Reader’s Theatre

Leah Walton2025-05-13T17:55:28-04:00

Welcome to Our Reader’s Theater Scripts Homeschool Curriculum

Did you know that using Reader’s Theater scripts regularly can improve reading fluency, auditory comprehension, articulation, social language skills, and vocal/physical expression? Choose from more than seventy short elementary-level scripts for various reading levels and group sizes!

Getting Started with Our Reader’s Theater Scripts Homeschool Course

This homeschool drama and speech course is a compilation of short reader’s theater scripts designed to be read by two or more students. Memorization is not required because the focus on this form of drama is on reading the work with expression rather than reciting it. The reader’s theater scripts are easily adapted to single-child households by having a parent read opposite the homeschool student or by having the student read the play in two different “voices.” Be sure to download the Reader’s Theater Introduction, Tips, and How-Tos file. The link is located under the More About This Course tab.

Overview

26 weeks
Includes printable scripts and teaching tips
Grades: 3–6

Supplies Needed

Corresponding lessons on SchoolhouseTeachers.com; access to the Internet, computer, and printer; a phone video camera, props, or costumes (optional)

What to Do

Go to Class Lessons and download the lesson plan and lessons file. Start with the Day 1 reading assignment. Follow the instructions each day on the lesson plan and check them off when completed.

Course Sample for Our Reader’s Theater Scripts Homeschool Course

To view a full sample of this course, click here.

Reader’s Theater

By Susan Brown

What Is Reader’s Theater?

Reader’s Theater is the oral presentation of a written work that is performed with two or more readers. Memorization is not required because the focus of this form of drama is on reading the work with expression rather than reciting it. The readers help the audience to understand and visualize the text through their vocal performance.

Benefits of Using Reader’s Theater

It gives purpose to reading.
It helps children develop reading fluency through repetition.
It increases comprehension since the text must be interpreted for performance.
It motivates children to read.
It improves not only reading skills, but listening and speaking skills as well.
It encourages children to work together.
Performing Reader’s Theater helps increase self-confidence.

Course Outline for Our Reader’s Theater Scripts Homeschool Course

Seventy-six reader’s theater scripts provide practice in reading fluently and expressively for individual homeschool students or small groups. Scripts may be selected by title or completed as outlined in the weekly assignment on the Class Lessons page.

Week 1: Introduction/A Child’s Thought of God/How Doth the Little Busy Bee/White Butterflies
Week 2: How the Little Kite Learned to Fly/What Christ Said/Who Has Seen the Wind
Week 3: Another Midnight Hymn/I Write About the Butterfly/Little Things
Week 4: Deeds of Kindness/Lo the Lilies of the Field/Playgrounds
Week 5: Easter Day/The City Mouse and the Garden Mouse/ The Son of God Goes Forth to War
Week 6: How the Leaves Came Down/Mr. Nobody/The Shadows
Week 7: Evening Hymn/Robinson Crusoe’s Hymn/The Canary
Week 8: Autumn/The Teapot Dragon/Try Again
Week 9: A Christmas Carol/A Little Lamb Went Straying/Oxfordshire Children’s May Song
Week 10: Learned Fred/The Fountain/The Picture-Book Giant
Week 11: Shepherd Boys Song’s/The Snail/The Table and the Chair
Week 12: On the Road/The Dream of a Girl Who Lived at Seven-Oaks/What If
Week 13: My Kingdom/Our Puppies/The Lord’s Day
Week 14: An Apple Orchard in the Spring/Our Tree Toad/Suffer Little Children to Come Unto Me
Week 15: Did You Ever/Guess What I Have Heard/The Ancient of Days
Week 16: Going Downhill on a Bicycle/In July/We Never Part from Thee
Week 17: Fairies/Hope in God/Zip!
Week 18: Spring/The Pelican Chorus/Twenty Froggies
Week 19: Popcorn/Praise to God/Winter Night
Week 20: Foolish Flowers/P’s and Q’s/Thanks for a Pleasant Day
Week 21: The Bird’s Bath/The Lion and the Mouse/The Tiger
Week 22: God is Good/In the Water World/The Chorus of Frogs
Week 23: The Grass/The Lamb/The Red Bird
Week 24: Calico Pie/It was My Heavenly Father’s Love/The Reformation of Godfrey Gore
Week 25: The Akond of Swat
Week 26: The Jovial Welshmen/There’s a Friend for Little Children

More About Our Reader’s Theater Scripts Homeschool Course

Reader’s theater scripts provide practice in the oral presentation of a written work that is performed with two or more readers. Memorization is not required because the focus of this form of drama is on reading the work with expression rather than reciting it. The readers help the audience to understand and visualize the text through their vocal performance.

There are many benefits of using reader’s theater scripts, whether with individual homeschool students or in small groups: giving purpose to reading; helping children develop reading fluency through repetition; increasing comprehension, since the text must be interpreted for performance; motivating children to read; improving not only reading skills, but listening and speaking skills as well; encouraging children to work together; and helping increase self-confidence.

Download – Reader’s Theater Introduction, Tips, and How-Tos

External links may be included within the course content; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by SchoolhouseTeachers.com of any of the products, services, or opinions of the corporation, organization, or individual. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content. Parents may wish to preview all links because third-party websites include ads that may change over time.

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Reader’s Theater

Length: 76 scripts
Content type: Text based
Grades: 3–6

PRINT CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Susan Brown

Crystal Calhoun2023-11-16T14:16:46-05:00

Susan Brown

Lesson Designer

Susan Brown has more than 20 years experience teaching in a variety of settings including the…

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Quick Start

1. Bookmark the course for easy access during instruction.

2. Click “View Lesson Plan” and organize as desired (on computer desktop or in a printed format).

3. Gather necessary resources as listed in the lesson plan.

4. Click “Go to Class Lessons” and get started.

5. Enjoy the course!

6. Utilize Applecore or your own record keeping system throughout the course.

7. Print a certificate of completion.

Need help? Check out our tutorials or click the live chat box in the corner of your screen.

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Welcome to Our Reader’s Theater Scripts Homeschool Curriculum

Susan Brown

Susan Brown

1. Bookmark the course for easy access during instruction.

2. Click “View Lesson Plan” and organize as desired (on computer desktop or in a printed format).

3. Gather necessary resources as listed in the lesson plan.

4. Click “Go to Class Lessons” and get started.

5. Enjoy the course!

6. Utilize Applecore or your own record keeping system throughout the course.

7. Print a certificate of completion.

Browse All Drama and Speech Classes

Preschool - Elementary Drama and Speech Classes

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