How to Start Shared Reading with AAC Users: A Simple Place to Begin

by Megan | Mar 30, 2026 | AAC, aided language input, aided language stimulation, blog, books, emergent literacy, modeling, tips, training

If you’ve been wanting to start engaging in shared reading with an AAC user but aren’t sure where to begin, you are not alone.

For many parents, teachers, therapists, and support staff, shared reading can sound both wonderful and overwhelming. You may wonder:

• What book do I choose? 
• What words do I model? 
• How long do I read? 
• What do I do if the child is not looking at the book? 
• How will I know if I am “doing it right?”

All of those questions are valid.

The good news is that shared reading does not need to be complicated to be meaningful. You do not need a perfect lesson plan, a fancy setup, or a huge amount of time to get started. You just need to start.

If you missed my first post about shared reading, I shared more about what shared reading is and why it matters for AAC users. This post is the next step: how to begin in a way that feels realistic, supportive, and doable.

Start with one book, not a whole library

When people are just getting started with shared reading, it’s easy to overcomplicate choosing what book to read, but, it doesn’t have to be.

You do not need a huge stack of books. You do not need the perfect themed unit. You do not need to spend hours searching for just the right title.

Start with one book.

There are so many books out there that could be perfect for shared reading but you just need to chose one and start. I encourage you to pick a book that you like. 

Yep, I said you. 

Why? Because if you like it, you will be more animated when you read it, and you will be excited to share it with someone else. The learner you read with will feel your excitement and joy around reading this book, and what better feelings to build a connection around than excitement and joy! 

If choosing a book you like still leaves you with too many options or you are still unsure if that is enough. You could also choose a book with one or more of these qualities:

• predictable or repeated lines
  
• engaging pictures
  
• simple, meaningful language
  
• a topic the child may enjoy
  
• opportunities for reaction, anticipation, or participation
  

Books with repetition can be especially helpful because they lower the load for everyone involved. The adult starts to feel more comfortable. The child starts to recognize the language and rhythm. The reading experience becomes more familiar and less demanding.

Starting with one book also gives you permission to slow down. Instead of rushing to do more, you can focus on making one shared reading experience feel more connected and accessible.

Choose 3 to 5 words to model

Another thing that can make shared reading feel intimidating is the pressure to model all the words.

Just like in any other routine, where you don’t have to model every word you say, you do not need to model every word in the book either.

In fact, it is usually much more helpful to choose just a few words to focus on. That might mean a few core words, a few fringe words connected to the story, or a combination of both.

For example, you might choose words like:

• look
  
• turn
  
• more
  
• again
  
• go
  

Or, depending on the book, you might add story-specific words if they are meaningful and/or motivating to the learner.

The goal is not to model every possible word. The goal is to make language feel visible, repeated, and connected to the experience.

When you narrow your focus to a few words, it becomes easier to model naturally and more often. That helps shared reading feel more manageable for the adult and more accessible for the AAC user.

Keep the environment supportive, not perfect

You do not need a picture-perfect reading corner to begin shared reading. What matters more is creating a supportive environment, and that can look very different depending on what you are reading, who you are reading with, where you are reading, etc. Remember the connection is the most important part, not the location. 

That said, the environment still matters. When thinking about various locations for shared reading, keep these ideas in mind: 

• Make sure the child is physically comfortable
  
• Think about positioning and access
  
• Reduce unnecessary sensory overwhelm
  
• Allow movement
  
• Adjust your pace to meet the learner where they are – some might need a slower pace, while some might do best when reading is fast and repetitive.
  
• Keep demands low and connection high

For some children, shared reading may happen best while sitting close together with the book open between you. For others, it may happen while they move around the room, bounce, pace, lie on the floor, or come in and out of the interaction.

Regardless of what it looks like, shared reading is still occurring. 

Sometimes we get overwhelmed and don’t get started because we aim for an idealized reading setup instead of a supportive one. But shared reading can still be meaningful even when it looks flexible, messy, or different from what you expected.

It might not look how you expected at first

Shared reading may not look the way you imagined, especially at first.

The learner may not sit still.
They may not look at the book the whole time.
They may flip pages quickly.
They may only stay for one or two pages.
They may move away and come back.
They may laugh, vocalize, stim, protest, or seem interested in one small part of the experience and want to repeat it over and over again.

That does not mean you are failing. 

Remember that we are looking for connection and connection looks different to everyone. Shared reading can look like the list above whether you are brand new to it or have been doing it for a long time.

When shared reading is new, or when a child has not been given access to reading in a way that truly meets their needs, it can take time for the experience to feel familiar and safe.

Instead of asking, “Does this look ‘right’?” it may be more helpful to ask:

• Were there any moments of connection?
  
• Did the child have access to the book and language to share about the book?
  
• Was the experience supportive rather than demanding?
  
• Is this something we would want to return to again?
  

Those are much more useful questions for reflection than whether the reading looked neat or traditional.

Focus on connection, not performance

Shared reading is not:

• A test.
• About getting through every page. 
• Asking a bunch of comprehension questions.
• Getting the child to point, label, or answer on command.

Shared reading is: 

• Connection.
• Being with the child in the book.
• Noticing what they notice.
• Modeling language in a meaningful context.
• Making literacy feel inviting instead of demanding.

When the goal shifts from performance to connection, shared reading becomes more accessible for everyone involved.

It also becomes easier to recognize participation in all its forms: a smile, a glance, a repeated button press, a page turn, a laugh, a request to read the same book tomorrow.

Those moments matter.

Repeat, repeat, repeat

If you take one thing from this post, let it be this: you do not need a new book every time.

Re-reading the same book is not boring. It is supportive.

Repetition helps:

• build familiarity
  
• lower pressure
  
• strengthen understanding
  
• create anticipation
  
• provide more opportunities for AAC modeling
  
• support participation

When a child already knows the rhythm of a book, they do not have to spend as much energy figuring out what is happening. That frees up space for connection, language, and engagement.

The adult benefits too. When you know the book well, it becomes easier to choose words to model, pace yourself, and feel more confident in the interaction.

If you want to make shared reading feel more doable, repetition is one of the best tools you have.

A simple way to start

If you are still feeling unsure, here is a simple framework to keep in mind:

One book.

A few words.

A supportive setup. 

No pressure.

Repeat.

That is enough to begin.

Focus on consistency, not complexity.

You can start small and still make it meaningful

Sometimes people wait to start shared reading because they think they need more time, more training, more materials, or a better setup before they begin.

But often, what makes the biggest difference is not doing more. It is starting smaller.

• Read one book.
• Model a few words.
• Let the child move.
• Adjust your pace.
• Read it again.

That is a meaningful beginning.

And when that beginning is grounded in connection, access, and flexibility, it can grow into something really powerful over time.

Final thoughts

If you have been unsure how to start shared reading with AAC users, remember this:

• Starting small is enough.
• One book, a few modeled words, and repeated opportunities are a strong place to begin.
• Shared reading should feel inviting, not performative.
• Repetition builds confidence, familiarity, and access.

You do not need to do it perfectly. You just need to begin.

If you want a more supported roadmap for getting started, my e-book walks through shared reading with AAC users in a practical, affirming way and can help you feel more confident about what to do, what to model, and how to make the experience more accessible and meaningful.