Everyone Is Reading and Playing! A Participatory Theatre Project to Promote Reading Competence
This study explores the use of a theatre project to enhance reading competencies among students with special educational needs (SENs) in inclusive classrooms. The project, titled “Stop Bullying! A Theatre Project”, aimed to improve students’ reading skills through dramatised engagement with texts, w...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| author | Winnie-Karen Giera |
| author_facet | Winnie-Karen Giera |
| author_sort | Winnie-Karen Giera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study explores the use of a theatre project to enhance reading competencies among students with special educational needs (SENs) in inclusive classrooms. The project, titled “Stop Bullying! A Theatre Project”, aimed to improve students’ reading skills through dramatised engagement with texts, with a particular focus on promoting literacy and social interaction. Employing a Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology, the study involved iterative cycles of implementation and data collection. Participants, including students with varying reading abilities, engaged in theatrical activities that incorporated reading strategies such as reading aloud, paired reading, and choral reading—each designed to support comprehension, fluency, and reading confidence. Findings from multiple cycles indicated improvements in students’ social dynamics, including stronger peer interactions and increased group cohesion. While quantitative reading assessment data showed only modest gains in reading performance, qualitative observations revealed significant improvements in reading skills and social interactions during collaborative performances. The study concludes that a theatre-based approach can effectively support reading development while fostering a more inclusive and supportive classroom environment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a2197b421fb0482c914b5c74fd96455f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-a2197b421fb0482c914b5c74fd96455f2025-08-20T03:14:36ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022025-05-0115559310.3390/educsci15050593Everyone Is Reading and Playing! A Participatory Theatre Project to Promote Reading CompetenceWinnie-Karen Giera0German Didactics in an Inclusive Context/Special Educational Needs in Language and Communication (Secondary Level), Institute of German Studies, University of Potsdam, 14469 Potsdam, GermanyThis study explores the use of a theatre project to enhance reading competencies among students with special educational needs (SENs) in inclusive classrooms. The project, titled “Stop Bullying! A Theatre Project”, aimed to improve students’ reading skills through dramatised engagement with texts, with a particular focus on promoting literacy and social interaction. Employing a Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology, the study involved iterative cycles of implementation and data collection. Participants, including students with varying reading abilities, engaged in theatrical activities that incorporated reading strategies such as reading aloud, paired reading, and choral reading—each designed to support comprehension, fluency, and reading confidence. Findings from multiple cycles indicated improvements in students’ social dynamics, including stronger peer interactions and increased group cohesion. While quantitative reading assessment data showed only modest gains in reading performance, qualitative observations revealed significant improvements in reading skills and social interactions during collaborative performances. The study concludes that a theatre-based approach can effectively support reading development while fostering a more inclusive and supportive classroom environment.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/5/593reading difficultiesinclusive educationreading approachesliteracy developmenttheatre projectdrama |
| spellingShingle | Winnie-Karen Giera Everyone Is Reading and Playing! A Participatory Theatre Project to Promote Reading Competence Education Sciences reading difficulties inclusive education reading approaches literacy development theatre project drama |
| title | Everyone Is Reading and Playing! A Participatory Theatre Project to Promote Reading Competence |
| title_full | Everyone Is Reading and Playing! A Participatory Theatre Project to Promote Reading Competence |
| title_fullStr | Everyone Is Reading and Playing! A Participatory Theatre Project to Promote Reading Competence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Everyone Is Reading and Playing! A Participatory Theatre Project to Promote Reading Competence |
| title_short | Everyone Is Reading and Playing! A Participatory Theatre Project to Promote Reading Competence |
| title_sort | everyone is reading and playing a participatory theatre project to promote reading competence |
| topic | reading difficulties inclusive education reading approaches literacy development theatre project drama |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/5/593 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT winniekarengiera everyoneisreadingandplayingaparticipatorytheatreprojecttopromotereadingcompetence |