Read-Aloud Revival ®

Way back in August 2018, I was fortunate to spend a morning with the author of The Penderwicks, Jeanne Birdsall. It was a glorious morning, truly, and something surprising came of it. A little idea popped into my head, and it just sort of… rooted itself.Actually… the idea that popped into my head didn’t just stay an idea. It became something much bigger resulting in our biggest, newest project here at Read-aloud Revival: we’re launching a boutique publishing house.Today, I’m telling you all about it. Find the rest of the show notes here https://readaloudrevival.com/210/.

When I ask experienced homeschool parents what they wish they had done more often or focused more on, they never–not ever–say anything academic. Nope. Reminiscing homeschool parents tell me something else entirely. And do you know what they say? Relationships. They always, always talk about something related to the relationships nurtured during their homeschooling years. Relationships & Reading AloudIn fact, their favorite memories very often revolve around the memories they made and the books they shared.Reading aloud is not only the best tool for helping our kids academically succeed across the curriculum, it also helps them:Grow in empathy and compassionBear witness to people overcoming obstacles, facing struggles, and pressing onwardWalk a mile in someone else’s shoesConnect ideas and think more clearly about the world around them and their role in itFind the rest of the show notes here https://readaloudrevival.com/00/.

In today’s Special Edition of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, you’ll meet the man behind Make Way for Ducklings. Robert McCloskey was the first to win two Caldecott Awards, and his books are arguably among the most celebrated picture books of all time.His most popular picture book wouldn’t stay on the page, either. His ducks became permanent sculptures fixed in Boston Public Garden, and even made a way for international diplomacy as part of the START Treaty between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. in 1991. A picture book is a powerful piece of art. Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/robert-revisited/.

Here at Read-Aloud Revival, we’re in the thick of getting a huge project together for you. We are launching our own publishing imprint, Waxwing Books. Our first release is a picture book, written by me, and illustrated by none other than the gorgeously talented artist, Breezy Brookshire. It’s called A Little More Beautiful: The Story of a Garden. August 10th is the big day. That’s the day you’ll be able to pre-order the book on Kickstarter and get some pre-order exclusives, like a brand new book bag and some other goodies. While we get those pre-orders ready for you, we’re revisiting some Special Edition podcasts. These are my all-time favorites. This one is fabulous to listen to as a family, so if you happen to be road tripping together, play it in the car. Enjoy!Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/barbara-revisited/.

Early on, pretty much everyone in my world told me we were making a huge mistake in homeschooling.It was weird, it was unknown to them, and of course, we are afraid of things that are weird and unknown. I actually didn’t know anyone in my personal life who was homeschooling.I read some blogs and books (of course!), but I just had a very strong hunch that we should do this home education thing. So we did, and I’m so glad. I loved it – not every minute of it (ha!) – but now that my oldest kids are adults, I’m so grateful for the time I got with them during all of those growing up years. Today, I have a treat for you. My oldest daughter, Audrey – 20 years old at the time we’re recording this, just finished her sophomore year at Franciscan University of Steubenville as an English major, and she is joining me on the show. Audrey was homeschooled her entire education.And there were some rocky years! When Audrey was 12 – so you know, 6th grade-ish, I also had a 10-year-old, an 8-year-old, a 1 year-old, and twin newborns. Yes. Three babies age 1 and under. It was… a lot.We’re going to talk about that, plus:what was most helpful for Audrey’s futuredid she feel “prepared,” for going away to college and becoming an adult? (you’re going to love her answer, I think!)what she really remembers about that time with babies (💗 😭) Mama’s with newborns – you just need to hear this. 💖We’re also answering YOUR questions!Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/209/.

Summer is almost here.And probably, you have things you’d like to do this season. Maybe lots of things! (Perhaps … too many things? 😬)Not to fear! In this episode, the RAR Leadership Team is back to share an easy tool for determining your direction this summer.In this episode, you’ll hear:how setting a compass will help us this summerwhy (in homeschooling) a compass is more helpful than a mapquestions to ask yourself as you choose your own directionFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/208/.

When I was a kid, I read voraciously. I could lose myself for hours in stacks and stacks of books. The reading wasn’t that high quality, mind you. I could usually be found reading The Babysitter’s Club or a Christian historical romance, though I also loved Roald Dahl and Lois Lowry (anyone else remember the Anastasia Krupnik series?) and nonfiction, too. Then I became a mom, and reading felt decadent. I read books to nurture my marriage, how-to books on parenting (some far better than others, ahem). But overall, reading just got… harder. It was something I did to improve myself. Not something I got swept away in.Reading for pleasure felt like a splurge, and often it was a splurge I couldn’t figure out how to justify. But here’s the thing — reading for fun is part of the job.My life is richer when I’m reading for pleasure, and so is my kids’! In fact, I’ve found that their reading lives feed off the energy in mine. So how am I going to nurture my own reading life this summer? And what might get in the way?It’s a question worth asking for all of us, and joining me to ask it today on the podcast are RAR Community Director, Kortney Garrison and Managing Editor, Kara Anderson.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why reading is a priority in our lives (hint: it’s not too decadent!)Ways to nurture your reading life this summer How to know what to readFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/207/.

Do you want to teach your kids Shakespeare? Do you want to them to carry a love for The Bard in their hearts, and remember passages from the most famous plays ever written?Maybe your answer is YES! BUT … Shakespeare seems overwhelming. And adding it feels stressful.So today, RAR Community Director Kortney Garrison and I are breaking down how to teach Shakespeare in a simple, low-pressure way that your kids will actually enjoy and look back on fondly.In this episode, you’ll hear:a million ways to teach Shakespeare (and maybe only one you want to avoid)how to start with your goals when creating a Shakespeare teaching planwhat Kortney and I actually do Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/206/.

When Mandy called in to ask about her daughter, who likes to be read to, but doesn’t really enjoy reading herself, I was all ears.If you can relate, consider: when your child was 2, 3, 4 … did he/she like being read to? Most small children LOVE being read to. They climb right into your lap and relish every minute.It’s about the story, yes, but it’s also about the connection. We really, really want our kids to love reading. So naturally, we worry when they don’t. I wonder if that same connection is what our non-reading kids are actually seeking. We’re often tempted to think our kids are lazy, or aren’t true readers, but laziness is rarely at play here (especially in the case of a dyslexic child). So why don’t some of our kids love reading? And what on earth can we do about it? That’s what I’m addressing today on the podcast from a mama who suspects her child may be dyslexic, and worries that she doesn’t enjoy reading.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why kids may prefer being read to (hint: it’s not because they’re lazy!)Whether it’s OK to do a lot of reading aloud to older kids (short answer: heck yes)How different modalities make reading accessible at a different levelFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/205/.

We get many questions about how I organize books in my home library, and today we’re talking all about it.I’m going to break down my system and hopefully help spark ideas for how to best organize books at your house. Here’s the thing: Your home library should serve your family’s reading life. And that might mean organizing it in a different way than you think.It also means the organization isn’t the goal. (Keep reading to see what I mean.)I’ll give you a peek at a few of my own bookshelves throughout this post, which are definitely not gorgeous or Instagram-worthy. 😅 But they areuseable. And they’re used… a lot!In this episode:how to focus on your home library’s goal (which may be different than you think!)how to cut down on time searching for booksideas for organizing your family’s books without making it a full-time jobFind the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/204/.