Choral reading is when students read aloud in unison as a whole class or in a group. Choral reading helps build fluency, self-confidence, and motivation. When students read aloud together, students who may ordinarily feel self-conscious or nervous about reading aloud have built-in support.
This strategy can also be used by teachers or instructors working with small groups or one-on-one with a student.
How to do choral reading
- Choose a book or passage that works well for reading aloud as a group:
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- Simple syntax and decodable (for beginning readers)
- Not too long
- At a level that most students can read with few errors.
- Provide each student a copy of the text so they may follow along. Alternatively, you can use an interactive whiteboard or screen.
- Read the passage or story aloud and model fluent reading for the students.
- Ask the students to use a marker or finger to follow along with the text as they read.
- Reread the passage and have all students in the group read the story or passage aloud in unison. Repeat.
Adapted from Reading Rockets
An example of choral reading with a small group of students
