Shared reading

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Shared Reading as an instructional approach during which the teacher explicitly teaches the strategies and skills of proficient readers. Students have an opportunity to gradually assume more responsibility for the reading as their skill level and confidence increase. Shared reading provides a safe learning environment for students to practice the reading behaviours of proficient readers with the support of teacher and peers. Shared reading may be offered to the whole class or a small group of students and may focus on needs indicated in assessment data and required by grade level curriculum expectations particuarly in Canada. The text is always chosen by the teacher and must be visible to the students.

When selecting texts for reading teachers typically look for text that

  • Is powerful or impactful
  • is cross curricular
  • Is complex
  • Is visibility
  • Has relevance
  • Isn't unduly long
  • Supports focus
  • Is age appropriate (reading level)


The teacher reads the text aloud, states a focus, and then re-reads the text, asking questions specific to the focus of choice (and may ask students to join). The focus may include things like: analysis, predictions, drawing inferences, grammar and punctuation, vocabulary development, questioning, literacy elements, critical thinking, phrasing., fluency, intonation, character/ plot Development.

Although Shared Reading does not promote being the end all and be all it is another effective strategy that can be put into practice as an educational tool. This strategy allows students’ to participate in an enthusiastic and active way while at the same time helping them be successful in the area of reading.


[edit] Supports and References:

Allan, Janet. Yellow brick roads: shared and guided paths to independent reading. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers, 2000

Booth, David. Guided reading process: techniques and strategies for successful instruction in K-8 classroom. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers, 1999.

Booth, David. Literacy techniques for building successful readers and writers. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers, 2004.

Brown, Susan. Shared Reading for grades 3 and beyond: Working it out together. Wellington, NZ: Learning Media Limited, 2004.

Cunningham, Patricia M. Classrooms that work: they call read and write. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2003.

Fountas, Irene C. Guided Reading: good first teaching for all children. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1996.

Holley, Cynthia. Warming up to big books. Bothwell, WA: The Wright Group, 1995.

Kaner, Etta. The class that reads: best practices for teaching primary reading. Toronto, ON: Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, 2001

McTeague, Frank. Shared Reading in the middle and high school year.. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers, 1992.

Ontario. A guide to effective literacy instruction. Grades 4 to 6 Ministry of Education, 2006.

Parkes, Brenda. Read it again! Revisiting shared reading.Portland, ME: Stenhouse, 2000.

Peetoom, Adrian. Shared Reading: risks with whole books. Richmond Hill, ON: Scholastic-TAB, 1986.

Powell, Richard. Come back, bouncer! Toronto: W.H. Smith, 1990.

Slaughter, Judith Pollard. Beyond storybooks: young children and the shared book experience. Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 1992.

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