Dialogic Shared Reading with Visual Phonics to Support Language and Emergent Literacy in Diverse Learners: Theoretical Foundation and Practice-Based Guidance

OpenAlex English

Abstract This practitioner article presents a home-based instructional approach that combines Dialogic Shared Reading (DSR) and Visual Phonics (VP) to support emergent literacy and language development for culturally, linguistically, and neurologically diverse young children. The approach strengthens parents as active agents in their child’s early literacy and language learning by focusing on a child with attention challenges who is acquiring more than one language. This article outlines a practical, family-led model derived from implementing these strategies with a bilingual preschooler. It demonstrates a structured framework for integrating DSR, an interactive reading method that encourages verbal engagement, with VP, a multisensory system utilizing visual-kinesthetic cues for phonemes. We explain in detail how we: (1) implement DSR in bilingual homes to promote language and literacy transfer; (2) introduce VP to increase phonological awareness; and (3) establish a daily reading routine. Ultimately, this guide underlines the parent’s role as a practitioner and illustrates how structured parent-child interactions can foster a child’s overall development.