ReadWriteThink: Acting Out a Story with a Child Video: Learning Beyond the Classroom

For Ages 4–8
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Acting Out a Story with a Child
Getting young readers involved in text through Readers Theater—reading aloud and acting out the story—is a great way to have fun and increase understanding.

In this video, you’ll see an adult read “Little Miss Muffet” with a young child. As you watch, look for these tips to making your Readers Theater experiences a success for everyone involved.

Give the child choice regarding what story or poem you’ll act out.
Read the story or poem aloud (or let the child do the reading if he or she is able) before preparing to act it out. The child should be very familiar with the words of the story or poem before moving on to acting.
Review with the child the characters and story line.
Set aside time to decide who will play what part, to make costumes and props, and practice.
Encourage the child’s efforts to act out and react to the words in the story or poem. There’s no need to memorize—Readers’ Theater is about reading, and acting, and enjoying the story, not performance in the formal sense.
Invite friends and family members to watch what you and the child have planned.

You can find more ideas and resources for Readers Theater at a number of online sites, such as Aaron Sheperd’s Readers Theater page, which includes tips, scripts, and more.

Published April 2, 2008

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Last Modified: 5/9/2008 2:31:13 PM