Magic Hat Script READER'S THEATER
Name:
Date:
THE MAGIC HAT
A fun play for three friends!
Meet the Characters
🐷 PIP A Little Pig
🐱 SAM A Fast Cat
🦊 FOX A Red Fox
SCENE 1: THE BIG HAT Setting: A grassy hill ⛰️
🐷 PIP
Look! See the big hat!
(Pip points to a big black hat)
🐱 SAM
It is a big black hat. It is on the green grass.
🦊 FOX
Can I put it on?
(Fox looks happy and wants to play)
Turn the page to see the magic! 🌟 Page 1
THE MAGIC HAT
READER'S THEATER
SCENE 2: FOX IS BIG! Magic Poof! 🪄
🐷 PIP
Yes! Put it on, Fox!
🦊 FOX
I put it on. Look! I am big! I am so big!
(Fox stands tall and stretches arms wide)
🐱 SAM
Oh! You are a big, big fox! That is cool!
SCENE 3: SAM CAN FLY! Up, Up, Up! ☁️
🐱 SAM
My turn! I want the hat now!
(Sam takes the hat and puts it on)
🐷 PIP
Look! Sam can fly! Sam is up in the air!
🦊 FOX
Wow, Sam! You are high! Do not fall down!
What will Pip see next? 🤔 Page 2
THE MAGIC HAT
READER'S THEATER
SCENE 4: PIP'S BIG WISH Yum, Yum! 🎂
🐷 PIP
My turn! I want the hat! I put it on my head.
🐱 SAM
Look! Pip has the hat. What do you see, Pip?
🐷 PIP
I see a big, big cake! I see a big sweet bun!
(Pip smiles very big and rubs tummy)
🦊 FOX
Yum! Let us eat! The magic hat is fun!
QUICK CHECK: Draw a line to match!
🦊 Fox became...
🐱 Sam became...
🐷 Pip saw...
💨 able to fly up high
🎂 a big, sweet cake
📈 very, very big
Amazing job acting out the play! 🎭 Page 3
Magic Hat Teacher Guide TEACHER GUIDANCE
LESSON: MAGIC HAT DRAMA
Magic Hat Facilitation Guide
Scaffolded instruction for 3rd graders reading at a 1st-grade level (CVC/Repetitive patterns).
Instructional Goals
Build sight word auto-retrieval through repetitive, rhythmic dialogue.
Foster reading fluency, expression, and pacing using dramatic roleplay.
Maintain age-appropriate dignity for older striving readers using structured performance.
Phonics & Decoding Elements
Focuses heavily on simple CVC blends, short vowels (a, i, u), and silent-e modifiers. Character names Pip, Sam, Fox are intentionally selected for immediate visual decoding.
Target Vocabulary & Word Study
High-Frequency
look see want what play now
Short Vowels
hat big not yum bun put
Long Vowels / Silent E
green cake sweet like
Multi-Sensory Pre-Reading (10 mins)
1
Visual Setup & Anchor Charts: Display a real hat or picture of a magician's top hat. Point to items around the room and practice the repetitive sight pattern: "Look! See the..."
2
Echo Mapping: Read the script aloud. Have students point to the visual character badges (the Pig, the Cat, and the Fox icons) and chime in on the repetitive lines ("I am big!", "My turn!", "Yum, yum!").
3
Character Assignment: Assign roles strategically. Group together students with varied decoding strengths to build interactive peer confidence.
Scaffolded Reader's Theater Guide Page 1
TEACHER GUIDANCE
LESSON: MAGIC HAT DRAMA
Step-by-Step Delivery Path
First Pass: Directed Echo Reading
Read each section line-by-line. Instruct students to match their tone to the character’s emotional tags (e.g., Pip the Pig is excited, Fox is boastful). Focus on maintaining strong eye contact with visual indicators inside dialogue cards.
Second Pass: Partner-Guided Reads
Break students into triads. Give each student their specific character stick puppet (from the activity sheet). Encourage them to point to the character badge on the script as their partner reads to reinforce print-to-voice tracking.
Third Pass: Expressive Performance
Have students stand up and physically perform! Incorporate hand gestures described in the action tags (e.g., rubbing tummy, pointing hands). Physicality grounds comprehension for struggling decoders.
Targeted Differentiation Strategies
For Striving Readers: Highlight high-frequency sight words (see, look, want) directly on the student script using transparent colored overlay strips.
For English Learners: Pre-teach the action indicators (e.g., "point", "fly", "tall") with physical actions before starting the script.
Guided Debrief Questions
Q1: How did Fox feel when he put the hat on? What did he say that showed us his feelings?
Q2: Why was Pip so happy at the end of the play? What would you wish to see if you put the magic hat on?
Collaborative Drama Framework Page 2
Magic Hat Activity Sheet CRAFT & PLAY
Name:
Date:
Stick Puppets!
Color, cut out, and paste onto craft sticks to perform your play!
🐷
PIP
The Little Pig
Glue craft stick here! 🥖
🐱
SAM
The Fast Cat
Glue craft stick here! 🥖
🦊
FOX
The Red Fox
Glue craft stick here! 🥖
Activity Instructions:
Carefully use scissors to cut out along the dashed outer boxes of each character puppet.
Color in your characters with your favorite colored crayons or pencils!
Tape or glue a popsicle stick to the back of each card to make your handheld theater puppets.
Get ready to perform with your group! 🎭 Page 1
STORY SEEKERS
Name:
Date:
My Magic Story Map
What happened in the play? Draw or write your answers in the magic boxes!
1
What did the friends find on the green grass?
Draw the big hat on the hill
2
What happened when Sam put on the hat?
Draw Sam flying high in the air
3
What did Pip see when she put on the hat?
Draw Pip looking at the big cake
What would YOU wish for if you put on the Magic Hat? Write or tell a friend!
Excellent work planning the story! ⛰️ Page 2