Shared book reading is an interactive reading experience which happens when children share or join in the reading of a book or other text while supported and guided by a parent/teacher/therapist.
Research shows that shared book reading helps develop young children’s language development and early reading and literacy skills by:
Improving vocabulary – this way of book reading provides many opportunities for toddlers to hear new words and practice using those words in context.
Improving print awareness (knowledge that print is read from left to right and top to bottom)
Improving predicting and reasoning skills – by asking your child what they think is going to happen next.
Improving sight word knowledge and reading fluency – especially through repetition
Improving phonological awareness (the ability to recognise and manipulate the spoken parts of sentences and words e.g., recognising words that have the same beginning and end sounds, breaking words up into sounds and putting sounds together to make words, recognising rhyming words, etc.)
Shared book reading also helps provide support to children that might not be able to read on their own and provides struggling readers with necessary support. It is a great way to encourage early language skills in a natural setting like at home and build parent-child interactions and relationships as well.
What shared book reading may look like:
Shared book reading may look different depending on the age of your child. For example, when a baby first starts engaging with books, they may turn the book around the wrong way or quickly flick through the pages in random order. This is expected as a baby first starts exploring books. At this stage, early literacy skills can be supported by modelling turning the pages of the book, turning the book around the right way, and pointing to and commenting on pictures.
As toddlers develop, shared book reading becomes more interactive as there is back and forth interaction about the book compared to simply reading the words on each page.
As your child gets older, a routine for shared book reading may include:
Introducing the story to the child – talk about the title, picture on the cover and author. Get your child to predict what they think the story might be about!
Read the story aloud to your child and use appropriate emphasis.
Ask open ended and ‘wh’ questions such as ‘what, where, when, who, why’ and ask your child to make predictions and talk about the story. The level of questions you ask will generally depend on your child’s age. Also ensure to balance questions with comments.
Connecting the story to the child’s life/experiences.
Repeat and expand on what your child says.
Give praise and encouragement to make reading a positive experience!
Follow your child’s lead and make reading fun!
Strategies to support shared book reading at home:
Use books of interest or that are interactive in some way (e.g., pull at tabs, flip up tabs)
Don’t only read off the pages - comment on what you can see, what might happen next, etc.
Utilise facial expression and gestures, using funny and silly voices to help make it more fun.
Repeat new/target words often, slowly, and clearly.
Pause after each page to give time to process and understand.
Share what you are thinking aloud while reading the story so that your child can learn from your model and do the same.
Notice what your child is looking at and talking about and respond to what they are interested in.
Label actions and objects in the story and give opportunity for your child to do the same.
Choose an area with limited distractions, good lighting, and comfortable seating.
Position the book so that you and your child can both see it.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog! Feel free to leave any comments or questions below. If you have concerns about your child’s language development, it is best to speak to a Speech Pathologist for guidance. You can give us a call on 0450 501 023, or email hello@bambinihealth.com.au to find out more.