The luck of the Irish was with Roosevelt Elementary School second graders when they performed a Reader’s Theater with a St. Patrick’s Day theme. The performance, presented just before spring recess by Ms. Kristina Kolb’s and Ms. Jessica Paladino’s class, culminated with some Irish folk dancing that had the audience clapping to the music.

Dressed in green and white, students performed a reading of Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie DePaola and Fiona’s Luck by Teresa Bateman for family and friends. The first story is an Irish folktale about the laziest man in Ireland who learns that trying to take the easy way out of a situation is usually more trouble than it’s worth when he catches a leprechaun who offers him a potato seed instead of a pot of gold for his freedom. In the second story, students told the tale of a clever girl who tricks the Leprechaun King into giving back the luck he has taken from the people of Ireland during the potato famine. With scripts in hand, students took turns moving from the risers to the microphones to read their parts, sometimes inflecting their voices or using animated gestures to enhance the story.

“The goal of the Readers’ Theater is not to memorize lines or wear elaborate costumes, but rather to focus on reading the text with expressive voices and gestures,” said Roosevelt Elementary School Principal Ms. Tami McElwee.

Each of the five second-grade classes present a Readers’ Theater during the school year. The performances are coordinated by Literacy Coach Ms. Chris Bartell and Library Media Specialist Ms. Roseann Davidson, in collaboration with art teacher Ms. Meredith Brustman, who designs a mural as a backdrop, and music teacher Ms. Brenda Murphy, who leads the students in a song and/or dance.  

Following the program, students and families enjoyed refreshments provided by the PTA. 

Ms. Kolb's and Ms. Palladino's class walks down the hallway to peform a reader's theater.

In reader's theater fashion, students above and below wear minimal costumes as they read their lines with expression and gestures.

The class smiles for a picture in front of the banner they made featuring the two books they read.

Readers' Theater Slide Show