Shared Reading

Developed by New Zealand educator Don Holdaway, shared reading is a way of simulating the “lap reading” experience for school aged children. During shared reading, all students have access to the text through a big book, chart, poster, overhead, or their own copy of the text. The teacher reads the text aloud and during the read aloud, she models what good readers do and what good reading sounds like. After the text has been shared and students have had the opportunity to experience the text, students are invited to participate in reading the text (either in its entirety or an excerpt) with the instructor. This structure allows children to participate in reading and get the feel for how print works.