The Boys Are Back and They’re Looking for Drama
Keywords:
readers theater, motivation, male readersAbstract
In this article, the authors describe some recent research on Readers Theater in the elementary classroom that examined gender differences and achievement. In one particular study, boys who participated in Readers Theater significantly outperformed their peers in reading comprehension. Elementary school boys reported enjoying Readers Theater because it was different from the norm, and it is a collaborative and social activity. In order to look beyond numbers and survey responses, the authors observed second graders in action. Indeed, the boys were actively engaged, smiling, laughing, reading, and appeared to enjoy participating in Readers Theater. The following narrative was constructed to help illustrate the potential for Readers Theater to engage young boys in reading.
References
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Clark, R., Morrison, T. G., & Wilcox, B. (2009). Readers’ theater: A process of developing fourth-graders’ reading fluency. Reading Psychology, 30, 359-385.
Corcoran, C. A., & Davis, A. D. (2005). A study of the effects of readers’ theater on second and third grade special education students’ fluency growth. Reading Improvement, 42(2), 105-111.
Davila, D., & Patrick, L. (2010). Asking the experts: What children have to say about their reading preferences. Language Arts, 87, 199- 210.
Farris, P. J., Werderich, D. E., Nelson, P. A., & Fuhler, C. J. (2009). Male call: Fifth-grade boys’ reading preferences. The Reading Teacher, 63(3), 180-188. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1598/RT.63.3.1
Gambell, T. J., & Hunter, D. M. (1999). Rethinking gender differences in literacy. Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation, 24(1), 1-16. doi:10.2307/1585767
Gambell, T., & Hunter, D. (2000). Surveying gender differences in Canadian school literacy. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 32(5), 689-719.
Gambrell, L. B. (2015). Getting students hooked on the reading habit. The Reading Teacher, 69(3), 259-263.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Garrett, T. D., & O’Connor, D. (2010). Readers’ theater: "Hold on, let’s read it again." Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(1), 6-13.
Griffith, L. W., & Rasinski, T. V. (2004). A focus on fluency: How one teacher incorporated fluency with her reading curriculum. The Reading Teacher, 58(2), 126-137.
Gurian, M. & Stevens (2004). With boys and girls in mind. Educational Leadership, 62(3), 21-26.
Gurian, M. (2007). The minds of boys: Saving our sons from falling behind in school and life. Jossey-Bass.
Guthrie, J. T. (2004). Teaching for literacy engagement. Journal of Literacy Research, 36(1), 1-29.
Guthrie, J. T. (2011). Best practices in motivating students to read. In L. M. Morrow & L. B. (Eds.), Lenses on reading: An introduction to theories and models. (2nd Ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.
Guthre, J. & Wigfield, A. (2000). Engagement and motivation in reading. In M. Kamil, R. Barr, P. Mosenthal & D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of Reading Research III, (pp. 403-425). New York, NY: Longman.
Jensen, E. (2000). Moving with the brain in mind. Educational Leadership, 58(3), 34-38.
Keehn, S., Harmon, J., & Shoho, A. (2008). A study of readers theater in eighth grade: Issues of fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 24(4), 335-362.
Lee, J., & Yoon, S. Y. (2017). The effects of repeated reading on fluency for students with reading disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 50(2), 213-224.
MacGinitie, W.H., MacGinitie, R.K., Maria, K. & Dreyer, L.G. (2002). Gates-MacGinitie reading tests – Technical report (Forms S and T) (4th Ed.). Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside.
Marinak, B. A. & Gambrell, L. B. (2010). Reading motivation: Exploring the elementary gender gap. Literacy Research and Instruction, 49(2), 129-141.
Martinez, M., Roser, N.L., & Strecker, S. (1998). “I never thought I could be a star”: A readers theatre ticket to fluency. Reading Teacher, 52(4), 326–334.
Meece, J. L., Glienke, B. B., & Burg, S. (2006). Gender and motivation. Journal of School Psychology, 44(5), 351-373.
Mercer, C. D., Campbell, K. U., Miller, M. D., Mercer, K. D., & Lane, H. B. (2000). Effects of a reading fluency intervention for middle schoolers with specific learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 15, 179–189
Millin, S. K., & Rinehart, S. D. (1999). Some of the benefits of readers theater participation for second-grade title I students. Literacy Research and Instruction, 39(1), 71-88.
