20 Shared Reading Tips to Share with Parents

March 26, 2019

This popular post was updated in 2021 with more great tips from the experts. Have a tip of your own to share? Add it in the comments below!

Shared storybook reading is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child. At its best, this one activity can promote strong parent-child attachment, nurture key early language and literacy skills, strengthen a child’s pride in their cultural and personal identity, expand their knowledge of the world, and help them process strong emotions and deal with life’s challenges.

Today’s post gives you 20 practical shared reading tips, adapted from some new and classic Brookes books from top early childhood experts. Share this post with families, and help them make the most of their special storytimes with young children.

1. Select high-quality books that interest your child.

You might want to ask a children’s librarian or child care providers or teachers for guidance and book recommendations. Be sure not to underestimate the level of language or information your child may enjoy. Sometimes grownups limit their selections to books with simple words intended for beginner readers, but it’s also important to choose books that stretch your child’s spoken language and expand their knowledge.

2. Ensure that children “see themselves” in books you read.

Cultivate a diverse library, including books that feature characters who look like your child and share their cultural background, family structure, and interests. For children of color and those with disabilities or challenges, who may often be exposed to stereotyped images in mainstream culture, books that provide realistic images and affirmation of identity are essential (even for very young children).

3. Stock your library with different kinds of books.

Storybooks are important, but don’t forget to include informational books that teach young children about key concepts and expand their knowledge of the world (e.g., books about animals, machines, natural phenomena, and other countries).

4. Set the stage for success.

Create a comfortable seating area with a quiet environment free from distractions and sufficient lighting for reading the print and examining the pictures. Position yourselves so that you and the child (or children) can see the book at the same time.

5. Engage your child with questions about the book.

Ask questions that challenge and “stretch” your child. These may be questions about the names for things, but they can also be about why characters are doing things or how they’re feeling. Praise your child when they respond to your questions and ask their own!

6. Build your child’s world knowledge.

Be alert for instances when the time period or location of the story’s events are unfamiliar to your child. Make sure you give the child enough information to understand the story. When you’re reading informational books, be especially aware of the need to ask questions and respond to your child’s questions.

7. Use books to expand your child’s vocabulary.

Watch for words you think your child may not know and briefly talk about them. When you reread a book, ask your child if he remembers what the word means, and try to use new words at other times of the day to reinforce knowledge.

8. Encourage letter learning as you read.

Try pointing to letters as you say their names. Turn to random pages in the book and see if children can name and point to the letters themselves.

9. Read a story with a strong pattern.

Encourage the child to retell the story, replicating the pattern. After your child has learned to retell the story, have him create his own story with similar patterns.

10. Differentiate print from pictures.

Track the print in the storybook by running a finger under the line of print. Point to an illustration and explain the difference between pictures and print.

11. Play a rhyming game.

Select a storybook that contains one word that rhymes with at least two other words. During shared reading, interrupt the story and make a comment about the rhyming words.

12. Strengthen your child’s comprehension skills.

Be alert for questions or signs of confusion during reading. Ask your child questions and make connections to their life and experiences.

13. Adapt books if necessary.

For young children with disabilities, modifications may be needed. Use techniques like simplifying books or adding tactile experiences during reading.

14. Use books as “bibliotherapy.”

Choose books that deal with tough emotions to help children work out common fears and worries.

15. Make reading an enjoyable routine.

Laugh, respond to your child’s interests, and share your own enthusiasm during reading sessions. Try to make it a regular routine.

16. Reread books.

Repetition allows children to absorb the language of the book. Make sure you select high-quality books for these repeat readings.

17. Add signs as you read.

Incorporate key signed words to engagement during reading, especially if the book includes rhythm and rhyme.

18. Engage them with expressiveness.

Use interesting facial expressions and vocal inflections during storytelling to keep young children engaged.

19. Try singing a book.

Select a picture book with rhythm and make up a melody or borrow one to sing lines from the book.

20. Encourage children to create their own books.

Help them write their own stories and illustrate them, reinforcing their love of reading and literacy skills.

Tips Sources

Tips 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 15, and 16 adapted from Connecting Through Talk by David K. Dickinson & Ann B. Morse

Tips 2, 8, 9, and 14 adapted from Talk to Me, Baby! by Betty Bardige

Tip 13 adapted from Assistive Technology for Young Children by Kathleen Curry Sadao and Nancy B. Robinson

Tips 4, 10, and 11 adapted from Shared Storybook Reading by Helen Ezell & Laura Justice

Tips 17-19 adapted from Sing & Sign for Young Children by Anne Meeker Watson

Tip 20 adapted from User’s Guide to the Child/Home Early Language and Literacy Observation (CHELLO) by Susan B. Neuman, Julie Dwyer, & Serene Koh.