1. Choral Reading and Creative Drama
By: Morgan Fairfax

2. Choral Reading
Choral reading is an oral literacy activity in which several readers read a selection in unison with the direction of a leader
Choral reading was an important element of Greek drama
Choral reading was used during the early history of schools because they didn’t have enough books

3. Choral Reading (cont)
Choral reading involves listening and responding to language
Students learn sounds, predictable language patterns, and the rhythm and melody which all enhance understanding, when they engage in choral language.

4. Choral Reading (cont)
After choral reading experiences, children are better able to predict the words and phrases that follow another
It is used to convey meaning through sound, stress, duration, and pitch
Diction and enunciation of speech sounds are also developed with choral reading
This is done with group interaction therefore it gives students opportunities for social cooperation

5. Choral Reading (cont)
With choral reading and it being a group engagement the children do not have feelings of self consciousness
Also Choral reading has no age limit– kindergarten students enjoy it also with high school students

6. Selecting Material for Choral Reading
Choral reading can begin as early as elementary school with nursery rhymes– mainly in kindergarten
Important elements in nursery rhymes are rhyme and rhythm and that helps to be memorized
Being meaningful, having strong rhythm, and easy discernible structures should all play a role in choral reading pieces

7. Examples Pieces For Choral Reading
“So Long as There’s Weather” by Tamara Kitt
“Godfrey, Gordon, Gustavus Gore” by William B. Rand
“The Umbrella Brigade” by Laura Richards
I know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Glen Rounds
Train Song by Diane Siebert
Truck Song by Diane Siebert
Laughing Time: Collected Nonsense by William Jay Smith
Peanut Butter and Jelly by Nadine Westcott

8. Planning Choral Reading
When initiating a choral reading you should always prepare students by giving them time to read the material silently and then have them read aloud to themselves or their peers
After reading then discuss the literature to ensure comprehension
After the students understand the selection they can practice reading it orally

9. Planning Choral Reading
Teachers can help young children respond to language rhythms by clapping or tapping to the rhythm
Teachers may chant the rhyme and have the kids join in with the last line or last couple lines
It is good to use a single selection with various choral methods so the children can learn to use various ways of expressing meanings
After students have several experiences with various choral readings they can then plan their own choral readings
When students have developed their understanding of chanting in unison they can move to longer selections

10. 4 Common Choral Reading Types
Refrain-- the teacher reads most of the lines and the students read the refrain
Line-a-child-- each student reads specific lines while the entire group reads the beginning and ending of the selection
Antiphonal– enables the reader to explore pitches and duration of sound. Most common for higher grades and also known as dialogue choral reading
Unison– the most difficult choral reading because the whole group reads the whole selection

11. Example of Primary Grade Choral Reading with “So Long as There’s Weather
1. The teacher begins with crashing cymbals to simulate thunder or water poured from container to container to simulate rain
2. The teacher reads the 1st verse
3. The children read the 2nd verse in unison from a chart
4. The teacher or a child who had practiced reads the 3rd verse
5. The children read the 4th verse in union from chart
6. Emphasized words in the 4th verse will be accompanied by cymbals crashing

12. Following Choral Reading
Following choral reading students can follow with creative drama to farther enhance literature
Creative Drama
-- Puppets
-- Pantamiming
-- Peer Acting

13. Citation
Stoodt-Hill, B. D., & Amspaugh-Corson, L. B. (2009). Children's literature discovery for a lifetime. Boston: Pearson.