© 2017 Joanne Gauthier. All rights reserved.

Permission is granted to one teacher only to use these materials for personal
classroom use only. No other distribution, in any form, is permitted.

Images from:
 Teacher’s notes and suggestions
Scripts
• While students are reading the scripts, work on expression and fluency as
well as good pacing and pronunciation. Explain that when reading for an
audience, students must read more slowly than they do in their heads. If
they read too quickly or mumble the audience cannot follow the story.

• The script has parts suitable for Emergent Readers and Transitional readers as
follows:
o Emergent (roughly DRA 4-8) Mrs. Clause, Reindeer, Santa
o Transitional (roughly DRA 10-12): Elf, Gingerbread Man, Polar Bear
o High Transitional (roughly DRA 14-18): Narrator
This allows children to work with classmates who may not be in their reading
groups and makes for a nice change. It also allows fluent readers to model good
reading habits and lets struggling readers participate in reading a “meatier”
text.

• Although traditionally reader’s theater does not involve any movement or acting,
just reading the script expressively, it can often be fun to add in the actions.
Students listen more carefully while the narrator is reading, since they have to
act out what the narrator says, and students can often do the actions while
hanging on to the scripts so the reading continues along smoothly.

Character Images
• Can be used to make hats or hung around the necks of the readers, to identify
for the audience the part they are reading.
• There are 2 narrator cards. Students who have the narrator part may choose
the one they like best.
• Can be used to make “puppet shows” where the students create “in character”
dialogues.
• Can be used to mix and match characters to help in brainstorming and writing
their own holiday script.
• Can be used to classify characters, for example as good or naughty, funny or
serious.

© 2015 Joanne  Gauthier

Permission  is  granted  for  one  teacher  only  to  copy  this  script  for  personal  classroom  use  only.
Gingerbread Man Santa Mrs. Claus Reindeer

Polar Bear Elf Narrator

Narrator: One snowy day in the North Pole Mrs. Claus decided to
make a gingerbread man.

Mrs. Claus: Oh, I want to eat this gingerbread man. He looks so

good.

Narrator: Suddenly the Gingerbread Man jumped off the cookie

sheet and ran out the door.

Mrs. Claus: AHH. What’s going on? This Gingerbread Man is

running away.

Gingerbread: Bye bye. I’m running away and you can’t catch me.

Narrator: Mrs. Claus ran after the Gingerbread Man.

Gingerbread: Ha, ha. I’m too fast but try to catch me if you can.

Narrator: The Gingerbread Man and Mrs. Claus ran past Santa’s
workshop. Santa saw them running by and wondered
what was going on.

Santa: Why is Mrs. Claus chasing a Gingerbread Man? Hmm,

I’m a bit hungry. I bet I can catch him.

Narrator: The Gingerbread Man saw that Santa had joined the
chase.
Gingerbread: Ha, ha. I’m too fast but try and catch me if you can.

Narrator: Now Santa and Mrs. Claus were both chasing the
Gingerbread Man. A reindeer, who had been playing
games in the snow, saw the three of them heading
towards him.

Reindeer: Wow that Gingerbread Man is running very fast. I

don’t think Santa or Mrs. Claus can catch him, but I
can.

Narrator: The reindeer joined the chase.

Gingerbread: Ha, ha. You think you’re fast, but I’m faster. Catch
me if you can.

Narrator: Now the reindeer, Santa and Mrs. Claus were all
chasing the Gingerbread Man. They passed an elf on
his way back to the workshop.

Elf: That Gingerbread Man sure is fast. Nobody can catch

him. Maybe if I run very fast, I can get him. He would
make a yummy afternoon snack.

Narrator: So the elf also started running after the Gingerbread

Man.

Gingerbread: Ha, ha. None of you is as fast as me. Catch me if you

can.
Narrator: The Gingerbread Man was running so fast that soon he
was far ahead of the elf, the reindeer, Santa and Mrs.
Claus. He turned around a corner and suddenly there
was a huge mountain of snow in front of him. There
was no way he could get over it. He was stuck! After a
few minutes though a polar bear came by.

Polar Bear: Hello Gingerbread Man. What are you doing?

Gingerbread: I am running away from an elf, a reindeer, Santa and

Mrs. Claus. They were far behind me, but now that I’m
stuck at this snow mountain, they’re going to catch up
and eat me.

Polar Bear: I can help you get over the snow mountain.

Gingerbread: Really?

Polar Bear: Oh yes. Just jump on my back and I’ll climb over.

Gingerbread: What a great idea.

Narrator: The Gingerbread Man jumped on the polar bear’s back,

but after a few minutes the polar bear started sinking
into the snow and the Gingerbread Man was getting
wet.

Polar Bear: Jump up higher on my back so you can stay dry.

Gingerbread: OK. This is better.

Narrator: But again, after a few minutes the polar bear sank
deeper into the snow and the Gingerbread Man was
getting wet again.

Polar Bear: Jump up on my shoulder so you can stay dry.

Gingerbread: OK. This is better.

Narrator: But again, the polar bear kept sinking into the snow and
after a few minutes the Gingerbread Man was getting
wet again.

Polar Bear: Jump onto my nose so you can stay dry.

Gingerbread: OK. Hey, what are you doing?

Narrator: Before the Gingerbread Man could say anything else,

the polar bear used his tongue to get the Gingerbread
Man and put him into his mouth.

Polar Bear: Hmm, what a yummy snack. I bet Mrs. Claus made it.

Narrator: When the elf, the reindeer, Santa and Mrs. Claus got
to the snow mountain the only thing they saw was a
polar bear all alone at the top licking his lips.
Mrs. Claus
Elf
&

Polar Bear
Santa
Gingerbread Man
Reindeer
Narrator
Images
Narrator
Narrator
Thank you for your interest. Here are other Christmas Readers' Theater Scripts you may be
interested in:

OR get all the Christmas scripts at a

discount in this bundle:
Thank you for your interest. Here are some other resources resources you may be interested in: