Read-Aloud Revival ®

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!I would be willing to bet that if you’re reading this, you’re hoping to raise kids who love reading. Think back for a second. Were the books you were assigned in school the same books you stayed up reading under the covers, late at night with a flashlight? When you were done writing the book report or the essay, did you eagerly start the book over, only to dive back into the utter delight of losing yourself in the story?Would you say those books became one of your childhood’s sweetest delights? Or were you just relieved to have “done” the book?See, all kids love stories when they are younger. Loving stories isn’t the problem. The problem arises when reading becomes something we do for school—for a grade or an assignment. The problem arises when our kids start to see reading as something on their list of to-do’s, rather than as one of life’s sweetest delights. Today, we’re turning that on its head. See, we have the opportunity to engage our kids with books differently– in a way that helps them love a book more after they’ve read it (rather than relieved that they’re done with the book). It’s simple and doable, and on this episode of the Read-Aloud Revival, I’m breaking it down. Want to help your kids love reading? Don’t miss this one.In this episode, you’ll hear: 4 simple steps you can take to change the way your kids interact with books… for the betterwhy this will be a game-changer for your child’s reading lifeFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/136/.

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!In this very special episode of the Read-Aloud Revival, we’re sharing an Author Access with the wonderful Sally Lloyd Jones.This was an event celebrating her book Goldfish on Vacation, which we read together as a community in RAR Premium. Sally even reads aloud to us in this one (twice!)In this episode, you’ll hear: beautiful tips for young writerswhich was the most challenging Bible story for her to writesomething that means even more to her as a writer than medals and awardsFind the rest of the show notes at Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/134/.

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!Today we’re heading to the coast of Maine… at least in our imagination. I’m chatting with Amanda Dykes, author of the adult fiction novel, Whose Waves These Are, in a summer episode that celebrates seaside tales. In this episode, you’ll hear: how the books we read as children can impact us for lifethe unique way that books transport ushow books can serve as “functional souvenirs” (the best kind!)I also answer a listener question about organizing personal vs family books, and how I decide if a book should become part of our permanent collection. (The book I mention in this part is Outside Your Window by Nicola Davies and Mark Hearld.)Find the rest of the show notes at readaloudrevival.com/133/.

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!If you’ve got teens (or kids who will be teens before you know it), this episode is for you. We’re talking about books for teens, and why the YA/teen section of your library or bookstore is not a reading level.In this episode, you’ll hear: what YA is and what it isn’ta few issues with YA/teen bookswhether it’s essential for teens to read YA on the way to adulthoodOf course, I’m also going to recommend some books… because that’s what we do best around here!Find the rest of the show notes at readaloudrevival.com/132/

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . Blast off! 🚀🌒If you’re looking for picture books about the moon landing, you’re in the right place!July 20, 2019, marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar mission, and we’ve got the list of books to celebrate it! These books are for all ages and will help your family learn and celebrate together.In this episode, you’ll hear: how (and why) to share picture books with your older kidsa little about why back matter … matters! a few of my favorite moon-themed booksI also answer a listener question about helping your library get connected with the Read-Aloud Revival. (hint: we have a kit for that!)Find the rest of the show notes at readaloudrevival.com/131/

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!In our culture today, is reading aloud an ‘obstinate act of love?’ Meghan Cox Gurdon, this week’s guest and author of The Enchanted Hour, believes so.Meghan is the Wall Street Journal’s children’s book reviewer and says her five kids were a built-in focus group.In this episode, you’ll hear:the power of reading books again and againthe value of conversations around booksis reading aloud real reading?I also answer a listener question about how to continue reading aloud throughout the summer when schedules are wonky, and share some of my favorite audio books for preschool-age children.Find the rest of the show notes at readaloudrevival.com/130/

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!In this episode we welcome back Jim Weiss, master storyteller and a voice so many of us recognize.This is a fantastic episode to enjoy with your kids, because Jim tells us two stories during the show: Stone Soup and a tale of Sherlock Holmes, The Mazarin Stone.Gather everyone ’round and enjoy!In this episode, you’ll hear: Jim’s two rules for telling our children stories (you’ll love them)How to handle interruptions… and how to clarify what’s happening in a story without “breaking character”Why you’re probably better at reading aloud than you realize…Find the rest of the show notes at readaloudrevival.com/129/

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!Are you an introvert or an extrovert? On this episode of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, Jamie Martin from Simple Homeschool is here to chat about being an introverted mom.Sarah is an extrovert, so we’re comparing what fills us up, what depletes us, and how we can find more calm, less guilt, and quiet joy in mothering– which I think is what we all long for, no matter our personality type.Of course, we also talk books! Some of our favorite authors were introverts (Lucy Maud Montgomery, anyone?), and Jamie and I can’t help but talk about our favorite books whenever we get together.In this episode, you’ll hear:How to find more calm and less guilt as a mama (yes please, right?)The unique challenges that introvert and extrovert moms both faceWisdom from some of your favorite authors (if your favorite authors happened to write books like Anne of Green Gables and Little Women, that is)I also answer a listener question about choosing books for very sensitive kids.Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/127/

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!This week I’m sharing the second part of a Read-Aloud Revival Premium Master Class all about helping our kids love books by treating their reading lives more like we treat our own.If you want something better than book reports or reading comprehension sheets for your kids, you’re in the right place. If you’re wondering whether you need to do literary analysis (and how to do it without killing your child’s love of the book), you’re in the right place.If you want your kids to read because they love to (and not because they have to), you’re in the right place. This is the second half of this master class. Listen to the first half here. (You don’t have to listen to the first half to understand the second, but you probably want to!)In this episode, you’ll hear:What it looks like for kids to be real readersWhat most of us are getting wrong when it comes to “teaching” literature to our kidsDo your kids need literary analysis? And what should that look like, anyway?I also answer a listener question about … how to know when your child is ready to learn to read.More free resources and booklistsFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/126/

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!In today’s episode of the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast, I’m sharing a master class straight out of Read-Aloud Revival Premium about how to create a book club culture in your home.For most of us, the books we read for school growing up were not the same books we read under our covers with a flashlight past our bedtime.But we can do something better.We can invite our kids into a reading experience that will help them fall in love with books and become readers for life. Less like school, more like your favorite book club.In this episode, you’ll hear:the importance of knowing WHY you want to raise readershow to nurture and protect your kids’ love of readingwhy reading is not broccoli 🥦🤨I also answer a listener question about… what to do when your kids lose interest part-way through a book…Find the rest of the show notes at readaloudrevival.com/125/