Before saying this prayer, and before studying any type of Torah lesson, one must say the blessing on Torah. If you have already said it today, one does not need to repeat it unless he is being called up to the Torah in shul.

(Remember that the "ch" should be pronounced like a clearing the throught sound)
"Shema Yisroel, Adonoy Elohenu, Adonoy Echad"
 (This should be said in a wisper):
 "Baruch shem kavod malchuso laolam vaed"

"Vayahafta et Adonoy Elohecha, bechol levavecha, uvchol navshecha, uvchol meodech. Vahayu hadvarim haele, asher anochi mitzovecha hayom al levavecha. veshinantam levanecha, vidibarta bam, beshiftech beveysecha ovlechtecha baderech ovshachvecha uvcumecha. ukshartam laot al yadecha, vehayu letotafot ben aynecha. uchtavtam al mezuzot betecha uvisharecha."

Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One
(Deuteronomy (Devarim) 6:4)

(in a whisper):

Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever
(Pesachim 5ba. Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:31,35,36)

You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.
(Deuteronomy (Devarim) 6:5)

The Shema should be recited twice dail. In the first part of the morning, around the first 3 hours of sunlight. And then in the night. After sunset. If one forgot to say it at night, he may say it until before the following sunrise. However, one should make a habit of saying it before midnight.
If one said it in the morning, and then again before sunset, he is obligated to repeat it after sunset as well. It is also customery to say it before sleeping. This keeps in line with the above passage... "...when you lie down".

What does the Shema realy mean? The unity of G-d. (Did you read Rabi Akiva's story about the Shema?) There are countless number of esoteric wisdoms and teaching behind the shema. It is a verse that was recited by Moshe Rabenu (Moses) himself, as well as all of Israel, in the desert. And, it has been said by countless number of Jews, twice daily, since then. The shema has been used, and still is, for meditation purposes, and as identity purpose. You will find it within the Tefillin as well as within the Mezuzah. It is our emblem and our shield.

When one recites the Shema, he should clear his head of all exterior thought and try his best to grasp the Oneness of Hashem. He may wish to concentrate on the Shema's parallels with the 10 commandments given to us at Sinai. Do you remember the 10 commandments? The first two are...

Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-d. Is like the first commandment
Hashem is One is like the second commandment.

It is known that these first two commandments embrace all 613 mitzvot of the Torah, since all of the positive commandments are within the first of the 10 Commandments, I am Hashem you G-d, and all the negative commandments are in the second of the 10 Commandments, You shall have no other gods. It is also important to know at this point that those two Commandments where spoken by Hashem himself to all of Israel, only the last eight where transmitted by Moshe Rabenu (Moses).

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