What is Shared Reading?
Opportunities for teachers and students to engage in a collaborative reading experience to learn and practice intentional reading habits. The text is visible to all readers, either in a pocket chart, big book, chart paper, projected on a screen, or individual copies so all readers can engage with the reading.
Why?
Shared Reading is an opportunity for children to engage as readers and collectively build a repertoire of strategies for solving problems presented by text. The collaborative nature of shared reading provides all learners access to the text and opportunities to adopt way to approach text during independent practice. Sharing a wide range of meaningful texts encourages all readers to interact and develop familiarity with new genres, structures, themes and topics.
During Shared Reading...
| Teachers are... | Learners are... |
|---|---|
| modelling print and meaning related problem-solving | participating, even if they cannot yet read the text on their own |
| equipping readers with the tools & strategies that support them in understanding text | observing how a proficient reader approaches text |
| scaffolding strategic thinking, guiding readers towards independence | attending to print |
| selecting texts that offer opportunities to build listening comprehension | testing out problem-solving or strategy processes |
| using observations to inform next instructional steps during small group coaching | co-constructing meaning though conversation |
