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
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Best of RAR: The Point is the Doing (Not Getting it 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 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
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RAR #238: How Books Make Us Better, Happier 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: 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
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Best of RAR: What to Do When Reading Becomes a Slog

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
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RAR #237: How Fairy Tales Re-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: 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
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Best of RAR: No More Bookish 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: 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
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Best of RAR: Your New Favorite Tradition - 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: 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

RAR #236: It’s Time for Christmas School

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
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RAR #235: How to Give Feedback on Your Child’s Creative Writing (Even If You Aren’t a Writer!)

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: How Millie’s homeschool experience informed her writing, and vice versaWhy it was so important that Millie’s parents took her professional writing aspirations seriouslyWhy Millie encourages young writers to choose quantity over quality in their projectsLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/advice-for-young-writers
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RAR #234: Encouraging Creativity: Insights and Inspiration from Author Millie Florence

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: Dispelling myths about dyslexia as a learning disability or sign of low intelligenceSigns and signals to look out for beyond difficulties with readingHow homeschooling can provide better support for dyslexic kids than traditional schoolsLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/is-my-child-dyslexic/
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Best of RAR: 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: What gave Audrey the solid foundations for writing as an English majorAudrey’s advice for high school students and college freshmenWhat parents can do to help their children build a strong sense of faithLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/questions-for-homeschooling-graduate
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RAR #233: Audrey is Back, and She’s Answering Your Questions!

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 questionWhy we have to remember that our kids are not recipesWhat’s at the heart of good educationLearn more about Sarah Mackenzie:Read Aloud RevivalWaxwing BooksSubscribe to the NewsletterFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/doing-enough-homeschooling
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RAR #232: How to Know If You’re Doing Enough

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 distractionThree strategies for handling fussy, grabby toddlers in your homeschoolPractical tips for doing less in your homeschoolFind the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/homeschooling-with-babies
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RAR #231: Homeschooling with Babies and Toddlers

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 timeSigns your child might be dyslexic and recommended resources for working with a dyslexic brainHow to help your advanced reader develop discernment in their book choicesFind the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/differently-wired-kids/
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RAR #230: Helping Your Differently Wired Kids Fall in Love with Reading

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2023-2024 Academic Year Premium Preview

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 directionsHow I used the spiral notebooks in our homeschoolThe modified system that we use in our homeschool nowFind the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/spiral-notebooks-for-homeschool 
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RAR #229: How a 25¢ Spiral Notebook Can Change Your Homeschool

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 readHow 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/
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RAR #228: Reading for Fun is More Important Than You Think

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 dreamAbout Jeanne’s character-driven writing process and why she always envisioned the Penderwicks as a seriesWhere Jeanne gets her inspiration Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/penderwicks-book-club/
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Best of RAR: Penderwicks Fans Rejoice!

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 insteadStrategies for handling books you’d rather your kids didn’t check out of the libraryHow to encourage older, dyslexic kids in readingFind the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/teaching-writing/
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Hey Sarah! When (and how) do I…teach writing, take my kids to the library, require a teen to read?

Full show notes can be found here: You Don't Need to Make the Most of Your SummerGet RAR Premium HERE&gt;&gt;
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