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There is a type of children’s book that we haven’t talked much about here in twelve years of Read-Aloud Revival. But it’s one that almost anyone who has spent time with babies knows well: board books. Board books are how so many of our kids meet stories and books for the first time. They’re often the first books babies and littles are able to really get their hands (and mouths!) on, and experience touching the pictures and turning the pages for themselves.  So today, we’re going to do a bit of a deep dive on board books, and I couldn’t think of a better person to join me for this than bestselling author and illustrator Tabitha Paige. Tabitha is a speech language pathologist as well as a creator of absolutely stunning board books, and in this episode she shares all about what they can do for our littlest readers as well as what to look for when choosing board books.  In this episode, you’ll hear:  How board books create positive experiences that make kids want to come back to books again and againWhy realistic illustrations are an important tool for building vocabularyThe way the multi-sensory experience of physically interacting with a board book enhances learning Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/tabitha-paige

We all want our kids to be readers.  Not just kids who can read, but kids who actually do read. Who then grow up and keep choosing to read because they want to, not because they have to. But there’s a curious thing that those of us who care deeply about raising lifelong readers tend to do, which is to treat our kids’ reading lives in exactly the opposite way that adult readers actually read.  We choose all their books. We tell them how long to read for. We ask them questions to prove to us that they read and understood the story. We make them write essays to prove their comprehension even further. And somehow, we expect that when no one is making them do any of this anymore, they’ll choose to pick up a book for the joy of it. So today, I want us to think about this differently. Instead of asking, “How do I get my kids to read,” let’s ask the question, “What do real, lifelong readers actually do?” Then give our kids more chances to do those things. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Why letting your kids develop their taste by choosing their own books is part of their becoming lifelong readersThe question to ask yourself when you’re considering what reading to require of your kidsHow to gauge comprehension without making conversation a pop quizLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/lifelong-readers

The heart of homeschooling is relationships. Building meaningful, lasting connections is the real secret sauce of reading aloud with your kids. Those connections are also built when you spend time in nature together.  Sounds simple, right? Read books. Go outside. But it can also feel like yet another thing to add to your already packed to-do list. How do we make time in our already full days to get outside with our kids? We’ve got an absolute treat for you today on the show. Ginny Yurich, the founder of the global 1000 Hours Outside movement, is here to talk about how families can bring the transformative power of nature into their everyday lives.  She candidly shares her journey from indoorsy kid to overwhelmed mama to the fall afternoon that planted the seed of 1000 Hours Outside. We also dig into the benefits of spending time in nature, and of course, practical strategies for spending more time outside. In this episode, you’ll hear:  The lifelong physical, social, emotional, and academic benefits of spending time outsideHow accessible 1000 hours really is Practical ways to get more time outdoors, how to engage older kids, and why it doesn’t have to be that complicated Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/ginny-yurich

Over the past few months on the podcast, we’ve talked a lot about how reading aloud benefits kids academically, how it develops their resilience, empathy, and virtue, and even reduces physiological stress. Today on the show, we’re diving into the flip side of reading: writing.  Without writing, we’d have no stories to read. But creating books to share with others isn’t the only reason why writing is so important. Writing also has tremendous benefits to the person sitting down and putting words on a page.   In this episode, Audrey and I talk about some of the many reasons to invite your kids –– and yourself! –– to write and we’ll share a few of our favorite exercises and tips for getting everyone’s creativity flowing. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Why creativity is available to every single one of us, even if we wouldn’t consider ourselves to be artists How writing helps us slow down, notice details, cultivate attention and presence, and uncover what we’re thinking even when life is busy and messyHow writing, like reading, has the power to connect and transform us Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/why-we-write

Books are so much more than just a collection of words. They are lanterns that illuminate our lives in so many incredible ways. Today, I want to share a story with you about a group of women who also believed in the power of books to transform lives. So much so, that they were willing to endure quite a lot of hardship to get books into the hands of people who otherwise wouldn’t have had access to them during a difficult period of American history.  In this episode, I’m talking with Caroline Starr Rose, author of our newest Waxwing Books release, Books Up the Mountain: A Packhorse Librarian Story. Caroline is an author and editor of middle grade and picture books, and in our conversation she talks about the real-life program that inspired Books Up the Mountain, the scavenger hunt process of researching historical fiction, and writing stories that honor children and their experiences. In this episode, you’ll hear:  About the Great Depression-era librarians whose work and communities inspired Caroline to create The Book WomanWhy Caroline finds writing for children such lifegiving and compelling work The challenges presented by writing historical novels versus picture books, and what makes “picture book alchemy” Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/becoming-a-book-woman

