Moose’s Loose Tooth
by jaime Locke
Reader’sTheater
Puttingonashortplay,basedonastory,wherestudentsreadfromascriptiswhatReader’sTheaterisallabout.Thepurposeof Reader’sTheateristopracticereadingfluencyandtohavefun!TrueReader’sTheaterusesnocostumesorpropsandfocuseson fluencyandexpressiontoentertain.
But adding costumes and props is a fun touch!
You can find many pre-made scripts out there or you can create your own.
IprefertocreatemyownsoIcantailorthelanguagetomystudent’sreadingabilities.It’salsoafunguidedwritingactivityto writeascript,asaclass.
Putting on a Reader’s Theater play requires preparation, practice and performance. Here’s how we do all 3 in my classroom:
preparation / 1.Findorwriteascript.**Highlight, ahead of time, the lines for each character on each script.**
2.Readtheselectedbooktoyourstudents.
3.Showthescripttostudentssotheygetasenseofhowlongtheplay willbe.(Usinganoverhead,documentcameraorSmartBoard).
4.Assignorchooserolesforstudents.
5.Studentshighlighttheirlinesintheirscripts(ifthey’reolder).
practice / 1.Teacherreadstheentireplaytoshowhowtouseexpressionwhen reading. Students followalong.
2.Teacherreadstheentireplayagainbutthistimethecharacters readalong.
3.Samecharactersmeettorehearselinestogether,workingon expression and possiblygestures.
4.Eachplay(usually3,soallkidsareincluded)meetstorehearse for the bigperformance.
performance / 1.Oneplayatatimeperformsfortherestoftheclass.
-Remindactorsthattheyneedto:readloudenough,keeptheirscriptdown(notinfrontoftheirface), andchangetheirvoices(expression)tomaketheplayinteresting.
-Remindtheaudiencethattheyneedto:stayseatedontheirbottoms,payattentionwitheyesandearsand clapattheend.
2.Attheendofeachplaydebriefwiththeaudience.
-Usingthumbsup,tothesideanddown:Howdidtheactorsdowithreadingloudenough?Keepingtheirscripts down?Changingtheirvoices?
- “What did you like about the play/What did the actors do a good job of?”
- “Is there anyway they could make the play better?”
From start to finish this process can take as long as you’d like.
Youcansplititupoverafewdays(intheplaceofGuidedReading,forexample)orcompleteitinanhour.Itjustdependsonyour needs,styleandtimeavailable.
Reader’s Theater is so fun and really brings the best out of kids!
This is also a great thing to invite parents to, so they can watch their kid’s reading in action.
NameCharacter:
Moose’s Loose Tooth
Narrator: It’sasunnymorningintheforestandMoosewasoutlookingfora snack.
Moose: I’m hungry and tree bark looks good to me.
Narrator:Ashesearchedforayummytree,hetrippedandbonkedhishead onone.
Moose: Ouch!
Narrator: He bumped his tooth.
Moose:Thesebigteethofminearealwaysgettingintheway. Narrator:Withhistongue,hefeltaroundtheinsideofhismouth.
Moose: Ooh,Ihavealoosetooth. Icanwiggleitbackandforthwithmy tongue.
Narrator:Moosehadneverhadaloosetoothbefore. Bird:DoyouhavealoosetoothMoose?
Moose:YesandI’mafraidit’sgoingtofallout. Bird: That’s what baby teeth do.
Moose: Babyteeth? ButI’mnotababy!
Narrator:Babyteetharethefirstteethinyourmouth.Asyougrowup,they starttofallout.
Moose: ButifIloseallmyteeth,howwillIeattreebark?
Bird: Whenababytoothfallsout,apermanenttoothcomesin. Thatnew tooth will stay in your mouth forever.
Moose:Oh,thatmakesmefeelbetter.SohowdoIgetthiswibblywobbly toothout?
Bird: Icouldusemybeaktopullitout.
Narrator: Birdpulledwithallhismight,butthattoothjustheldontight. Tiger: Did I hear something about a loose tooth?
Moose:Yes.Ihaveawibblywobblyloosetooth. Tiger:Letmehelpthen.
Narrator:BirdusedherbeakandTigerpulledBird.Theypulledwithalltheir might,butthattoothjustheldontight.
Tiger: ThatisonestubborntoothyouhaveMoose. Moose:Ohthistoothwillneverfallout.
Zebra:DidIhearsomethingaboutaloosetooth? Moose:Yes.Ihaveawibblywobblyloosetooth.
Zebra: Letmehelpthen. I’llpullonTigerandTigercanpullonBirdandBird can use her beak to yank it out.
Narrator:Onceagaintheypulledwithalltheirmight,butthattoothjustheld ontight.
Zebra:ThatisonestubborntoothyouhaveMoose. Moose:MaybeIwillneverlosethisbabytooth.
Elephant:DidIhearsomethingaboutaloosetooth? Bird:Yesyoudid.
Tiger:Moosehasaveryloosebutverystubborntooth. Zebra:Doyouwanttohelp?
Elephant: Sure. I can help you all pull.
Moose:WAIT!Idon’tthinkweshouldpullanymorebecausewhatamIgoing todowiththetoothwhenitcomesoutanyway?Mytoothhasthe perfectspotrightnowinmymouth.
Bird:ButMooseyouhavetoputyourtoothunderyourpillow. Moose: What?Why?
Zebra: Haven’t you heard of the Tooth Fairy?
Tiger: Ifyouputyourtoothunderyourpillow,shewillcomeinthemiddleof the night to take your tooth and leave you a present in its place.
Elephant: I bet she’s never seen a moose’s toothbefore!
Moose: Well why didn’t you say that earlier?Heave, ho everybody!
Narrator: Soonefinaltimetheyallpulledwithalltheirmightbutthatwibbly wobbly tooth still held tight.
Moose: I give up!
Elephant: You can have one of my tusks Moose.
Moose: No thank you Elephant. WAIT, Elephant you are coming with me!
Narrator:MoosetookElephanthometohishouseandputhimunderhis pillow.
Moose: Nighty night Elephant…and NO snoring!
Narrator:Thenextmorning,afterabumpynight’ssleep,Moosewokeupand foundElephantstillasleep.
Moose: Wake up Elephant! I want to see if the Tooth Fairy came.
Narrator:Underhispillowwerefiveshinyquarters.OneforBird,Tiger,Zebra andElephanttothankthemforhelpingMoose.
Moose:Thenotesays,“YourtoothwillsoonfalloutMoose.Sometimesteeth canbeverystubborn.Whenyourtoothdoesfallout,justplaceit underyourpillowandI’llbeback.”
Elephant:Sothat’showtheToothFairyworks.ThenIthinkIhavealoose tusk.
Bird/Zebra/Tiger: Us too! Moose: The End.
Thankyousomuchfordownloadingthis Readers’ Theaterscript.
You might also be interested in a Readers’TheaterToothFairyPACK:
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