What is Readers Theater?

Reading doesn't have to be a stale, solitary activity. Readers Theater is an exciting instructional approach that transforms books into lively, collaborative performances.

As defined by Worthy (2005), it is:

"An instructional approach in which students read a book (or listen to a book read aloud) and then perform a play (the book written in script form) by reading the script aloud to an audience" (p.12).

In summary, Readers Theater is a way of teaching students how to read expressively.

How is it different from actual theater?

📖 No Memorization Required: Unlike actors, students don't need to memorize their lines - they can simply read (expressively from the script!

👕 Little to no prep: You don't need much of anything but a script to get started! Although props and costumes aren't required, students may enjoy adding these elements to make their performances even more engaging.