Read-Aloud Revival: Recent Episodes
ThriveCast
Join us for RAR’s Summer Adventure. 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...
Join us for RAR’s Summer Adventure. 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...
Join us for RAR’s Summer Adventure. 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...
Join us for RAR’s Summer Adventure. 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...
Join us for RAR’s Summer Adventure. 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...
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...
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...
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...
We all want to build those meaningful and lasting connections with our kids. Around here, weâre usually talking about doing that through books and reading aloud. But how do we extend these connections into our everyday, ordinary parenting moments?  Today, Iâm talking to one of my favorite people to listen to when it comes...
Today, weâre revisiting a listener-favorite episode that has some advice and an activity that I think are perfect for this time of year in our homeschools. Jon Acuff, author of All It Takes Is a Goal, joined me a while back for a perspective-shifting conversation about setting and achieving goals for our homeschools, and how...
Astrid Sheckels continues the wit and whimsy of childhood through her marvelous and magnificent illustrations and storytelling. You might recognize her from the Hector Fox and Friends series or Sea Dog and Sea Dog Rescue, and she created the gorgeous cover and interior illustrations for Beyond Mulberry Glen by Millie Florence. Today weâre chatting about...
Peace. It sounds lovely, right? Itâs what so many of us want more than anything else in our homeschools. We long for peace, even if it often feels unattainable. But what does peace actually look like in the midst of a real, chaotic homeschool day? Last month in Circle with Sarahâmy mentoring program for homeschool...
What does having a happy homeschool mean to you? How would you describe it? What would you be doing? Our homeschools are all unique. We have different kids, different spouses, different resources, different homes, different demands on our time and energy. And yet I have a hunch that when we think about what having a...
Today, I have a very special treat for you! This spring, our publishing imprint here at RAR, Waxwing Books, celebrated the release of Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien at one of my favorite bookstores, Fabled Bookshop in Waco, Texas. I had so much fun talking...
One of the all-time most useful things Iâve implemented in my homeschool is Quiet Reading Time. I did Quiet Reading Time with my three eldest kids, who are now in college and beyond, during the most hectic years when I had all six at home (three of whom were babies at the time!), and I...
Summer break . . . Itâs often not much of a break, right? Even if you find yourself with a little less on your plate, anxiety and second-guessing have a way of filling the gaps where we want rest and relaxation to fill. To find peace that lasts throughout the school year, we canât just...
Have you ever read a book and thought, âWow, how did the author do that?!â Or maybe youâd love to sit down with your favorite author and pick their brain about their writing process or tips and tricks for when you get stuck. Today, the Read-Aloud Revival team has compiled some of our favorite advice...
Join us for Shakespeare Summer! If youâve been around the Read-Aloud Revival for a minute, you might know that C. S. Lewisâs The Screwtape Letters is one of my all-time favorite books. Itâs the book I have read and re-read the most, and itâs also the source of some of my favorite read-aloud memories with...
Join us for Shakespeare Summer! On the last episode of the Read-Aloud Revival, we talked about why Shakespeare is not a school subject. I hope we were able to convince you! But if we know that Shakespeare isnât a school subject or an item on a checklist, how do we actually do it? And how...
Join us for Shakespeare Summer! When most of us hear the name âShakespeare,â we probably think back to a high school classroom, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, while we struggled through Romeo and Juliet line by lineââwherefore art thouâ and all that. But hereâs the truth: Shakespeare was never meant to be dissected like a frog...
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 Iâve 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. Itâs something we want to do, but it can get pushed to the side because we donât 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 thatâs where our brand new booklist and activity guide comes in.
In this episode, youâll hear:
- Why we chose 12 books per season, and why you donât 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
Mentioned in This Episode:
- Get the Nature Study Booklist and Activity Guide
- RAR #220: Essentialism for Homeschoolers
- RAR #177: Teach Your Kids to Think Like a Scientist (with Books You Already Have)
- RAR #62: Inspiring a Love of Nature Through Books, Greta Eskridge
What do you do if you notice that your child isnât 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 childâs emotional intelligence and reading comprehension while reading?
Today, Iâm answering listenersâ questions about their kidsâ reading habits, from bouncing from book to book to getting stuck in a genre rut, and more.
In this episode, youâll hear:
- Is it okay if your child is reading from rather than through?
- How can we expand our childâs 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
Mentioned in This Episode:
- RAR #215: Whimsy and the Power of Childhood Reading
- RAR #141: Why Re-Reading is Possibly the Best Reading
- Homeschooling for College by Design - Heather Woodie
I want to help you think about whatâs most essential in your homeschool.
Iâve 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 kidsbut 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, youâll 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 kidsâ progress to the baseline, not the ideal, can give you a better perspective on your successes
Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:
- Read Aloud Revival
- Waxwing Books
- Subscribe to the Newsletter
Mentioned in This Episode:
- Great Homeschooling Conventions Use the code READALOUD23 for $10 off a registration at any location
- RAR#209: What Worked? What Didn't? Looking Back on Homeschooling with my 20-Year-Old Daughter
The Long Winter is the sixth book in the Little House on the Prairie series. It was first published in 1940, and is an autobiographical novel. Laura Ingalls Wilder based the series on her actual life as a child, settling the west. This particular story, The Long Winter, was set in the southwestern Dakota Territory during the severe winter of 1880-1881 when Laura was 14 years old.
Even if you havenât read the rest of the Little House books, I think you want to read this one. You can read any of the Little House books as stand-alones, but Iâm betting that if you give your kids a taste of any of them, theyâll want to keep reading more stories from Laura.
And truly, itâs no wonder why. Laura Ingalls Wilder is, to my mind, unparalleled as one of the finest novelists in childrenâs literature, ever alive.
In this episode, youâll hear:
- How Ingalls Wilder creates an immersive experience with deceptively simple writing
- Why re-reading can be the best kind of reading, for us and for our kids
- How to handle troubling or problematic content in books with your kids, and why I believe we need to have those discussions
But there is an elephant in the room with the Little House on the Prairie books and we need to talk about it.
Today, weâre talking about what makes The Long Winter so gripping and so beloved, as well as how we handle problematic texts with our kids and why I believe that scenes and language we may find troubling arenât reasons to leave great books on the shelf.
Find the rest of the show notes at: https://readaloudrevival.com/219/
In this bonus episode, you'll hear:
- How Sarah's Jolabokaflod really went
- Can we actually fall in love with the homeschooling lives we already have?
- All-new for 2023 -- Circle with Sarah: RAR Premium Homeschool Coaching
For the full show notes, head here.
What if I told you that thereâs an Icelandic Christmas tradition where you spend an entire day (or evening) reading books and sipping hot cocoa? And itâs what youâre SUPPOSED to be doing.
Yes, this is a real thing!
Itâs called Jolabokaflod, and in this episode, youâll hear:
- Where the tradition came from
- 3 super-simple steps to your own Jolabokaflod
- How other mamas just like you have made the tradition their own
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 didnât get your attention before, Iâve got it now.
Today, Iâm talking about when and how this tradition started, and how your family can make Jolabokaflod part of your Christmas traditions.
Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/218/.
By now, most of us are knee deep in our homeschool year.
And no matter how far into your year you are, and no matter whatâs happened that you either did, or didnât, expect to happen, Iâm willing to bet that something funny has happened: Youâre carrying around a lot of pinecones.
What on earth do I mean by that?
In this episode, youâll hear:
- All the ways we end up with a metaphorical 56-pound backpack of homeschool curriculum
- What are these pinecones (and why do I keep picking them up?)
- How to decide which homeschool curriculum you really need for the rest of the school year
Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/217/.
Is it really possible to teach from rest? Even if youâre teaching a lot of different ages? And even if you feel a bit underwater, pretty much every single day in your homeschool?
Letâs talk about it.
This fall in Circle with Sarah, weâre diving deep into the principles of Sarahâs first book, Teaching from Rest: A Homeschoolerâs Guide to Unshakable Peace⦠and today weâre sharing some of it with you.
So letâs get nitty gritty,
Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/216/
Every year in RAR Premium we do Christmas School. What is Christmas School? Itâs 4 weeks of Christmas-themed Family Book Clubs that offer your whole family (from preschoolers to high schoolers) a relaxed, bookish learning experience.
This yearâs Christmas School is brand new and better than ever.
Open-and-Go Christmas School for all ages
Our 2022 Christmas School Guide is open-and-go, so aside from collecting a few supplies at the top of each week, there is no prep. And yep, weâve got plans for everyone in the family, from your youngest to your teens!
Last week, we revealed the books weâre featuring for this yearâs Christmas School, and revealed the rest of the Winter Lineup at RAR premium, too. Over 1,100 of you joined us live on Zoomâ so fun! ð¥³Â
Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/october-preview/.
Chances are good that youâre already familiar with the picture book sensation turned childhood classic, Bear Snores On.
But do you know the woman who wrote it?
Karma Wilson has come up with some of her best ideas while eating ice cream or visiting the zoo. She was saved as a child, in a way, by C.S. Lewisâs Narnia.
And⦠she homeschooled her own kids for many years as a way to ensure that they would love reading as much as she felt they deserved to love it.
Find the rest of the show notes here http://readaloudrevival.com/215
Have you ever asked yourself, âAm I doing enough?â
I think weâve all asked that question.
