Read-Aloud Revival ®

It’s the hap-happiest read-aloud time of the year!   I don’t know anyone who lives this out better than my good friend, Elizabeth Foss, so I invited her onto the show to chat up Christmas and Advent read-alouds. We’re so excited about this episode of the podcast, we’re publishing a whole week early. In this episode; you’ll hear: find the best Christmas and Advent books celebrate the season without...

I t’s a question we hear a lot around here… how on earth is it possible to read aloud to the big kids when there are toddlers mucking about? And reading with those toddlers themselves- well, that’s a whole ‘nother ball of wax. Girl, I hear you. I have six kids, and three of them are in the toddler set, so I get the challenges you’re facing when trying to build your family culture around books. In...

How does a family that follows a traditional school schedule make reading aloud a priority? We’re talking about it on today’s episode of the Read-Aloud Revival! Whether your kids are in school all day, or you homeschool but you feel very pressed for time, reading aloud can happen! In this episode, you’ll hear:  practical ideas simple strategies and give you some encouragement to make reading toget...

It doesn’t take long after starting a read-aloud habit to realize that there are a LOT of good things happening when you are snuggled up on the couch, lost in a good book with your family. But sometimes things get rough. And when that happens, it helps to get a bit more logical about the whole operation. In this episode, you’ll hear:  the wide-ranging effects of reading aloud how a short time read...

In today’s episode of the Read-Aloud Revival, Kortney and I chat up the questions you’re asking most. In this episode, you’ll hear: our favorite religious book recommendations how to keep your kids from getting distracted on your iPad when they’re “supposed” to be listening to an audio book what it’s like to be working and homeschooling, and a whoooole lot more. Find the rest of the show notes at...

This may be one of the most delightful conversations we’ve had yet on the Read-Aloud Revival. If you haven’t met Rea Berg yet… you’re going to love me for introducing you to her. :) And if you know who she is, you don’t need me to blab on here -you just want to cut right to the interview! In this episode, you’ll hear:  reading aloud for history nurturing the soul of your child and how books have c...

Have you fallen out of the read-aloud habit? It’s okay – I understand. I’ve been there 100 times! In fact, I’m just trying to get back into the swing of things myself. Getting back in the saddle is quite likely easier than you think, though.  In this episode, you’ll hear:  a handful of tips and tricks to make the transition as smooth and simple as possible some fun book ideas to get the whole fami...

We all want our kids to read over the summer, right? But how can make that summer reading both memorable and fun – a treasured childhood memory rather than another thing to do and check off our lists? For today’s show, I talked to one of my very favorite people on the whole planet-- Pam Barnhill . In this episode, you’ll hear: ideas for how to motivate your kids to read how to motivate yourself to...

If you’ve listened to the Read-Aloud Revival podcast much, you probably know I’m a huge fan of The Green Ember . I think it’s the best book my kids and I read together all year long. You’ll understand, then, why I was so excited to chat with Zach Franzen , the illustrator of The Green Ember for today’s show. I was floored by how insightful Zach is – how much careful thought and real consideration...

On today’s episode of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, we’re answering YOUR questions! These Q and A podcasts are listener favorites, so grab some laundry, pop in your earbuds, and let’s go! In this episode, you’ll hear:  what I do when kids are whiny and don’t want to listen to a read-aloud what to try when teens aren’t interested in the family book and how I organize my booklists Find the rest of...

I'm trying something new for this episode of the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast. Instead of interviewing a guest, I’m chatting with you one-on-one. Something I hear about a lot is the struggle it can be to make the transition from picture books to chapter books and novels during read-aloud time. It’s something I’ve struggled with in the past, as well, and I’ve got a few ideas about how to make this as...

This isn’t rocket science, Carole Joy Seid tells us in today’s episode of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast. It’s really very simple – read good books. The end. :) In this episode, you’ll hear: fabulous book recommendations simple, practical strategies to help us make reading aloud a pillar of family life calming encouragement from a mom who has made it to the other side of homeschooling! Find the re...

