Choral Reading

Choral reading gives students the experience of reading aloud without the stress of reading alone. Based upon the previously described research demonstrating that repeated stimulation of neuronal networks increases their efficiency, it makes sense that the experience of reading aloud together reinforces patterns.

When we start the choral reading, I ask students to whisper the words as I read aloud. Th is process continues until students become more confident. As the reading progresses and I drop my volume, students begin to read more loudly. At first it may be the louder readers who can give confidence to the others to follow as long as I intervene to keep a reasonable pace. Eventually, as the vocabulary of the new book becomes more familiar and content and prediction kick in to increase fl uency, I drop my voice down in volume and distinctly mouth the words.

Judy Willis, Teaching the Brain to Read: Strategies for Improving Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension (2008)

• literacy
• reading
• teaching