelled, "Ladies first,"

Pushing in front of the ice cream line.Pamela Purse yelled, "Ladies first,"

Grabbing the ketchup at dinner time.Climbing on the morning busShe'd shove right by all of us

And there'd be a tiff or a fight or a fussWhen Pamela Purse yelled, "Ladies first."

Pamela Purse screamed, "Ladies first,"When we went off on our jungle trip.

Pamela Purse said that her thirst was worseAnd guzzled our water, every sip.

And when we got grabbed by that wild savage band,Who tied us together and made us all stand

In a long line in front of the King of the land--A cannibal known as Fry-'Em-Up Dan,

Who sat on his throne in a bib so grandWith a lick on his lips and a fork in his hand,

As he tried to decide who'd be first in the pan--From the back of the line, in that shrill voice of hers,

Pamela Purse yelled, "Ladies first."

Adapting Text to Reader’s Theater

Model the following process to the whole group:

Cross out words that will not be spoken/ A slash between words means to pause= A double underlined word or section means to emphasize

A wiggly line under a word or section means to speak softly

Label speaking roles as Speaker, 1,2, 3, etc. Chorus means the whole group is speaking.

Ladies First Pamela Purse yelled, "Ladies first,"

Pushing in front of the ice cream line.Pamela Purse yelled, "Ladies first,"

Grabbing the ketchup at dinner time.Climbing on the morning busShe'd shove right by all of us

And there'd be a tiff or a fight or a fussWhen Pamela Purse yelled, "Ladies first."

Pamela Purse screamed, "Ladies first,"When we went off on our jungle trip.

Pamela Purse said that her thirst was worseAnd guzzled our water, every sip.

And when we got grabbed by that wild savage band,Who tied us together and made us all stand

In a long line in front of the King of the land--A cannibal known as Fry-'Em-Up Dan,

Who sat on his throne in a bib so grandWith a lick on his lips and a fork in his hand,

As he tried to decide who'd be first in the pan--From the back of the line, in that shrill voice of hers,

Pamela Purse yelled, "Ladies first."

Some Tips For Implementation

• Model the process with ALL• Great UA activity for SOME• Revisit HM reading• Book Club/Literature Circles• Keep it simple with minimal costuming if any

at all. Sentence strips make for great headbands.