Read-Aloud Revival ‪®‬ Sarah Mackenzie

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: 
Some of my all-time FAVORITE pieces of wisdom from our guestsHow the RAR team developed a few of our best resources for homeschoolersEssential advice for teaching from rest
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: 
The power of stories to meet people where they are and touch their heartsWhy Max Lucado wanted to write a book about lonelinessHow reading with your kids builds their sense of comfort and safety
Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:
Read-Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the newsletterFind 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:
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 exhausted
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: 
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 kids
Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:
Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind 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: 
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 done
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: 
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 outcomes
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