YMB #49 The Read Aloud Family: A Conversation with Sarah Mackenzie

Sarah Mackenzie is on a mission — a mission to help every family know that the importance of reading aloud goes beyond building bigger test scores and better vocabularies. The importance of reading aloud goes to the very heart of the relationships in your home.

Join Pam and Sarah on the podcast as they chat why this is even more relevant to our culture today than it was 20 years ago, practical tips on how to get it done (even with a bunch) of kids, and the books that Sarah and Pam can never agree to like. The gloves are coming off on this episode — don’t miss it.

Links and resources from today’s show:

• SPONSOR: Maestro Classics
• Read Aloud Revival
• The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids
• Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace
• Red Scarf Girl
• Llama Llama Red Pajama
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Little House Set
• Play-Doh
• Old Yeller
• Bridge to Terabithia
• Where the Red Fern Grows
• Charlotte’s Web
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings
• Mark Twain: Five Novels
• A Christmas Carol
• Peter Pan – Audible
• Book Darts
• The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
• Pride and Prejudice
• The Scarlet Letter
• The Space Trilogy
• Adam of the Road
• Fever 1793
• The Seven Silly Eaters
• The Bark of the Bog Owl (Wilderking Trilogy)
• The Way of the Wilderking (Wilderking Trilogy)
• The Secret of the Swamp King (Wilderking Trilogy)
• The Goose Girl
• Princess Academy

PinThe Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your KidsPinTeaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable PeacePinRed Scarf GirlPinLlama Llama Red PajamaPinTo Kill a MockingbirdPinThe Little House SetPinPlay-DohPinOld YellerPinBridge to TerabithiaPinWhere the Red Fern GrowsPinCharlotte’s WebPinThe Lion, the Witch and the WardrobePinThe Hobbit and the Lord of the RingsPinMark Twain: Five NovelsPinA Christmas CarolPinPeter Pan – AudiblePinBook DartsPinThe Vanderbeekers of 141st StreetPinPride and PrejudicePinThe Scarlet LetterPinThe Space TrilogyPinAdam of the RoadPinFever 1793PinThe Seven Silly EatersPinThe Bark of the Bog Owl (Wilderking Trilogy)PinThe Way of the Wilderking (Wilderking Trilogy)PinThe Secret of the Swamp King (Wilderking Trilogy)PinThe Goose GirlPinPrincess Academy

 

Key Ideas about Reading Aloud

Reading aloud to our children is one of the most important things we can do for them. It helps them academically and it helps us to develop deep, meaningful relationships as a family. When thinking about the impact of reading aloud to our kids, we have to take the long view and recognize that consistency is what is really going to make the difference.

Reading books is a safe way to open up conversations for difficult topics with our kids.

Using a trusted booklist is a great way to train yourself to choose great books. But, when you are trying to decide if a book is worth reading and you are not familiar with it you should look at these three things. First, see if the images in the book are engaging you for longer than necessary. Secondly, look for rich vocabulary as you flip through and read a few passages of the book. And thirdly, ask yourself if you want to know the outcome of the story. If all three of those have piqued your interest, it’s probably a great book to try.

Good books have two things in common. They leave you with a sense of hope and they are enjoyed by a wide age range