Title: Choral Reading: Reading Along with Pierre

Teachers use choral reading to develop children’s reading fluency. Poems are usually used for choral reading but short texts with predictable text and high-frequency vocabulary can also work well. There are four possible arrangements for choral reading:

  • Echo reading
  • Leader and chorus reading
  • Small-group reading
  • Cumulative reading

This lesson plan uses Leader and Chorus Reading to read the text Pierre by Maurice Sendak.

Compendium Link: Page 343

Chapter Link: Page 162

IRA/NCTE Standard:
Standard 12: Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Grade Level: 1

Objective: The students will build reading fluency by participating in a choral reading of Pierre by Maurice Sendak.

Materials Needed:

Sendak, M. (1962). Pierre. New York: Harper & Row.

Procedure:

  1. Bring the text Pierre by Maurice Sendak to the class and tell the children that you will read aloud a story about a little boy who didn’t listen to his parents.
  2. Show the first picture of Pierre and his mother. Ask the children to examine the picture and discuss Pierre’s facial expression with the class. (In the picture Pierre’s mother is smiling sweetly and Pierre seems to have a sullen look on his face.)
  3. Read the entire book to the class. (The book has predictable text. Throughout the story Pierre says, “I don’t care.” You may find that as you read the story, the class will begin chiming in each time Pierre says, “I don’t care.”)
  4. Discuss the story with the class and help them identify the main idea of the text.
  5. Tell the class that you need their help to read the story again.
  6. Ask the class, “What did Pierre say throughout the story?” After the class responds, write the sentence “I don’t care” on the chalkboard. Ask the class to read the sentence aloud as you point to each word.
  7. Tell the class that as you read the story again, you would like them to participate. You will read the story and point to the sentence “I don’t care” on the chalkboard whenever you want them to read Pierre’s line.
  8. As you read the story, the children will have many opportunities to read the line “I don’t care.”

Assessment:

1) Note each child’s level of participation.

2) Read Pierre again and observe whether the children are able to read the line “I don’t care” at appropriate points in the story.