If youâre homeschooling your kids, you might ask it every single day. It might even wake you up at night and feel like an elephant sitting on your chest. ð
Today, weâre going to talk about it.
Find the rest of the show notes here http://readaloudrevival.com/214
Itâs Victorian London in the late 1800âs⦠and itâs been five years since the Sweep disappeared.
Orphaned and alone, Nan Sparrow has no other choice but to work for a ruthless chimney sweep named Wilkie Crudd. She spends her days doing dangerous workâsweeping out chimneys.
The job is thankless, but with her wits and will, Nan has managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again.
This time, though, she gets stuck in a chimney fire.
She wakes to find herself unharmed in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creatureâa golemâmade from soot and ash.
The golem weâll come to know as Charlie. Heâs large and lovable, and Nan, our heroine, will raise him almost like her own child. He is, after all, her protector.
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
This book, written by Jonathan Auxier, won the 2019 Sydney Taylor Book Award. And it has won a place in my all-time tippy top favorite books. Itâs a Charles-Dickens-like adventure about the everlasting gifts of friendship and wonder.
In this episode, I want to introduce you to the book⦠and to the man who wrote it.
Find the rest of the shownotes at https://readaloudrevival.com/213/.
Have you ever REALLY worried about one of your kids?
What should you do if you don’t feel like you read aloud well?
What’s the point of poetry memorization?
What would you tell a mom who is confused about all the different homeschooling philosophies and methods?
How do I know that I’m doing enough?
What about homeschooling high school?
These are all questions you might have…
I’ve had them too.
Andrew Pudewa and I answered questions just like these at all five Great Homeschool Conventions in 2022. Today on the podcast, we’re sharing a recording of that session with you.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- Why the right homeschool philosophy is the one that works for you and your kids
- How poetry memorization expands active vocabulary
- Why showing up with what you have is enough
- But what about homeschooling high school???
🎧 Click here to listen to this episode on your favorite podcast player.
📄 Click here to read the transcript.
You’re not alone.
That’s what I most want you to know after listening to this podcast episode.
This past year I had the privilege of speaking alongside Andrew Pudewa from the Institute for Excellence in Writing at all 5 Great Homeschool Conventions throughout the US.
We decided to pitch each other some of the best questions we’ve ever gotten about books, reading aloud, homeschooling, homeschooling high school– it’s all in here.
Since it’s the start of a new school year for many of us, we thought it would be a great time to share our session here on the podcast to give you a little boost of encouragement.
You’re not alone. There are a lot of us starting a new school year alongside you, and we’re all pretty much jumping in unprepared because…well, that’s how homeschooling works.
Books and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Institute for Excellence in Writing
- Nurturing Competent Communicators [Andrew Pudewa]
- Common Sense Media: Age-Based Media Reviews for Families
- Redeemed Reader
- Great Homeschool Conventions
Nothing Found
Ask Sarah a question Listen to more RAR episodes Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie
Last time on the Read-Aloud Revival, I told you about the inspiration for the creation of Waxwing Books and our first book, A Little More Beautiful: The Story of a Garden.
In this episode, I’ll take you on the rest of the adventure, from connecting with illustrator Breezy Brookshire to bringing on editor Michael Green, and finding art director Cara Llewellyn.
I’ll tell you all about the process of getting the book illustrated, edited, and finally, almost on its way to you.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- How Breezy honed her craft and found her voice as a self-taught illustrator
- Why Michael’s experience and approach to editing made him my dream editor
- How Cara’s work as the art director shaped the book you’ll have in your hands
- The elements we added to make the book feel even more special
🎧 Click here to listen to this episode on your favorite podcast player.
📄 Click here to read the transcript.
Pre-orders Available Now!
Pre-orders have officially launched 🥳 and you can guarantee your copy in the first print run of A Little More Beautiful: The Story of a Garden on Kickstarter.
Do it by September 1st, and you’ll get some Kickstarter exclusive bonuses, including a beautiful new book bag, prints by the illustrator, and more.
Get your copy of A Little More Beautiful
Books and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Breezy Brookshire
- GreenHouse Editorial
- Cara Llewellyn
- Miss Rumphius: Story and Pictures, Barbara Cooney
Nothing Found
Ask Sarah a question Listen to more RAR episodes Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie
It’s time! It’s time! It’s time! 🥳
We are SO excited toopen pre-orders for our first release at Waxwing Books.
It’s a story about seeing and being seen for readers who loveMiss Rumphiusby Barbara Cooney orThe Libraryby Sarah Stewart and David Small.
Every book comes with an audiobook, narrated by me and including those page turn cues that we used to love in our books on tape. (Remember those?)
Oh! And book bags. And such. 😍
Head here to check out the Kickstarter and to guarantee your own copy of A Little More Beautiful: The Story of a Garden in the first print run.
By the way, Kickstarter will give us a lot more publicity love if we have a surge of backers in the first few hours of the campaign.
Can you help us spread the word by sharing the Kickstarter with someone you love, or to your Facebook/Instagram? (Please andthank you!! 🥰)
PRE-ORDER THE BOOK ON KICKSTARTER Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie
Way back in August 2018, I was fortunate to spend a morning with the author of The Penderwicks, Jeanne Birdsall. It was a glorious morning, truly, and something surprising came of it. A little idea popped into my head, and it just sort of… rooted itself.
Actually… the idea that popped into my head didn’t just stay an idea.
It became something much bigger resulting in our biggest, newest project here at Read-aloud Revival: we’re launching a boutique publishing house.
Today, I’m telling you all about it.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- How Jeanne Birdsall’s gardening and life philosophy inspired A Little More Beautiful
- What Kate DiCamillo said to me casually that really stuck with me
- Why we’ve started Waxwing Books, our own boutique children’s publishing house
🎧 Click here to listen to this episode on your favorite podcast player.
📄 Read the transcript
Reading Aloud: A Parenting Power Move
If you’ve been around here long, you already know that reading aloud is a parenting power move. There’s no single better way to set our kids up for academic success while also forming warm, rich relationships with them, and helping them grow in both empathy and fortitude.
When we read a story, we’re rooting for the same heroes, fearing the same villains, crying, laughing, and seeing the world with fresh eyes together.
Here at Read-Aloud Revival, I’ve spent the past 8 years diving into the best picture books I could find. I’ve interviewed some of today’s finest authors and illustrators, and have traveled all over the country meeting thousands of families with the singular aim of helping them have the best read-aloud experience possible.
I’ve maxed out my library card again and again in my effort to find the most beautiful, best-made read-alouds for you. It follows, then, doesn’t it, that we’d start making those kinds of books ourselves?
Introducing: Waxwing Books
It is my enormous pleasure to introduce you to Waxwing Books, our brand new boutique children’s publishing house. I wrote our first picture book, A Little More Beautiful: The Story of a Garden, and today I’m going to tell you all about it.
Books and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Pre-order A Little More Beautiful on Kickstarter
- Tomie dePaola
- Kate DiCamillo
- Caroline Starr Rose
- Breezy Brookshire
- GreenHouse Editorial
- Cara Llewellyn
Nothing Found
Ask Sarah a question Listen to more RAR episodes Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie
When I ask experienced homeschool parents what they wish they had done more often or focused more on, they never–not ever–say anything academic.
Nope. Reminiscing homeschool parents tell me something else entirely. And do you know what they say? Relationships. They always, always talk about something related to the relationships nurtured during their homeschooling years.
Relationships & Reading Aloud
In fact, their favorite memories very often revolve around the memories they made and the books they shared.
Reading aloud is not only the best tool for helping our kids academically succeed across the curriculum, it also helps them:
- Grow in empathy and compassion
- Bear witness to people overcoming obstacles, facing struggles, and pressing onward
- Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes
- Connect ideas and think more clearly about the world around them and their role in it
We know reading does all of this. That’s why we all want our kids to fall in love with books, right?
We want them to be readers.
Here’s some good news:
You are the best person to help your kids learn and grow. And home is the best place to fall in love with books.
I’m Sarah Mackenzie, a homeschooling mama of 6, author of Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace and The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids through Books.
I’m also the Publisher at Waxwing Books, a new boutique publishing imprint that makes books your kids will love to read, and that you’ll love to read aloud.
In our upcoming episodes, you’ll hear our best tips and practical ideas to help you
- Read aloud
- Discuss books with your kids
- Share experiences that will draw you closer as a family
We’ll also give behind-the-scenes peeks at the books we’re making for you at Waxwing.
It’s time to make meaningful and lasting connections with our kids. Let’s do it. Together.
Click here to listen to this episode on your favorite podcast player!
Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:
- Read-Aloud Revival
- Waxwing Books
- Subscribe to the Newsletter
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Ask Sarah a question Listen to more RAR episodes Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie
Here at Read-Aloud Revival, we’re in the thick of getting a huge project together for you. We are launching our own publishing imprint, Waxwing Books.
Our first release is a picture book, written by me, and illustrated by none other than the gorgeously talented artist, Breezy Brookshire.
It’s calledA Little More Beautiful: The Story of a Garden. August 10th is the big day. That’s the day you’ll be able to pre-order the book on Kickstarter and get some pre-order exclusives, like a brand new book bag and some other goodies.
Make sure you’re on our email list so you don’t miss it!
While we get those pre-orders ready for you, we’re revisiting some Special Edition podcasts. These are my all-time favorites.
This one is fabulous to listen to as a family, so if you happen to be road tripping together, play it in the car. Enjoy!
