What do happy homeschoolers have in common?

Over the years, I’ve spoken with thousands of homeschoolers from all over the world. When I asked experienced moms what they do to cultivate peace and joy in their homeschool lives, I discovered there are five habits happy homeschool mamas often share.

The good news is that YOU can adopt these habits, no matter what kind of homeschooler you are, what method or curriculum you use, what your budget is, or how many kids you have. You don’t need a new curriculum, schedule, or homeschooling philosophy. You don’t need to become a new person. It’s possible to feel happier about your homeschool, exactly as it is right now.

Today, I’m sharing a recording of a talk I gave at several homeschool conferences last year about the five habits of happy homeschoolers and how they can help you have a happier homeschool today.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Why building and nurturing relationships is central to a happy homeschool
• How getting clear on your real priorities will help you simplify and do less
• The way comparison–to others, to strangers on Instagram, to public schools–sucks the joy out of our homeschools

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/five-habits-of-happy-homeschoolers

Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.

What if I told you there’s an Icelandic Christmas tradition where the whole point is to spend an evening sitting around, sipping hot cocoa, and reading books?

Sign me up, right?

Today, we’re talking about Jolabokaflod, which loosely translates to “Yule Book Flood,” how it started, and how you can bring the magic of this bookish tradition into your home this Christmas.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Where the Icelandic Yule Book Flood first began
• How Jolabokaflod is an invitation to slow down and connect with each other during the busy Christmas season
• The only three things you need for your Jolabokaflod, plus tips from RAR members on how they celebrate 

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/icelandic-christmas

Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.

"Marley was dead, to begin with."

That is one of the most famous first lines in English literature. It comes from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, which is perhaps the greatest Christmas ghost story ever told.

What is it that speaks to so many of us about this story of Scrooge and his ghosts?

Today I want to talk about what makes this story so beloved and enduring–from its original bestselling release in 1843 through countless adaptations–to the place of fondness and tradition it has in so many of our homes today. 

In this episode, you’ll hear from RAR Premium members; Joe Sutphin, who did the beautiful illustrations for Little Christmas Carol; Samantha Silva, author of Mr. Dickens and His Carol; and some RAR kids on the lasting impact of Dickens’s tale and what they love so much about A Christmas Carol.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Why we love A Christmas Carol as a read-aloud for the whole family
• How Joe Sutphin illustrated and populated Scrooge’s world for Little Christmas Carol
• The real backstory of why Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, which inspired Samantha Silva’s novel

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/all-about-a-christmas-carol

Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.

As homeschooling moms, we often focus more on what we’re not doing than what we are doing. We fret about the lessons we should be teaching or the projects we should be creating.

But here’s what we want you to remember (and what we try to remind ourselves): what you’re already doing is powerful. It’s purposeful. And best of all, what you’re already doing builds an enduring family culture.

In this bonus episode, you’ll discover the power of what you’re already doing and why the culture we create in our homes matters much more than whatever curriculum we use.

Today, we’re unlocking our most recent Circle with Sarah Live, a regular RAR Premium event where I mentor homeschooling moms like you. After all, we believe that the key to a successful homeschool is a peaceful, happy, homeschooling parent.

You’ll hear about all the things you’re already doing that make a significant impact in your homeschool. Plus, you’ll get an insider look at RAR’s framework for making rich and meaningful connections with your kids through books. 

There are cupcakes involved.

Whether you’re ready to join RAR Premium or not, I think this episode will help you think about how you structure your homeschool and discover how the things you’re already doing have a huge impact on your family culture.

Remember, you’ve got everything you need to teach with peace that transcends all understanding. You were made for such a time and such a homeschool as this. I’m praying for you.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• James Herriot’s Treasury for Children
• The Vanderbeekers of 141st St
• Because Barbara
• A Place to Hang the Moon
• The Power of Moments
• Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
• When the Sea Turned to Silver

Links:

• Find out more about RAR Premium!
  
  
• RAR #248: Nurturing Creative Dreams (Your Child’s and Your Own)
  
  

Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.

How do you know a good book when you see it?

I remember walking into the big, beautiful children’s section at the library with my oldest, who was a baby. I wanted to find books to read aloud to her, but it was hard to know which ones we would love. 

That longing to find good books for my children was the spark that eventually became the Read-Aloud Revival podcast and RAR Premium community, where we’re always trying to find and share the very best books to read aloud with your family.

Today, RAR Premium Coordinator Leilani Curtis joins me to chat about how we select the books for our booklists here at Read-Aloud Revival. We’re also going to share our best advice for being more confident in choosing books to bring into your home, whether it’s at the bookstore or the library.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• How our booklists can help you choose quality books to share with your family
• Three quick questions to help you decide if a book is worth a longer look
• The qualities we look for in books we recommend

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-we-choose-books

Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.

A library should be a kind of paradise, don’t you agree? Author and illustrator Barbara Cooney certainly thought so. 

