Choral reading is when all or several students read in unison. It is said to increase fluency, self-confidence, and motivation. It helps some students who normally feel self-conscious about reading aloud. It gives the self-conscious reader a chance to practice. It provides a model for other students to listen and improve their fluency. It also helps students learn sight words.
Choral reading in the classroom involves selecting a short passage at a level that all students can read together. In reading together, students hear the rhythm of words and the expression used by students. These are the keys to fluency. Students hear words as they are read aloud.
Choral reading benefits struggling students by masking reading problems such as hesitations and mispronounced words. As all students read aloud, comprehension increases because of the slower pace. Students, therefore, pay attention to the words they are reading.
Choral Reading and Other Modes
Choral reading isn’t the only method of classroom oral reading. All teachers, no matter the subject, are reading teachers. In other subjects, teachers can support reading through various instructional methods.
- Teacher read-aloud is when the teacher reads the text aloud. This is usually done in early grades while students look at a big book. In elementary grades, students share a copy of the passage in a book. This method helps students build their vocabulary and improve their fluency.
- Partner reading involves two students who read to each other. In pairs, students take turns reading passages or sentences. This works with middle elementary grade levels.
- Independent reading is appropriate for upper elementary grade levels. It is done either aloud or silently. Students are free to read at their own pace.
- Jigsaw reading is perfect for older students. It allows students to become experts in a section of a longer text. They move to another group and give the information on what was read.
- Color-coding helps students visualize specific themes or topics chosen by the teacher. This method helps students to see specific connections.
- Reader’s theater is a strategy that combines oral reading and performing. It improves fluency and comprehension.
No matter the method or strategy used in the classroom, students need confidence, reading fluency, and comprehension. Teachers need to hear their students read aloud. The method does not matter. Teachers gain many insights for evaluating students when they read aloud. Fluency leads to comprehension.
Reading fluently opens a new world of reading for students. It leads students to read for pleasure. It provides a path to a lifelong love of reading.
