Shared reading is an inclusive approach that involves all students in common, rich, authentic literary experiences. An engaging text, a teaching focus and an appropriate strategy are carefully selected by the teacher, based on the needs of the students. Shared reading is an instructional approach that provides an opportunity for precision teaching. It can be used with any size group, in any content area, using any text format. The amount of student reading depends on the teaching focus, and the competency and comfort level of the students.
Students are actively involved in shared reading as teachers encourage them to use reading strategies to read aloud, to recognize words or phrases, and to examine interesting features in the text. They talk about the text before, during and after reading. Shared reading builds on students' experiences. Teachers follow these steps to use shared reading with the whole class or with small groups of students:
1. Introduce the text. Teachers talk about the text by activating or building background knowledge.
2. Read the text aloud. Teachers read aloud to the students, by using a pointer to track as they read. This is applicable to fluent readers as well. Model explicitly.
3. Have a grand conversation. Students talk about the text, ask questions, and share their responses.
4. Reread the story. Teachers invite students to join in reading and they find opportunities to teach cues and strategies while reading. Teachers vary the support they provide, depending on students' reading expertise.
5. Continue the process. Teachers continue to read the text over a period of several days, having students engaged in the process in a variety of ways.
6. Have students read independently. After students become familiar with the text, or the features being explicitly taught, teachers distribute independent copies for the students to use for a variety of learning activities based on the outcomes
Teachers use shared reading during explicit teaching, literature focus units, literature circles, and thematic units. When doing shared reading, use enlarged texts, ebooks on the Smart Board, big books, charts, etc. so that students can see the text and read along.