Read-aloud Revival

What do you do if you notice that your child isn’t finishing books?How can you get your kids to widen their reading taste outside of a single genre?How can you describe what you do for literature on a high school transcript when you take a more relaxed Read-Aloud Revival approach to the subject?And what can you do to help boost your child’s emotional intelligence and reading comprehension while reading? Today, I’m answering listeners’ questions about their kids’ reading habits, from bouncing from book to book to getting stuck in a genre rut, and more.In this episode, you’ll hear:  Is it okay if your child is reading from rather than through? How can we expand our child’s reading repertoire (without assigning them books)? How to describe literature on a high school transcript How picture books can help a child having difficulty with social and emotional cues Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud Revival Waxwing Books Subscribe to the Newsletter Mentioned in This Episode: RAR #215: Whimsy and the Power o

I want to help you think about what’s most essential in your homeschool. I’ve invited Kortney Garrison and Kara Anderson from the RAR team to chat with me about a favorite book when it comes to essentializing.We've been talking and thinking about the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown a lot here at Read Aloud Revival, especially as it relates to homeschooling. We're reading the book in our Mama Book Club in RAR Premium in January and I will tell you this book is easily one of the books I can say has changed my life.That is not an exaggeration. I think Read Aloud Revival itself has been built on the principles in Essentialism. I've probably reread it a dozen times.This book has changed the way I've thought about my own life and maybe this is due to me being a mother to half a dozen kidsbut this idea of less but better really appeals to me. Today, Kortney, Kara, and I are going to dig into just the first chapter and how it relates to our homeschools.In this episode, you’ll hear:  Defining Essentialism and why th

The Long Winter is the sixth book in the Little House on the Prairie series. It was first published in 1940, and is an autobiographical novel. Laura Ingalls Wilder based the series on her actual life as a child, settling the west. This particular story, The Long Winter, was set in the southwestern Dakota Territory during the severe winter of 1880-1881 when Laura was 14 years old. Even if you haven’t read the rest of the Little House books, I think you want to read this one. You can read any of the Little House books as stand-alones, but I’m betting that if you give your kids a taste of any of them, they’ll want to keep reading more stories from Laura.And truly, it’s no wonder why. Laura Ingalls Wilder is, to my mind, unparalleled as one of the finest novelists in children’s literature, ever alive.In this episode, you’ll hear:  How Ingalls Wilder creates an immersive experience with deceptively simple writing Why re-reading can be the best kind of reading, for us and for our kids How to handle troubling or pro

In this bonus episode, you'll hear: How Sarah's Jolabokaflod really went Can we actually fall in love with the homeschooling lives we already have? All-new for 2023 -- Circle with Sarah: RAR Premium Homeschool Coaching For the full show notes, head here.  

What if I told you that there’s an Icelandic Christmas tradition where you spend an entire day (or evening) reading books and sipping hot cocoa? And it’s what you’re SUPPOSED to be doing.Yes, this is a real thing!It’s called Jolabokaflod, and in this episode, you’ll hear:  Where the tradition came from 3 super-simple steps to your own Jolabokaflod How other mamas just like you have made the tradition their own During Jolabokaflod, you gift members of your family with new books, and everyone drinks hot cocoa and spends the whole of Christmas Eve reading. If I didn’t get your attention before, I’ve got it now.Today, I’m talking about when and how this tradition started, and how your family can make Jolabokaflod part of your Christmas traditions.Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/218/.

By now, most of us are knee deep in our homeschool year.And no matter how far into your year you are, and no matter what’s happened that you either did, or didn’t, expect to happen, I’m willing to bet that something funny has happened: You’re carrying around a lot of pinecones.What on earth do I mean by that?In this episode, you’ll hear:  All the ways we end up with a metaphorical 56-pound backpack of homeschool curriculum What are these pinecones (and why do I keep picking them up?) How to decide which homeschool curriculum you really need for the rest of the school year Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/217/.

Is it really possible to teach from rest? Even if you’re teaching a lot of different ages? And even if you feel a bit underwater, pretty much every single day in your homeschool?Let’s talk about it. This fall in Circle with Sarah, we’re diving deep into the principles of Sarah’s first book, Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace… and today we’re sharing some of it with you.So let’s get nitty gritty.Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/216/.

Chances are good that you’re already familiar with the picture book sensation turned childhood classic, Bear Snores On.But do you know the woman who wrote it?Karma Wilson has come up with some of her best ideas while eating ice cream or visiting the zoo. She was saved as a child, in a way, by C.S. Lewis’s Narnia. And… she homeschooled her own kids for many years as a way to ensure that they would love reading as much as she felt they deserved to love it.Find the rest of the show notes here https://readaloudrevival.com/215/.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Am I doing enough?”I think we’ve all asked that question.If you’re homeschooling your kids, you might ask it every single day. It might even wake you up at night and feel like an elephant sitting on your chest.

It’s Victorian London in the late 1800’s… and it’s been five years since the Sweep disappeared.Orphaned and alone, Nan Sparrow has no other choice but to work for a ruthless chimney sweep named Wilkie Crudd. She spends her days doing dangerous work–sweeping out chimneys.The job is thankless, but with her wits and will, Nan has managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again.This time, though, she gets stuck in a chimney fire.She wakes to find herself unharmed in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature—a golem—made from soot and ash.The golem we’ll come to know as Charlie. He’s large and lovable, and Nan, our heroine, will raise him almost like her own child. He is, after all, her protector. Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her MonsterThis book, written by Jonathan Auxier, won the 2019 Sydney Taylor Book Award. And it has won a place in my all-time tippy top favorite books. It’s a Charles-Dickens-like adventure about the everlasting gifts of friendship and won

Have you ever REALLY worried about one of your kids?What should you do if you don’t feel like you read aloud well?What’s the point of poetry memorization?What would you tell a mom who is confused about all the different homeschooling philosophies and methods?How do I know that I’m doing enough?What about homeschooling high school?These are all questions you might have… I’ve had them too.Andrew Pudewa and I answered questions just like these at all five Great Homeschool Conventions in 2022. Today on the podcast, we’re sharing a recording of that session with you. Find the rest of the show notes here https://readaloudrevival.com/212/.

Last time on the Read-Aloud Revival, I told you about the inspiration for the creation of Waxwing Books and our first book,  A Little More Beautiful: The Story of a Garden. In this episode, I’ll take you on the rest of the adventure, from connecting with illustrator Breezy Brookshire to bringing on editor Michael Green, and finding art director Cara Llewellyn.Find the rest of the show notes here https://readaloudrevival.com/211/.

It’s time! It’s time! It’s time!

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 compassion Bear witness to people overcoming obstacles, facing struggles, and pressing onward Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes Connect ideas and think more clearly about the world around them and their role in it Find 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 newb

Summer is almost here.And probably, you have things you’d like to do this season. Maybe lots of things! (Perhaps … too many things?

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