Podcasts about read aloud family

In part one of the 500th episode, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker reflect on the history and growth of the Arts of Language podcast. They share lighthearted stories about podcast listening habits and discuss how far the podcast has come since its early days. The conversation turns to memorable episodes, such as interviews with Andrew’s son about the hidden strengths of dyslexia, guest appearances from Dr. Leonard Sax and Dr. Carol Swain, and discussions of books like How to Think like Shakespeare. Go to Part 2. (available 10/23/25) Go to Part 3. (available 10/24/25) Referenced Materials Episode 54: What Are We Really Doing Here? Part 1 Episode 197: While Andrew's Away – Living with Dyslexia—An Interview with Chris Pudewa, Part 1 Episode R07: Why Gender Matters – An Interview with Dr. Leonard Sax Episode 398: Think like Shakespeare, Part 1 Episode 382: Announcing IEW’s Partnership with Hillsdale College! Episode 481: Writing across the Curriculum with Dr. O’Toole Amber O’Neal Johnston Heidi St. John MomStrong 365 A Daily Devotional to Encourage and Empower Everyday Moms The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie Episode R05: Are You a Part of a "Read-Aloud Family"? A Conversation with Sarah Mackenzie Episode 435: Becoming Homeschoolers with Monica Swanson Episode 282: A Visit with Dr. Carol Swain† Episode 264: The Benefits of Mastery Education Episode 299: The Profound Power of Poetry Episode 283: A Bookish Discussion, Part 1 Episode 272: The Different Stages of Learning Episode 273: Culture, Curriculum, and Care, Part 1 Episode 281: Talking about the Intangibles Episode 296: Impacting English Language Learners with Structure and Style Episode 288: Reaching the Reluctant Writer, Part 1 Episode 293: Process versus Product Episode 294: Writing across the Curriculum Episode 269: The Mighty Pen – Teaching Students to Change the World through Language Episode 311: Optimizing Instruction for Boys and Girls Episode 306: Speaking of Spelling Episode 305: Homeschool 101, An Interview with Sam Sorbo Episode 447: Alternative Learning with Jennifer Mauser Episode 478: What’s in Your Audible Account? Soul School by Amber O’Neal Johnston Twelve Days of Christmas Giving Episode 261: When Technology in Education Makes Sense Transcript of Podcast Episode 500 Part 1 If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA). If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com

