Preschool songs for storytime and shared reading are a fantastic way to teach preschoolers reading skills. Taking songs that preschoolers know, and introducing new songs, with these ideas makes a literacy impact.

The idea is simple and it is called Shared Reading. It is a reading and spelling process used in elementary and preschool classrooms to encourage reading and spelling skills.

Basically, the kids see you write on a chart, you read it pointing to each word, and it reinforces reading skills.

I will share a quick example, how we implemented it in classrooms and at home.

Charting Poems for Shared Reading Time

The pin of one of my favorite preschool songs for shared reading time has been saved so many times! The song “Bubbles” gets kids moving and then encourages them to sit quietly. This song is a great one for starting your circle time lessons. You can view it on Pinterest here.

Charting songs and poems is an essential part of your preschool curriculum and preschool at home time. It won’t feel like the kids are learning reading and writing skills at first, but when you point to each word as you read it or sing it with the kids, the sound/print association is formed.

Let’s cover some basic how tos so you feel comfortable with charting and its importance.


How often do I need to read or sing the same songs?

Preschool development tells us that repeating songs and concepts is very important. Their brains soak up familiar songs and chants. I even set up my charts in the classroom for center time so the kids can use cute pointers to read the poem while they sing along. It is so cool when they start doing this!

An easy way to make pointers is to use popsicle sticks. Add a sticker to one end of the stick and it becomes a handy tool for building reading confidence.

What songs and chants should I chart?

I shared some fun preschool songs for learning name spelling. There are also great ones for fall songs. Any song or chant or poem that can be written in a few lines is perfect.

You can get the posters laminated or just cover them with contact paper to help them stay in good condition. This is not essential, though, so if you don’t have a large laminator or contact paper, no worries!

How do I store the charts to reuse them?

What I do is tape a hanger to the back of each chart. You can see this in the photo below. Then, you can easily put a 3M hook on the wall, or hang the charts on your easel or in a closet. It’s so easy to pull a chart out when you need it and hang it away so it does not add to home or classroom clutter.

In our home preschool, I had a 3M hook on our garage door so the posters were tucked away in a small corner. it worked really well.

Big concepts can be taught in small moments.

The charting concept is a great way to teach math, science or reading skills. The days of the week activities can be charted in a few different ways to get them in front of preschoolers so they see them every day for maximum learning.


Charting poems and songs is a vital part of every morning circle time. It helps you have a classroom or home management tool for when you need the kids to focus and settle down.

The Bubbles Song pin I shared above is a fun one for this exact purpose.

What are your favorite songs and poems to chart for preschool shared reading time?

Image of a chart for preschool shared reading time. Text reads shared reading in preschool charting songs.