Barbara Cooney was an extraordinary author and illustrator of over 100 children’s books with stories that span the world, from the shores of Greece to the mountains of Appalachia. The more I learned about Barbara, the more I wanted to tell the story of this beautiful artist who, in every aspect of her life–from raising four children to traveling to gardening to winning awards for her illustrations–was committed to capturing the beauty in (and for!) the world.

Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World has been nearly six years in the making. Today, I want to take you behind the scenes and introduce you to the team that made it happen, from the very first draft to the final, beautiful book you’ll hold in your hands.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• The many drafts, revisions, critiques, and edits that brought me to the throughline of Barbara’s wonderfully full and creative life
• How the art team took on the daunting task of styling and illustrating the book to echo Barbara’s style without directly imitating it
• How sound design and animation bring the audio and video books to life 

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/making-because-barbara

Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.

Raising creative kids is a beautiful, worthwhile endeavor, but not one that is always neat and tidy! 

In today's episode, I’ve invited two of my good friends and fellow creatives—authors S. D. Smith and Carolyn Leiloglou—for a conversation on how our creative work as adults impacts our kids. We discuss everything from the challenges of nurturing creativity in our families to the influence of stories on our hearts and minds.  

S. D. Smith is the author of the wildly popular and perennial Let the Kids Speak favorite Green Ember series and is a father to four imaginative children. 

Carolyn Leiloglou is the author of the middle-grade fantasy series The Restorationists and a homeschool mom to four creative kids.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• How connecting with the wonder in our kids fuels and enhances creativity
• The value of boredom (a best-kept creative secret!) 
• The nuances of how we measure creative success

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/fostering-wonder-and-creativity 

Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.

What if I told you that your homeschool could be relaxed, bookish, and ordinary? If you’re anything like me, that’s music to your ears. 

Our kids thrive–and we do too–when our day-to-day homeschool is relaxed, bookish, and ordinary. In fact, that's what over 726 experienced homeschool moms told me were the three most important qualities. 

Today, I’m sharing a recording from a session I did at a series of homeschool conferences  earlier this year called “Relaxed, Bookish, and Ordinary”.

If you’re hoping that your homeschool can be any or all of those things, listen in–I bet you’re closer to it than you think.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• How a relaxed approach impacts your child’s ability to learn and your peace as a homeschooler
• The academic, personal, and relationship benefits of having a bookish homeschool
• Why you don’t need to strive for an extraordinary homeschool to do it well

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/relaxed-bookish-ordinary

Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.

Which of these two activities would be easier for you? 

1. Describe the best life you could achieve over the next twenty years.
2. Describe the best things that have happened to you over the past twenty years.

I know that as a busy wife and mama, dreaming for the future can feel daunting. As I was reading Jon Acuff’s book, All It Takes Is a Goal this summer, I was struck by how this exercise can shift our perspectives as homeschool mamas and mentors of our children. 

In today’s episode, New York Times bestselling author and speaker Jon Acuff is joining me to discuss how to actually achieve those goals amidst the busyness of daily life (hint: you’re probably already doing more than you think!). 

We’ll also chat about the book he wrote with his teenage daughters, How Teens Win: The Student’s Guide to Accomplishing Big Goals, which comes out September 10, 2024.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• How looking back at our best moments, big and small, can help us create a vision for the future
• Why it’s okay that your imagination for your kids is bigger than your calendar
• How auditioning small goals helps you successfully transition from optimism and realism for yourself and your kids

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/best-moments-in-homeschooling

Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.

Do you have a child who dreams of being a writer? Or maybe it’s your dream? How do you support those dreams and foster creativity while also raising kids and running a household?

Today, I’m delighted to welcome back author Laura Martin, who’s giving us her very best advice for how to nurture your child’s creative dreams and your own.

Laura Martin is the author of some of my very favorite page-turners for kids, including The Edge of Extinction series and Glitch, and she has a new book out, Wander Lost, that I know you’ll love too. 

We talk about the importance of capturing ideas as they come, what creative writing curriculum gets wrong about being a writer, and lots more.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Why Laura says that ideas are like lightning bugs
• How Laura nurtures her daughter’s creativity with time, space, and access to materials
• How Laura honed in on what she needs in order to write while juggling four children

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/nurturing-creative-dreams

Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.

We recently took a poll in RAR Premium about favorite reading genres, and it turns out that historical fiction isn’t just my favorite genre, but it’s the favorite of many of you as well.

Today, I’ve invited historical fiction lover and award-winning author Anna Rose Johnson to join me to discuss just what it is about historical fiction that draws us in. 

We’re also chatting about the inspiration for her stories, her research process, and what her parents did to support her as a budding writer. In turn, she shares a ton of recommendations for her favorite historical fiction for young readers.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• How historical fiction sweeps readers through a portal to another world
• How Anna Rose breaks down her research process into stages so it doesn’t get overwhelming
• How re-reading helped Anna Rose develop her ear and voice as a writer

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/why-we-love-historical-fiction/

Order Dear Duck, Please Come! and Beyond Mulberry Glen from Waxwing Books.