Meet Robert McCloskey
In today’s Special Edition of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, you’ll meet the man behind Make Way for Ducklings. Robert McCloskey was the first to win two Caldecott Awards, and his books are arguably among the most celebrated picture books of all time.
His most popular picture book wouldn’t stay on the page, either. His ducks became permanent sculptures fixed in Boston Public Garden, and even made a way for international diplomacy as part of the START Treaty between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. in 1991.
A picture book is a powerful piece of art.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- what it was like having Robert McCloskey for a Dad
- one of the hardest parts of his life as a successful artist
- what his picture books gave the world
Think you love Make Way for Ducklings? Just wait till you meet the man who wrote them onto the page.
Sal McCloskey and Paul Zelinksy at Boston Public Garden
Duckling Day Parade! (That’s Paul Zelinsky in the hat, and Sal McCloskey in the overalls)
Sarah’s daughter, Allison, paying a visit to the ducks in Boston Public Garden, June 2021
Sarah with the ducklings, June 2021
Sarah and daughter, Allison, with sculptor Nancy Schön, June 2021
Listener Guide
Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast:
02:52Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey08:01Let’s meet Robert McCloskey12:48Bob goes to New York17:14The fame was hard for him. So hard.21:40Jane McCloskey remembers her dad23:02Nancy Schön’s sculptures in Boston Public Garden30:46What was he like?32:54‘I just forgot to fill it in.’35:57The affirmation of home38:57Take a farewell look…
Links from this episode:
- The biography about Robert McCloskey by Gary D. Schmidt
- Weston Woods video about Robert McCloskey (20 min)
- Robert McCloskey: A Private Life in Words and Pictures by Jane McCloskey
- The website of Nancy Schön, sculptor
- Make Way for Nancy, by Nancy Schön
- Ducks on Parade! edited by Nancy Schön
Don't Miss these Books by Robert McCloskey: Nothing Found
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Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie
Last week, we held an RAR Premium Preview on Zoom. The Preview is our (very fun 😆) announcement of what’s coming next.
I’m so glad so many of you were able to join us!
For those who missed it, you can watch the replay or listen to it as a podcast below:
Would you rather listen?
(Yep, I get that!) Here’s the audio—you can also find it in your favorite podcast player:
So… what is RAR Premium?
Here’s the deal: if you want to help your kids fall in love with books, while also falling more in love with homeschooling, you belong at RAR Premium, Read-Aloud Revival’s one-of-a-kind online community.
What we do at RAR Premium:
- Coaching for homeschool moms (everyone’s favorite)
- Family book clubs for all ages
- WOW: Writers on Writing workshops
- Mama Book Club that helps us fall back in love with our own reading lives
Coaching for Homeschool Moms
Every month, members get to join Sarah Mackenzie for a coaching session on Zoom.
Think of it like Teaching from Rest live, every month, with Sarah by your side to help you figure out what works for your own homeschool.
This fall we’re deep-diving into Teaching from Rest, and Sarah will walk you through how Teaching from Rest can look when homeschooling:
- Grades K-3
- Grades 4-8
- High School
Each age/stage gets its own coaching session, and you’ll come away both inspired and armed with practical ways to find more joy, more peace, and less stress in your homeschool life.
(You don’t actually need to have read Teaching from Rest to benefit from these coaching sessions!)
The Coaching Library
You should also know that inside RAR Premium is a library of coaching replays, guides, and classes that will help you with various topics, from how to choose books for your kids to Sarah’s preferred methods for memorizing poetry and scripture and everything in between.
See what’s included in the library right here >>
Coaching sessions are live on the first Friday evening of each month, and replays are always available at any time for RAR Premium Members.
Get RAR Premium
Family Book Clubs
Our family book clubs are excellent for all ages—preschoolers to teens. RAR Premium members get a family book club guide that walks you through a feast of ideas:
- discussion prompts for kids of all ages
- meals or snacks related to the book
- drawing/art lessons
- nature study and/or history tie-ins
- poetry
- and more!
Each season in RAR Premium we offer book clubs for a novel and three picture books.
It’s a feast of ideas that you can use based around the book, depending on your kids’ ages and interest levels.
Fall Family Book Club Guides
Each Family Book Club (for both novels and picture books) comes with a Family Book Club Guide to help you dig into the book with your kids, notice what you might have missed on a first reading, and share an experience you (and your kids!) won’t soon forget.
We’ve lost track of how many authors/illustrators have told us that these Family Book Club Guides are the best they’ve ever seen (and they see a lot!). 🥰
Meeting the Author/Illustrator
The crowning event at RAR Premium’s Family Book Clubs are live Zooms with the author or illustrator (or sometimes both!). Your kids will get to submit questions and hear from the author or illustrator themselves.
Kids often feel as though the authors/illustrators are their friends after these events. They’re… fabulous.
What We’re Reading this Fall
These are the books we’ll be reading through the fall:
WOW: Writers on Writing
RAR WOW: Writers on Writing workshops are our writing workshops for kids taught by published authors.
This fall, Julie Berry (author of Lovely War, one of Sarah’s tippy-top favorite recommendations for teens and adults) is coming to RAR Premium to teach our 10-17 year-olds how to generate story ideas.
This isn’t just a random exercise, either—it’s really the process Julie uses when she’s coming up with a new story for a picture book, middle grade novel, or YA novel!
At WOW: Writers on Writing, your kids get to learn from the pros. We love that.
Just like all of our WOW Workshops, kids will get a WOW Guide to walk them through exercises to practice what they’ve learned, and can revisit the workshop as often as they like on replay.
Mama Book Club
Some of the best feedback we hear at Read-Aloud Revival is “not only are my kids reading all the time and loving it… so am I!”
We help you find more time for your own reading life, and fall back in love with it.
This fall we’re reading together from Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakeable Peace.
This will dovetail nicely with our Coaching with Sarah program. If you’ve ever wanted to really dive in to the idea of Teaching from Rest, RAR Premium is the place to be this fall.
Join Us!
Check out the Fall RAR Premium printable calendar, so you can see this all at a glance! And remember, everything in RAR Premium is recorded and available on replay to watch at any time.
RAR Premium works around your schedule, so you can get the most from it no matter how busy you are, or what season of parenting you’re in.
There’s no commitment, and we have a 30-day money back guarantee so you can give it a spin and see if it’s a good fit without any risk.
Get RAR Premium
Nothing Found
Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie
Here at Read-Aloud Revival, we’re in the thick of getting a huge project together for you. We are launching our own publishing imprint, Waxwing Books.
Our first release is a picture book, written by me, and illustrated by none other than the gorgeously talented artist, Breezy Brookshire.
It’s called A Little More Beautiful: The Story of a Garden. August 10th is the big day. That’s the day you’ll be able to pre-order the book on Kickstarter and get some pre-order exclusives, like a brand new book bag and some other goodies.
Make sure you’re on our email list so you don’t miss it!
While we get those pre-orders ready for you, we’re revisiting some Special Edition podcasts. These are my all-time favorites.
This one is fabulous to listen to as a family, so if you happen to be road tripping together, play it in the car.
Enjoy!
I want to introduce you to a remarkable woman.
She won two Caldecott Awards, illustrated more than 100 books during her career, raised four children, and lived life with unique zest and liveliness.
You may recognize her illustrations in any of the following books, including my own favorite, Miss Rumphius, and one of her Caldecott winners, The Ox-Cart Man.
Barbara Cooney was a gift to the world, and in this special edition podcast, I want to introduce you to the woman behind these magnificent books.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- how this mother of four managed to illustrate over 100 books
- stories about what it was like growing up with Barbara as a mother (listen in for roosters in the kitchen and mice in the car!)
- how Barbara made sure her legacy and love for books would continue after her death in 2000
Think you love Miss Rumphius? Just wait till you meet the woman who wrote her onto the page.
You’ll love these books even more after you meet the one and only Barbara Cooney.
Listener Guide
Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast:
6:19Claire Danes reads Miss Rumphius9:25Knowing beauty, sharing beauty13:03The Ox-Cart Man – ‘so exquisite’14:01 Roosters and mice16:20The Blue Hornet19:08‘An astoundingly good mother’20:58A turquoise tunic and hot pink silk pants22:40‘She opened my eyes to beauty in this world’23:48 Doing something meaningful – a new library25:36Barbara Cooney’s legacy lives on …
Links from this episode:
- What Would Miss Rumphius Do? (an article from The Atlantic about Barbara Cooney)
- The Skidompha Library in Damariscotta, Maine
- Many thanks to Weston Woods for permission to air a portion of the audio book, Miss Rumphius. You can listen to the whole thing here.
Quotes to remember:
“Barbara vowed never to talk down to children, and she achieved that. Her books respect children as full persons with a wide range of emotions and dreams and troubles. ” – Sarah Mackenzie
“I looked at it and said to her … you better think where to put the medal, because it was so exquisite. I thought, Oh my goodness, this is going to blow everything else out of the water. And it did.” – Regina Hayes, Editor at Large, Viking
“She opened my eyes to beauty in this world.” – Barnaby Porter (Barbara’s oldest son)
“Anytime you see a book with Barbara Cooney’s name on the cover, whether that be at your library, a bookstore, a used book shop, or a garage sale, snap it up. You’ll be glad you did. She was a gift to many, and she continues to be a gift to us all through the books on our children’s shelves.” – Sarah Mackenzie
Sarah’s favorite books by Barbara Cooney:
Nothing Found
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Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie
Early on, pretty much everyone in my world told me we were making a huge mistake in homeschooling.
