Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.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:  Why “Am I doing enough?” is an incomplete question Why we have to remember that our kids are not recipes What’s at the heart of good education Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud Revival Waxwing Books Subscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/doing-enough-homeschooling

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.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: Why your babies and toddlers are not a distraction Three strategies for handling fussy, grabby toddlers in your homeschool Practical tips for doing less in your homeschool Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/homeschooling-with-babies

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.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:  Three practical strategies for helping struggling readers: read-alouds, phonics, and time Signs your child might be dyslexic and recommended resources for working with a dyslexic brain How to help your advanced reader develop discernment in their book choices Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/differently-wired-kids/

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books. Watch the RAR Premium Preview on video (so you can see everything we show you on screen) Get RAR Premium Learn more about the Circle with Sarah Retreat

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.During my hardest year of homeschooling, I had a 12, 10, 8, and 1 year old, and twin newborns. Life was… a little chaotic.One week, a friend of mine who had homeschooled all three of her kids asked, “So how's homeschooling going?”And naturally, I burst into tears. I’m not sure she saw that coming. But then, maybe she did. Anyway, she asked me how I was keeping the kids on track for their schoolwork and how much they could do when I wasn’t able to lead them, and when I looked at her with a blank stare, she said, “Okay, I’m going to come over tomorrow and I’ll bring some spiral notebooks.”So, I cleared a path to the door and she came and she showed me how a 25 cent notebook could completely change our homeschool for the better.Today, we're going to talk about those spiral notebooks-- the one simple tool that has had the biggest impact on my homeschooling life.In this episode, you’ll hear:  How the spiral notebook system combats overwhelm when you’re being pulled in too many directions How I used the spiral notebooks in our homeschool The modified system that we use in our homeschool now Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/spiral-notebooks-for-homeschool 

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.Imagine that your child is grown up, and his or her reading life looks a lot like yours does right now.How do you feel about that? Is your reading life something you want your kids to emulate when they’re adults? What if we built for ourselves the kind of reading life that we’d be delighted for our own kids to imitate? Novelist Katherine Paterson once wrote that “a fondness for books is catching.”I think she’s right. It’s much easier to be drawn into a reading life when the people around you also have a rich reading life.And if you’re someone who wants to raise kids who love to read - that’s probably why you’re here, right? Modeling our own rich reading life is an incredibly important strategy in making that a reality.Which means that reading – not just to your kids, not just for your kids, not just about how to be a better mother to your kids – but reading for the sheer joy of reading, is one of your most important jobs as a mother.And regardless of what your reading life looks like today, it’s OK. Keep listening. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Why modeling your own enjoyment of reading is such an important piece of raising kids who love to read How reading reduces stress, makes us happier, improves focus and more! How to overcome the hurdles and read more (in fact we have a printable for that!) Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/mom-reading-life/

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.Today, in this Best Of Read Aloud Revival episode, we’re revisiting a conversation about a series I absolutely adore: The Penderwicks, by Jeanne Birdsall.The Penderwicks follows the escapades of four spirited sisters, Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty. The books are a modern nod to Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, and they’ve won tons of awards including the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, several ALA Notable Children’s Book Awards, and the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award.Since recording this interview for RAR episode 100, Jeanne unknowingly planted the seed for my own book, A Little More Beautiful, the Story of a Garden when I visited her and her Northampton, Massachusetts, home. So now, of course, we like to call A Little More Beautiful “our book.”The first book in the Penderwicks series, The Penderwicks, A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy is our RAR Premium Family Book Club pick for this summer.That means we’ve got a full Family Book Club Guide with all the trimmings available now for members AND if you and your kids sign up for RAR Premium, they will have a chance to meet Jeanne Birdsall live on Zoom on August 25th.In this episode, you’ll hear:  How Jeanne got her start writing in her 40s and why it’s never too late to follow a dream About Jeanne’s character-driven writing process and why she always envisioned the Penderwicks as a series Where Jeanne gets her inspiration  Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/penderwicks-book-club/

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.In this episode, I’m answering more of your questions.You’ve sent in some fabulous messages and I’m going to tackle them rapid-fire for you and answer as many as possible today. Today I’m sharing about when to use Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) or teach composition, when and how to start using the library, and what to do when a teenager doesn’t enjoy reading.In this episode, you’ll hear:  Why you don’t need to rush your kids into composition, and what I do instead Strategies for handling books you’d rather your kids didn’t check out of the library How to encourage older, dyslexic kids in reading Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/teaching-writing/

