New to this topic? Start with our companion article: The Power of Shared Reading for Language Development | Brisbane Speech Pathologist
You know that reading with your child is good for their language development. But when you're sitting down with a picture book, you might wonder: What should I actually be doing? Should I just read the words? Ask questions? Point at things?
The short answer is: yes, all of it — but in a relaxed, natural way. At Speaking Speech Pathology, we help families turn everyday reading time into a rich language experience, without turning it into a lesson. In this article, we'll show you the shared reading approach and then walk you through how to use it with four classic picture books you can find at any library or bookshop in Australia.
The Shared Reading Approach
Before we get to the books, here are three simple things that tend to make shared reading rich and natural. You don't need to use all of them every time — just pick what feels right in the moment.
One important note: Shared reading should never feel like a test. Resist the urge to ask a question on every page or check what your child remembers. The most powerful thing you can do is comment, not interrogate. The Queensland Reading and Writing Centre and current evidence on dialogic reading both emphasise that warm, low-pressure conversation around a book is what builds language — not quizzing.
Comment (Most Important)
Talk about what you see on the page. You're modelling language by labelling, describing, and narrating. "Oh look, a big red bus!" or "She looks really surprised!" Comments take the pressure off your child to respond — they can just listen and absorb. This should be the bulk of what you do during shared reading.Expand
When your child says something, add to it. If they point and say "dog," you might say, "Yes! A spotty dog. He's running fast!" You're showing them how to build longer, richer sentences without correcting them.Link to Life
Connect the book to your child's own experiences. "That bear looks grumpy — remember when you were grumpy this morning because your toast was wrong?" These connections help children understand that books are about real life, real feelings, and real experiences.Now, let's see these strategies in action with four well-loved picture books. (One quick note on questions: occasional open-ended wondering is lovely — "I wonder what might happen next?" — but resist the urge to ask one on every page. If a child senses they're being tested, the joy drains away.)
1. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Why This Book Works
Dear Zoo is a lift-the-flap classic with simple, repetitive text and a predictable structure. A child writes to the zoo asking for a pet, and the zoo sends different animals — each one wrong for a different reason. The repetition and suspense of lifting each flap make it endlessly appealing to young children.Language Skills It Targets
- Vocabulary: Animal names, size and descriptive words (tall, grumpy, scary, naughty) — lovely opportunities for introducing tier two words
- Prediction: "What do you think is under the flap?"
- Concepts: Too big, too tall, too scary — understanding "too much" of something
- Repetitive language: The repeated phrase "So I sent him back" supports language learning through predictability
How to Use It
Comment: "Look at this one — he's SO tall. A giraffe! Giraffes have really long necks." Point to the animal's features as you talk.
Expand: If your child says "big!" you might say, "Yes, he's really big! He's too big to be a pet. He wouldn't fit in our house!"
Wonder aloud: Before lifting a flap, you might say "I wonder what's inside this one..." Pause and let the suspense build naturally. Let your child join in if they want to — but no pressure to guess.
Link to life: "What pet would YOU like? If the zoo sent us an elephant, where would we put it?" This is where the giggles start, and giggles during reading are a very good sign.
2. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle
Why This Book Works
This one has been a favourite for decades, and for good reason. The repetitive, rhythmic text and bold illustrations make it perfect for very young children. Each page follows the same pattern — naming an animal, a colour, and then asking what it sees — which gives children a framework they can predict and eventually join in with.Language Skills It Targets
- Colour vocabulary: Each animal is a different colour
- Animal vocabulary: Bear, bird, duck, horse, frog, cat, and more
- Sentence structure: The repetitive pattern models a consistent sentence form
- Participation: Children quickly learn the pattern and can "read" along
How to Use It
Comment: "A red bird! Look at his bright red feathers. Red like your jumper!" Use each page as an opportunity to describe what you see.
Expand: If your child says "duck," try "Yes! A yellow duck. A yellow duck swimming in the water — quack quack!"
Pause and let them join in: Once your child knows the book well, pause before the next animal name and let them fill in the gap if they want to. This is participation, not testing — they only join in if they choose.
Link to life: "We saw a duck at the park yesterday. It was brown, not yellow." Connecting the book to real experiences deepens understanding and builds narrative skills.
3. Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek
Why This Book Works
Where Is the Green Sheep? is a reminder of why Mem Fox is a national treasure — and one of our favourite shared reading recommendations for families. It follows a simple quest — where IS the green sheep? — while introducing a parade of other sheep: the blue sheep, the red sheep, the bath sheep, the slide sheep. The rhyme, rhythm, and playful illustrations make it irresistible.Language Skills It Targets
- Concepts: Colours, opposites (near/far, up/down), actions, locations
- Prediction: The repeated question "But where is the green sheep?" builds anticipation
- Descriptive language: Each sheep is doing something different, providing rich opportunities to describe actions and attributes
- Rhyme and rhythm: Supporting phonological awareness, which is an important pre-literacy skill
How to Use It
Comment: "Look at the wind sheep — she's blowing in the wind! Her wool is going everywhere!" Use your voice to match the action — be dramatic, be silly.
Expand: If your child says "sheep sleeping," you might say, "Yes, the green sheep is fast asleep. She's snuggled up, having a lovely sleep under the stars."
Join in with the refrain: The repeated "But where is the green sheep?" is a chance for your child to chime in if they want to. Don't force it — they'll join when they're ready.
Link to life: "Remember when we went on the slide? You went really fast, just like the slide sheep!" or "You had a bath tonight — you were our bath sheep."
4. We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
Why This Book Works
This is a book that begs to be performed, not just read. The repetitive structure ("We can't go over it, we can't go under it... we've got to go through it!"), the wonderful sound words, and the building sense of adventure make it a hit with children of all ages. It's a story with a clear sequence, a problem to solve, and a satisfying (if dramatic) ending.Language Skills It Targets
- Sequencing: The story follows a clear journey through different environments — grass, river, mud, forest, snowstorm, cave
- Sound words (onomatopoeia): "Swishy swashy," "splash splosh," "squelch squerch," "stumble trip" — these are wonderful for phonological awareness and for children who love the feel of sounds in their mouths
- Narrative structure: Beginning, middle, end, problem, resolution
- Prepositions and spatial language: Over, under, through
How to Use It
Comment: "Oh no, we've got to go through the mud! Squelch squerch, squelch squerch — that's going to be so muddy and sticky!" Use your whole body and voice. Slap your knees, stomp your feet, whisper when you get to the cave.
Expand: If your child says "bear!" you might say, "A big, furry bear! With big teeth and big claws! Quick, we need to run back through the snowstorm — hooooowoooo!"
Make the sounds together: The sound words ("swishy swashy," "splash splosh") are made to be said aloud. Let your child join in or repeat after you — but only if they want to.
Link to life: "Remember when we walked through the puddles and our shoes went squelch? Just like the mud in the story!"
You're Already Doing Great
The most important thing about shared reading is that you're doing it. You don't need to be perfect, you don't need to use every strategy on every page, and you absolutely don't need to turn it into a formal learning activity. The warmth, the closeness, the conversation — that's where the magic is.
If your child wants to read the same book every single night for three weeks, let them. Repetition is their friend. If they want to skip to the end, that's fine too. Follow their lead, enjoy the moment, and know that every time you share a book together, you're building their language, their literacy, and your connection. Some of the parents I've coached on shared reading worry they're "not doing it right" — but reading anything together, even if it's the same three pages on repeat, is doing it right.
Fletcher and Reese (2005) reviewed the shared reading literature and concluded that the most consistent predictor of language outcomes was the quality of parent-child interaction during reading — not the number of books or minutes. That's reassuring: it means you don't need to do more, just enjoy what you're already doing.
Alexandra Bouwmeester is a Senior Speech Pathologist (MSPA, CPSP), certified Sounds-Write clinician, and mum of two boys who firmly believe that Dear Zoo deserves to be read at least four hundred times. She offers mobile speech pathology to families across Brisbane's south side and Logan.
References
- Queensland Department of Education. (n.d.). Reading and Writing Centre.
- Fletcher, K. L., & Reese, E. (2005). Picture book reading with young children: A conceptual framework. Developmental Review, 25(1), 64–103.
- Whitehurst, G. J., & Lonigan, C. J. (1998). Child development and emergent literacy. Child Development, 69(3), 848–872.