It was weird, it was unknown to them, and of course, we are afraid of things that are weird and unknown.
I actually didn’t know anyone in my personal life who was homeschooling.
I read some blogs and books (of course!), but I just had a very strong hunch that we should do this home education thing. So we did, and I’m so glad.
I loved it – not every minute of it (ha!) – but now that my oldest kids are adults, I’m so grateful for the time I got with them during all of those growing up years.
Today, I have a treat for you. My oldest daughter, Audrey – 20 years old at the time we’re recording this, just finished her sophomore year at Franciscan University of Steubenville as an English major, and she is joining me on the show. (Audrey’s in the blue tank on the left – she’s 13 in this photo) Audrey was homeschooled her entire education.
And there were some rocky years! When Audrey was 12 – so you know, 6th grade-ish, I also had a 10-year-old, an 8-year-old, a 1 year-old, and twin newborns.
Yes. Three babies age 1 and under. It was… a lot. We’re going to talk about that, plus: * what was most helpful for Audrey’s future * did she feel “prepared,” for going away to college and becoming an adult? (you’re going to love her answer, I think!) * what she really remembers about that time with babies (💗 😭) Mama’s with newborns – you just need to hear this. 💖 * We’re also answering YOUR questions!
This is a podcast episode. Click the play button below, or scroll down to keep reading. And because much of Audrey’s homeschool education was formed by being the oldest of six, you’ll see some photos here taking you back to those experiences.
‘A few unexpected turns’ Audrey graduated from high school in 2020, which was, of course, in itself, quite the adventure.
In her own words:
“There was so much unknown about whether or not universities would even be in-person, and then throughout freshman year the constant conversation of whether or not we would be allowed to stay open was something that we all had to face. It was certainly not how I imagined the first year on my own to be, but thankfully, all was well and I was able to have an in-person experience that first year.
I attended a private Christian university in our hometown and it was, while a bit uncertain due to the state of the world at times, a wonderful first step into adulthood, but at the close of the year I was offered the opportunity to go to Austria with Franciscan University, and through prayer and discernment, really felt like that was where I was being called.
The following Fall semester I transferred to Franciscan and spent my first semester with them at their remote campus in Gaming, Austria, where I traveled to eight countries, had the honor of meeting His Holiness Pope Francis in Rome and grew so much as both an individual as well as in community with such wonderful fellow Catholic students.
It was such a difficult and bold decision to step out and do something so new, but I can confidently say that was the best decision I’ve ever made, and after a full year now with Franciscan, I just wouldn’t change a thing about this journey.
So much of this really can’t be attributed to me or any of my own courage (not quite the word most people would choose to describe me, I don’t think!) but really all of this comes back to God and His abundant grace that enabled me to make such a leap.”
Let’s jump right in. Here are Audrey’s responses. “What was most helpful for you to know heading into college?” When I’ve spoken with women at homeschooling conferences about this, I sense there being a certain urgency about what topics they should cover and what sort of content is necessary.
I think first I want to say that there are gaps in everyone’s education. There’s not a way for every student to study each aspect of science, history, literature in-depth. Some people have a greater knowledge than others on specific topics, just as we all come with different perspectives and ways of viewing things, this is natural and to be expected. That said, a couple of key things come to mind: * Knowing how to write an essay well and differences between the various types of essays – analytical versus persuasive versus research, etc. * Being able to read and engage with content, asking questions, keeping the wonder. * The heart of a learner, this really stems from faith, I think. This genuine awe and wonder about the world and a longing to taste and see the goodness of the Lord in His creation. This was really cultivated for me in prayer, of course, as well as following interests, especially through books.
A little more practically speaking: * Laundry! * How to keep spaces clean * How to manage time well – this is a big one! Outside of class, you determine the way you spend your days, and being able to do this well is so helpful. A few things you did to help me with that were making checklists of my days that allotted amounts of time for certain things, so I could get a grasp for what was doable and how much rest to carve out in between tasks. * There is certainly some learning as you go, though, I think it’s good to remember that while high school may be the end of their time under your roof, it’s merely the beginning of the rest of their lives as adults!
Ultimately, you give your kids the tools, and they do the building. You don’t have to do the building, you just have to supply the equipment.
“Was there a big learning curve entering the college scene from a homeschooling one? Or were you able to jump right in?” No, I didn’t feel like it was a big learning curve, as much as an adjustment to the next right thing.
Although I’m the oldest of six, so I do think my disposition is naturally one ready to jump into things with great amounts of determination. I also spent all of high school taking many classes from our local co-op and then my senior year of high school doing part-time dual enrollment (sometimes called a ‘running start program’) and I think this helped the adjustment of having external deadlines and teachers other than my mom.
I can’t recommend dual enrollment enough for this!
“Did you feel prepared for life? Are you comfortable living on your own? What helped you with those things the most?” I mean, are we ever really prepared?
I never expected to transfer to a university and fly across the world alone to a tiny Austrian town where I would live in a centuries-old Carthusian monastery, but when the time came to do all of those things, God’s grace was poured out in abundance.
There were so many unexpected twists and turns in even those adventures – missed trains, long days, minimal sleep, and so on.
I think perhaps the focus should be less about how to make kids unbreakable, but rather,through your modeling and mentorship, to cultivate hearts that are hopeful in the face of fear, joyful in suffering, and persistent in moments of despair. Perfection is not the goal, but the willingness to arise again and again, even after mistakes are made. Because they will be!
Pope St. John Paul II says: “The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” And I think the one of the bestgifts you can give is to instill this disposition in your children, and the sweet part about this is that you really don’t have to add this in, life provides many difficulties on its own and your children will look to you in these moments and learn how to walk through these things well.
The goal is not to prepare children so that they will be comfortable, but instead to curate hearts that refuse to be dimmed.
But I guess to answer the question – I did not feel prepared for life in the sense that no one could have prepared me to begin adulthood in a pandemic, or even just to step into any of the newness as a whole.
But there’s something to that.
We will never be “ready” to step into the challenges of life until we face them, and then, when they come along, we, thanks to God’s grace, do what we must and learn as we go. That dependency on Christ is incredibly beautiful, I think. And I believe you can trust your kids to this mercy and grace, too.
“What did your mom focus on that made you crazy but actually helped you? What did she spend way too much time on and you wish she skipped?” Ah, this is a good question. I took three or four years of Latin, and to be honest, this has been something I’ve carried with me long past when I thought I would.
I am at a university that is classically based in nature, and so the integration I have seen of Latin within philosophy and theology and literature has been so surprising to me. Granted, I don’t remember very much and I certainly could not translate much Latin for you, but I think learning it at a young age did build a great foundation of language and I would love to dive back into learning more of it at some point.
(Oh, if my 11-year-old self could hear me she would be so disappointed! 😂)
As far as what I wish we would have skipped … I am a fairly type-A person and so to be honest there isn’t much I would say I wish she could have skipped, because by nature my mom is far more relaxed than I am. Because of my natural rigor, I think if anything, things could have been more intense, but I also want to emphasize that even though they weren’t, I do not feel like I missed anything by any stretch of the imagination.
Which brings me to a really important point which is this – God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave you your kids. He had your heart in mind when He fashioned theirs.
And so I think it’s good to remember that He is going to use all that you bring to the table and all that your kids bring to the table and create a beautiful masterpiece within the context of your home.
It’s been a great gift to have a mother so opposite me in these ways because I did not used to be someone who you could describe as “easygoing” or “laid back,” but now that’s often the first words friends would use to describe me, and so much of that was cultivated through being educated and mentored by someone who had this different perspective and offered a softness and gentility to my determined heart.
“How did you create a circle of peers to do life with?” Community at Franciscan has been such a gift. I think finding a circle of peers has so much to do with taking time, because community is not something that can be expedited, it’s better when it comes naturally.
A few things that I feel like have helped me have been: asking people to coffee, choosing to say yes to things that feel outside of my comfort zone or require me to be the only new kid on the block.
(Note: Listen in to the podcast episode for more on how Audrey found community during her high school years.)
“Did you ever wish you were in public school? Why or why not?” No, I didn’t.
I do think this just has to do with my disposition. I very much enjoy working independently and in a peaceful, quiet environment, and so the appeal for public school was never there for me.
I also had wonderful friends throughout high school from co-op, so my social butterfly heart was content.
(Note from Sarah: Listen in to the podcast episode for more about one of my children who did want to attend public school)
“How do you feel your mom fostered connection over curriculum? What bonded you to your family and created a sense of being seen, heard, and loved, especially in the midst of crazy homeschool days?” There was always a mentality that the curriculum was serving us, we weren’t serving the curriculum.
The goal was to learn, not to finish the textbook.
Sometimes we would do all the math problems in the math book, sometimes we wouldn’t, it just all depended on what I needed at the time. There were also days when we would just set it aside and do something else.
There was space created for rest and also encouragement to press in and do hard things, too. There were certainly times when lessons went unfinished because I needed a heart-to-heart, and I think that came a lot from you meeting me where I was that day.
Can we talk about grammar?
