Read-Aloud Revival ®

What would happen if you decided to be your child’s mentor, rather than their teacher? What if you awakened their wonder and curiosity, so that they became the kind of people who thirst for knowledge and understanding?What if you could fall in love with homeschooling your kids?In this episode, Sally Clarkson and I continue a conversation we started over on her podcast a few weeks ago. We discuss how Sally translated her own boredom with traditional education in order to find a different way for her four children… and the (rather fantastic) results of those choices. If you ever wonder whether homeschooling “works” or gets good results, you probably want to listen to this episode. 😉 …and if you’re about to set off on a year of home learning, be encouraged and inspired to have a glorious year of awaking wonder in your kids.In this podcast episode, you’ll hear:how we can raise lifelong learners who aren’t afraid to tackle big questions and obstacleshow to make your home a place of resource for your childrenthe difference between being your child’s teacher and being his or her mentor (this is BIG)Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/161/.

We need a drumroll today, because on the podcast we’re revealing all of our autumn picks for RAR Premium. I’m also answering podcast listener Corrie’s question about how to preserve her son’s love of reading. It’s easy to slip into schooly habits that kill our kids’ love of reading– so how can we help preserve our children’s love of reading even after the school year starts?Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/160/.

Recently, I posted on social media about my oldest daughter becoming our first homeschool graduate. I’ll admit to being a proud mama. I think for a lot of us homeschooling our kids, we hear that it works, we are told colleges want homeschoolers–are actively seeking out homeschoolers–but we still are a little nervous. We wonder if we’ve prepared them well, if this grand homeschooling experiment is going to work out.So when my oldest daughter was not only accepted into every single college she applied to, but received generous merit-based scholarships at each one, as well, I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief.At the end of that post about my oldest daughter graduating, I left a little note for homeschool mamas, letting them know that all the lessons, conversations, books, essays, projects, field trips, the good days and the hard days — all of the WORK of homeschooling, is completely and totally worth it. Worth it in a way you can’t really see when you’re in the middle of it, but that’s crystal clear when you’re at the end of the road, looking back.Your homeschool does not have to be impressive. You can be ordinary. So can your homeschool plans. So many of us worry that we aren’t enough, or that our families aren’t the extraordinary type. But most of the homeschoolers I know don’t feel like they’re rocking homeschooling. They don’t feel like they’re doing an amazing job. They sort of feel… ordinary.I know many of you are considering homeschooling for the first time, and I know that you don’t think you can do it. You think you’re not enough. You think it will be too hard.Maybe you did some distance learning through your school last spring, and you’re ready to throw in the towel on the idea of homeschooling.Since many of us will be home educating in one capacity or another in the coming school year, I want to share 10 homeschooling mistakes I’ve made over the years (trust me, there are plenty more- but these are the 10 that I thought would be most useful to you as you set out on a new school year.)You can learn from mistakes. In this episode, you’ll hear…why your ordinary homeschool is more than enoughthe two most powerful tools in my homeschooling tool kit10 homeschooling mistakes I’ve made (so you can avoid them)Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/159/.

This week, I’m thrilled to chat with Greta Eskridge about how we can adventure with our kids – yes, even now!Greta Eskridge and I discuss how books can be the conduit for adventuring with your kids, no matter your circumstances or your resources.In this episode, you’ll hear:all about Greta’s new book, Adventuring Togetherhow even small adventures can be impactful for our kidshow to start in the simplest way possibleFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/158/.

Why read aloud to kids who can read themselves? It’s a fair question. Not many of us remember parents or teachers reading to us once we were old enough to read on our own.But the benefits of reading aloud to kids who are old enough to read themselves are numerous. That’s what we’re tackling in this episode of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast.In this episode, you’ll hear:5 major benefits to reading aloud to kids who can read themselvesHow reading together can help us connect during challenging timesWhy experts agree that reading aloud is an absolute game changer when it comes to academicsFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/why/.

In today’s episode, I’m answering several of your questions about audio books for kids. Let’s talk favorite narrators, whether audio books hold you children back from learning to read on their own, and more.In this episode, you’ll hear:how to choose winning narratorswhether it’s holding our kids back to let them listen to lots of audiohow I handle books in a serieswhether or not to assign books during quiet reading timewhen your husband is not a big readerFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/156/.

In today’s episode, I’m answering your questions – from reading to separate age groups and how to make time for that (!), to what to do if summer reading programs make your kids want to read LESS…In this episode, you’ll hear:when summer reading programs aren’t usefulhow to handle a drop in comprehension when kids start reading longer booksideas for easy chapter bookshow to make time for reading aloud when your kids want to be outside all dayfavorite fairy-tale-esque book recommendationsreading aloud to different age groupsFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/155/.

We know that we want our kids to love to read. And it’s important (really important!) to give them the best chance fall in love with books. That’s why so many of us get worried when we have a child who doesn’t love reading. It’s a valid worry. What can be done about it? On today’s episode of the podcast, I share ideas for what to do when your child doesn’t love reading. We can’t exactly make our kids into readers, but we can give them the best chance possible that they’ll become readers for life. And it’s a lot of fun to do so!In this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing simple tips to help your kids become voracious readers, and why the single most important part of your child’s school day is free, voluntary reading. In this episode, you’ll hear:Why free, voluntary reading is the power player in your child’s reading lifeThoughts from experts in the field on building lifelong readersHow to help our kids choose books they’ll loveI also answer a listener question about what to do if your child is intimidated by lots of words on the page.Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/154/.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by the woman who recently faced the daunting challenge of updating Jim Trelease’s much beloved Read-Aloud Handbook.Cyndi Giorgis takes us behind the scenes of updating The Read-Aloud Handbook, and some of the interesting (and most surprising!) bits what she learned during the process.In this episode, you’ll hear:what’s in the Read-Aloud Handbook‘s whole new chapter (it’s a good one)updates about audiobooks and other technologythe most important thing Cyndi learned in her research about reading aloudI also answer a listener question about the best picture book treasuries to invest in right now.Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/153/.

Being stuck at home is getting old fast, but finishing the school year doesn’t need to be a slog.We’ve heard you loud and clear: it’s really, really hard to concentrate on homeschooling right now. And we all want to finish the school year strong, right? On today’s episode of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, I’m sharing something brand new that I am over-the-moon excited about: a workshop series we’re calling WOW: Writers on Writing. This workshop series will help you spice up your home learning and finish your school year well.Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/152/.