A Story Like the Wind / During Reading / Digging Deeper /
‘My Name is…’
Readers Theatre is used to deepen response to character and to develop reading fluency.
Lesson length: 1 session
Lesson from A Story Like the Wind series
Required reading: Pages 14-21
Text potential
- Inference opportunities: Character Inference
- Language features: Dialogue: direct speech
Strategies used
- Readers Theatre
Purpose
The intention in this lesson is to reinforce how the characters, despite their present circumstances, are ordinary people who have left behind normal, happy lives. The session works at an affective level, using several drama strategies designed to deepen the pupils’ understanding of character and to develop empathy.
Readers Theatre is used to allow children to inhabit the characters. Voicing their words helps with identification, at the same time aiding reading fluency.
The work in this section could extend over several lessons.
Preparation
- Download and print copies of Readers Theatre script
- Plain paper, pencils and coloured pencils for drawing
- Space will be needed for drama, either cleared space in the classroom or a hall.
Process
Briefly review the section of the story where Rami meets his fellow travellers.
If Readers Theatre is new to the children, explain how it works. Generic guidance on using Readers Theatre is outlined in the strategies section of this website.
A Story Like the Wind Readers Theatre script has been conveniently arranged in 4 parts. You can allocate different parts to groups of differing levels of attainment. For example, Bashar’s dialogue in part 3 is the shortest. In contrast, the role of the narrator should be allocated to a confident reader to maintain the rhythm and pacing of the story. If a group is working with adult support, then the adult could take on the role of the narrator. Higher attaining groups could be work on the entire script rather than a shorter section.
After rehearsing the script organise the class for a full read through.
Final reflection
Ask:
- Did you enjoy listening to the Readers Theatre?
- Was there anything that you found hard?
- Did you think or feel anything new about the characters after reading their parts?
Teacher’s note: This lesson could be followed by a small group improvisation lesson To Go or Stay? which explores the reasons that people might have for leaving their homes to seek safety, despite the dangers involved in making that journey.
Resources
A Story Like the Wind Readers Theatre
Contributors
Nikki Gamble
Director, Just Imagine
Nikki has worked extensively in schools across the UK and internationally. She is the author of Exploring Children’s Literature (4th edit) (2019) and co-author of Guiding Readers (2016) which was awarded the UKLA Academic Book of the Year Award 2017. Nikki is KS2 reading advisor and series consultant for Oxford University Press and content creator for the Oxford School Improvement and Oxford Owl websites. Nikki is Associate Consultant at the University of London, Institute of Education and Honorary Fellow at the University of Winchester