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.Full show notes can be found here: You Don't Need to Make the Most of Your SummerGet RAR Premium HERE>>

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.In today’s episode, I’m answering your questions!Listeners have sent in some fabulous questions for me, and I’m going to attempt to tackle them rapid-fire, including about where I get my favorite art prints, what to do with late-night readers, what to do if you don’t feel like you read aloud well, and more.In this episode, you’ll hear:  My favorite places to find bookish art What I do if my kids stay up too late reading How I handle assigned reading in my homeschool Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/late-night-readers/

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.Two weeks ago I shared the first 5 of 10 mistakes I’ve made in my homeschool -- believe me, I’ve made many, many more than that! But I’m highlighting 10 that stick out most prominently to me.So in the last “Best of Read-Aloud Revival” episode, I shared the first 5 and today I’m sharing the next 5. Hopefully, hearing these will keep you from making the mistakes I have. Homeschooling is a joy and a gift and it’s hard and wonderful and messy and effective -- it’s all of those things at once. I can promise you won’t get it perfect, and I can also promise that you don’t NEED to get it perfect. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Two big mistakes new homeschool parents often make Why you have to avoid the comparison trap in your homeschool Why more isn’t better when it comes to your homeschool One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in my years of homeschooling Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/5-more-homeschool-mistakes/

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.I’ve been homeschooling for a long time, and just like every other homeschooling mom I know, I’ve made a ton of mistakes. When I was new to homeschooling, I craved the insight of people who had been doing it for a while: What do you wish you did more of? What do you wish you worried less about? What would you do differently if you were starting over again?These are the kinds of things I wanted to know.At the time I’m airing this particular show, I have two college students who were homeschooled the whole way through. Our third child is about to graduate this spring and will also head to University. And then we’ve got three more -- ages 11, 9, and 9. And yeah… we’re doing things a little differently this time around. A couple of years ago I shared on this podcast some of my mistakes in homeschooling-- and they all remain true. So, it seemed like a good idea to talk about those mistakes again. Over this episode and the next one, I’ll be sharing 10 mistakes I’ve made in my homeschool -- five in this episode, and five in the next. If you heard these a few years ago when I first aired them, you might have a new take -- after all, you’re new in a new season of life than you were then. And if you haven't heard, I hope you enjoy. In this episode, you’ll hear:  What really makes a difference in the quality of your homeschool (hint: it’s not agonizing over which curriculum to use) What I wish I’d known then that keeps overwhelm at bay now Why it’s okay for your homeschool to be ordinary Find the rest of the show notes at:  https://readaloudrevival.com/5-homeschooling-mistakes/

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.Why do we make things mean more than they actually mean?We all do it. We realize a kid doesn’t know how to tie their shoes at age 12, and we tell ourselves we’re forgetting to teach SO MANY IMPORTANT THINGS. We feed our kids frozen pizza for dinner twice in a week and think it means we don’t care about their health. We sleep late and tell ourselves we’re lazy. We have a late reader and think it means we’re not good at this “teaching reading” thing. We make things mean what they don’t mean ALL THE TIME.And today? Today we’re gonna talk about it.I’m sharing something we’ve been talking about in Circle with Sarah, which is our homeschool coaching program in RAR Premium. Recently I did a couple of episodes on why we need to keep data in its place in our homeschool and not make things mean what they don’t mean. I wanted you to hear it, so I’m sharing those two episodes in one RAR Podcast for you here. In this episode, you’ll hear:  Why you have to learn to separate the data from your self-worth and value  How to make use of what the data is actually telling you Journal prompts to help you suss out what the data is telling you and what you’re making it mean Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud Revival Waxwing Books Subscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/its-just-data/

