Shared reading is a whole group activity that uses a variety of printed materials, including big books, charts, overheads, multiple copies of a text and more.

The purpose of shared reading is to allow all student to participate in the reading process. Students and teachers read, reread, discuss and respond to the text.

The teacher's role is to demonstrate, explain and support students as they read in the group.

This approach offers the most support for diverse learners and is typically used in all classrooms. The shared reading lesson may extend across several days. Often, the text is read repeatedly to support fluent reading.