Bring the Japanese folktale of Urashima Taro to life with this decodable five-page reader's theater script! Perfect for building confidence in developing readers, this script helps improve fluency and expressive reading, all while encouraging teamwork. It's an ideal choice for classroom performances, reading centers, or small group practice.
 
Urashima the Fisherman is a traditional story from Japan that first appeared in 8th century. Pair this script with a trade book or video and you’re ready to cover CCSS.ELA – Literacy.RL.2.9 Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures.
 
And while this script was written for second graders near the beginning of the school year, it would also be a good fit for first graders at the end of their school year or third grade students in intervention settings.
 
What is reader’s theater?
Reader's theater is a reading activity where students are placed in small groups and perform a script aloud multiple times without any actions, props, or costumes. Each student reads one character’s lines, focusing on expression and fluency.
 
How does reader’s theater help build fluency?
Reader's theater helps build fluency by giving students repeated, meaningful practice with a script. Research has shown that reading the same word multiple times helps move it from short term to long term memory.
 
Please Note: This script is taken from the Science of Reading aligned Super Advanced Phonics Level A Unit 3 which teaches students to read words with the au and aw diphthong sounds.
 
Engaging, effective, and fun—this Urashima the Fisherman reader's theater script is a fantastic way to boost fluency and reading confidence in developing readers!