IMPLEMENTING READER’S THEATER USING FAIRY TALES TO PROMOTE READING FLUENCY OF 5TH GRADERS
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Abstract
The purposes of this research were: 1) to examine the effects of teaching English through Reader’s Theater using fairy tales to promote the reading fluency of 5th-grade students, and 2) to study 5th graders’ opinions on learning English through Reader’s Theater using fairy tales. The sample consisted of 24 5th-grade students from Banmabkrad School, Khonburi District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, during the first semester of the 2024 academic year. They were selected using the cluster sampling method. The research instruments included four lesson plans based on the Reader’s Theater approach using fairy tales, totalling 12 hours of instruction, a reading fluency assessment, and a questionnaire. The statistical analyses employed were mean, standard deviation, and a paired samples t-test.
The results of this research indicated that the mean reading fluency scores on the post-test were statistically higher than those on the pre-test at the .05 level, with the mean words correct per minute (WCPM) increasing to 61.16 in the post-test. Additionally, the mean scores for reading prosody rose to 9.75, reflecting a significant improvement in students' reading fluency at the .05 level. Most participants expressed positive opinions toward this method, with an average score of 4.75, indicating enjoyment and confidence in the effectiveness of using Reader’s Theater with fairy tales to promote reading fluency. This study suggests that teaching through Reader’s Theater using fairy tales is an effective strategy for enhancing reading fluency while positively influencing
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