Read-Aloud Revival ®

The Bard. He can be a little intimidating, right? If you’ve ever wondered how to introduce your kids to Shakespeare, you are in a for a treat with this podcast episode.Many of us met Shakespeare in a way that didn’t set us up to love him or even understand him. But today, I’m joined by Ken Ludwig, award-winning playwright and author of How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare – my very favorite resource for doing just that!In this episode, you'll hear:Why we should make Shakespeare a part of our curriculum How to get over the intimidation factor, once and for allExactly how and where to start teaching your kids Shakespeare (I promise, it’s easier than you think!)Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/171/.

Do you ever feel lost when it comes to how to read a wordless book?I’m convinced that some of the very best picture books being published today are wordless. They invite us to slow down, predict what will come next, make connections, and linger over a good story, well-told. Today I’m excited to share some of the best ones with you, as well as a simple guide for how to read them.In this episode, you’ll hear:why wordless books are worth our timehow to read a wordless books (with tips for what to say as you turn the pages)just a few favorites 😉Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/170/.

Here at RAR, we can’t think of a better way to kick off a new year than to do it with books. That’s why we kick off every January with a challenge for your kids–to help them start their new year reading and reading and reading some more… and falling a little more in love with books in the process!Today we’re sharing all the details of this year’s Read-Aloud Challenge. I’ll answer your questions, let you know how it works, which books “count,” (spoiler alert: you’re the boss!), and what to do if your kids get frustrated along the way.We’re starting this challenge in January, but you can start it at any time! If you want your kids to read aloud for 25 days and fall more in love with books (and each other) in the process, you’re in the right place.Ready to join us?In this episode, you’ll hear:how the challenge will help your family kick off a great reading year and reset your rhythmsetting your kiddos up for challenge success (even pre-readers!)answers to your questions about the challenge including what counts and who counts!Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/169/.

Welcome to a very special Christmas episode of Read-Aloud Revival, featuring three audio Christmas stories from one of our very favorite storytellers: Jim Weiss.In this episode, 3 audio Christmas stories:The Nativity StoryThe Gift of the MagiThe NutcrackerFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/168/.

Do you feel it in the air? The seasons are a-changing…and it’s just about the best time of year for reading with a cup of cocoa, next to a crackling fire. (I suppose in the Southern Hemisphere it’s lemonade and beach reading… but there’s no bad season for reading, right?)We think you’re going to be very excited about what we have coming up in RAR this winter, plus a brand new addition to RAR Premium – Christmas School! Listen in while I tell you all about it.In this episode, I’m sharing:an invitation to slow down and simplify this season (yes, please!)all about the first-ever RAR Christmas Schoola preview of what’s coming in 2021 Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/167/.

In today’s episode, we’re talking about how to talk with your kids about books. Specifically, we’re talking about open-ended questions, which you’ve probably heard us talk about before here at Read-Aloud Revival.Open-ended questions are key to having conversations with your kids about anything they read, and anything you read together.But what exactly qualifies as an open-ended question, and why do they work?In this episode, I’m breaking down:How to make book conversation a habitHow open ended questions are a form of narrationHow to talk about books even if you haven’t read them yourselfFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/166/.

It happens to all of us at one point or another: reading shifts in our kids’ lives from being principally about joy and delight into something that needs to be done for school.A lot of us notice a significant drop in how much our kids are reading for pleasure once the school year is well underway.This is a problem. According to the National Literacy Trust, those who enjoy reading are better, more confident readers who spend less time online, and are more motivated by interest and achievement. (source)In fact, we know that no single literacy activity has a more positive effect on comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, writing ability, or overall academic achievement than free voluntary reading. (source)Not assigned reading. Not reading for school. Free voluntary reading.I want to sit on this for a moment because the emphasis here is on reading for pleasure. Simply being ABLE to read, or reading because you are told to does not confer the same benefits as reading for pleasure.That’s what we’re tackling today on the podcast. We also get to hear from one of my favorite authors about his newest book release! In this episode, I’m breaking down:How less can actually be more when it comes to your child’s reading lifeWhy we want our kids to be friendly and affectionate with the books they’re reading A list of books that are just plain fun--my recommended reads if reading has hit a slump in your house (or if you’re just ready for a good time!)Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/165/.

In this very special episode of the podcast, the RAR team is discussing our favorite way to study history: through picture book biographies.We’re also sharing a brand new FREE resource – a huge list of our favorite picture book biographies, organized by time period and category.In this podcast episode, you’ll hear:what makes picture books special and unique learning toolsthe best ways to read them and use them in your homeschoolhow picture book biographies help us answer the so what questionFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/164/.

A tranquil mind. Any chance you want one of those? I know I do. Today on the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, we’re talking about how readers can give themselves the gift of a tranquil mind by reading old books.Wait, did I just say “by reading old books?”I did. And I have a feeling this episode will challenge and expand your expectation for what reading old books can do for us in the here and now. I like to describe Alan Jacobs as one of my favorite thinkers……and if you listen in to this episode, you’ll know why. He’s an accomplished author and a Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at Baylor University, and in this episode he’s talking about why we can benefit from reading old books right now more than ever. His reasons might just surprise and delight you — especially if you’re feeling a little frayed by everything in the world demanding your attention.I’m not gonna lie, folks, a conversation with Alan Jacobs is always, always worth the time. I think you’re going to love this one! In this episode:our own tranquility vs our own twitchinesshow to read books that contain troublesome and problematic ideas (because old books tend to do that… a lot!)what it means to read with generosityI also answer a listener question about whether we should let our kids do their own independent reading instead of listening to the group read-aloud.Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/163/.

If you need a boost of sunshine in your week, stop whatever you’re doing and listen to this podcast. Why? Because in this episode, Australian icon Mem Fox joins me to talk about the unique gift this specific time can offer us — the chance to read together, to connect, and to help our kids fall in love with books on a whole new level.Mem Fox is Australia’s most celebrated author and the creator of many too many pictures books to count.She’s a giant advocate of reading aloud, as you’ll hear, and someone I’ve been dying to talk with. On today’s show, we’re talking about how and why reading to our kids will change their lives forever.In this podcast episode, you’ll hear:the magic that happens when kids and parents curl up to read togetherwhat reading aloud does for parents too – especially right now!and of course, Mem’s favorite books to read aloudI’m also sharing the most encouraging thing I’ve read online in a long time (that happens at minute 1:13).Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/162/.