If you read nothing else to your kids this year, read The Green Ember. This is a book that will steep your family’s imagination in the good, true, and beautiful. The characters encounter tremendous difficulty and face them with indomitable courage. You will laugh, cry, and find your heart racing. You will wonder if you could possibly live up to the nobility and fortitude Heather and Picket. You wi...

We know we should start reading aloud to toddlers when they are still small, but somehow the logistics of doing just that are really difficult!  Today I’d like you to meet Haley and Sarah from Aslan’s Library –a blog I love. Haley and Sarah focus most of their blog writing about beautiful and true theological books for kids. In this episode, you’ll hear: the nitty gritty of reading aloud with todd...

If you only listen to one episode of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, let this one be it. This episode is the humdinger of them all, if I do say so myself. ;) I have been dying to talk to Sarah Clarkson since the Read-Aloud Revival was born! She’s a busy student at Oxford, though, and it took a bit of finagling to get our schedules to play nicely together. Over the Christmas break we made it happen...

I never do this--record a podcast episode on the fly just because I’m so excited I can’t help myself. :) But today is the last day of 2014 and I want to make sure we head into 2015 and make it count by forming deep and meaningful connections with our kids. In this episode, you’ll hear: how you can start a reading streak in your home TODAY how this one step will make a difference in your family for...

Caroline Starr Rose has written entire books in verse. Now don’t be intimidated. Her book, May B , has been described as part Hatchet , part Little House on the Prairie , and part Out of the Dust . In this episode, you’ll hear:  her books, of course! how to get started with poetry even if it’s as intimidating to you as it is to me her booklist (a-mazing!) I can’t believe how many of Caroline’s fav...

Do you enjoy reading aloud? I know a whole lot of people who don’t. But just because you don’t enjoy reading aloud doesn’t mean you can’t build your family culture around books. Today on the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, I chat with Marie Ripple about how audio books can make a huge difference in your family’s habit of shared reading. This episode isn’t just for those who don’t enjoy reading aloud,...

Reading aloud plays a major role in a child’s life as he or she is learning to read-- especially if he or she is struggling to learn to read! In this episode, you’ll hear:  how often to read aloud how much to prioritize it and which books are best for struggling readers Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/13/ .

Alice Ozma is the author of The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared . If you read nothing else this year, read this book. I mean it. I swallowed it and immediately knew I had to have Alice on the show. The book is moving, funny, heart-wrenching, and is a big huge kick in the pants. There is no way you can finish it without being completely motivated to read read read to your kids. I...

What keeps you from making the best use of your local library? For me, it’s the likelihood of losing my sanity. :) On this episode of the Read-Aloud Revival, Jamie Martin- editor of Simple Homeschool and blogger at Steady Mom – shares a perspective that we can use the library in any way that fits our family right now, in the season we’re in. In this episode, you’ll hear:  some strategies she’s use...

Heidi Scovel admits that she isn’t a read-aloud superstar. Reading aloud can be hard to fit in when you’re a busy mother of four! But she does know how to choose great books and has had a lot of success starting a book club for her kids called the Book Detectives. In this episode, you’ll hear:  her kids’ favorite books how she developed her taste for the best literature and the ins and outs of her...

What can a university professor say about the value of reading aloud for future academic and relational success? A lot, actually. If that professor is also a mother of many, she’ll lend a perspective on fitting read-aloud time into busy family life, and the value of even five minutes a day spent diving into a story with your kids. In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. Catherine Pakaluk from Ave Mari...

Did you know that every book is a mystery, and all readers are detectives? In this episode of the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast, I chat with Lawrence Goldstone, author of Deconstructing Penguins: Parents, Kids, and the Bond of Reading . In this episode, you’ll hear:  why you become a sleuth when you pick any book of the shelf how ordinary parents can start parent child book clubs some surprising thin...

When I think of someone who fully embraces a family culture built around books, Melissa Wiley comes to mind right away. As a mother of six and author of several children’s books, she has managed to make reading aloud a central part of family life in her home. In this episode, you’ll hear:  what creating a family culture around books looks like in a busy household how she considers read-alouds as s...