Shake Up Shared Reading

Expanding on Read Alouds to Encourage Student Independence

Dr. Maria Walther speaks and write from the lens of a practitioner with deep knowledge and respect for the classroom. This power-packed instructional resource spotlights enticing examples of high-quality children’s literature, provides engaging read aloud experiences, and offers one hundred aligned “bursts” of shared reading. There is a consistent emphasis on supporting students through human-centered lessons that balance social-emotional learning alongside literacy learning. Moreover, this invaluable resource seamlessly integrates phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and oral language with reading and writing. I have no doubt that this professional text will guide educators in all settings as they build community, cultivate classroom conversation, and support learners in a variety of joyful literacy learning experiences.

Shake Up Shared Reading is truly a multipurpose literacy resource and a gift to the teaching community. With tremendous respect for limited instructional minutes and competing priorities, Maria Walther shares her wisdom, knowledge, and commitment to learning, combining research and authentic experiences with practicality, flexibility, and responsiveness. Walther is an incredible curator of important picture books, and you are guaranteed to find the book and the lesson you need right now; you will also build your own capacity to tap into the power of books for students’ development of empathy, citizenship, and literacy.

Shake Up Shared Reading is the professional book we keep on our shelves and reach for as a forever reminder for what matters in the elementary classroom: purposeful and joyful reading experiences. Maria brings that joy to life in practical application with clear learning targets connected to 100 shared reading texts and connected lessons that grow student learning, in addition to blueprints for how to do it ourselves. Perhaps more than anything, I respect Maria's exaltation of varied voices in children's literature in order to ensure for students a more accurate, robust and truthful understanding of the world. This is a cornerstone text for now.

Maria Walther has done it again in her new book, Shake Up Shared Reading! In it, she takes a familiar and often underutilized strategy and shows us how to implement it in new and important ways. It is a much-needed update of how the practice of shared reading can be used to invite active participation, support multilingual learners, and playfully teach foundational skills. From the first page to the last, this book is packed with practical and simple ways to shake up shared reading using a variety of thoughtfully curated books that will create and nurture communities of readers. 

This book is a gift to early literacy educators yearning to infuse more joyful and engaging learning experiences into our classrooms.  By introducing us to 50 of the latest and greatest picture books, Dr. Maria Walther provides the tools and structure needed to bridge read aloud and shared reading interactions. 

Maria has done it again! Shake Up! Shared Reading is exactly the book I needed at exactly the right time. Teaching in a pandemic has been tough, but one saving grace has been our read-aloud time. Maria makes Shared Reading easy, engaging, and more importantly, exciting!

Shake Up Shared Reading is an absolute must-read for anyone who finds themselves having the honor of reading to and with children…. In this post-pandemic time of varying entry point levels, Shake Up Shared Reading allows practitioners to meet both individual and group needs for the oral language, critical discourse, an understanding of literary elements needed to propel student learning forward. Maria Walther provides engaging and focused reading interactions that lead to increased comprehension and fluency, while also strengthening learning applications for writing. Being intentional with our text interactions allows for a shared experience where students can confidently bridge scaffolded reading skills to independence, all while fostering a love of reading! Shake Up Shared Reading levels the playing field, while concurrently elevating it for all, ensuring an equitable learning environment.

Shake Up Shared Reading is a practical resource for teachers who are looking to connect their interactive read aloud experiences to their shared reading experiences. Maria shares units with loads of read aloud titles and short bursts of shared reading experiences with the same titles to engage young readers in phonological awareness, fluency building, comprehension strategies, vocabulary building, attention to punctuation, and even the noticing of authors' craft moves. I can't wait to have this book in my hands, as I know I will turn to it whenever I work with teachers of early literacy. 

Maria Walther’s Shake Up Shared Reading is a breath of fresh air in a world where literacy instruction felt cloudy in the years of pandemic teaching. I can't remember the last time a professional reading ignited my excitement to plan a classroom lesson. It is evident that Walther wrote this resource with the educator in mind by creating a resource that is both informational and enlightening. While reading, educators will understand the importance of shared reading, get ideas on how to shake up shared reading all year long, and best of all, book recommendations. 

Shared reading is one of the most powerful, high-leverage instructional strategies for early readers. In her fabulous new book Shake Up Shared Reading, Maria Walther provides a deep dive into ways to make shared reading happen with purpose and meaning in your classroom. With a comprehensive menu of shared reading interactions, Maria walks teachers through the steps for providing deep, rich lessons. My favorite part? Designed to be ‘short bursts,’ sessions allow shared reading to fit into already busy schedules. So whether you are using shared reading often already or looking for ideas to start, Shake Up Shared Reading is a must-have guide for all early literacy educators.