273. Wise Living: Why to Get Outside and Travel and Read Aloud with Amber O'Neal Johnston   “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 NIV   *Transcription Below*   Amber O'Neal Johnston is an author, speaker, and Charlotte Mason homeschooling mom who blends life-giving books and a culturally rich environment for her four children and others seeking to do the same. She recommends we offer children opportunities to see themselves and others reflected in their lessons, especially throughout their books, and she's known for sharing literary “mirrors and windows” on HeritageMom.com and @heritagemomblog. Amber is also the author of Soul School: Taking Kids on a Joy-Filled Journey Through the Heart of Black American Culture and A Place to Belong, a guide for families of all backgrounds on raising kids to celebrate their heritage, community, and the world.   www.HeritageMom.com www.SoulSchoolBook.com www.APlaceToBelongBook.com www.instagram.com/heritagemomblog www.facebook.com/heritagemomblog   Thank You to Our Sponsor:  Sam Leman Eureka   Questions that We Discussed: Looking back, what would you say has helped to shape your children's character the most? What have you learned about the importance of getting our kids (and ourselves) out into nature? How do you actually make time to be a content creator and to also homeschool and travel and host?   Other Related Episodes from The Savvy Sauce: 53 Practical Life Tips with Blogger, Rach Kincaid 57 Implementing Bite-Size Habits That Will Change Your Life with Author, Blogger, Podcaster, and Speaker, Kat Lee 82 Traveling with Your Family with Katie Mueller 84 Ordering Your Priorities with Kat Lee 103 Making Family Memories with Jessica Smartt 200 Planting Seeds of Faith in Our Children with Courtney DeFeo 204 Charlotte Mason Inspired Mini-Series: A Delectable Education with Emily Kiser 207 Cultivating Character in Our Children with Cynthia Yanof 212 School Series: Benefits of Homeschooling with Jodi Mockabee 253 Low Tech Parenting with Erin Loechner   Connect with The Savvy Sauce Our Website, Instagram or Facebook    Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:11 - 2:01) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today over 55 years later at Sam Leman Chevrolet Inc. in Eureka. Owned and operated by the Burchie family, Sam Leman's in Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at LehmanGM.com.   Amber O'Neal Johnston is my fascinating guest for today. She's an author and speaker and coach and she's just chosen to live a very wise life as a wife and mother, and I think you're going to enjoy gleaning practical tips such as the benefits of getting our children out in nature regardless of their age. She has teens and makes this super practical for things that they would enjoy too, and she shares these incredible benefits of what happens when we simply step outdoors. She's also going to share approachable ways to introduce our family to great art and other cultures, and she gives us a fabulous book list, so, make sure you stay tuned through the end of the episode so that you can see some of the top books that she recommends. Finally, if you don't have a copy of her own latest release entitled Soul School, I highly recommend you purchase that today. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Amber.   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (2:02 - 2:04) Thank you so much. I'm so happy to be here.   Laura Dugger: (2:04 - 2:14) Well, I'd love for you just to start us off and introduce us to your family, and will you just share a glimpse of your values and lifestyle?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (2:15 - 3:48) Absolutely. So, I live outside of Atlanta, Georgia with my husband Scott and our four children. We are just entering birthday season, but shortly they will be 16, 14, 12, and 10. The girls are the two oldest. The boys are the two youngest, and they've been homeschooled from the beginning, so, we're a homeschooling family. I'm originally from Illinois. My husband's originally from Ohio, but we met here in Atlanta at the High Museum of Art, which is really special. We are art loving, you know, fine arts loving, liberal arts loving family, and so, the idea that we met at the museum, I will just cherish that forever. I came to, before homeschooling, I was a stay-at-home mom, and prior to having children, I have an MBA, and I worked in corporate America in like marketing and advertising, and Scott comes from a similar background with the MBA, and he was doing work in that area too, so, we had that as a connection point, but I have always stayed home with the kids, and you know, our values are rooted in our Christian faith, and we're an African-American family, and so, we have values and cultural aspects that enter our home through that avenue as well. We are world travelers, so, we enjoy that as part of who we are, and I'm an author and a speaker, and I'm just a very happy homeschooler.   Laura Dugger: (3:48 - 4:12) I love that, and it sounds like such a rich and abundant life, and there's two little connections that I have to go back to. My husband and I had a date at that same museum. I love that you met your husband there. Oh wow, that's wild! And so, we met when we were in Atlanta, but live in Illinois now, so, which part of Illinois were you originally from?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (4:12 - 4:33) I'm from Elgin, Illinois. It's out past O'Hare Airport, and I was born and raised there. My parents were both public school principals there. My dad was principal of Elgin High, and there's actually an elementary school, Ron O'Neal Elementary School in Elgin, named after my father, so, that is where I'm from.   Laura Dugger: (4:33 - 4:46) Wow, okay, so, then even with that piece, your father being a principal, and then you said you've homeschooled since the beginning. Did you always anticipate you would homeschool, or what was your journey into that?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (4:47 - 7:15) Oh my gosh, never, and it's both of my parents were principals, so, that's wild. My grandfather was an elected school board official. My sister was an elected school board official, so, public school is just, you know, in my blood from the very beginning, and that's what I assumed I would do for my kids at first. Once Scott and I got married, and we had discussed it, we decided that I would stay home when they were little, and when they were old enough to go to school, I would go back to work, and my salary would pay for private Christian school tuition, and as the years, you know, months really came to fruition for my oldest, my husband started backpedaling, and he started talking this crazy talk about homeschooling. I'm like, that's a switcheroo for you. What are you talking about? I was like, that's weird. I don't want to do that. I don't feel called to do that. That does not seem like a comfortable space for me. I don't want my kids to endure that, and ultimately, I lacked confidence in that. I couldn't even articulate it. It felt scary, terrifying. Why would I take something so weighty into my own hands, and Scott was very persistent, and I can't even explain why he was so persistent about it, but I think to me, I feel like it was planted in him by the Lord, and he felt that this was the way he wanted to lead his family, and he did it so graciously because I was very resistant. He asked, would you please try it for one year, and if you are unhappy, you don't think it's right. I'll never ask you about it again, and that gave me a softer place to land where I felt like it wasn't signing up for a long-term commitment because I knew I was going to hate it, and I said, sure. I will do that, and oh, my gosh. It was the most amazing year, and I laugh now because my daughter was four, so, she's like four and turned five during that year, and so, she was so young, and people were like, well, what were you really doing, but I took it so seriously. I was doing all things, and I joined a homeschool support group, and I was reading about it, and I realized on Friday, I'm a stay-at-home mom, and on Monday, I took on this identity of a homeschooling mom, and it's just been a beautiful journey for us. I'm so thankful that the Lord led Scott in that way. He knew what was right, not just for our children, but for me, too, when I had no vision for it, and so, I'm just, you know, very grateful.   Laura Dugger: (7:16 - 7:30) I love that story. That's such an encouragement, and, okay, your oldest is turning 16, so, when you look back, what would you say has helped shape your children's character the most?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (7:32 - 9:29) Well, I think the time that we've all had to spend together, like intense amounts of time, so, not just quality time or quantity time, but both, and I think that there's nothing else I could have done that could replace that, so, I think that's one of the things. I think my own acceptance of the divine nature of me being their mother and those being my children, and really that leading me to embrace my mother's intuition, which is something that I was hesitant for at first because there are so many experts, and surely they know so much more than me, and that's not to say that that's not important. I read so widely. I'm always reading expert ideas and views, but what I realized is that those things can help me as tools. They can mentor me, but they can't master me because the master has already appointed me as the perfect mom for these children, and nobody knows them, the little tiny details of them that nobody knows more than me, and so, when I leaned into that and I'm like, yeah, this says this online, this book said that, this thing says that, I can take what I can from those, but ultimately I feel the spirit telling me and leading me in this way with these children, and when I really leaned into that, I have a right to do that. I am their mother. That revolutionized things, and I think that's what's helped shape my children's character the most is my willingness to lean into how I'm led to lead them, and so, that's been a motherhood journey for me, and I hope that it's a legacy that I leave with my children.   Laura Dugger: (9:31 - 9:53) And do you have any specific stories that come to mind that were examples of that mother's intuition, something that really I think it is such a gift from the Lord and that the Holy Spirit speaks to us in some unique way as mothers to be in tune with our kids, so, is there a time that it really benefited them when you exercised your mother's intuition?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (9:53 - 12:42) Well, there was one time with my third, my son, my oldest son, his name is Beckett, and he was in the high chair eating while I was braiding my daughter's hair, and I heard him start making like these really weird noises, and I looked over and it was like he was choking and gagging, and I run over, and but he seemed fine, but then he would do it again, and he started sweating, and you know today I really would say, you should call 9-1-1, but I didn't, I threw all the kids in the car, and I rushed to the ER, and when we got there he wasn't choking anymore, he wasn't sweating, they did his vitals and everything, and they said, well mom, whatever happened passed, he's fine, and you guys can go home, and I was like, no, he's not fine, I'm looking at him, he's not my little boy, his vitals are checking out, but he's not looking at me the way he normally looks at me, he's not interacting with me, the little funny things that I can make him smile all the time, he's not responding to them, and so, like, I know you have your tests, but like my, I'm telling you something's wrong with my little boy, so, they have a doctor, he comes in to tell me everything's fine, and he's sending me home, and so, I was like, well I'm not leaving, I'll just spend the night in the ER then with all my kids, because I know something's wrong, and the doctor, who's this older man, he turns to me, he looks me in my eyes, and he says, you know, in all my years of medical training, there's something that they never told us, but something I've learned throughout my career, never doubt a mother's intuition, and he said, we'll take him and run more tests, and they took Beckett back to run more tests, and they came back and said, you were right, he has swallowed a coin, and it's like just teetering on the precipice, and so, at times it was blocking his airway, and at times it was shifted a little bit, and we have to go in immediately and get it, and that could have choked him, if you had just gone home and put him down to bed, and so, in that story, I took away two things, one, that I am his mother, and I don't care what the test says, or what the data says, or what the news, or a book, at the end of the day, I knew that something was wrong with my boy, the other thing is the graciousness of that doctor, to see my humanity and my personhood beyond just the insurance payment, or protocol, or whatever, it let me know that like there's something powerful about letting other people know that you see them, and that you are connected to them, as another part of God's creation, like he respected me on that level, so.   Laura Dugger: (12:43 - 13:35) That is incredible, I'm so grateful that that story has a happy ending, and that you were assertive to say that, I think sometimes as women, probably especially as Christian women, we can think, oh I want to be nice, or not push back on somebody, but I love that you were assertive, it was what was in your child's best interest, and like you highlighted, that doctor's humility is admirable, but Amber, you mentioned too that you're a writer, and you contribute a lot to things like the Wild and Free bundles, and I was always struck by the way that you would be out in nature, and there's so much to learn, so, if you had to boil it down, what wisdom would you have to share from what you've learned about the importance of getting our kids and ourselves outdoors into nature?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (13:36 - 16:49) Yeah, that's so funny, I love that you asked me that, because I like to tell people I was raised in the air conditioning, and so, there is no one who began motherhood further away from nature and being outdoors than me, like, and I can look back at those early days of like, I knew you could take your kids to the playground, and I did do that, but like what else would you do outside, you know, and people would be like, oh we went hiking on this trail, and I was like, where did you get on it, like where do you find a trailhead, like I mean this is back, like this is where I was coming from, and I was just like, and then what would we do, like we just walk, and do we talk about trees, I don't know any trees, I know Christmas trees are evergreens, you know, so, it was just like coming from this very like foundational place where I didn't know anything, but I believed, right, I believed, I somehow inherently believed when I read that being outdoors was important for children, so, I'm reading Charlotte Mason's work, and she's talking about nature study, I'm reading Last Child in the Woods by Louvre, and I'm hearing about this, he calls it a nature deficit disorder, and I'm reading all of these different kind of people who really respected childhood, and personhood, and really wanted the best for children, I'm reading a Christian perspective of the joy in connecting with God's creation, first and foremost, but also this idea of encouraging natural and authentic physical activity, running, climbing, balancing, exploring, developing coordination, and confidence, and the mental health components, you know, reducing stress, and improving mood, and not just for the kids, but my friend from A Thousand Hours Outside, she talks about how the first time she like took her kids out for the whole day, it was for her, because she was going crazy with these all these little kids, and the house, and the bags, and the diaper bag, and the snacks, and she didn't know what else to do, so, she just went outside, and how healing that was, and therapeutic that was for all of them, the idea of curiosity, of fueling curiosity, and creativity, I've never seen my kids come up with the most, I mean, they come up with imaginative things in our house, but outside, the, oh my goodness, the things they come up with, the things they create, and make, and the storytelling that comes out of that, and I think the family bonds, our experiences, it's another way of memory making, I mean, we make memories when we go see plays, and musicals, and travel as well, so, it's not the only way, but it's a strong way of that shared outdoor adventures, so, like a couple weeks ago, we were all whitewater rafting, it's funny, like a lot of funny things happen when you're out there doing crazy stuff, and so, we have a lot of laughter, and we have a lot of inside jokes that come from our time together, so, I think that all of those, it's not just one thing, it's one of those rare things where there are all the pros, and there really are no cons, and so, I intentionally embrace that for my family, even though it's everything that I didn't have growing up.   Laura Dugger: (16:50 - 17:41) Wow, that is so interesting, I love how books have really inspired you to make changes that have benefited your entire family, and I'm thinking back years ago when I was in grad school, studying marriage and family therapy, there was this book that we read, Letters to a Young Therapist, I believe the author is Mary Pipher, and she said something that I found to be very true in my life, she said, from childhood when we all look back, our memories typically boil down to three categories, one is family dinners around the table, the second is traveling with our family, and the third is anytime we were outdoors, and so, I'm wondering that legacy that you're giving your kids, they're going to have an abundance of memories in all three of those buckets.   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (17:42 - 18:29) Yeah, I love that, and I had never read that, it's making me want to go and read her work, but I can't agree more, I mean that's what I've seen anecdotally, at least in my family, and it's definitely been the case for us, I can totally see that, the other thing I love about outdoors too is it's free, you know, so, there have, we've had times of plenty and times of not quite enough financially throughout our journey, due to layoffs, and you know, recessions, and all these different things, but that has been one thing that the travel hasn't always been as consistent as we wanted, but the nature, the time outside has always been accessible, even during COVID, that was accessible to us, so, I love it for that too, but yeah, that's really cool.   Laura Dugger: (18:29 - 18:41) Absolutely, okay, so, you started with, you were getting some inspiration from different books and speakers, but then when did you actually implement this? Do you remember how old your kids were?