Literacy and Language in the Elementary or Middle School Classroom

Lesson 5Agenda

• Attendance• Moodle tip for Binder assignment• How does oral language develop?• What is Reader’s Theatre and how does it

support oral, reading and writing skills?

Anchor Charts

• http://pinterest.com/jennyferm/anchor-chart-ideas/?e_t=37da520d62124cc49447beef9db54bc3&e_t_s=boards&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly

How does oral language develop?

• Continuum

Function: nounInflected Form(s): plural contin·ua /-y -w /; also -u·ums

something that is continuous and the same throughout and that is often thought of as a series of elements or values which differ by only tiny amounts <"light" and "dark" stand at opposite ends of a continuum>

Continuum – What is it?

Oral Language Continuum layout

Phase NameGlobal StatementTranscript of DialogueKey Indicators

**

Major Teaching EmphasesAt All Phases

From Beginning to more Advanced phases

4 major views on oral language development

Behaviourist

Innatist

Constructivist

Social Interactionist

Which one fits with your view?

Reader’s TheatreA fun strategy to teach fluency and comprehension to all students

Reader’s Theatre and Boys

“Boys often enjoy working with reader’s theatre scripts, which allow them to feel like active participants in a story.”

p.22

Reader’s Theatre is easy:

• 1. Choose a script or adapt a script• 2. Assign parts• 3. Highlight parts and rehearse• 4. Perform• 5. Reflect on the experience

Getting Students ready for Reader’s Theatre

Warming Up The Voice

• Breathing and humming• Yawning and stretching• Vowels and consonants• Tongue twisters

Activity 1: One Sentence

Emphasize a different word each time:

• Mom wants to see you.

• Mom wants to see you.

• Mom wants to see you.

• Mom wants to see you.

Activity 2: Clue, Context, and Sentence

• (Angrily) I told you to go to your room! Now,

will you do as you’re told?

Activity 3: Expression of Tone

• Write a sentence such as “I’m sick and I can’t go to school”

• Read it in a monotone voice and then ask everyone to read it with you.• Discuss how the reader feels when they read.• Practise the sentence with different tones (sad, rude, lazy, happy, angry, etc.) as a class and then in small groups.

Activity 4: Voice Tempo

The snow is falling and school has been canceled.A big, big dog started to chase me.

The principal was away today.

• Repeat the sentences in different ways to experience the impact of tempo on the meaning.– -quickly, to show excitement– -slowly, to indicate disappointment– -moderately, to state a fact

How does Reader’s Theatre support oral, reading, and writing skills?

ReadingLady.com – RT Scripts

http://www.readinglady.com/index.php?module=documents&JAS_DocumentManager_op=viewDocument&JAS_Document_id=9&MMN_position=34:34

http://www.thebestclass.org/rtscripts.html

Next Lesson

• Practice your Reader’s Theatre script

• Catch-up with all previously assigned readings

• Update Writer’s Notebook

• Remember: Spandel book will be needed by January 24