Shared Reading

Shared Reading

There are many definitions of Shared Reading. My colleagues and I believe in the Shared Reading Experience! This type of Shared Reading involves high support for every reader.

What is the Shared Reading Experience?
• An interactive reading experience developed in the early 1970’s by Don Holdaway and
colleagues in New Zealand, intended to emulate story-book reading or bedtime reading.
• Features use of a single, enlarged text (setting this practice apart from choral reading in which
each reader has a copy of the text), followed by rereading multiple times in a variety of contexts
(shared, choral, independent practice).
• High-support, low-risk, high-enjoyment reading experience that allows students to successfully
read and practice reading materials above their independent or instructional reading level.

Jennifer Young, of High Progress Literacy, has compiled the research and created some great visuals for you on Shared Reading. She also created a video that showcases some of the work she did to help struggling readers accelerate their reading. It is an old video but a good one!

Share Reading Experience can be used for many different reasons.

• We may want to practice fluency. Students need to hear a more expert other. Choose text that is at or near the level of the highest reader in the class. 
• We can also use shared reading for intervention. When decoding or fluency is weak, this is a great resource. Be sure to take the Shared Reading all the way to performance! 
• Shared reading is great in your content subject areas. Every child can access material from shared reading. This improves student achievement! Here is a second-grade video of a shared reading used in a Unit of Study on the life cycle. 

One of the most important things is to find fun and engaging shared reading texts. Flocabualry has some great things. Songs make wonderful readings as well as poems.

Videos of Shared Reading:

Kindergarten-One of my favorites!




First Grade







Second Grade


Fifth Grade