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (18:42 - 20:11) Right away, so, my oldest was like four, five years old, and we started going outside, now again, we had always been going to the park, so, they had been spending a lot of time outside, but I will say like that's like a very, you know, man-made structures, and you know, I can't think of it, like very cultivated space, so, we weren't spending time in uncultivated space until around there, so, maybe a four-year-old, two-year-old, and infant, and I know they started growing up in that way, and I had kids in an ergo on the back, and I remember hiking with a kid in an ergo on the front, and then snapped another one on the back, and you know, these are memories I have of being outdoors thoroughly by the time the boys were coming along, and I remember the story where we were at a creek, and I looked up for a moment, and just sheer panic that my little boy was gone, he wasn't in my eyesight anymore, and the girls were playing there, and I'm like, you know, and I look, and look, and look, and there's nothing, and no one, and all I can think you sees in the water, and I wasn't paying attention, and my heart's racing, and I'm like, girls, where's your brother? And my daughter says, mommy, he's sleeping on your back. And I'm like, oh my gosh, I just think, like, I was so tired during those years, and I just remember, I would just think, let's just go outside, and some days that's just the most I could come up with, but yeah, I was freaking out, and the little boy was sleeping on my back.   Laura Dugger: (20:12 - 21:50) And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Sam Leman Chevrolet in Eureka has been owned and operated by the Burchie family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Stephen's grandfather, Sam Leman, opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago.   If you visit their dealership today though, you'll find that not everything has changed. They still operate their dealership like their grandfather did, with honesty and integrity. Sam and Stephen understand that you have many different choices in where you buy or service your vehicle. This is why they do everything they can to make the car buying process as easy and hassle-free as possible. They are thankful for the many lasting friendships that began with a simple welcome to Sam Leman's. Their customers keep coming back because they experience something different.   I've known Sam and Stephen and their wives my entire life, and I can vouch for their character and integrity, which makes it easy to highly recommend you check them out today. Your car buying process doesn't have to be something you dread, so, come see for yourself at Sam Leman Chevrolet in Eureka. Sam and Stephen would love to see you, and they appreciate your business. Learn more at their website, LehmanEureka.com, or visit them on Facebook by searching for Sam Leman Eureka. You can also call them at 309-467-2351. Thanks for your sponsorship.   I'm wondering too, so, when you began, what did you start with? What did you do outside?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (21:51 - 24:13) So, we started with walking, and I also was very verbal about my, what I felt were my inadequacies with friends, and that's why, you know, I can't overemphasize the, I haven't brought that up yet, but the idea of community. You don't need a hundred friends, just a few people who either are doing the same thing as you, have done it, or know you personally so well. But I had a friend who was like this outdoor enthusiast, and I always admired her for that, and she'd be like, oh, I went to the hydrangeas, they're coming out today, and they're gonna bloom for four days, and you know, like, and she would be like, oh, do you want some wild blueberries? And I'd be looking at her with side eye, like, girl, I only eat blueberries from Publix, because how do I know that you know what you're doing? You know, those could be poisonous berries you identified wrong. So, we had this kind of ongoing thing, I just asked her, I was like, hey, could we go outside with you guys sometimes? And she was like, of course. So, our first hike was with her and her kids, and she showed me how to go outside and do nothing. Like, we didn't do anything, we just walked. And the kids let us, you know, they would stop and ponder things and ask questions, which she knew the answers to, but wouldn't answer. So, she was like, well, what do you think? Or that's something cool we can investigate, or whatever. So, I realized, wow, here's this expert naturalist who's not even using her expertise. I don't have any expertise, so I could do the same thing. Well, what do you think about that? So, the kids let us, we stopped when they stopped, we kept going when they kept going. We had plenty of water and snacks, which she had told me, which was important. And that was my first thing. It was a hike. And after that, I only went back to that place by myself with my kids without her, because that was the only trail I knew. I knew where to park and where to go, and I felt confident. And then lo and behold, I run into Charlotte Mason's work, where she talks about returning to the same place throughout the year, and having your kids compare what's happening their season to season. And so, different rationale for why I was doing that. But then I was like, look, there's beauty, even in the simplicity of me not knowing what else to do. So, that's kind of how we got into it. And then I started having more experience and going out and being more adventurous further away from home with my kids.   Laura Dugger: (24:14 - 24:24) Okay, so, then what other ways has it evolved? You mentioned whitewater rafting. So, you've got teens now. What does your time outdoors look like in this phase?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (24:25 - 26:02) So, lots of camping. So, you know, Memorial Day weekend, you know, we were camping in yurts with friends. This past weekend, we camped, we had a big Juneteenth celebration, and then we went camping for Juneteenth weekend. And so, I would say that kayaking, paddle boards, we have paddle boards, we take out fishing, I hate fishing personally, don't like it at all. But two of my kids enjoy fishing. So, I'm there for that. I'll just bring a book or whatever, because it's quite boring to me, but they love it. So, we moved. I mean, how much of a commitment is that we moved to a different house, when we were able to have our whole property is forest floor. So, it's completely shaded and intertwined with trees and plants and a kind of wild scape. And across the road is a lake where the boys can fish and I can call their names for lunch and they can hear me now. I have to yell it loud. It's kind of country. Other people probably like what is going on? I'm like, you know, but they can hear me right there. And so, the creek and just really everything. A lot, a lot of hiking, I will say we live near a mountain and we're in Georgia. So, the North Georgia mountains are not far from us. We have Appalachia or Appalachia, as my friend said, I mispronounce it. And yeah, there's nothing that isn't my one of my first dates with Scott was whitewater rafting. So, we've always kind of embraced that.   Laura Dugger: (26:03 - 26:37) Oh, that's a special way to tie in a married couple memory with your kids and get to pass that along. And water and mountains, those things are, they never get old. But I've heard others even say like, you don't have to take stuff other than water and snacks, like you mentioned, to go outside. But I like the practical tips that sometimes people take art supplies, and they can nature journal or a book to read aloud. Do you have any other practical tips like that, that you would encourage if somebody wanted to get started with this lifestyle?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (26:38 - 28:47) Yeah, I would say, um, we, okay, the best thing I can say is to just try it like I think that oftentimes I know my I'm like this, you want to try to be an expert at something before you actually put it into practice. And the point is, like, we're looking at someone's work or something that they're doing after years that they've been in practice. And then we're expecting to do that from the very beginning. And until we get there, we don't want to do it. So, for example, nature study, nature journaling, I always admired nature journaling. But when you look at people's nature journals that they people who are willing to share, there's usually a reason they're willing to share theirs because it looks beautiful. And mine didn't also look beautiful. But I was still willing to give it a try. And I love that. And I love my kids, what they've worked on. And I cherish all of our early beginning sketches. And quite honestly, I'm still not great. But I think having tools like watercolor pens and water pens where we can do watercolor on the go. And we've done many pictures out by the side of the creek on picnic blankets, especially like my older children while younger people are like, What do I do with these little ones like water, you know, like they love that splashing, making sandcastles and things while I'm painting or doing things watercolors with the with the older ones. And were they museum worthy? No. But there was a lot of enjoyment involved in a skill-based learning. So, I think asking questions and inquiry, using pictures, sure and painting, but also keeping track of things the the date that our cherry blossoms bloom, and our white cherry blossom blooms before the pink one every year and keeping track of that or paying trying to map all of the vegetation in our yard like we are, you know, know which trees what they're called where they come from that takes time. And those are things we've done. It's not like we're only just sitting there barefoot grounding ourselves and forest bathing. You know, we're out there learning as well. And I think that, you know, both are beautiful ways to enter into that.   Laura Dugger: (28:48 - 29:34) I love it. There's so many benefits. And you even mention grounding that helps so much going barefoot with inflammation and different body systems that are reset even by getting out and getting early morning light and the serotonin that's produced that turns into melatonin at night. So, we're happier in the day and sleepier at night, resetting systems in our eyes and like healing our body in different ways to an even how much better outdoor air is for us than indoor air. The benefits just go on and on. So, would you have any to add that either your family has experienced personally, or you've learned about just benefits of getting outdoors?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (29:34 - 31:29) Yeah, I think that one, even, you know, all the things you said, yes, and also the mental clarity. And that's why I don't like being time outdoors, being tied to a negative consequence for academic related behavior. So, the house across the road from ours, you know, I could say ironically, or just be like, God chose to gift us. It's a homeschooling family. They moved in a couple years ago, and they have some kids are some of our kids are similar ages. And our boys are just outside all the time together hours and hours and hours every single day. And I see the difference on days where the weather doesn't permit it or where one family or the other, you know, isn't available. There's a difference in terms of clarity and the work that's happening at the lesson table as well. And this came up, you know, my nephew, you know, they're not homeschooled, and his parents took him on a trip, which caused him to miss a day of school. And he missed an assignment that day, he didn't turn it in. And so, the school then when he got back to school punished him by keeping him indoors for recess. And I was helping, you know, my family craft a note that talks about two things. One, they punished a child for a decision the parents made. And that is grossly unfair, they should be talking to the parents about not missing school, if that's the important thing. And the second thing is, you took away the very thing that allows these children to have what they need to sit quietly and take in, you know, that that's not, that's not how you that's not an appropriate consequence. So, anyway, I feel that the mental clarity beyond the things I would have named the same things you already said, it would be the only other thing that I would bring in and why time outside actually helps us to achieve deeper and broader and more expansive learning when we are inside.   Laura Dugger: (31:29 - 31:54) That's good. And I love how you keep mentioning the piece of community that that's the best way to do this. So, regardless of somebody homeschools, or they don't, how can all of us actually prioritize this? And what's a good, healthy goal for getting started, even as specific as how much time outdoors, how many outdoors or how many days a week should we be outdoors?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (31:55 - 33:01) Yeah, that's, it's so different for every family, I think that you should go just past the point of comfort, you know, for most of us. So, if the point of comfort for you is like 30 minutes a week, then you would start out like aim for an hour a week, you know, 20 minutes, three days, if you're already outside for, you know, 10 hours, a couple hours each day, you know, I would say, maybe shake it up with what you're doing and see what would it be like to go on a really long outdoor excursion on a Saturday, or to take a day off or something like that. So, I don't want to say an exact number, because we're all entering in at a different place. For me, if someone had told me to spend eight hours outside with my kids, when I was first starting, and I'm used to going to playground for 20 minutes, that would have been overwhelming. And I would have been like; there's no way I'm ever gonna do it. So, I think like, just taking it, like, where do I feel most comfortable? And how can I push myself just past that point would be a great place to start and kind of a nice place to always stay? Like, what's the next thing that we can do to lean further into this?   Laura Dugger: (33:02 - 33:15) That's really good, very wise counsel. And Amber, you've mentioned that your family loves to travel. So, will you share any adventures that you've had as a family with world schooling?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (33:16 - 36:20) So, our goal, and it's just a fun thing, you know, I don't know if we'll totally do it, but I think we will, is to have children. So, for us, world schooling is where we're not on vacation, but we're actually deeply immersed in a learning stance in another country, another part of the world. And we're trying to do that on every continent, except Antarctica, before my oldest graduates. So, we have two continents left, we are going to be going to Asia in the fall. So, we'll be taking that one off of our list and for that particular feat. And then her senior year, we'll do Australia and hop over to New Zealand. That's the plan, if it's God's will for us to do that, that's what we would like to do, and that will complete our journey. And then we'll keep traveling, but that was just kind of a fun thing to help lead us, because there are so many places in the world to go, like how do you know? And so, that kind of helped us know, well, let's do this continent, let's do that continent. So, we took our first trip, we spent three months in South America, most of it spent in Bolivia. And I can tell you exactly the kids' ages, because my youngest turned two in Bolivia. So, they were two, four, six, and then one turned eight there. And so, that was, you know, diapers, I had a baby in diapers, a little one in diapers and still nursing when we went on our first trip. And I've never regretted that. People have said, why would you take kids so young? You know, they're not going to remember. And I think a couple thoughts. One, you'd be surprised, they do remember. They may not remember this artifact in some museum, but that's not what we spend most of our time doing. But they remember the people. And we've kept in touch with a lot of the people that we've met in these different countries. And we've even had visitors in our home, staying in our basement apartment that we met abroad. So, they do remember. They remember how things feel and taste more than they remember exactly, like historical markers and things like that. Also, I kind of compare it to like breastfeeding and nursing, like my kids, except for one little boy who held on way too long, but they don't remember that. But I believed that it was something good for them that was forming. It was helping to form who they were, not so much who they were personality wise, but their bodies as they were growing. And so, sometimes we do things that are foundational to our children's development, even if they don't have a conscious and direct memory of that thing. And that's how I see world travel. So, we've been to Europe, and we were in Greece when COVID hit. We were in the middle of a big trip there. So, we had the whole struggle to get back to the United States. We've been to West Africa, most spent in Ghana, England, France. We're going to Ethiopia this year. So, yeah, that's kind of, that's our thing.   Laura Dugger: (36:20 - 37:04) Wow. And those memories are incredible. Even let's say your children forget some of this, or if they're too young to remember all of it, you remember this and you get to share those stories with them and pass that along. I can't even imagine all of the learning that takes place from being immersed in those other cultures. But you also mentioned welcoming people into your basement apartment. So, you sound hospitable as a family. What does that actually look like? And I'm kind of going to throw two questions at you. What does that actually look like? And then both for world schooling and hospitality, what are tips for ways we can replicate that as well?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (37:06 - 39:52) So, one thing that's important to me to always share about world schooling, I have a whole chapter about our world schooling adventures in my first book, but one important thing that I call out there is Eli Gerzen. He's the guy who came up with the word world schooling. And he says, you know, we don't even need a passport to do it. That world schooling is really learning from the world around you. It could be your local library. It could be the internet. It could be your neighbors. And so, while I use this more global term of world schooling, because that's just what we call it in our family, the truth of the matter is it's a way of seeing the world and seeing all the opportunity to make connections right where you're sitting. And people are like, oh, you guys have so much money. I can't do that. First of all, we don't have so much money. Like, for instance, we have one car, right? So, there are sacrifices that we make that other people may choose to spend their money in a different way. So, we definitely don't have a ton of money. But more importantly, I'm thinking, yeah, you're saying that you don't have money, but how much have you explored your county? Like, what do you know about the history of your county? And have you been to your local historical society? And have you really, you know, got in? Have you been to an old the oldest cemetery within driving distance of your home? Have you gotten a tour of it to hear the stories of who's there? Like, you can have that same inquiry and curiosity without ever leaving. So, I'll say that first. And in terms of the hospitality part, it's like an it's an intention, right? You have to like, decide that you're going to do that, because it's so much easier not to have people at first view, like, oh, my house is not clean, and blah, blah, blah. And people don't just stop by the way they used to stop by, like my grandparents' house, it was so fun staying there in the summer, because people just folks just came in and out all day, just they come calling is what they call it, they come calling. And even when we read Jane Austin, people leaving the call guard, you know, when they came to visit, and you weren't there, like, there was this idea that you didn't have to have an appointment. And now you do, you have to let someone know before you're coming. So, it's a choice to be vulnerable, if you want to be hospitable in that way that people will see your, you know, dirty bones of your house. And you know that you're not always presenting this, like really sanitized version of your family and your family life. And so, I think that's intentional decision to say it's more important to us to be with other people and let them in than it is for us to always sanitize everything before they get here. And I don't mean sanitizes and clean the house that too, but I mean sanitizes and everyone's behaving the way that I want them to behave in front of people and all of that as well.   