Read-Aloud Revival ®
Read-Aloud Revival ®
Sarah Mackenzie
Sarah Mackenzie helps your family fall in love with books, and helps *you* fall in love with homeschooling.
Best of RAR: How to Make Time for Your Own Reading
Do you ever find yourself wishing you had more time to read?  Oh, every day? (Yeah, we get that.)We’re pretty confident that every mom wishes she had more time to read. Carving out a little time to enjoy your own reading life is worthwhile, even in those seasons when you think it’s impossible. (Sarah has six kids, and when three of them were babies age one and under, it definitely felt like an impossible season!)But reading makes us better humans, better mamas, and better women. It also makes us happier. And that matters. Why? Because the key to a successful homeschool is a peaceful, happy mother. When you know you can count on your reading life to be a source of joy and refreshment regardless of how tough the day is, you just might find yourself being a little happier. A little lighter. A little more joyful.On today’s show, we’re talking about how to make time for your own reading life, even when it feels like you don’t have five minutes to spare. Listen in for:Ideas for sneaking in time to read (even on your busiest days)How to make the most of surprise pockets of timeStrategies for handling interruptions, prioritizing your reading, and finding time to pick up a book even when you’re exhaustedLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/make-time-for-reading Get your FREE RAR Premium Sample: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample
Mar 21
1 hr 10 min
RAR #239: Practicing the Habits of a Lifelong Reader
We all want our kids to read, right?If you’re listening to this podcast, it’s probably safe to say that you want your kids to grow up to read more often than the average adult does. We want them to be lifelong learners and avid readers who read for pleasure.So it’s worth considering how we can cultivate the habits of real adult readers in our kids so that they grow up to be the readers we want them to be. And it turns out some of those skills are actually in direct opposition to how we tend to approach reading with our kids.In this episode, you’ll hear: How choosing what to read is a skill you can help your kids developEight habits of avid adult readersPractical tips for cultivating the skills of adult readers in your kidsLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/lifelong-reading-habits Get your FREE RAR Premium Sample: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample
Mar 7
43 min
Best of RAR: The Point is the Doing (Not Getting it Done)
Today, I’m sharing two recent episodes from my weekly coaching podcast, Circle with Sarah, that is available exclusively to members of RAR Premium.I wanted to share them with all of you because I think the message applies to most of us.A lot of us have this funny habit of focusing on getting DONE with the thing we most want to do. Of getting it over with and checking it off the list. It’s maybe more prevalent in our lives than we even realize. And I want to invite you to think about how that impacts your homeschool and how you might find your homeschooling to be easier and more joyful if you’re aware of it.If you would like this kind of encouraging boost each week, get RAR Premium and you’ll get instant access to all of the Circle with Sarah podcast episodes and new episodes every Monday.I think it’ll make a difference in the peace and joy you experience day to day in your homeschool. Head to RARpremium.com to learn more.In this episode, you’ll hear: Why we should treat learning more like knitting, doing a puzzle, or readingHow focusing on the doing lets us rest now, instead of waiting for when we’re “done”How to reframe your goals to focus on doing, rather than being doneLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/doing-not-getting-done Get your FREE RAR Premium Sample: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample
Feb 22
28 min
RAR #238: How Books Make Us Better, Happier Moms
This year at Read Aloud Revival, we’re focusing on reading for joy.It’s so easy for reading to become another thing on your to-do list, but when we make reading a source of joy, of respite from our busy lives, it’s like running into a clear creek on a hot, dusty hike. Nurturing your reading life nurtures you, which in turn helps us be better moms, better homeschoolers, better parents, better women.Today I’m joined by Jennifer Pepito, creator of The Peaceful Press, which offers fabulous curriculum for homeschoolers, and she is the author of our spring RAR Premium Mama Book Club pick, Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy.In this episode, you’ll hear: How fiction can teach us as much about parenting our kids as a bevy of parenting manualsWhy connecting with your kids is the heart of homeschoolingFinding the balance between giving your all to mothering and letting go of the outcomesLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-books-make-us-better-moms Get your FREE RAR Premium Sample: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample
Feb 8
40 min
Best of RAR: What to Do When Reading Becomes a Slog
There is something kind of tragic that happens when our kids become readers of their own right. It doesn’t always happen, of course, and there are ways for us to prevent it. But it’s awfully common. That thing I’m talking about? When reading starts to feel like school.It happens to all of us at one point or another, and it’s very common especially at this time of year when school is well underway. Parents will notice a significant drop in how much their kids are reading for pleasure…if they’re reading for pleasure at all. Obviously this isn’t what we want for our kids. But it’s easy to feel frustrated or panicked that our kids no longer seem to enjoy reading. The good news? This is simpler to guard against than you might think.Today, I’m revisiting an episode from a few years ago about what to do when reading becomes a slog. What do we do when reading starts to feel like school?In this episode, you’ll hear: The proven, positive impacts of free, voluntary readingWhy curriculums with long book lists raise red flags for meIdeas for making reading an invitation to enjoyment, not another thing to check off the listLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/when-reading-isnt-fun Get your FREE RAR Premium Sample: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample
Jan 25
27 min
RAR #237: How Fairy Tales Re-Enchant Us
