What if each page of a picture book was guaranteed to enhance a child’s reading and writing tenfold? Would you ramp up your read alouds? In this remarkable resource, Maria Walther shares two-page read aloud experiences for 101 picture books that tune you into what to notice, say, and wonder in order to bolster students’ literacy exponentially. 



The read alouds in this book will help teachers:

•  Foster a strong sense of community


• Celebrate the written (and illustrated) word 


• Build a foundation for future reading and learning


• Expand vocabulary (with a focus on Tier 2 words)


• Support budding writers


• Spark collaborative conversations


• Encourage perspective-taking, empathy, and a growth mindset  

A first grade teacher for decades, Maria is a master of "strategic savoring."  Her lesson design efficiently sparks instructional conversations around the cover illustration, enriching vocabulary words, literary language, and the ideas and themes vital to young learners.



Maria arranges the rich fiction and nonfiction titles into chapters that mirror the way primary teachers plan curriculum. Need books tailor made for building community? Teaching literary elements? Comprehension strategies?  Foundational and language skills? Inspiring writers? It’s all here and at the ready. Coaching tips on expressive oral reading, strategic seating, uncovering language nuances for EL students, effective questioning and more make the art of sharing books and learning with children do-able for everyone. 



Teachers, schools, and districts looking to energize your core reading and writing program, search no further: The Ramped-Up Read Aloud delivers a formula for literacy development and joy in equal parts. 

The joyful path from rich read-aloud experiences toward supporting young readers’ independence.

When young readers join their voices together in shared reading, their literacy skills and confidence soar. Shared reading surrounds students with the language of stories and the delight of learning in community.

In Shake Up Shared Reading, veteran teacher Maria Walther offers teachers a simple but robust scaffolding for moving from teacher-led demonstration of read aloud to student-led discovery of literacy skills—across the bridge of shared reading. This easily adaptable structure features short, targeted bursts of shared reading that are connected to and planned as a follow-up to a read-aloud experience. The resource includes:

• Read-aloud experiences drawn from 50 recently published works of children’s literature from varied voices, that provide the foundation for the short, intensive shared reading interactions that follow.


• 100 short, laser-focused bursts of shared reading, two for each title, that invite students to dig deeper, with a precise aim in mind—perfect for a variety of learning contexts including virtual settings.  


• Key vocabulary, kid-friendly definitions, along with a Nudge Toward Independence section for each shared reading interaction help teachers connect shared reading to guided reading lessons and students’ independent literacy learning.


• A companion website offering reproducibles and a Learning Target Chart that gives an at-a-glance view of every read aloud learning target and shared reading focus, along related titles and additional links.

Let the power of a read aloud and shared reading lead your students to read, talk, ponder, and react on the way to becoming joyful, independent readers.

• a clear, succinct explanation of the structure of the literacy workshop, how to get started, and how to determine when it’s best to merge the two workshops into one
• 50+ demonstration lessons, appropriate for both primary and intermediate grades using strategies that incorporate elements from recommended fiction and nonfiction anchor texts
• substantial, printable resources and tools to help make this instructional shift as smooth as possible