All Together Now!
Fluency instruction requires multiple opportunities to
practice text. Choral reading is one
efficient intervention that allows multiple students and even the whole class
to practice together.
Paige (2011) describes one teacher’s use of whole-class choral
reading (WCCR) as a strategy to support her struggling readers. WCCR is a technique whereby a group or all
students read aloud together from the same passage along with the teacher who
models how to say words, the reasonable speed, and proper expression. There are studies that show it works to
increase oral reading fluency. (Raskinski, 2003; Samuels, 2006, as cited in
Paige, 2011, p. 435).
Paige described the flexibility of WCCR. Many types of text can be used including
short stories, poems, historical speeches, and content books. (Paige, 2011, p.
435). Teachers can support comprehension
and vocabulary as well by introducing the text and going over challenging words
beforehand. All students should have a
copy of the text or be able to see it on an overhead or smart board. The teacher sets the pace and instructs the
students to follow her lead. Corrective feedback is directed to the whole group
so that no student is singled out. This encourages
even reluctant readers to participate in reading. (Paige, 2011, p. 436-37).
Teachers can maintain interest with variations like echo
reading of sentences and volley reading back and forth between split groups. Choral reading can even be used to practice
fluency with assignment instructions or other short readings that would usually
be read aloud by a single student. (Paige, 2011, p. 437). With its versatility,
WCCR is a simple strategy that subtly incorporates needed fluency practice into
the daily classroom routine.
APA Citation to the article:
Paige, D. D. (2011).
"That Sounded good!": using whole-class choral reading to improve fluency. The Reading
Teacher, 64(6), 435-438.
Link to the article:
https://ezproxy.western.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pbh&AN=59423937&site=eds-live
Hi Ellen,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog as I too am an elementary teacher. I feel the beginning of the school year DIBELS anticipation and enjoy watching my students progress as the school year goes on. I have struggled to implement consistent fluency instruction into my classroom and now have some great ideas.
I find the WCCR instruction intriguing. I like that struggling readers will not be humiliated as the whole class is reading together. I also like that you can address and variety of topics and genres to spike students interests as you practice fluency. I'm wondering, however, what level text to choose when practicing WCCR. Is it better to use a text geared toward the struggling reader or a text in the middle as all students are participating? Should you choose a text based on new vocabulary or a simpler one that is just geared towards practicing fluency?
I've recently implemented a new fluency practice in my classroom where students are pulled out once a week by a volunteer parent to practice a timed passage. I have just started so I don't yet know how effective this will be, but perhaps this is an individual intervention you could look at in your classroom. I realize this is dependent upon parent involvement in the classroom, but if you have the help it could be interesting as classroom time tends to prioritize grouping.
Thanks for the great ideas!
Kylie
Kylie,
DeleteGood questions! I use text geared toward the middle so that even struggling readers get practice on grade level material. Using core subject content material also helps struggling readers with comprehending text for science and social studies topics that can be more challenging. Talking about specific vocabulary before the whole class reading benefits all of the students as well.