Podcast · Kids & Family

Read-Aloud Revival ®

by Sarah Mackenzie · English · Kids & Family

Sarah Mackenzie helps your family fall in love with books, and helps *you* fall in love with homeschooling.

New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 41 min
Latest: 1 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026 · 35 min

RAR #288: Why Board Books Are Important Tools (and Toys!) with Tabitha Paige

There is a type of children’s book that we haven’t talked much about here in twelve years of Read-Aloud Revival. But it’s one that almost anyone who has spent time with babies knows well: board books. Board books are how so many of our kids meet stories and books for the first time. They’re often the first books babies and littles are able to really get their hands (and mouths!) on, and experience touching the pictures and turning the pages for themselves. So today, we’re going to do a bit of a deep dive on board books, and I couldn’t think of a better person to join me for this than…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

17 Sep 2026 · 30 min
Best of RAR: Simple Habits for Nurturing Lifelong Readers
We all want our kids to be readers. Not just kids who can read, but kids who actually do read. Who then grow up and keep choosing to read because they want to, not because they have to. But there’s a curious thing that those of us who care deeply about raising lifelong readers tend to do, which is to treat our kids’ reading lives in exactly the opposite way that adult readers actually read. We choose all their books. We tell them how long to read for. We ask them questions to prove to us that they read and understood the story. We make them write essays to prove their comprehension even…
E287 · 3 Sep 2026 · 50 min
RAR #287: Bringing the Outside Into Your School Year with Ginny Yurich
The heart of homeschooling is relationships . Building meaningful, lasting connections is the real secret sauce of reading aloud with your kids. Those connections are also built when you spend time in nature together. Sounds simple, right? Read books. Go outside. But it can also feel like yet another thing to add to your already packed to-do list. How do we make time in our already full days to get outside with our kids? We’ve got an absolute treat for you today on the show. Ginny Yurich, the founder of the global 1000 Hours Outside movement, is here to talk about how families can bring the…
E286 · 20 Aug 2026 · 53 min
RAR #286: Why We Write
Over the past few months on the podcast, we’ve talked a lot about how reading aloud benefits kids academically, how it develops their resilience, empathy, and virtue, and even reduces physiological stress. Today on the show, we’re diving into the flip side of reading: writing. Without writing, we’d have no stories to read. But creating books to share with others isn’t the only reason why writing is so important. Writing also has tremendous benefits to the person sitting down and putting words on a page. In this episode, Audrey and I talk about some of the many reasons to invite your kids ––…
E285 · 6 Aug 2026 · 37 min
RAR #285: Becoming a Book Woman with Caroline Starr Rose
Books are so much more than just a collection of words. They are lanterns that illuminate our lives in so many incredible ways. Today, I want to share a story with you about a group of women who also believed in the power of books to transform lives. So much so, that they were willing to endure quite a lot of hardship to get books into the hands of people who otherwise wouldn’t have had access to them during a difficult period of American history. In this episode, I’m talking with Caroline Starr Rose, author of our newest Waxwing Books release, Books Up the Mountain: A Packhorse Librarian…
E284 · 23 Jul 2026 · 41 min
RAR #284: Finding Rest in the Mess (Circle With Sarah Sneak Peek)
How long is your to-do list? What if you added in all the extra shoulds and supposed-tos that you are in your head but you don’t even write down because that would be too overwhelming? How long is it then? It might feel a little cliché to talk about how busy we are. But I think it’s helpful to acknowledge that most of us are at least a little bit (or more) fried. So why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we keep piling things onto our to-do lists? If you take a closer look at your list, I think you’ll find that underneath that busyness, the reason is relationships. Your list is long because…
E283 · 9 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
RAR #283: Our Favorite Reads for Forming Virtue in Our Kids
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 set out to teach kids about kindness, honesty, or other virtues. The reality is, all good books have a powerful capacity to inspire us towards virtue, and the ones that are the most effective are the ones that don’t set out to teach. They just set out to tell a good story. Good stories, by their nature, form us in virtue.…
E282 · 25 Jun 2026 · 48 min
RAR #282: Sparking Creativity with Research
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 personal experience that research can be a time-intensive, sometimes overwhelming, but often the most delightful task. Today on the show, we’re hearing from some incredible authors and illustrators about the research that goes into children’s books. Whether you’re an aspiring author or a curious reader, you’re in for some surprises. In this…
11 Jun 2026 · 51 min
Best of RAR: The Joy of Shakespeare
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 of the most joyful things you can do together. Today, I’m returning to my conversation with one of my favorite Shakespeare lovers, Ken Ludwig. Ken is the author of How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare and one of our most celebrated, widely-performed playwrights. His plays…
