Read-Aloud Revival ®

Are you intimidated by the thought of teaching Shakespeare? You’re not alone. A lot of people struggle to connect to Shakespeare’s work, even if they really want their kids to be familiar with his plays. What if I told you there's a way to make teaching Shakespeare to your kids enjoyable for them… …AND delightful for you? In today’s episode, Ken Ludwig, celebrated playwright and author of How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, argues that the reason so many of us feel like we don’t get Shakespeare is because people don’t know why (or how!) to teach it. But figuring out how to teach Shakespeare well is worth it, because not only was he groundbreaking in his time, but he has so much to teach us about what it means to be human. Don’t miss this replay of our live conversation where Ken shares all his best tips on teaching Shakespeare to your kids and answers audience questions. Plus, Sarah shares her favorite resources for helping kids get excited about Shakespeare. In this episode, you’ll hear: thornieris Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-to-teach-shakespeare

Can you believe it? The Read-Aloud Revival Podcast is ten years old!! That means it’s time for a party! 🥳🥳 Ten years is a long time to have a podcast, but we’re not slowing down anytime soon. We’re having WAY too much fun for that. In honor of this milestone, I’ve got a Casey Kasem-style countdown for you of the top ten episodes from the first ten years of Read Aloud Revival. And as a way to say thank you to YOU for listening, if you leave us a review before April 30, 2024, you’ll be entered into our raffle to be one of ten winners of an exclusive, all-around fabulous RAR tote bag (these currently aren’t for sale, so don’t miss your chance to win!) Ready to party? In this episode, you’ll hear: Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/top-10-in-10

When you hear the name Max Lucado, what comes to mind for you? Max Lucado is best known as a pastor, speaker, best-selling inspirational author, and, in many Christian families, he’s a household name. His books are written for everyone—especially those who are hurting, lonely, and discouraged. In his writing, he constantly points his readers back to the truth: that God loves you and you should let Him love you. Max is also an author of children’s books, several of which are favorites around here. 😊 Sarah invited him to Read-Aloud Revival to discuss his newest picture book, Just in Case You Ever Feel Alone, illustrated by Eve Tharlet. It’s a cozy, gentle book, perfect for snuggling up and sharing with your kiddos. How are stories uniquely positioned to help readers feel seen and understood? Which books did Max Lucado love as a child? And what does he hope his books will do in the lives of his readers, young and old? We dig into all of it. Listen in to hear: Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/max-lucado

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: Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/make-time-for-reading

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: Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/lifelong-reading-habits

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: Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/doing-not-getting-done

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: Learn 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

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: Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/when-reading-isnt-fun

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: Learn 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

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: Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-to-quell-overwhelm

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: I 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

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: Learn 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

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: Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-to-give-feedback

I want to introduce you to one of my new favorite authors. She's younger than most published authors. In fact, she says she decided to publish her first book at nine years old. When she was 10, she attended her first writing conference. When she was 13, she self published her first book. She was homeschooled. You probably could have already guessed that. And she has been on a roll ever since. Now she's 20 and she's making books I know your families are going to love. Millie Florence shares her journey from whispering stories to herself under the covers to published author, plus her advice for aspiring young writers and their parents. In this episode, you’ll hear: Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/advice-for-young-writers

On today’s Best of Read Aloud Revival episode, I’m replaying one of our most popular episodes. Without fail, at every homeschool conference, at least one person comes up to me and says, “Dyslexia was not even on my radar until I listened to the episode with Marianne Sunderland.” And that’s because most of us don’t understand what dyslexia really is and the signals to look for in our kids. And we don’t know what to do when they do show signs of having a dyslexic brain. It’s important to remember that a dyslexic brain is not a disorder. Nothing needs to be fixed. It’s the way God made your child’s brain. And it’s genetic, so it’s the way God made your brain or your husband’s brain too. Dyslexia means your child processes language differently, which means we need to teach dyslexic brains in a way that makes sense to dyslexic brains. If you have any academic frustrations with your kids of any age, listen to this episode. Even if dyslexia is nowhere on your radar, I encourage you to listen. You might be surprised. In this episode, you’ll hear: Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/is-my-child-dyslexic/

By far the most popular episode we’ve ever done here on Read Aloud Revival is the episode with my oldest daughter, Audrey, when we looked back together on homeschooling from her vantage point as a sophomore in college. We discussed what worked, what didn’t, and about our homeschool experience in general. And last spring, at the Great Homeschool Conventions, you all kept asking me when Audrey would be back on the podcast. She’s now about to start her senior year at Franciscan University, so it seemed like a great time to check back in with her and get her perspective now that her college experience is almost complete. Today, she’s answering your questions from inside the RAR Premium forum and the RAR Instagram. In this episode, you’ll hear: Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/questions-for-homeschooling-graduate

There is one question that plagues us, that we all ask, and that we ask all the time: Am I doing enough? When we constantly ask ourselves if we’re doing enough in our homeschool, it makes it difficult to stay present and engaged and actually enjoy it. Whether you’re relatively new to homeschooling or a seasoned veteran, we all wonder. Today, I'm sharing the last of my sessions from The GHC Conferences 2023. This one is all about taking the overwhelm out of that question and practical advice for putting your worry to rest. In this episode, you’ll hear: Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/doing-enough-homeschooling

Today, I’m sharing another session from the Great Homeschool Conventions in 2023 all about homeschooling with babies and toddlers. If you are homeschooling with babies and toddlers underfoot, this one's for you. Or if you have a friend who is homeschool with babies and toddlers, this one's for her, so please share it! Full disclosure: My favorite part about going to the Great Homeschool Conventions is all the babies I get to snuggle and hold. So I created a session that would ensure I got maximum baby snuggles. This session was so much fun because the room was absolutely packed with babies and toddlers and there is something just next-level about being in a room with so much life. I LOVED it. In this session, I talked about the lessons I learned from homeschooling with my own babies and toddlers underfoot, and strategies for not just surviving this time, but enjoying it, too. In this episode, you’ll hear: Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/homeschooling-with-babies

Are you struggling with how to tackle reading in your homeschool? Maybe you have a child who’s a later reader or is having a tough time connecting with reading. Or maybe you have a kid who’s an advanced reader and they’re outpacing books that fit their emotional and social development. Either way, it can be hard to know what to do to help your child build a strong relationship with reading that they’ll carry with them throughout their lives. Today, I’m sharing a session from the Great Homeschool Conventions that I led with my friend and colleague Colleen Kessler of Raising Lifelong Learners. In this conversation, we’ll talk about the challenges that come up with readers at both ends of the bell curve and how to help your differently wired kids fall in love with reading. In this episode, you’ll hear: Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/differently-wired-kids/

Watch the RAR Premium Preview on videoGet RAR PremiumLearn more about the Circle with Sarah Retreat