This study had two main aims: first, to offer a descriptive account of shared reading program using an evaluative lens and second, to examine whether teachers' perceptions of the importance of phonological awareness, word decoding, and text comprehension in helping young learners develop their reading abilities were indeed emphasized during instruction in the program. Following a semi-structured interview with four teachers, a survey was conducted on twenty primary school teachers. Results from three sampled paired t-tests show that although the teachers placed high importance on phonological awareness, word decoding, and text comprehension, their instruction of shared reading did not place an equivalent emphasis on the three aforementioned variables. This tension between theory and practice of teaching reading was attributed to a lack of synchronization of information between publishers of storybooks and classroom teachers.