Lyceum of History

You’ve heard it said that public speaking is one of the most feared activities for adults. Very few volunteer to share their work in front of their colleagues, or worse, present to a large audience. I think the equivalent of this for students is more than just sharing in front of their class. I believe reading out loud is on par for something students don’t want to do. Sure, you get a few volunteers to read aloud and you’ve had your students present to the class. Regardless, presenting and reading aloud creates stress and you can’t learn as effectively when you’re stressed. If only there was a way to practice this skill in class. There is!

Readers’ theaters are an extremely effective way to practice this skill and reduce stress at the same time. For starters, you can always have your struggling readers read the narrator part as a group. It’s superior to “popcorn reading” in that the rest of the class has to follow along. It lets your eager readers participate and the other characters help even everything out. 

There are myriads of readers’ theaters out there. You name the topic and you can probably find it. I created my readers’ theaters centered around the idea that all students get behind a story and share in its retelling. I’ve created several readers’ theaters about the ancient past, each at two different reading levels. If you like the idea of giving everyone in your class a chance to practice a skill that most want to avoid, click here. Happy reading,

Ryan Wagoner

Lyceum of History

“I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.” ~Alexander the Great