How long is your to-do list?  What if you added in all the extra shoulds and supposed-tos that you are in your head but you don’t even write down because that would be too overwhelming? How long is it then? It might feel a little cliché to talk about how busy we are. But I think it’s helpful to acknowledge that most of us are at least a little bit (or more) fried.  So why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we keep piling things onto our to-do lists? If you take a closer look at your list, I think you’ll find that underneath that busyness, the reason is relationships. Your list is long because you love your kids, and you want them to feel loved and supported by the things you do for them, from teaching to cooking to cleaning to working outside the home.  But a hard truth I’ve learned in nearly 25 (!!) years of motherhood is that restless busyness can make it harder to do the things that actually allow us to nurture our kids, develop fruitful relationships with them, and model God’s love. Today on the show, I want to help you find some rest in the mess so you can show up in all of your relationships with more peace and even, dare I say it… joy.  To do that, I’m going to let you in on some of our favorite moments from Circle With Sarah over the last year. Circle With Sarah is one of our Read-Aloud Revival Premium members' favorite features. It’s a private podcast, live virtual events, and biannual virtual retreats all designed to support you in the journey you’ve chosen as a mom. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Shifting your focus to how far you’ve come from how far you have left to goA simple exercise for getting to the root of worry and learning to trust that what we do is enough Tips for reframing interruptions, prioritizing rest and connection Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/finding-rest-in-the-mess

Here at the Read-Aloud Revival, we’ve been asked more times than I can count to create virtue-based book lists. And I always say no. Today, our Creative Director (and my eldest daughter) Audrey is back with me to talk about why we don’t make lists of books that specifically set out to teach kids about kindness, honesty, or other virtues.  The reality is, all good books have a powerful capacity to inspire us towards virtue, and the ones that are the most effective are the ones that don’t set out to teach. They just set out to tell a good story. Good stories, by their nature, form us in virtue. We’re going to talk about what makes a story formational, and of course, share some of our favorite books that have been formative in our family. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Why learning virtue doesn’t need a lesson plan or bullet points, and can even be delightfulHow stories invite us into the experiences of others, with all their human strengths and weaknessesThe guiding question behind every book recommendation we make at RAR Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/books-forming-virtue

When you think about the various work that goes into making a children’s book, research probably isn’t at the top of your list.  It might not make it on your list at all! But research is often an essential part of the process. And I can tell you from personal experience that research can be a time-intensive, sometimes overwhelming, but often the most delightful task.  Today on the show, we’re hearing from some incredible authors and illustrators about the research that goes into children’s books. Whether you’re an aspiring author or a curious reader, you’re in for some surprises. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Two big reasons why authors do research, whether they’re writing a biography, historical fiction, or even fantasy!How every research question can be a doorway, from talking with subject matter experts to primary sources to searching your own heart and mindThe challenges and opportunities in having too little or too much information available about a person or topic Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/sparking-creativity-with-research

When I mention Shakespeare, a lot of people immediately conjure up visions of high school English class, struggling through Julius Caesar line by line. Which is an absolute shame, because Shakespeare’s plays are meant to be experienced–performed, seen, heard, felt.  And experiencing Shakespeare with your kids is truly one of the most joyful things you can do together. Today, I’m returning to my conversation with one of my favorite Shakespeare lovers, Ken Ludwig. Ken is the author of How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare and one of our most celebrated, widely-performed playwrights. His plays are performed every single night of the year, and his enthusiasm for Shakespeare is utterly contagious and in this episode, we not only nerd out about our favorite plays, but share how to make teaching Shakespeare a true delight for you and your children. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Easy tips for breaking down passages for young kids to make them fun and memorableWhy Shakespeare is the best way to introduce children to complex, inventive, and beautiful language  How Shakespeare’s work informs all of the English literature (and plays and TV and movies!) that followed it Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/joy-of-shakespeare