Laura Dugger: (39:53 - 41:05) When was the first time you listened to an episode of The Savvy Sauce? How did you hear about our podcast? Did a friend share it with you? Will you be willing to be that friend now and text five other friends or post on your socials anything about The Savvy Sauce that you love? If you share your favorite episodes, that is how we continue to expand our reach and get the good news of Jesus Christ in more ears across the world. So, we need your help.   Another way to help us grow is to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Each of these suggestions will cost you less than a minute, but it will be a great benefit to us. Thank you so much for being willing to be generous with your time and share. We appreciate you.   Well, and I think it is a biblical command for all of us and it does bless the person or the people that we are hosting, but there are also rewards for us in the process. So, if you even just could think of one reward of a way that this hospitality has blessed your family, what would you say?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (41:07 - 41:55) Well, I would say John chapter five, it says, you know, this verse we've all heard, "I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit apart from me, you can do nothing." So, you know, when we talk about hospitality, we spend a lot of time talking about what my family is doing for other people. But also, that means that my family is constantly in contact with other believers and other people who are helping us with our faith to helping us to remain connected to Jesus. And without that connection, we know that there's nothing that we can do, nothing of any spiritual significance. So, while I'm inviting those people into our lives, it also ensures that my family is not alone in what we're trying to do in our faith. So, like, that's one of a very easy benefit, I can say right off the top.   Laura Dugger: (41:56 - 42:18) Then that one is truly invaluable for our children to get to witness the way other people live out their faith, and it impacts each of us. But I'm also curious, how do you manage your time so that you can be a content creator, and you can homeschool and travel and cultivate these relationships?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (42:20 - 46:08) So, first, let me say that it's not always easy. And there are seasons where I feel like I'm doing a really good job with that. And there are seasons where I feel like I'm not doing a good job. I always prioritize my family first. And so, during the seasons where I feel like I'm not doing a good job, it's very public. People can see I did not post on Instagram for a month, or I'm not speaking as much. They're finding it harder to find opportunities to hear me speak, or I have a long lull before books are published. Those are times where I've turned inward towards my family, where I felt like I didn't have the bandwidth for everything. And so, that's something I have to deal with on a constant basis, because I know that my business or my ministry is not as rich and robust as it could be. I have ideas for days. I have ideas and the ability to bring them to fruition. But I'm not willing to sacrifice the time that it takes to do those things in this season. Because even though I don't have little kids, I definitely have more time than I did when I had little kids. It's not even just time; it's more mind clarity as well. But I don't have as much time as people with little kids would think, because I want to be fully present, even for my teens. When they want to talk to me, I want to be talkable too. I want to be available to them. And we're going to places. We're doing things. They're busy. I'm busy. And I'm trying to prepare them for young adulthood. And that's just as time-consuming as trying to prepare my young children for the next stage of their development. So, I guess it's so messy. Oh my gosh, it's messy. It's chaotic. It's a little bit crazy. But in the center of it all, I really appreciate the opportunities I do have to do the things that help refuel, help me refuel. So, I'm a writer. So, writing isn't just about creating a book. It's that I get to create a book, but really it's about the process and how cathartic it is for me to sit in silence and wonder about things and be able to write them out. And oh, lo and behold, there's a publisher who is interested in publishing those things. But the real work for me is in the process of writing. Then when I come home from a coffee shop or I emerge from my room, I come back more enthusiastic about what it is we're working on and what we're doing. The other thing that I would share is that I don't do all of that stuff by myself. So, things that people don't, just like I say, I have one car and we travel the world, people are like, oh, okay, this is not what I thought. My husband does all the laundry, every piece of laundry in this house that the teens do their own, but all the laundry that's done, he does and has done for over a decade. So, that's a thing I have to say, because you might be picturing that I'm doing all of those things. Or when I wrote one of my books, I was struggling and Scott was like, how can I help you? And he was like, what if we get help to come in with the kids like a nanny or something a few hours a week? I'm like, no, that's the last thing I want somebody to touch. So, he's like, well, what is it? So, we hired a chef, and she would prepare all of our dinners according to like what I, how I like my family to eat and lots of whole foods and good things. And she would drop them off at our house. It was very expensive, but I used part of the money from the advance from the publisher to pay for that so that I could write the book. So, I think those are things that a lot of times people don't talk about, but I have support in place. I'm not super woman any more than anyone else.   Laura Dugger: (46:08 - 46:49) Oh, I appreciate that real picture and those creative ideas because as mothers, we don't just make goals for ourselves. Like you said, we have these dreams and ideas that we could put into practice, but we consider our relationships as well and how it will impact everyone. So, I love hearing practically how that plays out for you and the trade-offs that you've chosen to make. And I know that you and I also share a passion for reading aloud. So, if we could get really practical for a moment, what are some of your most recommended read aloud for families from a variety of age groups?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (46:50 - 53:05) Well, I'm always ready for that question, but I have to say, it's almost asking me, which of my children are my favorite? It's so hard in so many ways, but for younger elementary, I picked three books that I think kind of help show how expansive I feel like I want my children's reading life to be. So, this book is called Indigo Dreaming, and it's a book about two girls, one's in North America and another one we can believe is off the coast of Africa. And they're both doing what they do in their own homes. And it's beautifully illustrated also, but they're both doing what they do in their own homes while wondering, is there another little girl in this world doing what I do, liking what I like? Well, indeed there is. And it's poetic and it has soft paintings. It's just stunning. And then another one is called The Magic Doll. It's a children's book inspired by African art. And in this book, the mother desperately wants to have a child, but she's dealing with infertility, and she turns to the use of an infertility doll. And what would I say about that? My family doesn't believe that, but it's a book that I read with my children because we were going to visit this culture. And I wanted to explain to them how we can respect something and learn about it even without adopting it. And that you can understand the yearning of a mother's heart to hold a child in her hand and the desperation that that could bring about. And I wanted them to know that we would see fertility dolls there and what they meant and things like that. And it's also beautifully illustrated, which is important to me. And then this one's just a fun book. It's called I Had a Favorite Dress, but as the dress starts getting too small, she cuts it and turns it into a skirt. And then it gets turned into this. And then the little, small piece gets turned into some socks. And then it's just a little scarf and snip, snip, sew, sew, pretty hair bow. And so, the same piece of fabric, this favorite dress she had, every time she can't use it in that way anymore, it gets moved and shifted. Into something else. And this book reminds me to just, you know, sometimes we share heavier topics with our children, even beautiful topics, but sometimes it's just joy. Like that's the whole purpose of the book is to smile and have fun. And I'll move more quickly for the older elementary books. I have this book called Schomburg. It's a nonfiction book about Arturo Schomburg and the man who built a library, which is now housed. His home library is now housed as part of the collection of the public library system in New York. And he collected books about all types of black and brown people. And it was considered one of the foremost library collections. So, as a book lover, I love that story. This one's called Heart and Soul. It's the story of America and African Americans with stunning illustrations by Kadir Nelson. So, I love visual art. I always say my family, we can't afford to buy the most exquisite art for our walls, but we have an exquisite art collection through our picture books that I've collected. And then the last one is for that group is John Henry by Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney illustrations. So, those are two powerhouses of African American author and illustrator. Both have passed. And it is the tall tale of John Henry told in a way that you've never seen before. For older kids, like middle schoolers, I love this one Big Open Sky because it's about some black exodusters who are moving west. And it goes so well for families who love Little House on the Prairie. But, you know, Little House on the Prairie, in some ways, there's some instances that are a little disrespectful to Native Americans and black people. And this is like a redemptive story, not instead of but alongside of it to say that there were black people that were also moving westward and what was their journey. And it's written in verse, like, oh, my gosh, I can't even tell you enough about that. This book, The Angel Orphan, my friend Leah Bowden wrote this book, and it's the story of Charlotte Mason. So, in chapter book form. So, there's also a picture book that someone wrote, but this is a beautiful story about Charlotte Mason. And my family's all-time favorite on my kids read aloud is The Winged Feather Saga by Andrew Peterson. And that whole series, oh, my goodness, that cemented so much of our family lexicon, because it's filled with like made up words. And it I mean, we have jokes and talks and sayings for days coming out of that series. For our older teenagers, um, or even early elementary, early middle school and early teenage years, the Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is just like a such a classic, Mildred D. Taylor that many of us read. But she also wrote a young adult version where Cassie is entering young adulthood. So, different age audiences, but same author. And a lot of people haven't heard of the other book All the Days Past, All the Days to Come. So, for high school, I love that. And then I threw a couple things in for mama. I'm an epic story of called Homegoing about two sisters and the different paths their lives take during a time I'm part of it is told in Africa and part of its told in the United States. And the last book I have is this memoir, A Black Mother's Garden. It's called Soil. And she uses her actual real garden at her home to kind of give us this idea of life. And it's, it's, you know, it's, it's hard to explain, but it's her it's part memoir, part gardening, like learning and talking about the plants, but also how all of that can turn into kind of like the soil of your life and the people being plants, and she really focuses on wildflowers. So, it's a stunningly, like poignant and beautiful memoir. So, those are my favorite, you know, and now if you ask me tomorrow, you're going to get a different stack.   Laura Dugger: (53:07 - 53:27) I love it. What a gift to get to see all of those you and I share some of those favorites, and you've introduced me to some new ones. So, I'm very grateful and hope everybody listening feels the same. But speaking of books, you've authored more than one. But will you tell us about your most recent release entitled Soul School?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (53:28 - 55:58) Yeah, so, Soul School is it's Soul School: Taking Kids on a Joy Filled Journey Through the Heart of Black American Culture. And I know it's so hard with those. But it is a book of books. So, people who have enjoyed Honey for a Child's Heart, or The Read-Aloud Family, those types of books, which I have adored, and I have all of them, and I've highlighted them or, or Give Your Child the World is another one, highlighted them and dog eared them and have used them to check out books for the library for my children for many, many years. And, and at the same time, I was always very, you know, on my heart that the books that I spend a lot of time reading with my children that I choose and I select are never really included in most of those books.   And there was the season, you know, I'm like, frustrated, you know, I'm mad. I'm like, why? Why are they putting these books in here? And then the more I thought about it, I was like, the most you can ask for a mother to do when she's sharing these books, when it's coming from that is what she read with her children. So, am I going to be mad at her that she didn't read what I think she should read? No, do I wish that it had been more expansive? Sure, I do. But how many of us wouldn't go back and do something differently if knowing what we know today or whatever. So, I wrote a companion like the I see not to replace those books. But this book is filled with African American and black diasporic children's literature starting from preschool all the way through high school.   The first part of the book, I talk about what I'm looking for specifically in books about black American culture, and why those things are important. So, the first few chapters, first five chapters are really teaching the teacher. And then the rest of the book, which makes up most of the book are really rich annotated book lists with descriptions why I chose the book discussion questions, project ideas, and something called second helpings. Like when you think of a big soul food dinner, you go through the line the first time and you fill your plate, but then you go back for second helpings of the things that taste the very best. So, if your child likes this book, then here are two second helpings that they also would probably enjoy. And you know, the book was years in the making, I read all 300 plus books in there from cover to cover. And that's kind of my contribution to raising our children.   Laura Dugger: (56:00 - 56:40) Wow, I mean, it is a stunning piece of work. And there's so much for your family, but also for all of us. So, I think of being one of your kids, what a treasure that their mom read 300 books and put this together. But for all of us, I love books on books. And like you said, we can use it to go to the library or then once we read those and find which other ones we love, we can add it to our home collection. So, thank you for that powerhouse of work. And Amber, there's still so much more that you could share with us. Where can we go after this conversation to connect with you or to learn more?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (56:42 - 56:56) Go to heritagemom.com. And there you'll find all of my books and years' worth of blog posts and book recommendations and other things. My Instagram is @heritagemomblog and the same at Facebook.   Laura Dugger: (56:56 - 57:12) Wonderful. Okay, we will add those links to the show notes for today's episode. And you may be familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, Amber, what is your savvy sauce?   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (57:12 - 57:50) Oh, this is such a great question. I love this part of your podcast. I would say that my savvy sauce is learning to be a really great listener. Like if there's nothing else, then that's listening to my husband and the things of his heart and listening to my children and my neighbors and my friends.   But also, people I don't know, people in other places. And also, people I disagree with and being willing to be quiet and listen and take what I can from what they're sharing as well. So, that is, I think my savvy sauce is being an introspective listener.   Laura Dugger: (57:50 – 58:13) That is well said. You are such an inspiring and creative soul. And I have thoroughly enjoyed this chat. And I know I've been hearing you speak on other podcasts and reading your work for years. So, this was such a treat to get to connect with you today. And I just want to say thank you for being my guest.   Amber O'Neal Johnston: (58:14 - 58:16) Thank you so much for having me.   Laura Dugger: (58:16 - 1:01:59) One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before?   It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you.   But it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves.   This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own.   So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a Savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute.   This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him. That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus.   We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us.   Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, would you pray with me now?   Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place.   I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life?   We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him.   You get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason.   We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started?   First, tell someone. Say it out loud. Get a Bible.   The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible.   I selected the Quest NIV Bible, and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ.   I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too, so feel free to leave a comment for us here if you did make a decision to follow Christ.   We also have show notes including where you can read scripture that describes this process. And finally, be encouraged.   Luke 15:10 says, “In the same way I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

