Structured Language Routine I: Choral Response

What is choral response?

Choral response (after the think-pair-share) is one of the most commonly used response practices used by teachers. It simply involves students responding to a teacher's prompt in unison/ as a group. In most cases, the teacher and students agree upon a signal that will inform students that this is the appropriate response to a prompt. This is especially useful when a savvy ELD instructor has developed/implemented a wide repertoire of practices!

How do I implement?
In general, the best thing you can do to implement a new routine is to do so in the context of practicing something students already know. (Remember what I've been saying all along about either introducing new grammatical forms or topical vocabulary or a new routine, practice, etc.) In this case, we want our English Learners to focus their attention on learning the structured language practice routine.

What's the goal?
Well, the short term-goal with these practices is for students to internalize the routine to the point that through the use of a signal or the term itself (e.g., "let's use a choral response") they will be able to, in this case, chorally respond using the target grammatical form.

Of course, our long-term ultimate goal is for our students to gain fluency, automaticity and confidence in using a variety of grammatical forms during at least 50% of ELD instructional time. These routines will facilitate this goal.

However...not all are appropriate at all times of ELD instruction. Remember, we have an "I Do It" time (Teacher models), a "We Do it" time or Guided Structured Practice and a "You all Do it" time or Independent Supervised time. It should not be too hard to figure out that the Choral Response strategy is probably best suited for the "I Do It" time.

We will continue exploring more practices over the next few days!

- W