Shared reading

Shared reading is an instructional approach in which the teacher explicitly models the strategies and skills of proficient readers.

In early childhood classrooms, shared reading typically involves a teacher and a large group of children sitting closely together to read and re-read carefully selected enlarged texts. Shared reading can also be done effectively with smaller groups.

With this instructional technique, students have an opportunity to gradually assume more responsibility for reading as their skill level and confidence increase. Shared reading also provides a safe learning environment for students to practice the reading behaviours of proficient readers with the support of teacher and peers, and it also focuses on needs indicated in assessment data and required by grade-level curriculum expectations. The text is always chosen by the teacher and must be visible to the students.

Description
Traditionally, shared reading has used paper-based materials. However, recently, several electronic resources have been developed one of such resources is an online resource called Mimic Books. This resource has been specifically designed to be used on interactive whiteboards for shared reading lessons. A benefit of this resource is that it replicates the look and appearance of a very big book on an interactive whiteboard, making it clearly visible to children. By increasing the amount of shared-reading in the home, parents can help children to develop a larger knowledge base for understanding the world.

Purpose
The two-main purposes of shared reading is to engage children in enjoyable reading experiences by introducing them to various authors, illustrators, and types of texts to attract them to become a reader and to systematically teach the children the reading process to become readers and writers themselves. Through shared reading, children learn to track and connect print to speech. By increasing the amount of shared reading in the home, parents can help children to develop a larger knowledge base for understanding the world.

Specification for texts
When selecting texts for reading, teachers typically seek materials that align with the reading level of the students that is also cross-curricular and relevant in its nature. The text should be of an appropriate length for study, be adequately complex, and should also have an impact.

Method
In elementary grades, teachers read aloud while children follow along. The more familiar with the text, the more the teachers ask the students in terms of reading, talking and answering questions about the reading. In later grades, the teacher reads the text aloud after stating a focus, and then re-reads the text, asking questions relating to the focus of choice (and may ask students to join). The focus areas may include things like analysis, predictions, drawing inferences, grammar and punctuation, vocabulary development, questioning, literacy elements, critical thinking, phrasing, fluency, intonation, character, and plot development.

Shared reading typically starts with the teacher reading from a big book so that everyone can see the text. Predictable stories are the best because students can participate early in the shared reading experience. During the first reading, students should simply listen to the story, the teacher might use a pointer to demonstrate directionality in text and one-to-one correspondence. As the text is read repeatedly, students should begin to participate by chanting, making predictions, providing keywords that are important in the story or participating in echo reading. Also, recording shared reading and making them available for students to listen later “provides student with a familiar and fluent model for reading with good phrasing and intonation for children to emulate”.

Resources

 * Fountas and Pinnell - Shared Reading Collection
 * Learning at the Primary Pond - Shared Reading Bundles K-2


 * Reading A-Z - Shared Reading Books
 * Reading Rockets - Shared Reading Classroom Strategies