Few characters capture the imagination — and the heart — quite like Anne Shirley, the spirited heroine of Anne of Green Gables. Her story of resilience, imagination, and kindness fits beautifully into IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) units focused on identity, relationships, and personal growth.
Yet, like many classic texts, Anne of Green Gables can be linguistically and structurally challenging for young readers, especially in multilingual classrooms. That’s where Adaptive Reader’s suite of leveled and multilingual texts transforms how PYP students engage with Anne’s world.
When paired with Reader’s Theater, this combination turns reading into an active, joyful, and deeply meaningful inquiry experience.
What is Reader’s Theater — and Why it works in PYP?
Reader’s Theater is a strategy where students read scripts adapted from literature, focusing on expressive reading and collaborative performance — not memorization.
It’s a powerful way to:
- Build fluency and comprehension.
- Deepen understanding of character, theme, and dialogue.
- Foster communication, collaboration, and confidence — key PYP ATL (Approaches to Teaching and Learning) skills.
In a PYP setting, Reader’s Theater transforms literature into inquiry, helping students explore big ideas and conceptual questions, such as:
- What makes a family?
- How do we belong and contribute to a community?
- How do imagination and creativity help us face challenges?
However, before students can perform, they need to understand Anne's world — and Adaptive Reader makes that possible for all levels and language backgrounds.
How Adaptive Reader Makes Anne of Green Gables Accessible for PYP
Adaptive Reader offers Anne of Green Gables in:
- Original Edition: For advanced young readers ready for L.M. Montgomery’s rich prose.
- Gold Edition: Moderately adapted with simplified vocabulary and syntax.
- Silver Edition: Further adapted for readers needing more support — without losing Anne’s voice and key storylines.
Multilingual editions (e.g., Spanish, French, Russian) allow students to explore Anne’s story in their strongest language, perfect for multilingual PYP classrooms.
✅ PYP Connection: Supports inclusivity, equity, and access, helping students engage in shared inquiry and collaborative experiences.
Bringing Anne of Green Gables into Reader’s Theater — A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Exploring the Big Ideas
Before diving into scenes, students explore conceptual questions aligned to PYP transdisciplinary themes, such as:
- Who we are: How do relationships shape our identity?
- How we express ourselves: How does imagination help us see the world differently?
Students read selections from their chosen level (Original, Gold, Silver, or translated editions), using audio supports to hear Anne's voice and understand tone and pacing.
✅ Supports ATL Skills: Thinking, Research, and Communication.
Step 2: Script Creation — Collaborative and Scaffolded
Working with teacher guidance, students adapt scenes into scripts — focusing on:
- Key conversations (e.g., Anne meeting Marilla, apologizing to Mrs. Lynde).
- Moments of personal growth (e.g., Anne learning from her mistakes).
- Conflict and resolution (e.g., Anne and Gilbert’s rivalry).
Adaptive Reader’s leveled texts ensure every student can contribute, whether drafting dialogue, summarizing scenes, or identifying key quotes.
✅ Learner Profile in Action: Communicators, Thinkers, Risk-Takers.
Step 3: Rehearsal — Building Fluency and Confidence
Students rehearse in small groups, focusing on:
- Expression and emotion (How does Anne feel when she meets Marilla?).
- Tone and pacing (What makes Anne’s voice unique?).
- Collaboration and feedback (Practicing active listening and constructive comments).
Using Adaptive Reader’s audio editions, students can model their readings on professional narrations, building confidence and understanding of language rhythm and meaning.
✅ ATL Development: Social skills (collaboration), Communication (expressive speaking).
Step 4: Performance and Reflection — Sharing Understanding
Students perform their Reader’s Theater scenes for classmates or families — sharing Anne’s story and the themes they have explored.
Post-performance, students reflect on their learning:
- What did you learn about Anne, her world, and her sense of belonging?
- How does Anne’s imagination and creativity help her face challenges?
- How do Anne’s experiences connect to your own life and community?
✅ PYP Emphasis: Taking action by sharing learning, reflecting on personal growth.
Conclusion: Bringing Anne’s World to Every PYP Learner
In the PYP classroom, literature should be a joyful entry point to inquiry, imagination, and conversation — not a barrier.
By combining Adaptive Reader’s accessible editions of Anne of Green Gables with Reader’s Theater, every student can connect to Anne’s story, explore big ideas about who we are and how we belong, and share their learning confidently with others.
➡️ Visit adaptivereader.com to explore Anne of Green Gables and other PYP-friendly classics — and start building joyful, inclusive inquiry today.