Thesis (MSL and HT (Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The study investigated the effect of two shared reading programmes on the print awareness of 102 Afrikaans-speaking Grade R learners with language delays. The first shared reading programme focussed on print awareness while the second shared reading programme focussed on content and observable entities. Participants’ print awareness was measured subjectively and objectively, before and after intervention programmes. Results indicated that (i) both methods of shared reading affected and improved the print awareness of the participants; (ii) the participants’ print awareness did not improve optimally in order to acquire reading skills in Grade 1, even after taking part in the 10 week shared reading programme with a focus on print awareness; (iii) participants performed better in an evaluation where demonstration of skills and no verbal response was required; and (iv) participants with poor receptive vocabulary skills demonstrated limited carry-over of print awareness to other artefacts of print, such as the packaging of an iron.