What are fairy tales? Why do we love them so much? And why do these stories continue to capture the imaginations of countless generations?To help me answer those questions, I’m welcoming author Sarah Arthur to the podcast.Personally, I fell in love with Sarah’s writing through A Light So Lovely, on the spiritual legacy of Madeleine L’Engle. And when I found out she was working on a young adult fantasy, and that it was a sort of love letter to fairy tales? I had to have her on the show.She joins me to talk about what makes fairy tales so powerful, the benefits of embracing the imaginative and the fantastical in our reading, and lots more.Sarah Arthur is the author of a dozen books for teens and adults, including the bestselling Walking with Frodo: A Devotional Journey through The Lord of the Rings. After over 25 years working with youth she plays a wicked game of Four Square—but absolutely refuses to eat cold pizza from a box, ever. She has served as preliminary fiction judge for the Christianity Today Book Awards, was a founding board member of the annual C. S. Lewis Festival, and co-directs the Madeleine L’Engle Writing Retreats. She’s a mom of sons, a writer, and today’s highly esteemed guest.In this episode, you’ll hear: The elements that draw us into fairytalesHow “escapist” fiction actually helps us understand the truthHow imaginative stories create an invitation rather than a prescription for experiencesLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-fairy-tales-enchant-us Get your FREE RAR Premium Sample: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample
Jan 11
57 min
Best of RAR: No More Bookish Overwhelm
Today, I’ve got another Best Of RAR episode for you.I wanted to revisit this episode because it feels extra relevant this time of year as we’re thinking about setting goals and resolutions for the year ahead.Personally, I tend to feel a little overwhelmed by it and I bet some of you can relate.And when it comes to books and goals for our reading lives, one of the things we hear at Read Aloud Revival all the time is, “There are so many books and so little time!”There are SO MANY good books we want to read aloud with our families and we’re always trying to figure out how to fit more in. But we don’t want our read-alouds to become merely another item on our lengthy to-do lists. So how do we quell the bookish overwhelm?That’s what I’m breaking down in this replay of an Ask Sarah episode with that exact question.In this episode, you’ll hear: What it really means to read aloud “every day”Why it’s okay if you don’t get to all of the books (promise!)Simple ways to expand the genres you and your kids readLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-to-quell-overwhelm Get your FREE RAR Premium Sample: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample
Dec 28, 2023
28 min
Best of RAR: Your New Favorite Tradition - Jolabokaflod
Today we’re airing one of my favorite episodes from last year, all about Jolabokaflod, which is a Christmas “book flood,” in the Icelandic tradition.What if I told you this tradition makes your life easier, not harder? 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.There is so much that happens this time of year that adds to our to-do list, that puts more on our plates, but Jolabokaflod is truly a joy. It is a moment of rest and refreshment for you too.In this episode, you’ll hear: Where the tradition came from3 super-simple steps to your own JolabokaflodHow other mamas just like you have made the tradition their ownI hope you bring this tradition to your family and that you have a wonderful, wonderful Christmas.Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-to-jolabokaflod Get your FREE RAR Premium Sample: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample
Dec 14, 2023
21 min
RAR #236: It’s Time for Christmas School
It’s our favorite time of year over at Read-Aloud Revival! It’s time for Christmas School!Most of us have too much on our plates before the busy holiday season begins. Then December hits and we feel behind on … well… everything. But for homeschoolers, December should be the best month of our entire year.That’s what Christmas School is for.Christmas School is a whole-family curriculum from Read-Aloud Revival that helps your family slow down, savor the season, and wait in joyful hope.Join thousands of families and replace your current curriculum with a month of Christmas School to make December a different kind of month in your homeschool year.A better one.Today, I’m sharing what you can expect in this year’s Christmas School, plus we’ll hear from families who have participated in and loved Christmas School in the past.In this episode, you’ll hear: What’s included in your Christmas School guideHow Christmas School works for students ages 4-17 (no, really!)An extra-special read-aloud to look forward toLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/time-for-christmas-school-2023
Nov 27, 2023
17 min
RAR #235: How to Give Feedback on Your Child’s Creative Writing (Even If You Aren’t a Writer!)
I know that if you’re an RAR Family, you are raising kids who love to read, because that’s what we do around here!And with a love of reading often comes the inspiration to write. And those young writers will come to you looking for feedback on their stories. But what if we, as parents, don’t see ourselves as experts or writers and feel like we don’t have much to offer in the way of feedback?It happens for a lot of homeschoolers. We know that homeschools are fabulous places to grow young writers, but that we can also feel a little ill-equipped as their writing mentors.Which is where today’s guests come in. Brett Harris and Kara Swanson were both homeschooled and they share a commitment to mentoring young writers and helping parents become better mentors to their own young writers.They’re here to reassure you that you do know what makes a good story, and share some of their best advice for giving your child useful feedback on their creative writing.In this episode, you’ll hear: Six key elements of story that you probably already know, but just didn’t have words forQuestions to ask your young writer that will set them up for future story–and even career–successWhy expressing your support for your child’s writing is probably the most important thing you can doLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-to-give-feedback Get your FREE RAR Premium Sample: https://readaloudrevival.com/sample
Nov 9, 2023
45 min
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