How do we homeschool high school? It’s *the* question, isn’t it? A lot of us go into homeschooling ready and excited for the younger years. Then as high school approaches, things start to feel… a little more complicated. To say the least. Navigating difficult subjects, transcripts, college applications, and alternatives to college if that isn’t a good fit for your child can be intimidating. It’s no wonder that homeschooling high school is one of the most-asked topics here at RAR. As many of you know, I have three kids who I homeschooled through high school who are now in college and beyond. My guest today is also an experienced homeschool mom who’s had two of her six children graduate high school and move on to college.  Rachel Kovac is a speaker, educator, and the author of the new book, Their Future is Shining Bright: A Guide to Homeschooling High School. I invited her to talk with me about the nitty gritty details of getting your kids through high school, as well as to share some big-picture encouragement as you face the challenges of the high school years. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Why the high school years feel so intimidating and what you can do to support a growth mindset for your teenHow your role shifts as your kids enter high school (and why it’s something to look forward to!)Balancing doing less in your homeschool with keeping doors and paths open for your kids Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/rachel-kovac

One of the very best ways to travel with your children is through books. Physically travelling as a family isn’t always possible for a variety of reasons, but by reading with our kids, we give them the gift of windows into unfamiliar worlds. Stories develop empathy and invite us to engage with another’s experiences in ways that can even go deeper than visiting a place in real life.  Today, RAR’s Creative Director (and my eldest daughter) Audrey is with me to talk about the power of books to take us places, even when we’re not able to go far from home ourselves.  In this episode, you’ll hear:  How stories help us engage with creativity, community, and our CreatorHow books can give us deeper connections to the places we do travelHow reading–and especially reading aloud!–cultivates curiosity and wonder Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/books-take-us-places

What would happen if you decided to be your child's mentor rather than their teacher?  What if you awakened their wonder and curiosity so that they became the kind of people who thirst for knowledge and understanding? Today, I’m revisiting a conversation about those very questions that I had a few years ago with Sally Clarkson. I’m lucky to count Sally as a dear friend and I know that her work has been transformational for me and for so many of you. In this episode, Sally shares how we can inspire our kids to become lifelong readers and learners right in our own homes. In this episode, you’ll hear:  How to make your homeschool a place of resources for your unique childrenWhat is different about being your child’s mentor, rather than their teacherWhy modeling curiosity and excitement about learning in your homeschool matters more than any curriculum Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/becoming-your-childs-mentor

What is your calling in life?  For poet, songwriter, and academic, Malcolm Guite, it’s unequivocally clear–to be a storyteller.  Today on the podcast Audrey and I chat with Malcolm about the first volume in his new retelling of the classic King Arthur stories, Galahad and the Grail, illustrated by the incredible Stephen Crotts and published by our friends over at Rabbit Room Press.  Not only is Malcolm adapting the legends of King Arthur, he’s doing it in poetic ballad form, which means they are basically designed to be read aloud.  In our conversation, he tells us about the epic journey he and his publisher and illustrator undertook to visit sites connected to the Arthurian legends, how a childhood surrounded by books and stories led him to his lifelong love and study of literature and poetry, and the impact his own mother had on his journey to becoming a poet and storyteller.  In this episode, you’ll hear:  Why Malcolm chose to write this story in ballad form How woodland walks inspire Malcolm’s writing and why he knew it was time to “take up the tale”What elements and parallels of Biblical stories Malcolm wanted to restore that have often been left out of modern Arthurian retellingsLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/malcolm-guite

Learning to read can be hard. And when our kids are still learning to read fluently and well, helping them fall in love with books can feel impossible. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Today on the show, I’m sharing some strategies to help hook your developing reader. And of course, I have some suggestions for books that they won’t be able to resist. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Why helping your kids fall in love with story is the the key to helping them fall in love with reading The way short, frequent phonics and reading sessions propel budding readers toward fluency and easeHow to become a book-matchmaker for your child  Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/child-resists-reading

We all want to build those meaningful and lasting connections with our kids.  Around here, we’re usually talking about doing that through books and reading aloud. But how do we extend these connections into our everyday, ordinary parenting moments?   Today, I’m talking to one of my favorite people to listen to when it comes to relationships. Dr Matthew Breuninger is a clinical psychologist and author of Finding Freedom in Christ: Healing Life’s Hurts and in this episode he shares how safe, secure attachment forms the foundation of close relationships with our kids and how to repair them when we inevitably mess up.  He also unpacks the very common tendency a lot of us have to view our children’s behavior as a reflection on us, and offers a beautiful reminder of where our deepest identity as parents comes from (spoiler alert: it’s not your performance. ❤️) In this episode, you’ll hear:  What foundational perspective parents can offer to shape our kids relationships with us and othersWhy ruptures are inevitable in all our relationships, and how we can approach repairHow our kids become mirrors for the wounds and self-protection strategies we need to work on in ourselves Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/connecting-with-your-kids/