Implementing Readers Theater as an Approach to Classroom Fluency, Article Writing Example

In the article “Implementing Readers Theater as an Approach to Classroom Fluency,” Young and Rasinski (2009) examine the growing focus on reading fluency in the classroom, and describe the results of their research into the ways that Readers Theater exercises can be used o promote reading fluency.

The authors begin with a discussion of reading fluency, offering a definition of the term as well as explaining how reading fluency correlates to a broader range of competencies. According to the authors, reading fluency is defined as “the ability to read the words in a text with sufficient accuracy, automaticity, and prosody to lead to good comprehension (Young &Rasinski, 2009). Accuracy requires the ability to read words aloud “without error in pronunciation” (Young &Rasinski); automaticity refers to reading “effortlessly” (Young &Rasinski) and prosody describes the ability for readers to “render a text with appropriate expression and phrasing” (Young &Rasinksi). In short, fluent reading should “sound like natural speech” (Young &Rasinski). The connection between strong reading fluency and strong reading comprehension is, according to the authors, borne out both in the context of oral reading and silent reading, while the reverse is true for students with poor fluency skills. The implications of these connections have spurred the development of a variety of classroom strategies for boosting reading fluency, one of which is the Readers Theater exercises that are the focus of this article.

The authors move from a discussion of reading fluency to an examination of Readers Theater exercise and activities. As defined by the authors,  Readers Theater “is a performance of a written script that demands repeated and assisted reading that is focused on delivering meaning to an audience” (Young &Rasinski). Readers Theater differs from activities such as performing plays, in that it requires no memorization of lines, and students are not using sets, props, or other components typically associated with theater performances. Instead, students are called upon to read from scripts using their fluency skills to “carry the meaning” (Young &Rasinski) of the story. The authors examined the implementation of Readers Theater activities in classroom settings in order to make some determinations about its efficacy in promoting fluency.

In the main body of the article, the authors describe their research methodology by offering details about participants, data collection, and descriptions of the specific Readers Theater projects. The participants were 29 monolingual second grade students with assessed reading achievement levels ranging from early kindergarten to mid-year third grade. The researchers utilized district and state assessment testing protocols to monitor the progress of students over the course of the year, as well as several discrete testing protocols to assess specific progress in accuracy, automaticity, and prosody. Readers Theater activities were “nested deeply within…existing balanced literacy programs” (Young &Rasinski) and integrated on a regular and recurring schedule. The authors provide an extensive and detailed overview of the specific components of their Readers Theater activities, the scope of which is beyond the limitations of this discussion.

At the conclusion of the school year, the researchers developed both quantitative and qualitative analyses of their data. According to their findings, the students made small gains in reading rate, which is correlated with automaticity. Gains were also made in accuracy; according to the data, the students doubled the average year-to-year gains of typical second grade students. From a qualitative standpoint, the students made large strides in prosody, and the researchers assert that the Readers Theater activities “had a positive and motivational effect” (Young &Rasinski).  While the authors conclude by acknowledging the limitations of this study, they suggest that their findings should encourage other educators to implement Readers Theater activities in their classrooms.

Reference

Young, C., &Rasinski, T. (2009). Implementing readers theatre as an approach to classroom fluency instruction. The Reading Teacher, 63(1), 4–13.