Why I Use Reader's Theater in my Middle School Classroom

It's no secret. I LOVE reader's theater. We read them for just about every unit or topic we cover in social studies. 

In case you are not familiar with it, reader's theater is a script that students read. Oftentimes it's adapted from a traditional story or a book read in class. But, it can also be a script written to teach about a specific topic or unit. 

Some of you may be thinking that you've heard of reader's theater, but isn't it for younger students?
 

Here are 10 reasons I love to use reader's theater in my middle school classroom!

1. They generate interest in our topic because they are fun to read!

2. They are a break from traditional school work.

3. Students get to interact with their peers. Always a positive for middle school students.

4. Reader's theaters place the students into the time and/or events we are learning about.

5. They help students see things from a different perspective.  

6. Not only are they learning social studies content, but they are also practicing their fluency and reading out loud. 

7. They are great for placing non-leaders in leadership roles. 

8. Reader's theaters are great to review content. 

9. They are also great to preview content. 

10. Finally, they are great for enrichment. Sometimes a topic is not necessarily tested or a major standard, but interesting for students to learn. Reader's theaters are great for those topics! 

Not only are they educational but students love them. Often times they comment that they really understand our topic (now that they've read about it), or that they just can't get enough of reading the plays. 

I use them for the following topics:

• Why We Vote
• Regions of the United States
• Native Americans
  
• Explorers
  
• Westward Expansion
  
• The Three Branches of the Government
  
• Mythology
  
• Ancient Civilizations - Rome, Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia
  
• The Revolution
  
• The Civil War
  

Interested in using them in your upper elementary or middle school classroom? Check them out here, or click the shop button on our homepage!