The days leading up to Valentine’s Day can be tricky for middle school teachers. While their students have outgrown classroom parties, there is still plenty of interest in the spirit of the holiday. That interest level presents a learning opportunity, and one way ELA teachers can maximize it is with reader’s theater.
Erin Beers from MrsBeers.com recently highlighted her Valentine’s Day reader’s theater script as a tool for ELA teachers planning their February activities. A summary of the unit can be found on her blog at https://mrsbeers.com/valentines-day-readers-theater/
“Reader’s Theater is such a versatile tool for language arts instruction. It is one of the few class activities that combines fluency, comprehension, and word work all in one,” Mrs. Beers explains. “Holidays like Valentine’s Day offer the perfect opportunity to try reader’s theater because student engagement with seasonal stories and scripts is usually very high.”
Erin notes that the key to maximizing a reader’s theater script is to work with them across multiple class periods. This includes pre-read and post-read discussions and activities. This is why all of her scripts include a variety of learning and assessment tools. Some examples include:
- Vocabulary and context clue worksheets
- Journal writing prompts
- Reading comprehension questions
- Class discussion points
- Summary strategy worksheet
Mrs. Beers recommends students read through a script before reading aloud. Students will gain a greater understanding and build fluency when they understand the script in advance. It is also beneficial for them to be able to see and engage with one another to get the most from the experience.
“The storyline in my Valentine’s Day resource will inspire your students to practice thoughtful gestures.,” Mrs. Beers says. “Your class will laugh out loud at the thoughts and actions of the cast while also reflecting on how they can make a difference in the lives of other people!”
Educators can find Erin’s Valentine’s Day Reader Theater Toolkit at her TPT store. The resource is offered as a digital download in the form of a PDF file. The resource has already received over 100 five-star reviews on Teacher Pay Teachers.
About Mrs. Beers ELA Classroom: Erin Beers is a 7th grade teacher and resource creator who writes to inspire language arts teachers with tips and resources for their middle school classroom. Learn more at MrsBeers.com
Media Contact
Name
Mrs Beers ELA, LLC
Contact name
Erin Beers
Contact phone
513-360-8159
Contact address
7800 Laurel Ave Suite 400B
City
Cincinnati
State
OH
Zip
45243
Country
United States
Url
https://mrsbeers.com/
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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Sahyadri Times journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