Sarah: I didn’t teach grammar. I sort of assumed my kids would pick up a lot of it naturally through lots of reading, but Audrey is an English major. Oops. So I asked Audrey, should I have done that differently?
Audrey: Yes, I do think it would have been helpful to have done a few years of foundational grammar in middle school and early high school, not only because of being an English major, but because college work is very writing based, and in the beginning, especially, I received a lot of markings from professors on my varying use of punctuation and whatnot, but it’s certainly wasn’t something that was wildly hindering or a huge setback.
Through trial and error I have found my way and this isn’t really something I struggle with anymore.
The Years with Babies Sarah: There were YEARS in there (especially that year when I had three babies age 1 and under) that I didn’t do a lot of “teaching” with you in the traditional sense. It was audio books and online math, in large part, and I was terrified I was ruining your education. What do you remember about those years? I’m curious about the impact of those very difficult years on your education and your skill set now.
Audrey: To be totally honest, I don’t remember what school lookedlike during these days. I really have no particular memories of school or what we did then.
What I do remember is how much I loved having baby siblings and how much fun it was to take naps with them asleep on my chest, read books to the toddler, and help you feed and put them to bed.
It was my favorite thing to come with you downstairs and rock one of the twins to sleep.
I really cannot recollect any details about what school looked like and while yes, this was a couple of years, I think I grew closer in relationship with my siblings and with you more than I did educationally, but I have found this to be just as valuable, if not more so, in the end.
If you’d like to follow Audrey on Instagram, head here. She also writes at audreymenck.com
Books mentioned in the show
Nothing Found
Links mentioned in the show
- IEW’s Structure & Style for Students Writing Program
- Spiral Notebooks post
- Comma workbook
Ask Sarah a question Listen to more RAR episodes
You might also like… * 10 Homeschool mistakes I’ve made (so you can avoid them) * What do your kids read for fun in high school? * Let’s talk about loving your homeschool life
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Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie
Summer is almost here.
And probably, you have things you’d like to do this season. Maybe lots of things! (Perhaps … too many things? 😬)
Not to fear! In this episode, the RAR Leadership Team is back to share an easy tool for determining your direction this summer. In this episode, you’ll hear: * how setting a compass will help us this summer * why (in homeschooling) a compass is more helpful than a map * questions to ask yourself as you choose your own direction
Click the play button below or scroll down to keep reading.
Feeling Lost Have you ever been lost? I have … more than once.
The time that comes to mind for me today, though, is when my husband and I were on an anniversary trip to Port Townsend in Washington. The grandparents had the kids and we were just the two of us for 3 days – a rare treat.
Now, if you give Andrew and I a couple of days to ourselves, and I can nearly guarantee you that we will do the following no matter where we are: * sleep in late * visit a local bookstore * enjoy a nice dinner or two * hike
Oh, the hikes! We love hiking, and on this particular trip, we were hiking in Fort Worden State Park.
We parked the car and made a beeline for the water, because Fort Worden is on on the northeastern side of the Olympic Peninsula, right on Puget Sound.
Our plan was to hike around the peninsula — 3.6 miles, for the record, then head back to our hotel, shower and get dressed up to go to a fancy dinner out.
Except.
We did indeed hike along the peninsula. And then we kept going…
We ended up hiking hours further than we meant to, and by the time we realized we were not at all on the course we had set out on, we were well outside the state park.
Did I mention it was getting dark? Yes. That too.
In the end, we hiked 8 miles, and given we had not packed for such a hike, we were tired, thirsty, and our feet were killing us. We had zero interest in going out to a fancy restaurant. All we wanted to do was fall into bed with exhaustion.
Why We Need a Compass A map would have been helpful, to be sure. But do you know what else would have been helpful?
A compass.
We generally think of a map as a set of directions.
A compass doesn’t give us a set of directions. It does, however, point us in the right direction. And that can be just as good … maybe even better.
When it comes to homeschool planning, a compass is more useful than a set of directions.
After all, a set of directions gives you ONE WAY to get to where you want to go, but…
…what happens when a road is closed, when a large object is blocking your path, or when you just get off track and need to find your way back to your true course?
What happens when your child has a learning struggle, or there is an unexpected illness, an unexpected baby, or an unexpected move?
What happens when one of your kids needs twice as long to get through the science book, but can whip through her spelling book lickety split? Or one of your kids is dyslexic? Or all of your kids are dyslexic? Or …?
Well, you get the idea.
That’s When a Compass Comes in Handy If you want to get to my house in Eastern Washington, you can start from wherever you are. Texas? Head north. Maine? Head west. Florida? Head northwest.
A compass will orient you in the direction you want to go.
In homeschooling, it’s helpful to set our compass – to choose a direction.
You’ll get off track. Your kids will take you by surprise. Your life will take you by surprise.
That’s part of the beauty of homeschooling, after all – to allow us the freedom to give our kids a custom education – something personalized for our students and our families.
Kara and Kortney from the RAR Leadership team joined me on the show to discuss how we’re setting our own compasses this summer, and inviting you to set your compass along with us!
(Fun fact: the first time Kortney and Kara met in person, they drove across a river – each one deeply believing that the other knew exactly what she was doing! 😅)
Think if this process we’re sharing as the four points of a compass: 1. Choose your direction 2. Make it easy and likely 3. Hold it loosely 4. Plan to return
- Choose Your Direction Why do we need to pick a “most important thing” for the upcoming season?
Because none of us has an infinite amount of time or energy to do all the things we want to do all the time in our homeschools.
We can honor that by acknowledging that we have all the time we need to do what we’re called to do.
We’re not looking for a way to “be more productive” or “get more done”—
— but for a way to get the right things done and have a homeschool that we love. You Can’t ‘Do it All’ I’ve never met a homeschooling mom who says “we covered it all,” and yet so many of us are sure that we’re going to, that we’ve got to.
Yikes.
Kara shared that recently she was feeling very off track. (Super lost in the woods, to use the metaphor above).
She talked with someone about how she wished for a drill sergeant or a mom to tell her just what to do, or at least to make her a schedule.
The friend asked: Did she really need a schedule, or do she need to set her priorities each day?
Now, as part of her morning routine, Kara’s last step is to write out what she needs to do that day, and star the three most important things.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Setting Priorities for a Season It’s also helpful to think in seasons (kids grow and change a lot in a year).
Imagine the upcoming season is over. What will you be glad you made time for? Imagine you’re at the end of the season, having coffee with a friend, and complete this sentence:
“I’m so glad I made time for _______.“
Remember, this isn’t a forever commitment, so don’t worry about getting it right or doing it wrong. If you make progress on any one thing that matters to you, that’s a win.
So just pick something.
The RAR Team is here to share some examples of what this can look like: Kortney
“My daughter is finishing up her first year of high school, and for her science credit, we created a natural building project-based course. So all year long, she’s been reading about cob and natural building. She created an annotated bibliography and a presentation. She’s done soil tests and visited local natural building sites.
The capstone of the project is building a cob oven in our backyard.
So our most important thing is creating time to build as long as the weather holds.” Kara
“My most important thing is getting into a consistent morning routine.
This is a REALLY big deal for me, because I am finding I really struggle without a plan for the day. I’m just responding.
So as part of my morning routine, I lay out my day and picking my priorities. I have a journal called The Morning Sidekick Journal that is really helping me get consistent about this, and then I lay out my daily plan in my bullet journal and together those things are already helping so much, but I want to cement this by keeping it up all summer.” Sarah
“We have a very full summer ahead of us – the kind of summer that makes you think you’ll need a vacation right about when the new school year starts, just to recover from it. 😅
But at the end of the summer, I’m going to say, “I’m so glad I made time for trips to the pool.”
Naming this as our most important thing will help me make space for it in our weeks, and also will help me not feel guilty when we don’t do other things – like clean the house or get to a lot of read-alouds, for example.”
- Make it Easier The next compass point is to ask ourselves how can we make this easier and more likely to actually happen?
We tend to distrust things that are easy or enjoyable as having a lasting impact, but a key to success here is asking ourselves how to make this important thing we’ve picked easy and enjoyable.
From Effortless by Greg Mckeown: “When we feel overwhelmed, it may not be because the situation is inherently overwhelming. It may be because we are overcomplicating something in our own heads. Asking the question ‘What if this could be easy?’ is a way to reset our thinking. It may seem almost impossibly simple. And that’s exactly why it works.” Here’s the thing: homeschooling is hard. Parenting is hard.
We’re not suggesting they are easy.
However, the question, “how can I make this easier?” can really help us set ourselves up for success. Start Small Once you’ve asked how you can make the thing that matters easier, the next thing to do is just choose one small step to start.
We homeschooling moms are really, really good at overcomplicating things.
Instead, let’s ask:
What’s one small step I can take in this direction?
Are there Road Blocks? Another way to think about this is to consider what might get in your way … and how you can clear that obstacle ahead of time.
For example, if my thing that matters is “going to the library each week”, then I know an obstacle that might come up for me is forgetting to do it until week’s end. So picking a recurring day (i.e. Wednesday is library day) could help.
If we think ahead to where we know we are likely to stumble, it will help us make it easy and likely we’ll get to our most important thing.
Here’s how the members of the RAR Team are making their most important thing easy and likely this summer: Kortney “I need to block off chunks of time in our calendar with plenty of margin if we are going to get to this work. This means I am going to have to say No to some things. We’re going to miss some good opportunities.”