E281 · 28 May 2026 · 49 min
RAR #281: Homeschooling High School with Rachel Kovac
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 alternatives to college if that isn’t a good fit for your child can be intimidating. It’s no wonder that homeschooling high school is one of the most-asked topics here at RAR. As many of you know, I have three kids who I homeschooled through high school who are now in college and beyond.…
E280 · 14 May 2026 · 34 min
RAR #280: Books Take Us Places
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 to engage with another’s experiences in ways that can even go deeper than visiting a place in real life. Today, RAR’s Creative Director (and my eldest daughter) Audrey is with me to talk about the power of books to take us places, even when we’re not able to go far from home ourselves. In this episode, you’ll hear:…
30 Apr 2026 · 29 min
Best of RAR: Becoming Your Child’s Mentor
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 Clarkson. I’m lucky to count Sally as a dear friend and I know that her work has been transformational for me and for so many of you. In this episode, Sally shares how we can inspire our kids to become lifelong readers and learners right in our own homes. In this episode, you’ll…
E279 · 16 Apr 2026 · 44 min
RAR #279: Baptizing the Imagination with Malcolm Guite
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 by our friends over at Rabbit Room Press. Not only is Malcolm adapting the legends of King Arthur, he’s doing it in poetic ballad form, which means they are basically designed to be read aloud. In our conversation, he tells us about the epic journey he and…
2 Apr 2026 · 31 min
Best of RAR: When Your Developing Reader Resists Reading
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 some suggestions for books that they won’t be able to resist. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why helping your kids fall in love with story is the the key to helping them fall in love with reading The way short, frequent phonics and reading sessions propel budding readers toward fluency and ease How to…
E278 · 19 Mar 2026 · 45 min
RAR #278: How to Actually Connect with Our Kids, Dr. Matthew Breuninger
We all want to build those meaningful and lasting connections with our kids. Around here, we’re usually talking about doing that through books and reading aloud. But how do we extend these connections into our everyday, ordinary parenting moments? Today, I’m talking to one of my favorite people to listen to when it comes to relationships. Dr Matthew Breuninger is a clinical psychologist and author of Finding Freedom in Christ: Healing Life’s Hurts and in this episode he shares how safe, secure attachment forms the foundation of close relationships with our kids and how to repair them when we…
5 Mar 2026 · 42 min
Best of RAR: How a “Best Moments” List Can Help You Love Your Homeschool featuring Jon Acuff
Today, we’re 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 looking back at our best moments, from major milestones to pockets of joy, helps us envision the kind of future we really want. Jon also shares some practical tips for reframing the urge to compare ourselves to others, especially on social media, giving ourselves credit…
E277 · 19 Feb 2026 · 36 min
RAR #277: Inspiring Heroic Virtue in Our Kids
We talk a lot around here about the incredible impact stories have on our kids. They build empathy and connection, letting us walk a mile in another’s shoes. And some stories also help us see what it looks like to be brave and courageous, even in the face of fear or daunting challenges. Today, Audrey is back to talk with me about how stories inspire courage in our kids and ourselves and can connect us to profound truths, no matter how fantastical the setting. In this episode, you’ll hear: How stories become companions to us through challenging seasons Which stories have shaped Sarah and…
5 Feb 2026 · 25 min
Best of RAR: Why Read Aloud to Kids Who Can Read Themselves
Why do we read aloud to our kids? Especially those who can read to themselves? This is a topic that comes up all the time at Read-Aloud Revival and it’s one I’m super passionate about. It’s foundational to what we do around here and I firmly believe it’s vital to our kids becoming lifelong readers. In this episode, we’re talking about the impact reading aloud has on our children, regardless of their independent reading level. Research shows that there are many benefits to reading aloud to your kids, and today, we’re going to focus on five of the most important ones. In this episode, you’ll…
E276 · 22 Jan 2026 · 32 min
RAR #276: Learning to Ask Good Questions (Audrey’s Back!)
Today’s episode is a special treat featuring the return of a listener-favorite guest who happens to be one of my favorite people, too. 😉 Back on episode 209, my eldest daughter, Audrey joined me to share her perspective on what it was like growing up in our bustling homeschool family. Ever since that episode aired, listeners have asked for updates on what she’s up to and how she’s doing. Suffice it to say, she’s had a few more adventures since we recorded that episode! So I’m delighted to welcome Audrey back to the podcast to talk through some of your frequent questions about what has shaped…
E275 · 8 Jan 2026 · 35 min
RAR #275: Could We Have Tranquility by Tuesday? Laura Vanderkam
If I were to ask you if your life ever felt tranquil , you would probably do one of two things: bust out laughing or look at me like I was from another planet. I get it, I really do. Which is why I’m so excited to have the author of one of my absolute tippy-top recommended books with me today. Laura Vanderkam is a time management expert, mother of five, and the author of Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters. Laura suggests that to bring more tranquility to our abundant, unpredictable lives, we don’t need a perfect schedule, what we need is a…
