Lecture partagée : intérêts, modalités de mise en œuvre et principes actifs

Abstract

Picture-book reading to young children is reputed to promote oral language development. However, a close examination of the literature shows that the ways in which this activity is implemented vary, and that their effects on language development are not equivalent. This review describes the practices that fall under the heading of “shared reading” and, based on the scientific literature, pays particular attention to “Dialogic reading”, a method whose principles have been described in greater detail over the years. The benefits of these shared reading activities are examined from the viewpoint of children’ s lexical and syntactic acquisition. The active principles of these practices, in particular the rich linguistic content of the books and the interactive dimension of the activity, are then described in detail. The use of shared reading as an intervention tool for children with language disorders is also considered, as well as the appropriate way to train parents and professionals in its use. The findings confirm the value of the most interactive methods of shared reading for improving children's vocabulary. However, research on morphosyntax and on the training parameters that optimise its effects are still limited. The results suggest that the key to effectiveness lies in the training of adults in interactive methods and in the selection of books appropriate to the child's level. Questions that remain to be clarified about the ins and outs of this activity, as well as research perspectives to be considered, are raised throughout this review.