Reading together isn't just about learning words on a page, it's about building communication. Extensive research has established that shared book reading with children supports literacy and language development. As a school-based speech-language pathologist, I would always ask myself, "If we already know shared reading is beneficial, why don't all parents do it regularly"? In this article, we’ll explore why shared reading matters, a simple strategy to make it interactive, who can benefit, and ways to start building these skills today. Here's what parents should know:

📚 Spoken language is the foundation for reading and writing. Children develop stronger literacy skills when they have a solid foundation in listening, vocabulary, and oral language.

🗣️ Shared book reading builds communication. Reading aloud while asking questions, talking about pictures, and making predictions supports language development, listening comprehension, and emergent reading skills.

💡 Early literacy starts long before a child can read independently. Looking at books, understanding that print has meaning, recognizing letters, learning story structure, and matching spoken words to print are all important early literacy skills.

📖 Children with language difficulties are at greater risk for reading and writing challenges. Strong language skills support later success with literacy, making early language experiences especially important.

Why It Matters

Shared book reading offers many benefits, including:

• Supports expressive language (children’s ability to use words and communicate), receptive language (children’s understanding of language), and caregiver book-sharing skills (Dowdall et al., 2020)
  
• Vocabulary expansion
• Improves early literacy skills
• Encourages meaningful parent-child interaction

However, professionals and child-centered programs should go beyond simply encouraging parents to "read to their child".  Preece and Levy (2020) argue that interventions should at the very least:

• Support parents by explaining that babies benefit from shared reading even before they show clear responses.
• Reassure parents that behaviors such as distraction or pushing books away are developmentally normal.
• Help caregivers understand that a lack of obvious engagement does not mean reading is ineffective.
• Encourage families to view shared reading as an enjoyable and flexible interaction rather than solely as preparation for school.

Strategies to implement

One evidence-supported approach to interactive shared reading is Dialogic Reading. Dialogic reading uses the PEER strategy to encourage children to become active participants during shared reading. Adults prompt children to respond, acknowledge their answers, expand on their language, and repeat the interaction to reinforce new vocabulary and concepts. (Dong et al., 2024).

• Prompt the child (Adult: "What is the dog doing?")
• Evaluate their response (Child: "Running." Adult: "Yes! That's right—the dog is running.")
• Expand what they say (Adult: "The dog is running fast in the park. He looks happy because he is chasing the ball.")
• Repeat the interaction (Adult: "What is the dog doing?" Child: "The dog is running fast.")

Who Can Benefit?

Shared book reading benefits children of all ages and communication abilities, including those who:

• Are developing early language and communication skills
• Are learning new words and expanding their vocabulary
• Are preparing for preschool or kindergarten
• Are beginning to read independently
• Have speech, language, or literacy challenges
• Benefit from extra support with listening, comprehension, or storytelling
• Enjoy spending quality time reading with a caregiver

Culture, language, and family practices:
Shared book reading benefits children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, but families may engage with books in different ways based on their languages, traditions, and beliefs. Culturally responsive reading practices value these differences while supporting meaningful communication and literacy development.

Children with communication disorders and developmental differences:
Children with communication differences, including developmental language disorder (DLD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), speech sound disorders, and hearing differences, can also benefit from shared book reading when strategies are adapted to their needs. Using repetition, visual supports, language expansions, and following the child’s interests can help create meaningful opportunities for communication and learning.

No matter your child's age or communication level, reading together is a simple way to support language development and create meaningful moments of connection.

💙 Try This Today

Read together for a few minutes each day and ask questions that:

Focus on connection, attention, and early communication (early intervention: birth–3 years): “Where is the dog?” “What do you see?” “Can you find the ball?” “I see a big dog! Can you say dog?”

Focus on vocabulary, predictions, and storytelling (preschool: 3–5 years): “What do you think will happen next?” “Why is the character feeling that way?” “What happened at the beginning, middle, and end?”

Focus on comprehension, reasoning, and deeper discussion (school-age: 5+ years): “What was the character’s problem? How did they solve it?” “What would you have done differently?” “Can you summarize the story in your own words?”

References

Preece, J., & Levy, R. (2020). Understanding the barriers and motivations to shared reading with young children: The role of enjoyment and feedback. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 20(4), 631–654. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798418779216

Dong, Y., Chow, B. W.-Y., Mo, J., Miao, X., & Zheng, H.-Y. (2024). Effects of dialogic reading elements on children's language development. Journal of Research in Reading, 47(2), 181–200. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12447

Dowdall, N., Melendez-Torres, G. J., Murray, L., Gardner, F., Hartford, L., & Cooper, P. J. (2020). Shared picture book reading interventions for child language development: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Child Development, 91(2), e383–e399. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13225

Evidence and Resources for Parents

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.-a). Early intervention [Practice Portal]. URL

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.-b). Spoken language disorders [Practice Portal]. URL