Mraz, M., Nichols, W., Caldwell, S., Beisley, R., Sargent, S., & Rupley, W. (2013). Improved oral reading fluency through readers theatre. Reading Horizons, 52(2), 163-180.
National Center for Education Statistics (2005). NAEP 2002. Percentage of students, by gender and NAEP oral reading fluency scale level. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
Oakhill, J. V. & Petrides, A. (2007). Sex differences in the effects of interest on boys’ and girls’ reading comprehension. British Journal of Psychology, 98(2), 223-235.
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1968). A way of happening. Educational Record. Washington, D.C.: American Council of Education.
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1978). The reader, the text, the poem: The transactional theory of literacy work. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press.
Rosenblatt, L. M. (2001). The literacy transaction: Evocation and response. Theory Into Practice, 21(4), 268-277.
Samuels, S. J. (1979). The method of repeated readings. The Reading Teacher, 41(8), 756-760.
Skelton, C. (2002). The ‘feminisation of schooling’ or ‘re-masculinising’ primary education? International Studies in Sociology of Education, 12(1), 77-96.
Tracey, D. H., & Morrow, L. M. (2012). Lenses on reading: An introduction to theories and models. (2nd Ed.) New York: The Guilford Press.
Tompkins, G. (2014). Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanced approach. Boston: Pearson.
Vadasy, P. F., & Sanders, E. A. (2008). Repeated reading intervention: Outcomes and interactions with readers’ skills and classroom instruction. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(2), 272-290.
Vasinda, S., & McLeod, J. (2011). Extending readers theatre: A powerful and purposeful match with podcasting. The Reading Teacher, 64(7), 486-497.
Warner-Griffin, C., Liu, H., Tadler, C., Herget, D., & Dalton, B. (2017). Reading achievement of U.S. fourth-grade students in an international context: First look at the progress in international reading literacy study (PIRLS) 2016 and ePIRLS 2016. (NCES 2018-017). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 18, 2017 from https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.
Wilsenach, C. & Makaure, P. (2018). Gender effects on phonological processing and reading development in Northern Sotho children learning to read in English: A case study of grade 3 learners’. South African Journal of Childhood Education 8(1), 546.
Worthy, J., & Prater, K. (2002). “I thought about it all night”: Readers theater for reading fluency and motivation. The Reading Teacher, 56(3), 294-297.
Clark, R., Morrison, T. G., & Wilcox, B. (2009). Readers’ theater: A process of developing fourth-graders’ reading fluency. Reading Psychology, 30, 359-385.
Corcoran, C. A., & Davis, A. D. (2005). A study of the effects of readers’ theater on second and third grade special education students’ fluency growth. Reading Improvement, 42(2), 105-111.
Davila, D., & Patrick, L. (2010). Asking the experts: What children have to say about their reading preferences. Language Arts, 87, 199- 210.
Farris, P. J., Werderich, D. E., Nelson, P. A., & Fuhler, C. J. (2009). Male call: Fifth-grade boys’ reading preferences. The Reading Teacher, 63(3), 180-188. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1598/RT.63.3.1
Gambell, T. J., & Hunter, D. M. (1999). Rethinking gender differences in literacy. Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation, 24(1), 1-16. doi:10.2307/1585767
Gambell, T., & Hunter, D. (2000). Surveying gender differences in Canadian school literacy. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 32(5), 689-719.
Gambrell, L. B. (2015). Getting students hooked on the reading habit. The Reading Teacher, 69(3), 259-263.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Garrett, T. D., & O’Connor, D. (2010). Readers’ theater: "Hold on, let’s read it again." Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(1), 6-13.
Griffith, L. W., & Rasinski, T. V. (2004). A focus on fluency: How one teacher incorporated fluency with her reading curriculum. The Reading Teacher, 58(2), 126-137.
Gurian, M. & Stevens (2004). With boys and girls in mind. Educational Leadership, 62(3), 21-26.
Gurian, M. (2007). The minds of boys: Saving our sons from falling behind in school and life. Jossey-Bass.
Guthrie, J. T. (2004). Teaching for literacy engagement. Journal of Literacy Research, 36(1), 1-29.
