Effectiveness
Shared Book Reading was found to have mixed effects on oral language and potentially positive effects on phonological processing.
Program Description
Shared Book Reading is a general practice aimed at enhancing young children's language and literacy skills and their appreciation of books. Typically, Shared Book Reading involves an adult reading a book to one child or a small group of children without requiring extensive interactions from them. Two related practices are reviewed in the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) intervention reports on Dialogic Reading and Interactive Shared Book Reading.
Research
Three studies of Shared Book Reading met the WWC evidence standards. These studies, which included a total of 124 preschool children, examined intervention effects on children's oral language and phonological processing. All children were from low- to middle-income families and about half were female. This report focuses on immediate posttest findings to determine the effectiveness of the intervention.
