Courses: Public Speaking, Storytelling, Performance Ethnography, Oral Interpretation, Language and Communication. Objectives: The aims of this class exercise are: (1) To engage in a collaborative creative process of developing a story/topic from a simple idea to deepening the relationship with the audience through vivid and evocative language; (2)…

Readers theatre is a presentation by two or more participants who read from scripts and interpret a literary work in such a way that the audience imaginatively senses characterization, setting, and action. This book offers 50, two-page reproducible scripts to entice the preschool and kindergarten group into beginning to read. These patterned…

Test scores across the country show American students are far more able to read narrative than nonfiction text. Some research speculates this is due to a great lack in the background knowledge of many children. Librarians are beginning to realize that a unique fit for the school librarian is as a provider of background knowledge materials for…

Unlike traditional Readers Theatre, which is typically limited to literature-based scripts, Curriculum-Based Readers Theatre (CBRT) allows teachers and students to create scripts based on any topic, any work of literature, any textbook, or almost any collection of facts. It can be easily incorporated into the existing curriculum, and because this…

Despite high levels of disengagement in urban literacy classrooms, few teachers have seen fit to explore spoken word--the performance of poetry--as a tool to engage students in literacy. Spoken word poetry serves as a powerful means of self-representation for youth that are traditionally portrayed as threatening, menaces to society that do not…

Outlines common abuses that occur when students first use dramatic analysis in oral interpretation. Offers guidelines to help make students' efforts more productive; uses William Carlos Williams's poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" as an example. (PD)

This paper discusses the benefits of storytelling, especially for the classroom teacher. The paper provides 12 activities for students (Kindergarten-12) to demonstrate how storytelling can help develop communication competencies. The activities included in the paper are: folktale cinquain, The Wicked Stepmother Gets Her Day in Court, storytelling…

This paper advocates the use in the college reading classroom of Readers' Theater (a medium in which two or more oral readers, without memorization, special costumes, lighting, props, or sound effects, through creative oral reading cause an audience to explore drama, prose, and poetry). Sections in the paper discuss: the definition of readers'…

Discusses the role of oral history in the documentation and interpretation of family history. Gives information for constructing and managing information in interviews. Stresses that oral history permits analysis of materials in terms of shared conceptions. Emphasizes ways family histories can be used in research projects and classroom teaching.…

Based on the experiences of classroom teachers of theatre, the elective dramatics course described in this guide is designed to enhance ninth grade students' aesthetic awareness, social development, intellectual growth, and technical knowledge. Following a brief course description and overview, the guide presents complete instructions for seven…

Oral interpretation facilitates the learning processes of adolescents by making the presentation of subject matter more interesting and meaningful to them, helping them feel involved, and providing them with an opportunity to perceive literature in action. Narrative literature is a good place to begin oral interpretation activities, since…

Recommends using "Readers' Theater" as an interdisciplinary approach to social studies. Maintains that the format lends itself to the examination of social issues and current events while it provides opportunities for a variety of learning styles. Briefly discusses Jan Truss' book, "A Very Small Rebellion." (MJP)

Approached from a variety of perspectives, the first nine articles in this special journal issue focus on teaching the short story. Specific topics discussed in the articles are (1) the AIM game as a prereading strategy for teaching the short story, (2) short story readers and writers as partners in the act of artistic communication, (3) oral…

Using a theater arts thematic approach to demonstrate ways listening, speaking, and writing activities can be built around the study of works of literature, this guide presents activities and sample lessons to help students develop an awareness of the interrelationships between performance and the language arts. Following an introduction, the…

This practical and theoretical guide to the use of theater arts in foreign language teaching contains exercises, techniques, and fundamental theory for teachers at all levels of foreign language instruction, but particularly for those teaching adults and adolescents at intermediate or higher levels. An introductory section outlines common…