In a world that feels fractured and frustrating, with so much stress and worry, can we still have fun? Annie F. Downs shares all the reasons you not only CAN have fun but SHOULD. Then Sarah Mackenzie, author of The Read-Aloud Family, explains how parents can strengthen their relationships with their children by reading books together as a family. Chase the Fun FOF Comedy Collection The Read-Aloud Family Adventures in Odyssey Club If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

Sarah Mackenzie, author of The Read-Aloud Family, explains how parents can strengthen their relationships with their children by reading books together as a family. Receive the book The Read-Aloud Family and an audio download of "Create Lifelong Memories with Your Kids Through Reading" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive. Get More Episode Resources If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

Unlock the secrets to fostering a lifelong love of reading and strengthen family bonds with the simple yet profound act of reading aloud. What if you could singlehandedly boost literacy rates and enrich your family's culture with just ten minutes a day? Join me, as I reflect on nostalgic classroom moments from my childhood and share the heartwarming stories of families who find joy and connection through nightly read-aloud sessions. This episode is packed with insights and anecdotes that illuminate the lasting impact reading aloud can have on children and their families, extending well beyond early childhood and into the teenage years. This episode highlights how storytelling not only captivates us as humans but also nurtures complex ideas and emotional bonds. Embark on the 30-day Read Aloud Challenge with us, beginning January 13th, designed to help you cultivate a reading habit in your home. With free resources like bookmarks and a reading tracker, you'll find all the tools you need to make this journey enjoyable and impactful. Witness how ten minutes a day can transform your family's relationship with books and each other. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, or relative, this challenge is your invitation to foster a love of storytelling, deepen family connections, and contribute to a culture of literacy and learning. Let's share the joy of reading aloud and inspire future generations one story at a time. SIGN UP for the Family Read-Aloud Challenge! Private Mentoring with Janae: Schedule a Free Discovery Call Etsy Store: Shop for Homeschooling Swag U. S. Literacy Statistics The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared by Alice Ozma Honey for a Child's Heart Updated and Expanded: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life Kindle Edition by Gladys M. Hunt  Reading Reduces Stress. Fact Study The Enchanted Hour by Meghan Cox Gurdon (Book) The Enchanted Hour by Meghan Cox Gurdon (Audiobook) The Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie (audiobook) The Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie (book) The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley The Great Brain by By John D. Fitzgerald *Please note that some of the links included in this article are Amazon affiliate links. CONNECT with US Join the Private Facebook Group  Connect and follow along with Janae's Journey on Instagram @janae.daniels Learn more about School to Homeschool Contact Janae: schooltohomeschool1@gmail.com

Today we have invited one of our homeschool heroes, Sarah Mackenzie here to speak with you and bring the hope, because that's what she's done for us for YEARS.Sarah's the author of Teaching from Rest, The Read-Aloud Family and several picture books, including Because Barbara, which officially released March 5th of this year! She's the host of the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast, which has been downloadedover 14 million times in more than 160 countries, and is the publisher at the boutique publishing house, Waxwing Books.Her best work, though, is at home in the Northwest, where she and her husband homeschool their six children. Defining Enough (02:15)Seasoned Mom Chill (09:21)More than 18 Years (13:35)Memory Stacking (20:20)A Challenge from Sarah (26:02)All the Subjects, All the Time? (27:20)Filling in the Holes (28:28)Things We MUST Know (34:57)More from Sarah MackenzieIn addition to Read-Aloud Revival, Sarah has started a Publishing Company (Waxwing Books).  She wrote a few books, got an agent, and each time as they would get far in the acquisition process, the publisher would say the books were too “Classic.”  So her husband suggested she start her own!  Waxwing has three picture books out now (that can be enjoyed by large families with kids of all ages), and the newest one, Because Barbara, is about Barbara Cooney.  As Sarah began digging into her life, she discovered how she was a creative force who had a zest for life that she passed on to her kids.  The best place to find Sarah is Read Aloud Revival and the Read Aloud Revival Podcast.  On her website, there's a great Tool to help you choose a read-aloud for your family!  You can also check out Waxwing Books to see what they've published AND what's coming next!Remember sweet momma,you are doing beautiful work!Find the complete podcast notes on our website.To find The Deliberate Day on Instagram, click here.Looking for items shared in our podcasts?! Here's the Editable Homeschool Clipboard Template Here's our Homeschool Plan Like A Mother Guide! For the 12 Week Planner, click here! (Use code PODCASTMOM for 20% off!) Get your FREE Meal Planning Kit here. For the Favorites List, go here. If you're planning an adventure, you'll find the Ultimate Family Road Trip Guide here.

Tune in to this conversation between Sarah Mackenzie and Mystie Winckler all about Sarah's latest picture book. Sarah also shares about why she started a new publishing house for picture books and what life lessons we can learn from Barbara Cooney.Find Sarah's latest picture book here:https://amzn.to/3wRVvkJVisit Waxwing Books:https://waxwingbooks.com/Sarah is the author of Teaching from Rest, The Read-Aloud Family, and several new picture books, including the just-released picture book biography, Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World. She's the host of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast and lives in the Northwest with her husband of 23 years. They've homeschooled all six of their children: 1 college graduate, 2 current college students, and she's still in the weeds with 3 at home!Mystie and Sarah chat about why Sarah started her own publishing house for picture books and also show-and-tell the latest picture book project - Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney paints her world.Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement!

Tune in to this conversation between Sarah Mackenzie and Mystie Winckler all about Sarah's latest picture book. Sarah also shares about why she started a new publishing house for picture books and what life lessons we can learn from Barbara Cooney.Find Sarah's latest picture book here:https://amzn.to/3wRVvkJVisit Waxwing Books:https://waxwingbooks.com/Sarah is the author of Teaching from Rest, The Read-Aloud Family, and several new picture books, including the just-released picture book biography, Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World. She's the host of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast and lives in the Northwest with her husband of 23 years. They've homeschooled all six of their children: 1 college graduate, 2 current college students, and she's still in the weeds with 3 at home!Mystie and Sarah chat about why Sarah started her own publishing house for picture books and also show-and-tell the latest picture book project - Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney paints her world.Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement!

Tune in to this conversation between Sarah Mackenzie and Mystie Winckler all about Sarah's latest picture book. Sarah also shares about why she started a new publishing house for picture books and what life lessons we can learn from Barbara Cooney.Find Sarah's latest picture book here:https://amzn.to/3wRVvkJVisit Waxwing Books:https://waxwingbooks.com/Sarah is the author of Teaching from Rest, The Read-Aloud Family, and several new picture books, including the just-released picture book biography, Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World. She's the host of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast and lives in the Northwest with her husband of 23 years. They've homeschooled all six of their children: 1 college graduate, 2 current college students, and she's still in the weeds with 3 at home!Mystie and Sarah chat about why Sarah started her own publishing house for picture books and also show-and-tell the latest picture book project - Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney paints her world.Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement!

Sarah Mackenzie is here!!! Sarah Mackenzie is here!!! Sarah's Mackenzie's book, The Read-Aloud family transformed our family and I was so honored to get a chance to talk with her about it. In this episode we are talking about the simple power of the read-aloud and so much more! Sarah explains why reading aloud remains crucial even as children grow and become independent readers. She explains the unique benefits that reading aloud offers, such as enhanced language absorption and the nurturing of sophisticated linguistic patterns that are not often used in daily speech. She shares personal anecdotes demonstrating how these shared reading experiences can fortify family bonds, increase empathy, and encourage more profound discussions among family members. Additionally, Sarah provides practical tips for integrating reading into busy family life, embracing imperfection, and using books to foster a lifelong love of reading and learning. This episode is a must-listen for parents seeking to cultivate deeper connections with their children through the simple, yet powerful act of reading aloud. ** Get your copy of The Read-Aloud Family here >> https://amzn.to/3JWe9L9 Sign up for Read-Aloud Revival Premium here and get access to The Fairy Tale Summer and more! https://readaloudrevival.com/become-a-member// ** Download your free 1000 Hours Outside tracker here >> https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/trackers Find everything you need to kick off your 1000 Hours Outside Journey here >> https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/blog/allthethings Order of copy of Ginny's newest book, Until the Streetlights Come On here >> https://amzn.to/3RXjBlN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Greta Eskridge podcast, I get to talk to the queen of books herself, Sarah Mackenzie. Sarah is a wife and a homeschooling mom to six kids. Three are in college and 3 are still at home. In her spare time (ha!) she is also the creator of the fabulous Read Aloud Revival podcast, the author of two beloved books, Teaching From Rest and The Read Aloud Family, the founder of the boutique publishing house Waxwing Books and author of three children's books. This is why I say she had a reading empire! Sarah is an amazing lady and just so much fun to talk to. True to form, I get teary eyed in this episode. But talking books and connection will do that to me. Also, in this episode you can hear Sarah and I not able to do math. We talk about books, not math problems, so what do you expect? This episode is chock full of so many great book titles with you. We like to say we sling around book titles like ninjas. Get ready! Here's some more of what we talked about: Sarah tells us she loves roller coasters. She recently rode one 6 times in a row and read her kindle while in line. This quote by Andrew Pudewa launched Sarah deep into the world of reading aloud with her kids: the best way to help kids become better communicators is to read aloud a ton and memorize poetry. Sarah noticed that reading aloud didn't just make a positive impact on her kids academically, but there was a relational impact happening too. She noticed as her kids were growing up and sometimes she and they were at odds with each other, reading aloud put her and her kids on the same side of the fence. Sarah says: reading aloud is a powerful way to connect with our kids in a really noisy world. Its simple, free, quick: that's a lot of dividends from a small investment. We learn that audio books count every bit as much as reading a book with pages. And we learn that data says whether they read early or late, by 8th grade most kids are at about the same reading level if kids are being exposed to good books all along. No need to fear if you have a late reader! I've had 3 myself.  And here is the list of all the books we discussed together. Each one is linked so you can see the cover and even put it in your cart if you want to! For the younger kids: Buffalo Fluffalo Jonas Hanway's Scurrilous, Scandalous, Shockingly, Sensational Umbrella Sheep in a Jeep Morris the Moose Goes to School For the middle grades: Umbrella Mouse Note: there is some mild language in this book and the ones below. Sarah and I both feel that mild curse words said in a British accent don't feel troubling to us, but handle it as you wish. All Creatures Great and Small (children's version and beloved by my kids) All Creatures Great and Small (book for middle grades and up) All Creatures Great and Small (show)  Adventures with Waffles Astrid the Unstoppable Pipi Longstocking Chronicles of Narnia (a must have for every library) Tuesdays at the Castle Vanderbeekers Penderwicks For the teens: Glitch Screwtape Letters Surprised by Joy Find out more about book clubs for kids and grownups in Greta's book: Adventuring Together Sarah tells us she is chasing joy by playing a new board game with her family called : Seven Wonders You can find all of Sarah's endeavors in the links at the top of these show notes. You'll want to follow her and glean all the book goodness she has to share!  Don't forget to like and subscribe to this podcast, and I'd be so very grateful if you leave a review of the podcast on iTunes.  Reviews are incredibly helpful to me as a new podcaster. Thank you for listening and being part of my team. I love you guys! Greta 

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the idea of Catholic homeschooling?  Ever wonder if you're doing enough?  This episode cuts to the heart of homeschooling for YOUR unique family.  Sarah Mackenzie of Read-Aloud Revival joins us in a delightfully humourous episode about all the ins and outs of loving your homeschool life. Dive Deeper into True Presence: Want to cut back on your phone use? Join the True Presence Lenten Challenge: Join our Facebook Group Follow us on Instagram/threads: @truepresencepodcast Follow us on Facebook: True Presence Podcast Well-Ordered Week newsletter: weekly inspiration and journal prompts Plan your days with the Lord: Join the True Presence Membership    Sarah Mackenzie is the author of Teaching from Rest, The Read-Aloud Family and several picture books, including the soon-to-be-released Because Barbara. She's the host of the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast, which has been downloaded over 14 million times in more than 160 countries, and is the Publisher at the boutique publishing house, Waxwing Books. Her best work though, is at home in the Northwest, where she and her husband homeschool their 6 children. You can connect with Sarah at readaloudrevival.com.   Legendary picture book creator Barbara Cooney once noticed that the library in her little town by the sea needed attention. A library, she knew, should be a kind of paradise. And because Barbara did whatever she set her mind to, she made it one. Barbara Cooney set her mind to lots of things - none so dear as capturing the beauty of the world in her paintings. These paintings would form the setting for her award-winning picture books, including Miss Rumphius, Roxaboxen and Ox-Cart Man.  Because Barbara follows the story of Barbara's life as she grows from a little girl with a dream into one of the most well-known and well-loved children's picture book illustrators. Don't miss this new picture book, written by Sarah Mackenzie and illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen, releasing this spring. You can pre-order your copy at waxwingbooks.com. 