Guthrie, J. T. (2011). Best practices in motivating students to read. In L. M. Morrow & L. B. (Eds.), Lenses on reading: An introduction to theories and models. (2nd Ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.
Guthre, J. & Wigfield, A. (2000). Engagement and motivation in reading. In M. Kamil, R. Barr, P. Mosenthal & D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of Reading Research III, (pp. 403-425). New York, NY: Longman.
Jensen, E. (2000). Moving with the brain in mind. Educational Leadership, 58(3), 34-38.
Keehn, S., Harmon, J., & Shoho, A. (2008). A study of readers theater in eighth grade: Issues of fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 24(4), 335-362.
Lee, J., & Yoon, S. Y. (2017). The effects of repeated reading on fluency for students with reading disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 50(2), 213-224.
MacGinitie, W.H., MacGinitie, R.K., Maria, K. & Dreyer, L.G. (2002). Gates-MacGinitie reading tests – Technical report (Forms S and T) (4th Ed.). Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside.
Marinak, B. A. & Gambrell, L. B. (2010). Reading motivation: Exploring the elementary gender gap. Literacy Research and Instruction, 49(2), 129-141.
Martinez, M., Roser, N.L., & Strecker, S. (1998). “I never thought I could be a star”: A readers theatre ticket to fluency. Reading Teacher, 52(4), 326–334.
Meece, J. L., Glienke, B. B., & Burg, S. (2006). Gender and motivation. Journal of School Psychology, 44(5), 351-373.
Mercer, C. D., Campbell, K. U., Miller, M. D., Mercer, K. D., & Lane, H. B. (2000). Effects of a reading fluency intervention for middle schoolers with specific learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 15, 179–189
Millin, S. K., & Rinehart, S. D. (1999). Some of the benefits of readers theater participation for second-grade title I students. Literacy Research and Instruction, 39(1), 71-88.
Mraz, M., Nichols, W., Caldwell, S., Beisley, R., Sargent, S., & Rupley, W. (2013). Improved oral reading fluency through readers theatre. Reading Horizons, 52(2), 163-180.
National Center for Education Statistics (2005). NAEP 2002. Percentage of students, by gender and NAEP oral reading fluency scale level. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
Oakhill, J. V. & Petrides, A. (2007). Sex differences in the effects of interest on boys’ and girls’ reading comprehension. British Journal of Psychology, 98(2), 223-235.
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1968). A way of happening. Educational Record. Washington, D.C.: American Council of Education.
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1978). The reader, the text, the poem: The transactional theory of literacy work. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press.
Rosenblatt, L. M. (2001). The literacy transaction: Evocation and response. Theory Into Practice, 21(4), 268-277.
Samuels, S. J. (1979). The method of repeated readings. The Reading Teacher, 41(8), 756-760.
Skelton, C. (2002). The ‘feminisation of schooling’ or ‘re-masculinising’ primary education? International Studies in Sociology of Education, 12(1), 77-96.
Tracey, D. H., & Morrow, L. M. (2012). Lenses on reading: An introduction to theories and models. (2nd Ed.) New York: The Guilford Press.
Tompkins, G. (2014). Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanced approach. Boston: Pearson.
Vadasy, P. F., & Sanders, E. A. (2008). Repeated reading intervention: Outcomes and interactions with readers’ skills and classroom instruction. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(2), 272-290.
Vasinda, S., & McLeod, J. (2011). Extending readers theatre: A powerful and purposeful match with podcasting. The Reading Teacher, 64(7), 486-497.
Warner-Griffin, C., Liu, H., Tadler, C., Herget, D., & Dalton, B. (2017). Reading achievement of U.S. fourth-grade students in an international context: First look at the progress in international reading literacy study (PIRLS) 2016 and ePIRLS 2016. (NCES 2018-017). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 18, 2017 from https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.
Wilsenach, C. & Makaure, P. (2018). Gender effects on phonological processing and reading development in Northern Sotho children learning to read in English: A case study of grade 3 learners’. South African Journal of Childhood Education 8(1), 546.
Worthy, J., & Prater, K. (2002). “I thought about it all night”: Readers theater for reading fluency and motivation. The Reading Teacher, 56(3), 294-297.
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2020-07-01
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