Major focus area

Speech Therapy -> Expressive Language

Short description

Shared reading is defined as the interaction that occurs between an adult and student as they read a book together (Ezell & Justice, 2005) with the intention of enhancing the child’s language and literacy skills.

Long description

Shared reading is defined as the interaction that occurs between an adult and student as they read a book together (Ezell & Justice, 2005) with the intention of enhancing the child’s language and literacy skills. The Commission on Reading called shared reading “the single most important activity of developing the knowledge required for eventual success in reading.” Shared reading can be both structured and unstructured, depending on the needs of the child. Strategies used during shared reading: labeling and describing illustrations, talking about the actions and events occurring during the story, making real-life connections to the story, referencing the print, providing adequate wait time for the child to initiate, and responding to the child’s communication attempts. Commenting and responding to the child’s communication attempts is more important than reading every page start to finish. More structured approaches to shared reading include following the CAR (comment and wait, ask for participation and wait, respond by adding a little more) and putting the CROWD in the CAR (completion, recall, open-ended, WH, distancing).