When I think of this strategy, I imagine a choir of students reading instead of singing together. As a whole class, students read a text together using a variety of choral reading strategies. Echo Reading involves a person, such as a the teacher, reading one line, and other groups, such as the students reading it again. The class could split into two or more groups and rotate reading passages in what is called Small-Group Reading. A third type of choral reading is called Cumulative Reading, and it is when students are assigned lines in a text. Student 1 begins reading, then Student 2 joins at his/her spot, and this goes on until all students are reading together. There are so many possibilities and ways to modify this strategy to fit the text choice and student needs.

 

This is a perfect strategy to use in an early elementary classroom or ELL classroom to help students practice reading aloud in a relaxing, group atmosphere. In my classroom, we would practice this strategy often and I would use multiple choral reading formats. For example, one week we might use Echo Reading, then next week we might use Cumulative Reading. If the text had a distinct rhythm, then singing would be a great option for choral reading. Once students are comfortable and familiar with this strategy, they could even incorporate it into their reader’s theatre performances.

 

Choral reading is a great strategy for teachers to use in the classroom because it works for all students. ELL and struggling readers are able to practice reading in a group setting that is non-threatening and non-embarrassing. They also benefit from hearing their neighbors and the teacher read aloud. More proficient readers are still challenged by rotating and switching the choral reading methods, which keeps the students engaged and excited.