Choral reading can help students to increase their language fluency, motivation and self confidence. As the activity can be performed in pairs, small groups or larger groups, it is seen as less-threatening, which differs from reading aloud alone. Students who would ordinarily feel self-conscious reading aloud in front of others can take confidence knowing they have extra support.
- A study into sixth-grade students found they made significant phonological decoding and fluency gains from just 16 minutes of whole-class choral reading per week.
- Just 7.69% of US fourth-graders gave negative comments about choral reading after completing a 6-week study on the effects of a minimum 20 minutes choral reading per weekday.
- However, before its commencement, 88.46% of the students gave negative comments about reading aloud during class.
- 61.54% of the students reported reading more often at home after the study, showing choral readers can feel rewarded and encouraged to develop healthier reading habits.
- Over 50% of the students involved in the study achieved at least a year’s growth in their reading level due to choral reading.
- 15.38% of students were able to gain two years of growth in terms of their reading level and none of the students experienced a reading level loss.
- Although struggling readers often look to avoid reading aloud in other scenarios, they will often tolerate choral reading.
- The knowledge that they have other readers alongside them partaking in the activity at the same time can reduce their level of stress.
- By reading alongside better readers, struggling readers can often recognize their own deficiencies and the strengths of others, pushing their abilities.
- Better choral readers can correctly pronounce words, use an appropriate reading speed, correct errors and give productive feedback to others.
Choral reading as part of a combined reading strategy
A combined choral, repeated and assisted reading strategy has been shown to provide many benefits to struggling readers. A Turkish study of fourth-graders found that choral reading can contribute to learners improving their word recognition, reading speed and comprehension.
Choral reading and word recognition
A choral reading environment can aid word recognition as a student is able to hear the pronunciation of a word as it is read-aloud by other members of the reading group, whilst they read the word on the page simultaneously.
Informative text
- When tasked with informative text word recognition tests, 100% of students improved on their initial test score.
- 33.33% of students achieved their highest test score after the reading strategy was implemented.
- 33.33% of students achieved their joint-highest test scores both during and after the implementation of the reading strategy.
- 33.33% of students achieved their highest test score during the implementation of the reading strategy.
- 0.00% of students achieved their highest test score before the implementation of the reading strategy.
| Student | Before | During | After |
| #1 | 64.00% | 88.00% | 85.33% |
| #2 | 82.66% | 96.00% | 96.00% |
| #3 | 80.00% | 89.33% | 88.00% |
| #4 | 81.33% | 94.66% | 97.33% |
| #5 | 74.66% | 89.33% | 89.33% |
| #6 | 16.00% | 50.66% | 78.66% |
A graph is given below to show informative text word recognition test scores for struggling readers undertaking a combined choral, repeated and assisted reading strategy:
Narrative text
- When tasked with narrative text word recognition tests, 100% of students improved on their initial test score.
- 66.66% of students achieved their highest test score after the reading strategy was implemented.
- 16.67% of students achieved their joint-highest test scores both during and after the implementation of the reading strategy.
- 16.67% of students achieved their highest test score during the implementation of the reading strategy.
- 0.00% of students achieved their highest test score before the implementation of the reading strategy.
| Student | Before | During | After |
| #1 | 70.37% | 85.18% | 97.53% |
| #2 | 79.01% | 95.06% | 96.29% |
| #3 | 85.00% | 93.82% | 93.82% |
| #4 | 87.65% | 96.29% | 95.06% |
| #5 | 86.41% | 95.06% | 97.53% |
| #6 | 18.51% | 66.66% | 83.65% |
A graph is given below to show narrative text word recognition test scores for struggling readers undertaking a combined choral, repeated and assisted reading strategy:
Choral reading and reading speed
Reading speed can be boosted by the activity of choral reading. Confident readers will often lead the activity at a faster pace, pushing slower readers to become more comfortable with a quicker stream of words.
Informative text
- When tasked with informative text reading speed tests, 100% of students improved on their initial test score.
- 100.00% of students achieved their highest test score after the reading strategy was implemented.
- 0.00% of students achieved their highest test score during the implementation of the reading strategy.
- 0.00% of students achieved their highest test score before the implementation of the reading strategy.
| Student | Before* | During* | After* |
| #1 | 33 | 30 | 48 |
| #2 | 28 | 48 | 53 |
| #3 | 28 | 37 | 44 |
| #4 | 20 | 29 | 34 |
| #5 | 61 | 34 | 67 |
| #6 | 10 | 17 | 24 |
A graph is given below to show informative text reading speed test scores for struggling readers undertaking a combined choral, repeated and assisted reading strategy:
Narrative text
- When tasked with narrative text reading speed tests, 83.33% of students improved on their initial test score.
- 50.00% of students achieved their highest test score after the reading strategy was implemented.
- 33.33% of students achieved their highest test score during the implementation of the reading strategy.
- 16.67% of students achieved their highest test score before the implementation of the reading strategy.
| Student | Before* | During* | After* |
| #1 | 16 | 31 | 42 |
| #2 | 31 | 52 | 50 |
| #3 | 32 | 37 | 49 |
| #4 | 23 | 33 | 40 |
| #5 | 78 | 68 | 66 |
| #6 | 11 | 30 | 28 |
A graph is given below to show narrative text reading speed test scores for struggling readers undertaking a combined choral, repeated and assisted reading strategy:
Choral reading and comprehension
Comprehension of text can be boosted by engagement in choral reading as distractions are minimized and multiple students must focus and participate on the text in unison. Unlike solo read-aloud, during choral reading wait times to read are greatly reduced, raising overall concentration levels.
Informative text
- When tasked with informative text comprehension tests, 100.00% of students improved on their initial test score.
- 83.33% of students achieved their highest test score after the reading strategy was implemented.
- 16.67% of students achieved their highest test score during the implementation of the reading strategy.
- 0.00% of students achieved their highest test score before the implementation of the reading strategy.
| Student | Before | During | After |
| #1 | 0.00% | 20.83% | 16.66% |
| #2 | 0.00% | 12.50% | 42.00% |
| #3 | 4.00% | 4.00% | 29.16% |
| #4 | 8.30% | 16.66% | 25.00% |
| #5 | 4.00% | 29.16% | 50.00% |
| #6 | 0.00% | 8.00% | 17.00% |
A graph is given below to show informative text comprehension test scores for struggling readers undertaking a combined choral, repeated and assisted reading strategy:
Narrative text
- When tasked with narrative text comprehension tests, 100.00% of students improved on their initial test score.
- 100.00% of students achieved their highest test score after the reading strategy was implemented.
- 00.00% of students achieved their highest test score during the implementation of the reading strategy.
- 00.00% of students achieved their highest test score before the implementation of the reading strategy.
| Student | Before | During | After |
| #1 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 16.00% |
| #2 | 16.00% | 32.00% | 64.00% |
| #3 | 4.00% | 20.00% | 40.00% |
| #4 | 0.00% | 16.00% | 44.00% |
| #5 | 4.00% | 20.00% | 36.00% |
| #6 | 0.00% | 8.00% | 16.00% |
A graph is given below to show narrative text comprehension test scores for struggling readers undertaking a combined choral, repeated and assisted reading strategy:
What is the appeal of choral reading?
A choral reading strategy can appeal in different ways to teachers and students:
- Choral reading can be adapted and used with students at any grade level.
- The sense of anxiety or embarrassment to read can be reduced through choral reading, increasing the confidence of each reader.
- Students with lesser reading abilities can experience a feeling of success, even from passages they would not normally be able to read aloud.
- Readers with a greater level of ability can support those with a lower level of ability.