Bridging the Gap

Abstract

Shared readings have long been recognized as one of the most significant contributors to the development of literacy skills in young children. Shared readings are frequently found in both the home and at school, but discrepancies in how they are enacted can contribute to low student achievement. This may be particularly true for bilingual students, whose home literacy practices often involve heritage language use and/or translanguaging. This chapter provides recommendations for teachers interested in incorporating family literacy practices into their classroom shared readings. Recommendations include guidelines for building a multicultural library, tips on how to evaluate children's books for quality, steps to enacting translanguaging in shared readings, and suggestions for increasing parental involvement in the classroom.