CHORAL READING AND CREATIVE DRAMA

By: Morgan Fairfax

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Following Choral Reading

Following choral reading students can follow with creative drama to farther enhance literature

Creative Drama-- Puppets-- Pantamiming-- Peer Acting

CITATION

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