To kick off a new year, Andrew Pudewa and Julie Walker discuss IEW's theme for 2024: Furnishing the Mind. Listen as Andrew describes how the idea of furnishing the mind with beautiful and good things relates specifically to cultivating the skills of language arts. Referenced Materials However Imperfectly by Andrew Pudewa Episode 54: What Are We Really Doing Here? Cultivating Language Arts – Preschool through High School audio talk by Andrew Pudewa Recommendations for Cultivating the Language Arts Profound Effects of Music on Life audio talk by Andrew Pudewa Episode 128: Are You a Read-Aloud Family? The Story about Ping by Majorie Flack Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” speech by Patrick Henry Episode 398: Think like Shakespeare Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Transcript of Podcast Episode 406 If you have questions for Andrew, send them to podcast@IEW.com Perhaps your question will be answered at the next Ask Andrew Anything (AAA). If you have questions about IEW products or classes, contact customer service at 800.856.5815 or info@IEW.com

On this episode of Anchored, Kimberly is joined by Sarah Mackenzie, the author of Teaching from Rest and The Read Aloud Family and the host of the Read Aloud Revival podcast. The two discuss the definition of curriculum, the importance of a restful demeanor in establishing a love of learning, and tips for homeschooling families that find themselves trying to do it all. Mackenzie also emphasizes the importance of diligent over rigorous education and the merits of families that read aloud, a movement she is further bolstering with her boutique publishing company, Waxwing Books. 

The benefits of reading aloud, audio books, and so many inspiring tips and lists for you this summer! Sarah Mackenzie is with us today to talk about all things summer reading! Sarah is the author of Teaching from Rest and The Read-Aloud Family, and I have been a fan of Sarah's for many years. Sarah is so much fun to talk to, and an absolute wealth of information and inspiration when it comes to families and reading! In today's conversation Sarah offers some super motivating facts about the power of reading aloud, and tells us the best age-range for reading aloud (hint: no one is too old for read-alouds! - And my sons would agree!) Sarah gives some super helpful book recommendations (especially for middle-age boys who don't love to read!) and many more practical tips and resources for families and reading this summer. You might want to take notes on this episode (but I will also have a lot of links and notes over on my website…) www.monicaswanson.com/sarah-mackenzie Podcast page (for all episodes) www.monicaswanson.com/podcast   The Monica Swanson Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Simeon joins me in this episode to talk specifically to the husbands and dads represented by the ladies who listen to this podcast. So grab your husband and a cup of tea and join us as we chat about the role God has for dad in the home and in the education of your children.   In the previous episode, Simeon addressed the importance that the father plays in the home as the spiritual leader. Many of those responsibilities lead families to make the choice that homeschooling is the educational model that aligns best with their family values. We ask the question, "What role does dad play in home education?" Simeon shares great practical advice on how the husband & father can be a co-laborer with mom in this area. Here's a highlight of some of the points covered in this episode: -How dad can communicate, encourage, and pray for mom as the teacher -The importance of the family table creating a lifestyle of learning -The impact of dads reading aloud to their children -Ways dad can get engaged in the learning and interests of the children     Resources: NHC Podcast: Family Worship https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/family-worship/id1547126864?i=1000594670765 NHC Podcast: How to Choose a Homeschool Curriculum https://ryw6ld.podbean.com/e/ep-30-how-to-choose-a-homeschool-curriculum/ Family Worship by Donald Whitney: https://amzn.to/3UyoCAX Educating the Wholehearted Child by Clay Clarkson: https://amzn.to/3MBBqVe Gather Round Homeschool: https://gatherroundhomeschool.com/ The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie: https://amzn.to/3KYtmwl   Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, YouTube, and www.nohighercalling.org

It's not merely where you are going, but how you get there, that matters. And as we often find ourselves going places in cars, it is worth stopping to consider how we spend our car rides.  In this week's episode, we welcome back to the podcast Mr. Kyle Blackmer for a discussion of the daily commute. Whether we carpool or ride solo, Mr. Blackmer helps us to reframe how we approach this daily endeavor which can easily become, at best, dead time and, at worst, dreaded time.  Kyle shows us how the car, with the right attitude and a little creativity, can become its own classroom. He encourages us to think about how we can best use this time by praying, engaging in good conversation—at times mere fun, at other times more formative–, listening to good music and books, and celebrating.  Chapters  00:45 Introduction: reframing the daily commute  3:20 How can we make carpooling more fruitful for our sons?  5:43 The car as a classroom: the first and last period of the day 6:22 Four modes of teaching in the Car 6:45 Prayer, especially the Rosary, especially in the morning  9:28 Car as a place for friendship, shared life  10:55 Conversation in cars 16:20 The art of asking good questions and listening  17:15 Tuning into the boys in front of you 19:16 Setting guidelines for your carpool 21:10 Being intentional about what you listen to  25:35 Audiobooks and classic rock 27:50 Celebrating the in little ways 31:20 Finding moments for little points of correction  33:30 Advice for solo commuters  35:50 The last three minutes: preparing for your return home  Recommended Audiobooks for the Road The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart Seabiscuit by Charles Rivers Editors Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Treasury for Children by James Herriot Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingallas Wilder The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs The Once and Future King by T.H. White The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells The Complete Father Brown Collection by G.K. Chesterton A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller Also on the Forum On Home as Social Hub: The Importance of Hosting Our Sons and Their Friends with Tom Royals Friendship for Fathers: John Cuddeback on Living and Teaching the Art with John Cuddeback  Sarah Mackenzi on the Read-Aloud Family with Sarah Mackenzi

On this week's episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are revisiting the very first Top 10 episode we ever aired. We've grown a lot as podcasters since then and our tastes have changed some, so it was a fun trip down memory lane. We hope this episode stocks your TBRs with books that are ALL backlist now, and easy to grab from the library! As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!  We are now including transcripts of the episode (this link only works on the main site). The goal here is to increase accessibility for our fans! *Please note that all book titles linked below are Bookshop affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. If you'd prefer to shop on Amazon, you can still do so here through our main storefront. Anything you buy there (even your laundry detergent, if you recently got obsessed with switching up your laundry game) kicks a small amount back to us. Thanks for your support!*   . . . . 3:10 - Currently Reading Patreon 4:12 - Deep Dive: Our Best Books of 2018 5:33 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 7:03 - The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne 8:56 - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 9:39 - Essentialism by Greg McKeown 10:50 -  The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie 11:36 -  The Read-Aloud Revival Podcast 11:47 - CR Season 1: Episode 7 11:53 - American Marriage by Tayari Jones 13:02 - Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown 14:04 - Educated by Tara Westover 14:58 - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 17:05 - Circe by Madeline Miller 18:02 - CR Season 1: Episode 10 18:52 - Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle 19:59 - Calypso by David Sedaris 21:26 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 21:31 - CR Season 1: Episode 3 22:04 - Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman 23:07 - The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz 24:20 - CR Season 1: Episode 18 24:22 - Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 26:11 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 26:19 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend 29:04 - The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine 31:15 - Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris 31:20 - The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn 32:12 - Us Against You by Fredrik Backman 32:16 - Beartown by Fredrik Backman 32:24 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 35:07 - Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman 35:08 - My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman 40:58 - CR Season 1: Episode 17 Connect With Us: Meredith is @meredith.reads on Instagram Kaytee is @notesonbookmarks on Instagram Mindy is @gratefulforgrace on Instagram Mary is @maryreadsandsips on Instagram Roxanna is @roxannatheplanner on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast.com @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com Support us at patreon.com/currentlyreadingpodcast and www.zazzle.com/store/currentlyreading

It's no secret that I love to read! I often share what I'm reading on social media, I love to read before bed, and I usually can get through a few books while on vacation. A love of reading can come naturally, but it can also be nurtured and developed at home. No matter your children's ages, as a parent, you are the best person to help them learn and develop a love for books.My guest today firmly believes that a love of reading starts at home. Sarah Mackenzie has made it her mission to help families create meaningful connections through reading books. She is the author of The Read-Aloud Family and Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace. She is also the host of the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast.In this episode, you'll hear:5 tips on how to create a habit of reading in your homeHow to start reading with your pre-teen and teenage childrenThe benefits of reading aloud with your childrenAnd more!No matter your relationship with reading, I pray that this episode is an encouragement to you today!Show Notes:  https://jillsavage.org/sarah-mackenzie-116

Resensi Buku The Read Aloud Family karya Sarah Mackenzie yang diterbitkan oleh Penerbit Bentang Pustaka. Diulas oleh Annisa Aulia Suc (@nisaasuci). Resensi ini merupakan bagian dari Kompetisi Podcast Resensi Buku 3 yang berkolaborasi dengan Inti Megah Swara Indonesia dan 7 penerbit, yaitu Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Penerbit Mizan, Penerbit Haru, Buku Mojok, Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia, Bentang Pustaka, dan GagasMedia. - Follow Podcast Resensi Buku di Instagram: @podcastresensibuku | Follow Podluck Podcast Collective di Instagram: @podluckpodcast | Cek tagar #kompetisiresensi3 di Instagram untuk informasi lebih lanjut. - Penafian: pendapat yang disampaikan oleh peresensi tidak mewakili pandangan tim panitia Kompetisi Podcast Resensi Buku.

“Reading aloud with our kids is indeed the best use of our time and energy as parents.  It's more important than just about anything else we can do.” -Sarah MackenzieAs I have started this homeschooling journey, I have tried to educate and read several books that were recommended to me. Two of those were Teaching from Rest and The Read Aloud Family.Wow.  If you need some inspiration and motivation as a homeschooling mom or just as a mama in general, I highly suggest these!So, it's important as mamas that we recognize this reality…and how to maximize quality time with our kids.How can we do that?1.     REFLECT2.     CREATE3.     PLAN"No one will ever say, no matter how good a parent he or she was, “I think I spent too much time with my children when they were young.” -Alice Ozma, The Reading Promise  Coming Up in November:-Mama Survival Guide - Grab your FREE copy HERE-Join The Whole Mamas FB group HERE-Craft Your Family's Vision Masterclass  (Join FB HERE)-Homeschool 101 Masterclass  (Join FB HERE)Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thewholemama)

An often requested topic that can be polarizing, but doesn't have to be: Homeschooling preschool! Join us as we discuss preschool from a far bookend and a near bookend point of view! As usual, we provide ideas for making it personal, share our Homeschooling Moments of the Week, and end with a hack or encouragement! 1:36 Homeschooling Moments of the Week 4:07 Topic Talk: Homeschooling Preschool? 13:28 Rachel being a neuroscientist on the podcast 19:08 Physical development matters 19:33 Slingerland Institute for Literacy 20:00 Curriculum? 20:46 Counting Bears 20:54 Trudy Palmer's The Gift of Reading 21:47 In One Ear (and Hopefully) Not Out the Other 22: 58 There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly 23:10 Caps for Sale Brown Bear, Brown Bear 23:16 Honey for a Child's Heart 23:28 The Hand That Rocks the Cradle 23:31 The Read Aloud Family 24:00 Learn From Mindy's Mistakes 26:43 Beads to string 29:09 Make It Personal: Near Bookends 30:06 Make It Personal: Far Bookends 31:36 Take This With You: Mindy (birthday hack) 32:07 Birthday hat 33:00 Take This With You: Rachel (encouragement) Bookend Homeschoolers on Instagram Mindy at gratefulforgrace Rachel at colemountainhomeschool

