Shared Reading
What is it?
Shared Reading is a reading activity where the teacher models reading strategies with the pupils in their class. It is an interactive activity where pupils share the reading of a book. It can be done from a very young age (before the children can read) throughout the rest of primary school and beyond.
Shared reading allows for the modelling of reading in a non-threatening context.
Teachers use a familiar book with a group of children. Traditionally this is done through a big-book, but more recently this can be done with e-books projected onto a whiteboard.
The teacher reads the book to the group, so the focus of the session is on modelling good reading practice, building vocabulary and understanding of the text.
The book is read more than once over a period of time, building familiarity with the text and, hopefully, a love of reading, and a desire for the pupil to read more independently.
There are many benefits to shared reading, including, but not limited to:
- Understanding that books contain stories, and reading them can be fun.
- Allows young children to understand basic understanding of concepts of how books work (for example, left to right print etc.)
- A chance to predict and infer from a young age.
- Children understanding the patterns of grammar and punctuation, fluency and phrasing.
What does the research show?
Shared reading is another reading strategy to come out of New Zealand.
Holdaway (1979) describes shared reading as “the unison situation properly controlled in a lively and meaningful spirit, [which] allows for massive individual practice by every pupil in the teaching context” (p. 129).
Shared reading is a part of a balanced early literacy framework. The shared reading experience offers a way teachers can use engaging texts and authentic literacy experiences to help children develop the strategies necessary for effective, independent reading. Button & Johnson, 1997, The Role of Shared Reading in Developing Effective Early Reading Strategies.
The Role of Shared Reading in Developing Effective Early Reading Strategies. The Role of Shared Reading in Developing Effective Early Reading Strategies. Joy Alcantra, 2011.
