Making Inferences

Sick By Shel Silverstein, Famous Children Poem “I cannot go to school today," Said little Peggy Ann McKay. “I have the measles and the mumps, A gash, a rash and purple bumps. My mouth is wet, my throat is dry, I’m going blind in my right eye. My tonsils are as big as rocks, I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox And there’s one more--that’s seventeen, And don’t you think my face looks green? My leg is cut--my eyes are blue-- It might be instamatic flu. I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke, I’m sure that my left leg is broke-- My hip hurts when I move my chin, My belly button’s caving in, My back is wrenched, my ankle’s sprained, My ‘pendix pains each time it rains. Reader's Theatre (1) Some stories lend themselves to Reader's Theatre. An easy start is a well-known fairy tale, a folk tale, or a fable. Many picture books are ideal, too. A script for Reader's Theatre need not ever be performed for an audience, and in fact is often used solely as a reading activity in some classrooms. Reader's Theatre immerses kids in literature. Reader's theater allows children the luxury of lingering over a story; acting it out many times so they come to understand all of its nuances. In Reader's Theatre (2), I'll discuss how I adapt a story to make a Reader's Theatre script.