When books written for teens hit streaming services, they seem to 'grow up' quite a bit. The Plugged In team reflects on their favorite books versus the companion movies/television shows, then discuss Netflix's new take on R.L. Stine's "Fear Street" series. You'll learn what you need to know about these shows targeting your teen and how you can guide them to make better choices. Get the book "The Read-Aloud Family" for your donation of any amount: https://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-plugged-in-2021-08-05?refcd=1126701 Get more episode resources: https://www.pluggedin.com/blog/the-plugged-in-show-episode-89/ If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback: https://focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey/

Hello and welcome back to the campfire!  Today we have homeschooling dad, Jake Suitter join us on the show.  He's a full-time adventure dad, wildshcooling his 3 active young boys.  Jake was homeschooled himself, he has been a travel guide, built schools in the Alaskan bush, had a successful career in the oil industry, and eventually decided to leave that behind to be at home with his kids.  So grab a seat by the fire as we travel to Denver, Colorado to speak with Jake about how homeschooling, adventures, and life experiences have shaped his philosophy on parenting and education. If you like what you hear and have enjoyed our show, please show your appreciation by subscribing to our Podcast and leaving us a review on your Podcast App of choice.We would love to hear from you so please email us with any comments or questions you have.Visit us and all of our content, including our blog, at www.thehomeschoolprojectpodcast.comAs always, let's Light A Fire They Can't Put OutThank you for listening!Show NotesYou can find Jake on Instagram @jakeandkidsBooks mentioned: 'The Read-Aloud Family' by Sarah Mackenzie'Balanced and Barefoot' by Angela Hanscom '

Today I interview Rose who talks about the joys of reading aloud to her young children. Don't miss her sweet and humorous take on this important topic. I'd love to get your feedback! Questions, comments, or suggestions? Message me on Instagram at homeschoolingjourneypodcast Or email me at homeschoolingjourneypodcast@gmail.com

I'm taking a stand this year. 2020 is the year of directing my family back to Christ and making a Gospel Centered, Christ focused atmosphere in my home. In this episode I share 7 resources we've been enjoying for helping in that regard! Listen to the Podcast: You can find the notes for this episode down below. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer. 1. Parenting by Paul David Tripp  This is a fantastic parenting book for all Christian parents to read! “God hasn’t just sent you to do his work in the lives of your children; he will use the lives of your children to advance his work in you.” “So your hope as a parent is not found in your power, your wisdom, your character, your experience, or your success, but in this one thing alone: the presence of your Lord. The Creator, Savior, Almighty, Sovereign King is with you. Let your heart rest. You are not in this parenting drama alone. Your potential is greater than the size of your weaknesses, because the One who is without weakness is with you, and he does his best work through those who admit that they are weak but in weakness still heed his call.” 2. Read Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie  Drawing close together as a family is hard work! But it's more important than ever that I'm making the time in my day to connect with my kids and all of us together as a family. Reading together is a beautiful way to do this! The Read Aloud Family is a great book that helps with that (it even has booklists)! Her podcast The Read Aloud Revival is also a great resource. “No one will ever say, no matter how good a parent he or she was, “I think I spent too much time with my children when they were young.” “When my head hits the pillow each night, I want to know that I have done the one most important thing: I have fostered warm, happy memories and created lifelong bonds with my kids—even when the rest of life feels hard.” 3. Courageous Parenting Podcast by Isaac & Angie Tolpin Courageous Parenting is a weekly podcast for Christian parents who want to equip confident Christian kids in an uncertain world. As parents of 8 kids, they know how important and hard it is to focus on Christ in your everyday and in marriage and parenting. I love their commitment to Christ centered parenting and I love to see the team they make in this. Angie is also a very encouraging person to follow on instagram. 4. Faithful Life Podcast by Matt & Lisa Jacobson Matt and Lisa are another couple I love getting advice from. They especially shine for me when it comes to marriage advice. Their podcast is a terrific resource! "What does it mean to be a biblical Christian in Marriage, Parenting, Church, and Culture? Each episode takes on a vital issue and explores what The Word says about it – topics like sex, purity, growing in oneness as a married couple, difficult parenting issues, being a biblical Christian in a fallen world and much more, including practical steps for real success and deep growth in these areas. . . we laugh a lot, too!" 5. The Duties of Parents by J.C. Ryle This is a book I have't read yet. But Jason says it's the best book on parenting he's ever read! It's next on my to read list. It's a quick short book but an excellent one! 6. Minno Did you cancel Netflix this month? Or are you struggling in knowing what shows are safe (and encouraging) for your kids? Minno (use to be Jelly Telly) is a streaming service for kids. Basically it's like a Christian Netflix for kids shows and we are huge fans of it!! Go to Gominno.com and use coupon code HOMEMAKING for 7 day free trial. While you check out that free trial, try out our favorite shows: Theo, Owlegories, 3, 2, 1 Penguins, and of course the classic veggie tales! 7. Drawing together in our marriage This last one isn't really a resource, but it's an important one right now! With everyone going on in the world today (and having a 4 mo...

I'm taking a stand this year. 2020 is the year of directing my family back to Christ and making a Gospel Centered, Christ focused atmosphere in my home. In this episode I share 7 resources we've been enjoying for helping in that regard! Listen to the Podcast: You can find the notes for this episode down below. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer. 1. Parenting by Paul David Tripp  This is a fantastic parenting book for all Christian parents to read! “God hasn’t just sent you to do his work in the lives of your children; he will use the lives of your children to advance his work in you.” “So your hope as a parent is not found in your power, your wisdom, your character, your experience, or your success, but in this one thing alone: the presence of your Lord. The Creator, Savior, Almighty, Sovereign King is with you. Let your heart rest. You are not in this parenting drama alone. Your potential is greater than the size of your weaknesses, because the One who is without weakness is with you, and he does his best work through those who admit that they are weak but in weakness still heed his call.” 2. Read Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie  Drawing close together as a family is hard work! But it's more important than ever that I'm making the time in my day to connect with my kids and all of us together as a family. Reading together is a beautiful way to do this! The Read Aloud Family is a great book that helps with that (it even has booklists)! Her podcast The Read Aloud Revival is also a great resource. “No one will ever say, no matter how good a parent he or she was, “I think I spent too much time with my children when they were young.” “When my head hits the pillow each night, I want to know that I have done the one most important thing: I have fostered warm, happy memories and created lifelong bonds with my kids—even when the rest of life feels hard.” 3. Courageous Parenting Podcast by Isaac & Angie Tolpin Courageous Parenting is a weekly podcast for Christian parents who want to equip confident Christian kids in an uncertain world. As parents of 8 kids, they know how important and hard it is to focus on Christ in your everyday and in marriage and parenting. I love their commitment to Christ centered parenting and I love to see the team they make in this. Angie is also a very encouraging person to follow on instagram. 4. Faithful Life Podcast by Matt & Lisa Jacobson Matt and Lisa are another couple I love getting advice from. They especially shine for me when it comes to marriage advice. Their podcast is a terrific resource! "What does it mean to be a biblical Christian in Marriage, Parenting, Church, and Culture? Each episode takes on a vital issue and explores what The Word says about it – topics like sex, purity, growing in oneness as a married couple, difficult parenting issues, being a biblical Christian in a fallen world and much more, including practical steps for real success and deep growth in these areas. . . we laugh a lot, too!" 5. The Duties of Parents by J.C. Ryle This is a book I have't read yet. But Jason says it's the best book on parenting he's ever read! It's next on my to read list. It's a quick short book but an excellent one! 6. Minno Did you cancel Netflix this month? Or are you struggling in knowing what shows are safe (and encouraging) for your kids? Minno (use to be Jelly Telly) is a streaming service for kids. Basically it's like a Christian Netflix for kids shows and we are huge fans of it!! Go to Gominno.com and use coupon code HOMEMAKING for 7 day free trial. While you check out that free trial, try out our favorite shows: Theo, Owlegories, 3, 2, 1 Penguins, and of course the classic veggie tales! 7. Drawing together in our marriage This last one isn't really a resource, but it's an important one right now! With everyone going on in the world today (and having a 4 mo...

In this back to school month bonus episode, David and Katie talk all things homeschool. David asks some of the most common questions often heard from prospective homeschool parents and listens as Katie gives answers and insight into what homeschool looks like in the Tozi household. Curriculum -The Good and the Beautiful -Sonlight -Bookshark -Beautiful Feet Books -Master Books Books for moms -The Read Aloud Family by Sarah McKenzie -Teaching From Rest by Sarah McKenzie -The Brave Learner by Judy Bogart -The Wilds of Homeschooling: A First Year Guide to Teaching your Kids (and maybe even liking it) -The Call of the Wild and Free -Awaking Wonder: Opening your child's heart to the beauty of learning by Sally Clarkson Katie IG: thepurposefilledmama David IG: Dave_Tozi

Jim Daly has a discussion with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar who offers his expert insights on the coronavirus pandemic. Then Sarah Mackenzie, author of The Read-Aloud Family, explains how parents can strengthen their relationships with their children by reading books together as a family. Podcast users, find today's related broadcast resources here: https://dbx.focusonthefamily.com/media/daily-broadcast/connecting-with-your-kids-through-reading Your feedback would be really helpful to us. Please visit http://www.focusonthefamily.com/podcastsurvey to take a brief survey (less than 5 minutes). Thank you!

It’s no secret that life is busy, and we all do our best to keep our respective plates spinning. But more often than not, it’s wise to take a break before you feel broken. The struggle lies is learning how to find rejuvenation when the schedule is packed full or the budget is maxed out or there’s no babysitter in sight. Listen in to Creative Mama [Episode 44] as Abbi shares some simple ways to find rest on a regular basis and tips for making it happen in a way that doesn’t feel like one more obligation. *** People, Places & Things in This Episode: Great Homeschool Conventions Sarah Mackenzie, author of Teaching from Rest and The Read-Aloud Family; mastermind behind the Read-Aloud Revival blog and podcast Steve Demme, founder of Demme Learning and creator of Math-U-See curriculum Pam Barnhill, host of Your Morning Basket podcast My favorite meditation track for relaxation Full episodes of This Is Us Connect with Abbi on Instagram ZasinZebra.com, the home of Creative Mama and other pursuits Support the show by making a donation Shop on Amazon through our Affiliate store For the same price you’d pay for your items anyway, you can support the Creative Mama Podcast by shopping through this link. Thanks for your patronage!

