Choral Reading - Increase students' self-confidence, and fluency in reading

Focusing Inquiry - TERM 3

To accelerate students achievement in Reading!

TESSOL strategies are effective in scaffolding students to think, speak and read independently.  

Which strategies are effective to scaffold students to use visuals, structure, and meaning information to read with fluency, respond, and think critically with confidence?

After analysing the data (above) and using anecdotal notes from last term - this is what I have noticed.

My students' problems:
- fluency in reading
- comprehension - understanding & interpretation of what they read


My students' strengths:
- decoding as they read
- love reading
- recognising known words


I know that it is not unusual for an ESOL student to read a book beautifully and not being able to answer a couple of comprehension questions correctly, but I want them to be better in both.

Therefore, in the next three weeks I am going to use CHORAL READING to support students to improve reading with fluency, and build self-confidence.

Why doing Choral Reading?
Because students are reading aloud together, students who may ordinarily feel sel-conscious or nervous about reading aloud have built-in support.

Gives an opportunity to practice and receive support before reading on their own

Provides a model for fluent reading as students listen

Improve the ability to read sight-words

And I am pretty sure that it will help students once they are confident, to answer and interpret questions correctly as well.

Here is a video of how Choral Reading is done in a classroom.

Teaching & Learning (Pedagogical/Ako)

Choose a book that works well for reading aloud as a group (not too long, and is at independent reading level for most students)

Each child has a book

Teacher reads or models fluent reading first - students to follow using their finger or eyes to point at words

Everyone reads together in unison after the teacher

Quick FRONT-LOADING at the beginning if the title is unfamiliar to the students

Indicators of Progress

Increase students' self-confidence in reading

Increase students' motivation to read

Increase students' fluency in reading

Improve understanding and comprehension