(This is so true. Here’s where I think so many of us get stuck: we believe in the “thing that matters,” but we don’t make space to acknowledge that every YES is also a NO to something else we also want to do.)
“Acknowledging that we’re going to miss some good opportunities can help so much here. So can writing down those other things you’d like to do so you can get them out of your head.” Kara “I bought that Morning Sidekick Journal that I’d been eyeing for months, and it’s making so much difference.
I think it’s reminding me that what really makes the difference is deciding what’s most important and letting that set our direction each day.“ Sarah “I think what would make getting to the pool on a regular basis easier and more likely is to create a pool bag and make it live in a place with swim towels, goggles, water bottles, sunblock – everything we need to go to the pool.
That way, “going to the pool” doesn’t have to require a lot of oomph. I can say, “We’re going to the pool – everyone get ready” – and we all know where things are.
Also: a checklist. I’m going to create a short checklist to hang above where the pool bag will live that has a list of what we need, so I don’t have to use brainpower.”
- Hold it Loosely Next, remember that planning is guessing.
Kortney shared this in our episode:
“Every plan is a guess, because we can’t see the future. No one planned for a worldwide pandemic, for our co-ops to close, for our husbands to be working at home.
So we make our plans, and then we hold them very, very loosely because we know that God is at work even when the world has turned upside down. And so we can relax.”
And actually… “relax” comes from the Greek word “lax”, which means “loosen.” So to “relax” means to loosen again.
And that’s what we’ve got to do in our homeschools. We make plans, we set goals, we decide which direction we want to go, and then we loosen our expectations again and adjust.
This doesn’t devalue our plans, but keeps our plans in their place. A Compass, Not a Map There’s a reason we call this a seasonal compass and not a map.
A compass doesn’t tell you every step along the way – it just points you in the right direction.
If you run into an unexpected obstacle, a river that flows right over the road (for instance!) you can reroute and know that you’re still heading in the right direction – just because it’s not a straight line doesn’t mean it’s not working.
This is where your genius comes in.
This is where the work comes in.
This is where you get to shine.
Relax – loosen your grip – and remember they were just educated guesses, anyway.
- Plan to Return Finally, make a plan to return to this next season.
As we mentioned, this is not a forever commitment – you’ve just picked your priority for the upcoming season.
You can reset your compass next season. So go ahead and put it on your calendar to do that in about 3 months for the next quarter.
In the meantime…
… when you worry you aren’t doing enough (and you will!), jot down whatever you’re worried about. You can consider these when you plan your next seasonal compass.
You’re planning to worry about this … later. 😉
And you’ve already got the time to think about it on your calendar, so it won’t slip through the cracks!
Set YOUR Compass Now it’s your turn. Can you decide where to point your own summer compass?
Remember our compass points: 1. Choose your direction 2. Make it easy and likely 3. Hold it loosely 4. Plan to return
Imagine yourself at the end of the summer, and finish that sentence,”I’m so glad I made time for ____ this summer.”
Ask yourself how you can make that easier and more likely to happen.
Remember to hold it loosely.
And make a plan to return in a quarter to reset your compass for a new season.
Books mentioned in the show
Nothing Found
Ask Sarah a question Listen to more RAR episodes
You might also like… * Let’s talk about loving your homeschool life * 10 homeschooling mistakes I’ve made (so you can avoid them) * Becoming your child’s mentor and awakening wonder
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Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie
When I was a kid, I read voraciously. I could lose myself for hours in stacks and stacks of books. The reading wasn’t that high quality, mind you. I could usually be found reading The Babysitter’s Club or a Christian historical romance, though I also loved Roald Dahl and Lois Lowry (anyone else remember the Anastasia Krupnik series?) and nonfiction, too.
Then I became a mom, and reading felt decadent.
I read books to nurture my marriage, how-to books on parenting (some far better than others, ahem). But overall, reading just got… harder. It was something I did to improve myself. Not something I got swept away in.
Reading for pleasure felt like a splurge, and often it was a splurge I couldn’t figure out how to justify.
But here’s the thing — reading for fun is part of the job.
My life is richer when I’m reading for pleasure, and so is my kids’! In fact, I’ve found that their reading lives feed off the energy in mine.
So how am I going to nurture my own reading life this summer? And what might get in the way?
It’s a question worth asking for all of us, and joining me to ask it today on the podcast are RAR Community Director, Kortney Garrison and Managing Editor, Kara Anderson.
In this episode, you’ll hear: * Why reading is a priority in our lives (hint: it’s not too decadent!) * Ways to nurture your reading life this summer * How to know what to read
Click the play button below or scroll down to keep reading.
Choose Your Own Adventure Summer is a great time to fall back in love with reading because you’re able to slowly build these habits before jumping into a new school year.
Over the summer (and throughout the year), we host Mama Book Clubs in RAR Premium where we we always offer a “choose your own adventure” assortment of ways to engage in the Mama Book Club.
Depending on your season in life, your energy level—a lot of variables—you might need to read for: * Consistency: to develop a daily reading habit * Inspiration: to apply what you’re reading to your life as a mother or homeschooler * Reflection: to let your reading inspire your journaling practice * Wisdom: to help you make a big decision in your life
And of course there are many other reasons to read, as well.
How to Find the Time Kortney, Kara and I all have different ways of threading books throughout our days. We’ve found a few different strategies helpful: * Setting a time to read for 10 minutes before doing absolutely anything else (don’t even pick up that sock laying on the ground) * Carry around your book/Kindle instead of your phone (or put the Kindle app on your phone, if that’s your jam) * Use a phone wallpaper to remind yourself that you would, in fact, rather be reading
The best way to help your kids live an active reading life is to live one yourself I want my kids to read for pleasure, and I’ll bet you do, too.
It’s also helpful to remember that most of the reading our kids do should happen after they leave our homes, as adults. We only have them for a few years when they are young, after all.
Well, the best way to help your kids live an active reading life is to live one yourself. We can model what a joy this can be for our kids.
Our kids won’t remember that we had the laundry put away each night, but they will remember having a parent who read to them and who enjoyed reading him or herself.
During our podcast, Kara mentioned that her kids recently had a friend over and, seeing the house through their visitor’s eyes, she noticed that there were books everywhere. And for a minute, it was embarrassing, like it was underpants thrown about and not just a lot of books.
It made her realize that if our goal is to raise readers, we want there to be books all about. We want our kids to see us sneaking in a few minutes of reading on the porch before dinner, or reading the end of a chapter while we stir something on the stove.
Reading at Whim Summer is a fabulous time to read at whim.
For Kara, she loves to wander the library and come home with a stack, try a few pages, and if it’s terrible, she’ll move to the next one in her bag.
One of the best things she’s doing is letting go of expectation surrounding her reading, and just reading whatever interests her next or choosing something off her ongoing to-be-read list.
I like to read at whim, as well.
Assigned reading (even if I assign it to myself) is not my favorite! 😇 I do keep a TBR in my bullet journal, however, and I’ll probably just pick whatever sounds best off of that, or whatever strikes my fancy at a bookstore or library. Not sure what to read? Try something from my own list of favorites!
Setting Expectations On the whole, our read-aloud life looks a little lighter in the summer than it does during the school year. My kids are usually playing out in the neighborhood after dinner (which is often when we listen to audio books during the school year), we aren’t in the car going to co-op or extracurricular activities as routinely, and our routines are just overall… wacky in the summer.
So I let that be. I’m okay with this, and I’m reminding myself that I’m okay with this now, so I don’t panic a month in when I realize we aren’t reading as much as we do together the rest of the year. 🙃
I do, however, safeguard 30-60 minutes a day for quiet reading time, so that we all know we have a reliable time and place to read for pleasure during each day. I like doing this at the hottest part of the day, when we can swing it.
What We’re Reading this Summer
Kortney is planning to read Aggressively Happy by Joy Clarkson, which my oldest daughter recommended to all of us. Kortney admits to having flipped immediately to the chapter about Pride and Prejudice where Joy talks about how similar Mr Darcy and Mr Collins are.
That’s a provocative stance! Her daughter Mabel then decided she had to read it first, so Kortney is next in line to read this one.
I read Aggressively Happy recently and absolutely l-o-v-e-d it.
Kara’s favorite summer tradition is to read a Nancy Drew mystery or six. They’re the perfect feel-good mystery novel, especially if you don’t want anything too scary. (Hear more about books for sensitive readers in this episode).
And as for me… I read at whim, remember? 😄 So I’m not quite sure what’s coming down the pike in my reading life, except that I know I’ll be re-reading The Last Bookshop In London by Madeline Martin, which, we are reading together as our Mama Book Club in RAR Premium this summer before we spend an evening with the author, Madeline Martin. (We’d love to have you join us!)
You can see everything coming to RAR Premium this summer right here:
Your Turn! How are you going to nurture your own reading life this summer?
Take a moment and jot down some ideas.
You can do this in a journal, a notebook, or even the notes app on your phone since I bet that’s handy at the moment. ;) Answer this question: * What are 1 or 2 ideas that came to you while listening today that you can implement this summer?
We wish you a most marvelous summer of reading and falling back in love with your own reading life.
