Second-graders perform some reader’s theater

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Parents were treated to some choral reading, 2nd-grade style at Washington Elementary school Tuesday morning, as students performed some classic and not-so-classic Christmas stories.

Five different 2nd-grade classes each told reader’s theater tales for about 15 minutes in front of their parents, who had been formally invited and respectfully escorted to their seats in the library.

“They take a lot of pride into getting to show their parents all that they’ve worked for,” said Washington 2nd-grade teacher Madalyn Fank, whose class read “The 12 Days of Christmas Vacation” and “Bob the Goofy Reindeer.”

Fank said that each grade tries to do something different to engage parents, and the reader’s theater performance was the 2nd grade’s way of getting parents involved and letting the kids have some fun with their parents.

After each performance, parents were invited back to the classroom to enjoy cookies. Fank said that performing reader’s theater helps students learn to read aloud — perhaps with some vocal characterization — both as an individual and in cooperation as a group.

“We find that reader’s theater really helps them with their fluency, so when they learn the different parts they are working to become more fluent readers as well as just having some fun,” Fank said. “It shows them how to get more expression into their voices as they read, and maybe it will lead some kids to become more interested in plays and involved in theater as they get older.”