Name of Activity : Literature Roulette Target Group : Year 6

Objectives : To extend pupils response to literature. To ensure student is able to recall information and gain comprehension of the story. Aim : Help pupil to understand literary element such as characters, plot and setting.

Procedure 1
Before the activity, the teacher needs to agree with the pupil on which page or chapters to read beforehand.
Pupil must be prepared to answer any question on the wheel, so preparation for literature roulette occurs in the week before the activity.

Procedure 2 Teachers will explain the concept of Literature Roulette to the class.
Groups of five students read and discuss a book, and then answer questions from the roulette wheel. The wheel will contain open-ended questions.

Procedure 3 Teachers will demonstrate how to play Literature Roulette with a group of five or six readers. The students starts playing Literature Roulette on their own. Other students must listen to the person that is answering the question.

Procedure 4 After each person has rolled the dice and answered the question, each person in the group gives feedback to the group on what they have contributed and learned.

 Sample of questions to be used in Literature Roulette

Retell the story in your own words. Describe your favourite section. Describe why the main character behaved as they did. Give an example of a characters feeling. What would you do if you were in the book? How would you solve this problem in your own life? What do you predict will happen next? Why? What would it be like to be in this story? Create a new chapter or book ending. Add a new element or thing in the story.

Rationale
By using questions based on Blooms levels of cognitive thinking, pupils will answer the question critically and creatively. The activity is designed to softly force pupils to elicit a response towards the literature in a threat-free environment. Sharing point of view of a literature will engage pupils together as a group and enhance understanding of a literature.

Readers Theatre

Objectives : The student will work in a team environment to perform in front of peers. The student will read with fluency and expression Aim : Help children to understand a characters point of view, motives, cause and effect, plot construction and the use of language.

Procedure 1
Find texts to be used in the readers theater. Characteristics to take note of :
Quality of the language Repetition or cumulative structure Lots of dialogue A strong and fast moving plot

A copy of the dialogue from chosen parts in the book is given to every pupil in the classroom.

Procedure 2
The text is introduced to the class. The concept of readers theatre is also introduced to the class. The teacher demonstrates to the pupil by reading the text aloud so everyone is familiar with any difficult words.
The pupil can read silently as comprehension is better achieved when they are not vocalising. This can be done in the first week.

Procedure 3
Readers are chosen by the teacher at random and practice session of the readers theatre are carried out.
The importance of the pace of reading, tempo, volume and pitch of reading is emphasised. Ideas on how the text can be modified so that it sounds better can take place during this phase. This phase should be carried out in the second week.

Procedure 4
Character parts are assigned to pupils. The pupil is needed to sit in front of the class to perform their reading. At this stage, the pupil may be permitted to rehearse once or twice. The reader theatre is performed to the class. After the play, the audience needs to summarise what they have seen to ensure they understand a characters point of view, motives, cause and effect, plot construction and the use of language.

Rationale
During the activity, students are able to hear models of fluent reading and can hear how a readers voice makes text make sense. Students have an opportunity to receive feedback, either formally or informally, as they participate in this activity. All aspects of fluency are practiced when students participate in readers theatre. The activities are carried out in a cooperative format with peers, so students does not feel isolated and alone as they read. This strategy requires active participation and may be more engaging than more traditional types of reading activities.