4 Dec 2025 · 16 min
Best of RAR: Jolabokaflod
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…
E274 · 13 Nov 2025 · 36 min
RAR #274: Behind the Scenes of One of My Favorite Christmas Picture Books
We all know there is no shortage of Christmas picture books out there. But for a book to make it onto my kids’ Christmas stack or onto a Read Aloud Revival Christmas Book List, it has to be excellent . And the books we choose for Christmas School? Those are the ones that go above and beyond excellent and are some of our most treasured, tippy-top favorite Christmas read-alouds. Today, I have the author-illustrator of one of my all-time favorite Christmas picture books, Red and Lulu, with me. You might recognize Matt Tavares from his beloved books Zachary's Ball, Becoming Babe Ruth, or Growing…
5 Nov 2025 · 8 min
[Bonus] God Is Not Disappointed In You
Hey hey, it's Sarah Mackenzie! I am here with a bonus episode. I host another podcast — it's called Circle with Sarah— and it's a short, weekly podcast that helps all of us become the peace-filled, joyful mamas we're called to be. It goes up at RAR Premium every Monday during the school year. Recently, I recorded an episode for that podcast called "God is Not Disappointed in You." And not only did it really resonate with RAR Premium members, but we got several requests from members to please post this on the Read-Aloud Revival podcast so they could share it with their friends even if their…
30 Oct 2025 · 51 min
Best of RAR: Education is for Love
Have you ever worried that you’re not meeting all of your child’s needs—academically, emotionally, spiritually, or even socially? Pretty much every day, right? You’re not alone. Most of us have asked ourselves if we are giving our kids everything they need at one time or another. In this episode, I’m sharing a replay from one of our Circle with Sarah live sessions where RAR Community Manager Kelsey Murphy and I dug into what education is really for , because if we know what it’s for, we’re better able to answer if we’re meeting our children’s needs. I hope this conversation helps you…
E273 · 16 Oct 2025 · 36 min
RAR #273: Imagining the Childhood of C.S. Lewis, with Judith McQuoid
Many of you will already know that I am a huge fan of The Chronicles of Narnia. Today, I want to introduce my fellow Narnia lovers to a new book that jumped right off the shelf as soon as I saw it. Giant is a middle-grade novel by debut author Judith McQuoid where we meet Davy, a fictional working class boy from East Belfast, Ireland who is sent to work in the wealthy Lewis household in 1908. There, he forges a friendship with Jacks–as C.S. Lewis was known to his friends and family–over books, stories, and building worlds of imagination and adventure. Giant is a must-read for Narnia fans…
E272 · 2 Oct 2025 · 45 min
RAR #272: Giving Flora Her Voice with Astrid Sheckels
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 we’re chatting about her new book, Flora and the Jazzers, which Kirkus called “sumptuously illustrated” in their starred review and I couldn’t agree more. This jazz-age Cinderella story starring a ferret named Flora and set in a 1920s New York hotel is going to…
18 Sep 2025 · 58 min
Best of RAR: What Do We Mean by Peace?
Peace. It sounds lovely, right? It’s 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 Sarah–my mentoring program for homeschool moms inside RAR Premium–we had a retreat. And our theme? Maintaining Peace in Your Homeschool . Over four sessions, we walked through practical tips for letting go of guilt and holding onto peace when your day doesn’t go as planned–which we all know is basically every hour of every…
4 Sep 2025 · 51 min
Best of RAR: 5 Habits of Happy Homeschoolers
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 happy homeschool means, our answers would be remarkably similar. As many of us are getting into the swing of a new school year, I want to revisit a topic that I think is incredibly important to keep in mind so that you can actually enjoy your homeschool this year. In this…
E271 · 21 Aug 2025 · 43 min
RAR #271: An Inside Look at Writing & Illustrating a Picture Book with Katie Wray Schon
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 to Painting Wonder’s incredibly talented author and illustrator, Katie Wray Schon, about this picture book biography of the fascinating woman behind the iconic illustrations in the works of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. We knew this conversation would be too good to keep to…
E270 · 7 Aug 2025 · 35 min
RAR #270: The Whys and Hows of Quiet Reading Time
One of the all-time most useful things I’ve 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 still do it with those younger three today. It has made a bigger difference in our homeschool than almost anything else. It isn’t always quiet. And it isn’t always reading, in the most traditional sense. But it is incredibly effective, and it’s still my kids’ favorite part of the day. In this episode, I’m…

About Read-Aloud Revival ®

Sarah Mackenzie helps your family fall in love with books, and helps *you* fall in love with homeschooling.

Read-Aloud Revival ® is a English kids & family podcast from Sarah Mackenzie. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Sarah Mackenzie
Language: English
Category: Kids & Family
New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 41 min
Latest episode: 1 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id870178510

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