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.Today, I’m sharing a conversation with my friend and colleague, Cindy West.Cindy teaches at No Sweat Nature Study, a homeschool nature study program that takes the guesswork out of nature study by teaching your kids directly. Cindy is also the host of the No Sweat Nature Study podcast, which features short episodes about nature. (My kids absolutely love it!)Cindy and I recently had a conversation for her community about how to use picture books to teach nature study and today, I wanted to share it with you.Because nature study kind of has a name for itself in the homeschooling world. We've sort of built it up as the supreme science activity and it can be wonderful - getting out in nature, observing and learning about the world around us …But we also tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves about it. There are just times in life when getting out in nature is harder than others – maybe you have a new baby, maybe someone has allergies, maybe the weather is just plain terrible. There are plenty of reasons why you might need or want to do some of your nature study from the couch or the kitchen table.And that’s why on today’s episode of the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast, Cindy and I are talking about teaching nature study through books.In this episode, you’ll hear:  How “living literature” helps you kids make connections between books and the world around them How making connections through picture books can relieve some of the pressure around nature study Why picture book biographies are great launching points for all ages Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/cozy-couch-nature-study/

I have a theory that if I were to ask a hundred of today’s children’s book authors and illustrators to name a book that had a profound impact on them, I bet an unusually large number of those authors and illustrators would mention the work of E.B. White.I cannot count the number of times I’ve heard authors say that E.B. White’s books have made such a huge difference in their lives and writing.I’m a big E.B. White fan myself, and while I love Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, my absolute favorite is The Trumpet of the Swan.And that’s what we’re reading this spring in RAR Premium for our Family Book Club. Plus, we’re going to look closely at first-lines (E.B. White was a master of this) for a WOW: Writer’s on Writing Event.It’s going to be quite the fabulous E.B. White spring here at RAR!  So today, we’re revisiting an episode from 2017 with children’s book illustrator Melissa Sweet discussing her children’s biography of E.B. White, called Some Writer.In this episode, you’ll hear:  How each story informs Melissa’s process of creating mixed media illustrations How a family of crafters and makers inspired Melissa to become an artist How Melissa’s research into E.B. White’s work led to the visuals for Some Writer  Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud Revival Waxwing Books Subscribe to the Newsletter Mentioned in This Episode:RAR #202: For Kids Who Don't Like Sad StoriesBooks Mentioned in This Episode:Charlotte’s WebStuart Little The Trumpet of the SwanSome WriterA Boy, A Mouse, and a SpiderThe Baby Bear SeriesThe Pinky and Rex SeriesThe Boy Who Drew BirdsBrave GirlBalloons Over BroadwayA Splash of RedYou Nest Here with MeThe Right WordA River of Words

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.Every year, the Read-Aloud Revival team watches the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards together. This is the award show where the medals that are considered the most prestigious in children’s publishing are given.Today I’m joined by Kortney Garrison, our Community Director, Kara Anderson, our Creative Director, and Harmony Harkema, or brand new Managing Editor at both Read-Aloud Revival and Waxwing Books.We are going to talk about the winners that were announced on January 30, 2023. We’ll talk about the books we were delighted to see honored, as well as some books that we think should have been honored. And you know we have opinions about that. ;)In this episode, you’ll hear:  The impact the awards can have for authors and illustrators The announcements that made us cheer The book gems that didn’t make the list and why we love them Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud Revival Waxwing Books Subscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/books-that-won/

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.Oh boy, do we have a treat for you today!Our team here at Read-Aloud Revival has been hard at work on a brand new booklist for you and I’ve invited Kortney Garrison and Kara Anderson from the RAR team back to this side of the podcast to tell you all about it.Nature study can be an intimidating subject that carries a lot of expectations in the homeschooling world. It’s something we want to do, but it can get pushed to the side because we don’t always have the energy to tramp around the woods with a watercolor set.So this project started with our team asking, how can we simplify nature study and make it more likely to happen? Could it really be as simple as reading a book and doing an activity?We think so! And that’s where our brand new booklist and activity guide comes in.In this episode, you’ll hear:  Why we chose 12 books per season, and why you don’t have to read them all How we paired books and activities to make them as accessible as we could How the guide brings know, do, and love to nature study Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie: Read Aloud Revival Waxwing Books Subscribe to the Newsletter Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/simple-homeschool-nature-study/

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.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 Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/when-your-child-doesnt-finish-books/

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.Full show notes are here.

Order While Everyone is Sleeping from Waxwing Books.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 kids but 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 the concept is so needed for homeschool parents How doing less, but better can help us set priorities in our homeschools and avoid decision fatigue How comparing your kids’ progress to the baseline, not the ideal, can give you a better perspective on your successes Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/essentialism-for-homeschoolers/