Evaluating the Evidence Base of Shared Story Reading to Promote Literacy for Students with Extensive Support Needs

This study reviewed published literature to determine the level of evidence for using shared story reading to promote literacy. Shared story reading was defined as a practice used to access age-appropriate literature through reader–listener interaction in which a story is read aloud and student interaction with the reader and the story is supported. Literacy was defined as skills that increased access to age appropriate literature (e.g., listening comprehension) and reading independence (e.g., vocabulary, comprehension), including emergent literary skills. Using a quality indicator checklist to determine research quality and standards to establish level of evidence, results indicated a moderate level of evidence for using shared story reading to promote the literacy of students with extensive support needs. The importance of identifying evidence-based practices, implications for practice, and suggestions for future research are discussed.