Read-Aloud Revival ®

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 & Read...

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 mad...

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’l...

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....

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 deca...

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...

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, reall...

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’...

Do your kids read for fun in high school?  According to Dr. Daniel Willingham in Raising Kids Who Read , the average high schooler reads 6 minutes per day for pleasure. What that really means, he explains , is that a few kids read for pleasure quite a lot… and most don’t read for pleasure at all. Karen recently called in to ask me what my own kids read for fun in high school… and I’ve got lots of...

If you have a child who struggles with sad stories… a child who gets really uncomfortable when bad things happen and wants you to stop reading (or wants to stop reading themselves)… then this episode is for you. And actually, it’s for them, too! In fact, it’s an episode you might like to listen to with your kids. In this episode, you’ll hear: What to do if your kids get upset while reading sad sto...

Are you or your kids feeling overwhelmed by a long book list? Today I’m sharing how reading fewer books (yup!) can help our kids love books more. Yep. We’re going to talk about reading fewer books.  What could it mean for your kids’ reading lives (and yours too!), to focus on reading fewer books and making the time spent reading them more enjoyable and richer ? Maybe even to have a reading life th...

We’re just a little excited here at RAR this week. First, it’s our 200th episode! 🥳 And second, it’s March, which here in the northern hemisphere meets *melting*. It also means a new season, and it’s a great time to name what matters, and set some intentions for how we want to finish out this homeschool year. This week, the whole team will walk you through a simple process we’ve been using here a...

Every year, our Read-Aloud Revival Team watches the American Library Association Youth Media Awards together. These are the official awards of ALA. Some you’ll recognize, like the Caldecott, the Newbery and the Coretta Scott King Awards. But others are not quite as well known … The ALA Youth Media Awards honor books that have been published in the previous year, so this year’s awards ceremony in J...

“Which curriculum should I use?” It’s the question I get asked most often.  I suspect there’s another layer just underneath the surface of that question. A layer that sounds a bit like, “I’m tired. I’m overwhelmed. I don’t want to screw this up. Can you just tell me which curriculum is the best, so I don’t mess this really important thing up?” At least, that’s the kind of thing that went through m...

If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you want to read more, but are struggling to do it as much as you’d like. It can be a real challenge to find time to read for pleasure in your already busy day. I get it! On today’s episode of the Read-Aloud Revival, I’m sharing all my best tips to help you read more, ditch the guilt (this is part of your job, right?), and fall back in love with your own readin...

Shouldn’t helping our kids love reading be the point of literature education?  So why is it that most kids enjoy reading less and less, the further they get into their school years? And why do we insist on using literature curriculum when we know it doesn’t help our kids fall more in love with books?  Today I want to share an easier, simpler, more delightful (and less expensive!) path to giving ou...

Stressed about getting to all the books you want to read? Wondering how you can possibly read as many books as you’d like to with your kids?  On today’s episode of the Read-Aloud Revival, I’m talking about that all-too-familiar feeling of “So many books, so little time!” If you’ve ever felt that way, this one is for you! In this episode you’ll hear… how many books should we be aiming for, anyway?...

If your inbox is anything like mine, you might be experiencing a little “you-need-to-buy-this-for-Christmas” fatigue. I always like to remind myself that Christmas will come and the Baby King will be born, no matter what I buy or don’t. No matter what I get checked off on my merry-making list . . . . . . or don’t. No. Matter. What. Goodness, what good news that is. 🥰 Find the rest of the show not...

Sometimes, it can seem like the holiday season is over before we even had a chance to truly celebrate. And so this year, we’re wishing you a relaxing read-aloud Christmas, full of plenty of cocoa, warm blankets, and snuggles with your favorite people. If all of that sounds like a dream – we’ve got what you need to make it happen. So listen in to this special episode, and Happy Thansgiving and a Me...

When my kids were young, I tried narration in my homeschool. But instead of working how it was supposed to, it made my oldest daughter freeze with panic. She actually started hating books she had previously loved. Read-aloud time became fraught. And the quality of her education suffered for it. In today’s episode, I’m diving deep into the Charlotte Mason (CM) idea of narration, and offering an ide...

If you have a child with ADHD or dyslexia and want him/her to love reading, this episode is for you.  I’m sharing tips and tricks to help kids with ADHD enjoy reading and read-alouds in this episode of The Read-Aloud Revival. You’ll hear… audiobooks: help or hindrance? what worked for one of Sarah’s dyslexic kids Sarah’s go-to resource for all things related to homeschooling a child with ADHD Find...

Looking for my favorite stories about Christian saints and heroes? You’re in the right place! That’s what I’m talking about in today’s short episode of the Read-Aloud Revival. (Heads up, I’m Catholic, so a lot of these titles will be of special interest to Catholic listeners. 🥰) There are lots of wonderful stories of Christian heroes, but these are some of my favorite short picks, perfect for mix...

Many of us worry about how screen time impacts our kids’ reading life. So how do we manage screens in a way that still makes it likely our kids will love to read? That’s the question I’m answering in today’s short episode of the Read-Aloud Revival.  You’ll hear… the case for helping kids engage with screens in a healthy way two times a day we go screen-free at our house how to set goals to help ki...

If you take your kids to the library and they consistently choose books you aren’t excited about them reading… what can you do?  That’s the question I’m answering in today’s short episode of the Read-Aloud Revival.  You’ll hear… Sarah’s favorite places to check book reviews an alternate way to get library books dealing with silly books 🙃 vs ones those our kids really aren’t ready for 😬 Find the...

How can we find books that engage both an 8- and a 4-year-old?  That’s the question I’m answering in today’s short episode of the Read-Aloud Revival.  You’ll hear… why we shouldn’t leave picture books behind a tip for keeping kids engaged with longer books a few book suggestions! (naturally 😉) Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/187/ .