Why You Should Read Aloud to Your Kids (with Jennifer Pepito)

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 10, 2022  |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This week’s podcast episode is on a topic that is very close to my heart… because it’s something that so deeply impacted me! When I was growing up, my mom read aloud to us almost every single day and I have so many fond memories of the time we spent gathered together — often working on some type of sewing handwork — while she read us a few more chapters from the book we were currently reading aloud.

To this day, I recall so many stories from those books and often am inspired in my every day life to be more courageous because of them. I share more about that on this episode of The Crystal Paine Show where I’m joined by Jennifer Pepito, author of Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy. As you may have guessed, this episode is all about the positive impact of reading aloud to your children.

Jennifer is the mother of seven children whom she has been homeschooling for twenty-five years. And she is passionate about the power of reading aloud — not just for your kids, but for you as a mom. She shares her best tips for getting started, how to approach reluctant listeners, a few of her favorite read alouds, and what reading aloud has looked like in their home through the years.

She is such a seasoned mother and homeschooler and has such a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to share, and I hope that you find her words helpful. I left this conversation so inspired and I think you will, too!

In This Episode

[01:11] – We are talking about the book Mothering by the Book today!

[02:27] – Did Jennifer always intend to homeschool her children?

[05:14] – How Jennifer found time in her day to read aloud to her children — especially when they were little.

[06:50] – What reading aloud has looked like as Jennifer’s children grew older.

[11:05] – How do we get children to sit still to listen to a book?

[12:57] – What do we do when there are interruptions.

[16:43] – How reading aloud impacted me as a child — and into adulthood.

[18:19] – Jennifer offers insightful advice to new mothers.

[21:36] – And then she shares advice for moms with older kids.

[23:44] – How can we get started making reading aloud a practice in our homes?

[24:55] – What are some of Jennifer’s favorite read-aloud titles?

Books