I had said earlier this weekend that RT embellishes what we do in Step 3 reading classes, but that is a mistatement. Actually, Step 3 reading is all about working from the class story created in step 2. RT has nothing to do with the three steps, and everything to do with reading novels, making […]

With the increased focus on tying learning targets to habits of learning (the Orthe Principle), comes increased personalization. As the director/coach keeps bringing up actor after actor and, in the process, calls out question after question for the group to answer, people get to know each other. Greater trust is built in RT. We always have the

To set up a chapter in a novel for Reader’s Theatre, we go through the book beforehand and find the scenes that best lend themselves to theatre. Next we backwards plan. Before we ever do a chapter in a novel, we must absolutely have identified any words in the novel that the kids don’t know (to

In Los Alamitos we didn’t have books because we were all French teachers. We didn’t have books (Isabella by Karen Rowan) on Friday either. But we should have. The point was to teach reading. At one point I was so captivated by Bryce’s acting with Annemarie (and the mom voice and the Mark Mallaney voice)

A teacher did some RT last week and reported back: …my one disappointment was my actors – should have fired them. I have to work on that…. This speaks volumes. It shows that we all need to deconstruct what Jason does – which includes very strict classroom order and discipline – and build it into

Robert sent Ch. 2 of the book. We’re going to slow down the posts on this project to give the author and translators time with it. I know that Robert wants ideas for improvement/change so please chime in on this and if anyone wants to put up their own novels you are most welcome. We

This is the second in a series of unavoidably disjointed  posts on RT. Re: assessment of RT we need to remember Jason’s ways of assessing as described by Annemarie in a comment here earlier today (slight editing by me): …the student knows you are following along the reading when they: – are on the correct

This is what I have so far, to be made into posters for use in German, Spanish and French classrooms. Comments/upgrades welcome. It is the combined comments of Judy, Bryce and Grant plus my rules and I request permission from you three to put it under copyright it for use here and not get sent

While I’m trying to unscramble a million notes from the Jason Fritze workshop, it’s a good time to serve up Chapter 2 of Robert’s book. These novels can be for our own sharing and discussion as they develop here for those interested. It will be like our own book club. Various teachers can try out the ones that they

This comment should have been a post. It is important in terms of rules, jobs, procedures, and beginning the year: Abbey Parks is a teacher from Detroit who just arrived in DPS at John F. Kennedy High School and is gaining mastery of the method very rapidly. She said something new here at the workshop,

Jason Fritze is in Denver today (Thurs.) and tomorrow. Today’s workshop kicked ass. And it was only the beginner’s workshop. Tomorrow is the advanced workshop. Jason’s presentation was so vibrant, so real, so cutting edge, that I could not keep up. So hold the phone. I am going to cut into the queue here, stop

Today, since 90%+ of my students are native speakers of Spanish, we did a Reading Option A format in three languages instead of two. A volunteer translator followed my lead with the English with a (beautiful sounding) Spanish track. Instantly, the kids’ minds starting running the French by their first language, hearing but not latching on