Books & Links mentioned in the show * Book Darts (the good ones! 😉)
Nothing Found
Ask Sarah a question Listen to more RAR episodes
You might also like… * RAR #197: Hey Mamas, Reading for Pleasure is Part of the Job! * RAR #145: The Importance of Reading at Whim and Developing Your Own Reading Taste, with Alan Jacobs * RAR #141: Why Re-Reading is Possibly the Best Reading
Do you want to teach your kids Shakespeare? Do you want to them to carry a love for The Bard in their hearts, and remember passages from the most famous plays ever written?
Maybe your answer is YES!
BUT …
Shakespeare seems overwhelming. And adding it feels stressful.
So today, RAR Community Director Kortney Garrison and I are breaking down how to teach Shakespeare in a simple, low-pressure way that your kids will actually enjoy and look back on fondly.
In this episode, you’ll hear: * a million ways to teach Shakespeare (and maybe only one you want to avoid) * how to start with your goals when creating a Shakespeare teaching plan * what Kortney and I actually do
Click the play button below or scroll down to keep reading.
A Million Ways to Teach Shakespeare Kortney is currently teaching The Tempest in her homeschool co-op. Even though they have a deep devotion to Shakespeare at her house, this is actually the first time that she’s teaching it formally.
She feels like she’s learning things that could only be learned right in the thick of teaching, which brings up our first point:
There are a million ways to teach Shakespeare. There’s not a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it.
Well … There might be ONE wrong way to do it (ahem) – I’ll talk about that soon.
But what we want to do today is help you think about your goals here so you can figure out the best way to move forward.
Determine Your Goals What’s your goal in teaching Shakespeare to your kids?
Kortney’s goal is that this reading of The Tempest will not be the last Shakespeare play they they read.
(Isn’t that a good one!?)
She wants them to find Shakespeare approachable, and maybe learn a few tools for making the next play easier.
“Most of all I want them to fall in love with Shakespeare,” she says. “Once I knew what my goal was, I could tailor our work to support our goals.”
Why does your goal matter? There is a big reason why our goal really matters here:
It’s easy to fall into the trap of “covering” Shakespeare – doing it so that you’ve done it. Doing it with a goal of getting through lots of plays or “covering” Shakespeare.
Oof. I have issues with the word “covering” as it relates to learning, but we’ll circle back to talk about that in the future.
Charlotte Mason said: “At the end of our education the question isn’t how much we know, but how much we care.” My own oldest daughter, Audrey, is 20. She just wrapped up her sophomore year in college. As an English major, she’s definitely reading Shakespeare at college.
She always seemed to enjoy Shakespeare when we were homeschooling. But then she went to university, and she took a Shakespeare class that she did not love.
Why? I have my theories. Too many plays, too fast. Too much “covering.” Too much in general.
When she finished her last paper, she texted me, “That is the last time I have to read Shakespeare. Ever.”
My reaction:
Of course, enjoying Shakespeare was probably not her university professor’s goal (harrumph).
All that to say, it’s worth considering our goal because it doesn’t matter if they’ve read all of Shakespeare’s works or if they know the premise of all the plays if they never want to read or watch Shakespeare again.
What’s the point?
How We Teach Shakespeare Sarah’s Approach: For the most part, my own way of engaging my kids with Shakespeare is very simple.
I typically do one Shakespeare play per year.
Remember how we talked about our goal? My goal is not to get my kids through all of Shakespeare!
My goal is to give them a taste—an introduction—so they want to get more. So that they realize there are riches here that they can revisit time and time again.
I pick one play per year, (almost always a comedy) and we study it through: * Reading adaptations – usually picture books or graphic novel versions.
-
Listening to the play dramatized on audio (sometimes while following along in the Folger Guide – more on these below!)
-
Memorizing some lines
We usually memorize one new passage of Shakespeare at any given time. They take us a while, so we don’t have a boatload memorized, but my 16-year-old still can recite what he learned to memorize 6 years ago!
My favorite resource for this is How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare. Kortney’s Approach: * The first step is reading adaptations.
(It’s SO HELPFUL to get familiar with the story before trying to read the original Shakespeare. Picture books and graphic novels come in handy here – we’re sharing favorites below.) * Then they listen to the audio and follow along in a Folger version.
Folger Guides 101 Why Folger Guides? Ken Ludwig came to RAR and taught us about these.
They are inexpensive, easy to find. and they have a page of facing text. All of the text of the play is on the right-hand side, and on the left-hand side are definitions of obscure or archaic words. That makes it really easy to follow along and to not have to be flipping somewhere else.
They also have the full name of the character printed out which is super helpful. Audio productions For audio versions, Kortney likes the Arkangel audio productions. You can probably find them at your library. Like the best audiobooks, there are a few sound effects and a little music, plus different accents that help you understand who’s who.
Drawn Notes Each week, Kortney’s crew reviews the previous Act by looking closely at four or five quotes.
Then the kids choose a quote to illustrate while they listen to the next act. This practice is called “Drawn Notes” and it was developed by Kortney’s mom who taught Romeo and Juliet to 7th graders for 35 years!
From Kortney: “The kids in the co-op are doing deeply interpretive work. They select passages that have some sort of heat or attraction for them and respond creatively.
Tomie dePaola once said that he thinks of his illustrations as illuminations. Connecting it back to an ancient practice, but also shining a new light on the text. And I’m finding that’s true of even the youngest kids in our class. Their work is helping us see The Tempest better.” Examples from Kortney’s co-op class:
Avoiding Potential Pitfalls Like we said earlier, there are a million ways to teach Shakespeare, but if Shakespeare starts to feel like a slog at your house, maybe see if one of these obstacles is getting in the way of your enjoyment: * Trying to do too many plays * Trying to go too fast * Trying to squeeze all the juice from each play and “not miss anything” * Forgetting this is just the FIRST encounter, and if we’re successful, it won’t be the last * Focusing on the reading to the detriment of watching – remember that Shakespeare wrote plays; he meant for them to be performed and watched, not read in a book!
Don’t Forget Your Goal We shared a lot of ideas and resources in this episode, but keep in mind that the basis here is very, very simple:
- Start with just one play (don’t make a plan to “cover” them all)
- Read some adaptations first to get familiar with the characters and the plot
- Try listening to some or all of the dramatization (older kids can follow along in a Folger Guide)
- Memorize or copy a passage or two and add an illustration
- Watch the play, if you’re able (heads up: preview before watching a movie or local production with your kids! Not all Shakespeare productions are particularly appropriate for kids)
Favorite Resources: We’re sharing our favorite books below, and also recommend: * Shakespearesglobe.com/watch * Virtual tour of the Globe Theatre * Watching local productions (maybe call ahead and ask if it’s suitable for young viewers)
P.S. It’s a good idea to preview anything Shakespeare before watching with your kids!
Books mentioned in the show
Nothing Found
Links mentioned in the show
- Shakespeare Without a Curriculum, Kortney Garrison
- Ken Ludwig’s site
- The Ultimate Guide to Shakespeare – Pam Barnhill
- RAR #171: How to Introduce Your Kids to Shakespeare
- RAR #06: How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, a Conversation with Ken Ludwig
- Shakespeare the Animated Tales (Leon Garfield)
Ask Sarah a question Listen to more RAR episodes
You might also like… * The surprising value of reading fewer books * Teaching literature without curriculum
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Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie
When Mandy called in to ask about her daughter, who likes to be read to, but doesn’t really enjoy reading herself, I was all ears.
If you can relate, consider: when your child was 2, 3, 4 … did he/she like being read to?
Most small children LOVE being read to. They climb right into your lap and relish every minute.
It’s about the story, yes, but it’s also about the connection.
We really, really want our kids to love reading. So naturally, we worry when they don’t.
I wonder if that same connection is what our non-reading kids are actually seeking.
We’re often tempted to think our kids are lazy, or aren’t true readers, but laziness is rarely at play here (especially in the case of a dyslexic child).
So why don’t some of our kids love reading? And what on earth can we do about it?
That’s what I’m addressing today on the podcast from a mama who suspects her child may be dyslexic, and worries that she doesn’t enjoy reading. In this episode, you’ll hear: * Why kids may prefer being read to (hint: it’s not because they’re lazy!) * Whether it’s OK to do a lot of reading aloud to older kids (short answer: heck yes) * How different modalities make reading accessible at a different level
Click the play button below or scroll down to keep reading.
Your Child is Right Where They Need to Be! (and so are you) First, I want you to know that a child not wanting to read on his/her own is pretty common. There’s nothing particularly alarming about it.
There are things we can do, of course, and I’ll toss out some ideas for you here in just a moment.
I just want to make sure to point out that your child is exactly they are in their reading life, which is exactly where God can meet them…
… and it’s also right where you can meet them, and help them take the next step.
Your child is right where they need to be. And so are you.
Here’s a question that might be popping up for you: Can she really do most of her reading with me?
The answer is a resounding and hearty YES.
I promise you won’t regret any time you spend here. Twenty years from now, you aren’t going to wish you had read less with her. I promise that won’t make her less of a reader. It will only benefit her, you, and your relationship.
Audio Books FTW However, that’s not always possible – you are a mother… which means you have a lot on your plate.
That’s where audio books can help quite a bit.
One idea you might like to try is having a daily Quiet Reading Time – a 30 minute block (you can pick any amount of time you’d like here – there’s no magic formula), where your child can hang out in their room or sit at the table and craft, or play with Legos, or do a puzzle, draw, or whatever they like to do with their hands – and listen to an audio book.
