The purpose of this study was to examine whether there are changes in student motivation to read and reading comprehension when the instructional strategy of shared reading is used with sixth grade students. The quasi-experimental design for the study was based on the pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design. The sample for the study consisted of 122 sixth grade students at a public school sixth grade center in a north Louisiana town. The Adolescent Motivation to Read Profile, reading survey and conversational interviews, and the Gates-MacGinitie Level 6 Comprehension subtest were administered to obtain pretest and posttest data on levels of student motivation to read and reading comprehension. Statistical comparisons of the mean scores of the control group and the treatment group and within each group were conducted using a one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), independent "t" and dependent "t" tests. Data derived from conversational interviews were analyzed using qualitative methods. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that no significant changes resulted between the treatment group and the control group on the variables of motivation to read, value placed on reading, self-concept as a reader, or reading comprehension of the participants. Data analysis within groups did reveal a significant difference between control group participants value of reading and reading comprehension, and between the treatment group participants' reading comprehension from pretest to posttest. There were no other significant findings to support that the effects of shared reading led to any long term effects on motivation to read or reading comprehension within the treatment group. In conclusion, shared reading as explored in this study, had minimal effects on student reading motivation and reading comprehension. Lack of a random sample, limited time for the study, lack of student choice, teacher variability, and insufficient teacher training may have negatively affected the findings of this study. Future research on the instructional practice of shared reading is recommended. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]