The Effects of Readers Theatre on Fluency and Comprehension

Readers Theatre is a multi-faceted reading strategy that integrates the performing arts, the language arts, and content area subjects. This study investigated the effects of Readers Theatre as a strategy to promote gains in fluency and comprehension on fifth grade students in an urban district in New Jersey, USA. Readers Theatre, paired repeated reading, and the traditional method of using a basal reader were examined to determine their effectiveness on improving reading rate, word accuracy, and comprehension. Statistical analysis revealed that the readers theatre group outperformed either one of or both of the paired reading and/or traditional method groups in reading rate and word accuracy. There was no significant difference among the groups in reading comprehension. The results suggest that using Readers Theatre improves fluency. These gains are most likely attributed to developing automaticity, using prosodic cueing, and dramatically interacting with the text. Student comments indicated that their participation in Readers Theatre provided them with an improved vocabulary, enhanced appreciation for literature, and increased self-confidence in reading.