Choral Reading 2

Choral reading allows students to practice reading together with the teacher. It helps
students build their fluency, self-confidence, and motivation in reading. This strategy can
be conducted with individuals, small groups, or the entire class.

Scenario
Your students are high-novice and can decode most simple short and long vowel
words. You have been teaching phonics and syllables. The students know that every
syllable has at least one vowel. One vowel (in a syllable) usually equals a short sound.
Two vowels usually equal a long sound. This choral reading is to help them practice
identifying and saying syllables in the context of reading. The class with clap out the
syllables as everyone reads.

1. Like a read-aloud, you need to prepare them to read. You need to plan for this. It
only needs to be about 1-2 minutes.
a. You could ask questions about the topic.
b. You could show some pictures or a short video.
c. Only do one thing to prepare them.
2. Explain what ‘choral reading’ is and read.
3. Ask some CCQs during and after reading.

Procedure
1. Choose a book or passage that works well for reading aloud as a group:
a. Patterned or predictable (for beginning readers)
b. Not too long
c. At the independent reading level of most students
2. Use a large book, the screen projector, or give each student a copy of the text so
they may follow along.
3. Have students read with you. Everyone claps the syllables. Read and clap very
slowly the first time. Read faster the second time, and even faster for the third
time.
4. Ask some CCQs during and after reading.
a. Explain/Review: If you can break the words into syllables, you can hear
the sounds better and then match the letters and sounds. If you are
reading and come across a new/unknown word, you can break it into
syllables to help decode it.
5. Have the students draw a slash (/) between the syllables of different words as an
after-reading activity. (optional)