Parent–child shared book reading challenges and facilitators: a systematic review and meta synthesis

Editorial reading guide · Collaboration

What makes shared reading feel inviting in one household and difficult in another?

The synthesis examines barriers and supports that shape whether reading together fits family life.

Who was studied?

Qualitative studies of caregivers' and children's experiences of shared reading brought together in a meta-synthesis.

Age / stage: Children younger than eighteen

Read with three questions

1. Which barriers came from participants' accounts across more than one study?
2. What criteria determined which studies and settings entered the synthesis?
3. How did the authors distinguish the adult’s participation from the child’s engagement?

Keep the limits in view

Coverage depends on the databases, languages and inclusion rules used by the review. Differences among the underlying study designs limit conclusions about effects.