This will go really far in helping your child fall in love with books and stories, drive their desire to get more books and stories, and familiarize them with grammatically correct, sophisticated language patterns through the ear, which will make a huge difference when they read with their eyes.
If your child has been listening to audio books while growing up, then when they reads with her eyes, it will be so much easier for her to understand how the language works – how it sounds and fluctuates.
The cadence, the pacing, all of it will be “heard”, because of her experience listening to books.
Graphic Novels = An Excellent Choice In her question, Mandy mentioned that her daughter enjoys graphic novels.
Graphic novels are an excellent choice here!
Graphic novels actually require our child to operate in a multi-modal form. They are reading and interpreting the story in multiple parts of their brain, because they have to read and interpret the text AND the pictures at the same time, to understand the story.
We underestimate how excellent graphic novels are for our kids because our kids love them, so we tend to be suspicious.
I’d highly recommend listening to RAR #137: Why Your Kids love Graphic Novels (and which we like best). That will probably make you feel a lot better about your child’s interest in graphic novels and will help you find some good ones.
One book that hasn’t been added to that list yet, but needs to be is Lightfall by Tim Probert. The second in the series will just have come out when this podcast releases. I haven’t read the second one yet, but the first is spectacular. Highly recommended, and perfect for a 12-year-old.
Every time your child reads and finishes a graphic novel, they cast a vote for themselves as a reader. It’s another vote that says to them, “You are a reader,” and that is significant.
It Takes the Time it Takes If you can, try not to fret too much about how long it seems to take to help your child really fall in love with reading.
So much of what we’re doing as parents is planting seeds.
Do you know about bamboo?
Some varieties of bamboo take 5 years to grow. You plant the seed, water it, tend it, protect it – and you see NOTHING for your efforts. What’s actually happening is a complicated root structure underground is taking shape, but you can’t see it.
About 4-5 years down the road, that bamboo shoots up, growing at a tremendous rate.
Homeschooling and parenting is a lot like bamboo.
We pour years of our time and attention into growing and tending our little bamboo seeds, and it sure looks like nothing is happening.
It is!
But it won’t do us any good to insist on seeing the results and digging up the earth to see it for ourselves.
Parenting and homeschooling takes a kind of faith. A faith that what we’re doing matters and makes a difference, even when it doesn’t really feel like it.
Things like this just take the time they take.
Head’s Up: I’m sharing my whole framework for Teaching Literature Without a Curriculum in RAR Premium this summer.
So if you are interested in learning how I teach literature without a curriculum and with a strong emphasis on raising kids who love to read, be sure to join us – you can do that at RARPremium.com
Books mentioned in the show
Nothing Found
Links mentioned in the show
- RAR #137: Why Your Kids Love Graphic Novels (and which ones we like best)
Ask Sarah a question Listen to more RAR episodes
You might also like… * Helping your ADHD or dyslexic child love reading * Why read-aloud to kids who can read to themselves? * If you want your kids to love reading, try this
More free resources and booklists
Get the best episodes and reources from the Read-Aloud Revival
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Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie
We get many questions about how I organize books in my home library, and today we’re talking all about it.
I’m going to break down my system and hopefully help spark ideas for how to best organize books at your house.
Here’s the thing: Your home library should serve your family’s reading life. And that might mean organizing it in a different way than you think.
It also means the organization isn’t the goal. (Keep reading to see what I mean.)
I’ll give you a peek at a few of my own bookshelves throughout this post, which are definitely not gorgeous or Instagram-worthy. 😅
But they are useable. And they’re used… a lot! In this episode: * how to focus on your home library’s goal (which may be different than you think!) * how to cut down on time searching for books * ideas for organizing your family’s books without making it a full-time job
Click the play button below or scroll down to keep reading.
What’s Your Goal? When it comes to organizing your home library, remember that it should serve your family’s reading goals.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, because all of our families are different, our kids are different, we have different personalities, and different propensities for order or disorder.
My goal is for my own kids to read widely and to always be in the middle of a book. Keeping that goal top of mind helps me remember that the organization of my family’s books is just a tool to help me toward THAT goal. Our home library is organized enough to help my kids read widely and often, but not so organized that I worry much when other things clutter up the shelves. Artwork often makes it onto our shelves, as you can see. And random holy cards, as well!
The goal is not an organized bookshelf. The goal is a vibrant reading life.
Starting with what would make your family’s reading life easier and more enjoyable can help you organize your own space.
Also note: there’s no right or wrong way to do this.
You’re not a library or a bookstore – you’re a family.
Let your home library serve your family in all the shapes and forms it takes as your kids grow.
Remember – start with your goal, and make your library serve your own particular family. There’s no right or wrong way about it. The bard gets his own shelf at our house.
How I Organize Our Books First things first, there are books in every room of our house. I never have enough bookshelves to suit me (sorry, honey!), and I’m always begging for more.
I love being able to see and read and reach for books no matter where I am in my house.
We have more kids’ books than any other kind of book. So let’s start there. I divide them into two main categories: Fiction and Non-fiction. Fiction * Fiction books are organized in ABC order by the last name of the author. This always surprises people – yes, I really have all of my books in ABC order. But they aren’t completely specific – I just go by the first letter. So all the A’s are together and all the B’s are together, but the A’s and B’s themselves are not alphabetized.
- Also, I separate these by picture books and novels. All of the picture books go together (on lower shelves, usually) and all of the novels together.
An example of the fiction shelf, alphabetized to the first letter of the author’s last name Non-Fiction * I tend to group non-fiction books by general category, which has worked its way out to be, roughly: + History/Geography/Biography + Science/Nature + Faith/Religion + Craft/Drawing + Poetry/Music/Art
I don’t alphabetize these or otherwise sort them. I just have an entire shelf dedicated to a category— Science/Nature books, for example—and they all go there. An example of our Science/Nature shelf — it’s not organized within that category. Any science or nature nonfiction lives here. Adult Fiction and Nonfiction Adult books are shelved together on the same shelf.
I don’t really categorize them, but we have way fewer adult novels than we do kids books.
Like … waaaaay fewer.
So this doesn’t need to be that organized. I can usually (not always) find what I need pretty easily, since it’s a smaller collection. A glimpse at one of our picture book shelves. Looks like this one is C-G (I alphabetize by the first letter of the author’s last name, but I don’t alphabetize within letters because… that’s just a little overboard for me)
What About Books Kids Own Themselves? The books that belong to my kids are usually kept on bookshelves in their bedrooms.
I would highly recommend seeing if you can get a bookshelf for each of your kids to keep in their bedroom. Look at garage sales, Craigslist and second-hand stores, if you need to.
Having a bookshelf of their own helps a child really own their own identity as a reader.
Of course, at my house, family books make their way onto those shelves. And shelves get disorganized. (Super disorganized. I was going to post a picture here of my twin 8yo’s shelves, but my pride got the better of me. Picture a horribly disorganized shelf of books reshelved in every which direction.)
I don’t worry about this.
Every so often (maybe once or twice a year), I get a 🐝 in my bonnet and go around and re-sort and reorganize all the shelves while listening to an audio book or binge-listening to a favorite podcast.
But…because I know that my goal is for my kids to read widely always be in the middle of a book, it helps me remember that the organization is just a tool to help me toward THAT goal.
The goal is not an organized bookshelf or an organized library. The goal is a vibrant reading life. Another picture book shelf. Many of our family’s picture books also live on kids’ bookshelves within their rooms, and I don’t worry too much about which ones live where. Using a basic overall system helps me narrow down where to look when I need to find something, without getting overly drill-sergeanty about it.
Let’s Talk Reshelving I keep a basket near our fireplace for reshelving.
When a child is done with a book, it goes in the basket.
I don’t really mind re-shelving books (all those years I worked in the library serve me well here, and I’m pretty quick at it, and find it a little cathartic), but my kids hate it.
This works well for me.
When that basket gets really full, I’m almost eager to see which of my kids will talk back next, because they’ll get the re-shelving job, which they detest with all of their heart and soul.
(Look, a mother has to take her wins where she can get them! 😎) Ah! A portion of one of my favorite shelves. I keep all picture book biographies together. They aren’t alphabetized or sorted in any way. The whole shelf makes me hap-hap-happy.
What About Library Books? On a day when I just discovered $82 in library fines, I’m maybe not the best person to speak to this. 🙃
But full disclosure: you’re about get ideas from someone who regularly pays library fines and justifies it as a civic contribution to support the library. 😇 * We have two baskets in our main living room that are for library books. Kids also often read library books in their rooms (which are, coincidentally, almost always the ones that rack up the fines).
- I was better about library fines when I had a recurring task on Fridays to check in on my library account, renew whatever needed renewing, and then went into the library to pick up holds. I got out of this habit in the last year or two, but should probably reinstate it.
‘Your Library Should Serve Your Family’s Reading Life’ Hopefully something in there helps you. Remember to start with your goal, and use your organizing system to serve your family’s goals – not the other way around!
Books mentioned in the show
Nothing Found
Links mentioned in the show
- RAR #104: Put Those Books Face Out
Ask Sarah a question Listen to more RAR episodes
You might also like… * Our favorite way to read through history * Creating a book club culture at home * Hey mamas – reading for pleasure is part of the job
More free resources and booklists
Get the best episodes and reources from the Read-Aloud Revival
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Visit Read-Aloud Revival ® with Sarah Mackenzie