Sarah MacKenzie is the host of Read-Aloud Revival and the author of The Read-Aloud Family. In this episode, Jonathan and Sarah discuss the curious connection between the writer who works in quiet solitude and the family reading aloud together, the instructive power of life's limitations, and Sarah's recent forays into writing picture books. Writers who make Sarah want to write: Jeanie Birdsall (The Penderwicks) Karina Yan Glaser (The Vanderbleekers) Barbara Cooney (Miss Rumphius) Sarah Stewart (The Gardener, The Library) Subscribe to The Habit Weekly newsletter. Find out more about The Habit Membership. Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/member See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*REVISED* I was not happy with the original airing of Episode 12. SO...I've revised, and added to the episode, and hope you take a minute to listen to the new and improved edition.   I told you last week that I was going to share the book that revolutionized my homeschooling with you...well, wait no longer! In this episode I share an outline and review of the book, and my thoughts on how it changed my outlook on homeschooling, and educating my kids.  Enjoy this short edition of Four In Tow Podcast!  Want to win a copy of the book for your homeschool? As a thank you to my Patreons, I will be drawing a name from one of my dear supporters to be the lucky winner of their own copy of the book. Join the crew who supports the podcast by going to Patreon.com/fourintowpodcast to support the podcast and be entered to win, by October 10, 2019. Winners will be announced via social media and email.  Follow on Facebook and Instagram @fourintowpodcast  

This is the fifth episode of twenty-four in the podcast series Reviewing Our Greatest Hits. This show was initially launched on February 14, 2018, as Episode 128. With all the distractions and busy schedules, it can be challenging to sit down and read some of your favorite books to your kids. In this podcast Andrew and Julie welcome author and podcaster Sarah Mackenzie to discuss reading aloud. Get a sneak peak of Sarah's new book, The Read Aloud Family, and learn the importance of prioritizing reading to your children. REFERENCED MATERIALS: Episode 199: A Special Announcement Read-Aloud Revival  Read-Aloud Revival Podcast  The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie  Sarah's Podcast with Andrew Pudewa  Nurturing Competent Communicators audio talk by Andrew Pudewa Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson  Sarah's Podcast with Katherine Paterson Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (Amazon Affiliate) The Giver by Lois Lowry (Amazon Affiliate) The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (Amazon Affiliate) Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Amazon Affiliate) Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo (Amazon Affiliate) Purgatorio by Dante (Amazon Affiliate) Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett (Amazon Affiliate) The Fable of George Washington and the Cherry Tree  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (Amazon Affiliate) The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood (Amazon Affiliate) Matilda by Roald Dahl (Amazon Affiliate) Sarah's Podcast with Jonathan Rogers The Way of the Wilderking by Jonathan Rogers (Amazon Affiliate) The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson  (Amazon Affiliate) Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA). If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com

Many of you may know Sarah Mackenzie from Read Aloud Revival! Sarah and I have been friends for a few years and I LOVE her!  She is the REAL DEAL! You may be familiar with her first book, Teaching From Rest. It's been a huge encouragement for homeschool moms everywhere! Sarah recently published Read Aloud Family and it's been a huge bestseller!  I believe it's because Sarah articulates what is already in the heart of moms everywhere.  We WANT to connect with our kids.  We WANT meaningful relationships with them, but we are overloaded with information on HOW to do that. In today's podcast, we are going to talk about one of the simplest ways to begin to connect and build relationships with our kids: reading out loud to them.  Many of us can feel disillusioned by the idea that we have to spend copious amounts of time reading to our kids in order for it to count, but Sarah debunks that myth! She shares tips to help make this time happen and we talk about the countless and sometimes surprising blessings of making reading out loud a priority! DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST ON MY BLOG FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE COPY OF READ ALOUD FAMILY (To find resources mentioned in the podcast, please go to the show notes at durendawilson.com)

Sarah Mackenzie is familiar to many of you as the spunky, delightful leader of Read-Aloud Revival. I so enjoy Sarah’s heart for her family as well as reading, and we had such a delightful time talking today! Sarah is an author herself, and lives in the Inland Northwest with her husband Andrew, where they homeschool their six kids (including identical twin boys). And she’s been so kind as to offer one of our readers a copy of her book, The Read-Aloud Family—plus a second copy for a friend! Be sure to go to my Instagram page to tag a friend in a comment and enter. Sarah also has a wonderful podcast: Read-Aloud Revival. And you can find her on Instagram, too!

You’ve been asking for it, and now it’s here: our best books of 2018 list! We are the type of people who cannot pick our books until ALL the books have been finished for the year, so this is the soonest we could record! You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each host: a Christmas gift that is perfect for an avid reader and the reason you all feel like your TBR lists explode whenever we release a new episode. Next, we discuss what we are currently reading, and this week has an incredible variety of titles that we discuss. This week’s deep dive is a recap of our top ten books of the year for each of us. We picked the cream of the crop to share with you, readers. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to press into every reader’s hands: a gripping mystery and a two-book series that are so unexpectedly wonderful. As always, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down!  .  .  .  .  .  5:08 - Little Free Library! 9:33 – The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown 9:45 – The Best Land Under Heaven by Michael Wallis 12:25 – The Hunger by Alma Katsu 13:00 – Becoming by Michelle Obama 16:19 - The Only Girl in the World by Maude Julien 16:34 - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 16:36 - Room by Emma Donoghue 18:56 - Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris 19:33 - Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel 19:41 - Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel 21:51 - Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel 22:59 - Sadie by Courtney Summers 25:13 - The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser 29:10 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 30:39 - The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne 32:32 - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 33:15 - Essentialism by Greg McKeown 34:28 – The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie 35:03 – The Read-Aloud Revival Podcast 35:29 - American Marriage by Tayari Jones 36:39 - Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown 37:41 - Educated by Tara Westover 40:42 - Circe by Madeline Miller 42:32 - Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle 43:37 - Calypso by David Sedaris 45:03 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 45:41 - Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman 46:44 - The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz 47:58 - Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 49:48 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 49:56 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend 52:41 - The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine 54:52 - Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris 54:58 - The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn 55:51 - Us Against You by Frederik Backman 55:55 - Beartown by Frederik Backman 56:01 - A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman 58:44 - Britt-Marie Was Here by Frederik Backman 58:45 - My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Frederik Backman *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*  

Meredith is holding down the fort this week while Kaytee travels, so her brother, Scott Monday is serving as our special guest host! You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each host: a Christmas classic that brought the family together and an amazing 2018 reading realization. Next, Meredith and Scott tackle what they are currently reading, and this week will make our non-fiction lovers’ hearts just sing as it’s chock-full of great non-fiction titles. This week’s deep dive is about Scott’s reading life and his weird foibles and quirks. I have a feeling you all are going to have serious WORDS about this! We can’t wait for you to chime in. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to press into every reader’s hands: a data-nerd’s dream book and a book that belongs on every family’s shelves. As always, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down!  .  .  .  .  .  2:14 – The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg 6:37 – The Best Land Under Heaven by Michael Wallis 7:28 – Bay Books in Coronado, CA 8:58 – The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown 9:53 – The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck 10:40 – The Hunger by Alma Katsu 11:19 – Devil in the White City by Erik Larson 11:35 – Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson 11:37 – In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson 16:25 – The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman 17:18 – Harry Potter by JK Rowling 17:29 – The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis 17:34 – Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 19:02 – It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson 19:06 – Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson 22:00 – Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari 22:25 – Dopesick by Beth Macy 22:57 – Becoming by Michelle Obama 26:32 – What Happened by Hillary Clinton 30:22 – The Black Stallion by Walter Farley 30:35 – The Black Stallion Returns by Walter Farley 30:36 – Son of the Black Stallion by Walter Farley 30:38 – Fire Stallion by Walter Farley? I think he meant Black Stallion and Satan :-) 30:43 – Island Stallion by Walter Farley 31:14 – The Edge by Dick Francis 31:34 – Longshot by Dick Francis 32:24 – Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill 41:05 – Ulysses by James Joyce 42:26 – Dataclysm by Christian Rudder 45:15 – The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie 45:30 – The Read-Aloud Revival Podcast *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*  

This week on HeightsCast we feature Sarah Mackenzie, an author and mother who is leading a movement to bring reading aloud back into our homes. When was the last time you read aloud to your children? Many of us really lost steam when our boys started reading to themselves. As Sarah explains in The Read Aloud Family, reading aloud has both academic and formational benefits for children of all ages. Moreover, it draws us closer together as families! To kick-start the revival, give this episode a listen. Additional Resources: The Read Aloud Revival The Read Aloud Family Tom Longano on Teaching Reading here and here.

Literacy and a vast vocabulary are very important attributes for your kids to have as they grow into productive members of society. The question is, how can you promote both without seeming like the parent that forces your children to memorize the dictionary? In this episode, Dr. Meg talks with Sarah MacKenzie, author of the book The Read Aloud Family. Sarah helps families all over the world make meaningful and lasting connections with their kids through books, and she talks with Dr. Meg about the benefits of reading with your kids of all ages. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her points to ponder to begin using right away and answers two questions from moms about a single mom handling questions about her daughter’s dad and another about a homeschooling mom going back to work more. Do you have a question for Dr. Meg? If so, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.comand she could answer your question in an upcoming episode! 0:00 – AD – KIWI CO KiwiCo creates super cool, hands-on projects for kids that make learning about science, technology, engineering, art, and math fun! KiwiCo’s mission is to provide the next generation of innovators with the tools and foundation they need to become creative problem-solvers and critical thinkers. KiwiCo is offering Parenting Great Kids listeners the opportunity to try them for free. Visit kiwico.com/megto find out more about their projects for kids! 1:39 – WELCOME Dr. Meg introduces the topic “Reading Aloud to Your Kids”. She also teases her conversation with Sarah MacKenzie and her points to ponder. 2:55 – PARENTING RESOURCES Dr. Meg is also reminding parents about her webinar on discipline available at MegMeekerMD.com! Dr. Meeker’s latest course, Discipline With Courage & Kindness, is designed to help guide you on your journey to being the parent you've always wanted to be — the parent your kids need. Just visit her homepage and click on the parenting course for more information! 3:41 – POINTS TO PONDER Dr. Meg gives you three points to ponder as you learn more about reading aloud to your kids! 7:59 – A CONVERSATION WITH SARAH MACKENZIE (PART 1) Dr. Meg sits down with Sarah MacKenzie, author of the book The Read Aloud Family. Sarah helps families all over the world make meaningful and lasting connections with their kids through books, and she talks with Dr. Meg about the benefits of reading with your kids of all ages. 25:33 – AD – SUNBASKET As a busy parent it’s hard to find time and energy to be sure you’re eating well and eating right. No matter how much experience you have in the kitchen, Sun Basket makes it easy to make healthy and delicious meals for your family! Go to the Sun Basket app and pick from 18 weekly recipes like Fully Loaded Beef Tacos with Mexican Simmer Sauce. No matter what your eating plan is, Sun Basket has a menu that’s right for you! All ingredients are sourced from the best farms and suppliers to ensure that your produce is fresh and organic, and your meats and seafood are responsibly-raised. Go to SunBasket.com/megtoday to learn more and get $35 off your first order! 27:31 – AD – THIRD LOVE Armed with the measurements of millions of women, ThirdLove bras are designed to fit real women. With their Fit Finder quiz, ThirdLove helps you identify your breast shape and find styles that fit your body in less than a minute! ThirdLove values comfort and quality with straps that don’t slip, ultra-soft smoothing fabrics, and lightweight memory foam. Go to thirdlove.com/megnow to find your perfect fitting bra and receive 15% off your first purchase! 29:07 – A CONVERSATION WITH SARAH MACKENZIE (PART 2) Dr. Meg sits down with Sarah MacKenzie, author of the book The Read Aloud Family. Sarah helps families all over the world make meaningful and lasting connections with their kids through books, and she talks with Dr. Meg about the benefits of reading with your kids of all ages. 47:02 – LET’S GET SOCIAL Email Dr. Meg at askmeg@megmeekermd.comor tweet your question to her @MegMeekerMD. In this segment, Dr. Meg answers two questions from her listeners. The first question comes from Kate and she asks about how she and her sister should talk to her niece about her niece’s absentee father. The second question comes from Heidi, and she is asking about how her five kids will react to her part-time work taking up a little more time and discontinuing her homeschooling with the kids. 55:53 – PARENT PEP RALLY 56:26 – FROM THE PRODUCER Thanks for listening to Episode 56, Reading Aloud to Your Kids and for helping Dr. Meg’s parenting revolution reach more than ONE MILLION downloads! Subscribe, rate, and leave a review for us on iTunes! Get Social with Dr. Meg on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @MegMeekerMD Have a parenting question? Write Dr. Meg at askmeg@megmeekermd.comand she could answer your question during the show or you can let us know what you’d like to hear about in a future episode! Dr. Meg’s parenting resources and tools are available at www.megmeekermd.comand click on “Parenting Resources”. Subscribe, rate, and leave a review for us on iTunes!

In this week's episode Sarah Mackenzie, author of The Read Aloud Family, joins us. We talk all about her book. Then we answer another question we recently received. 

Want to be convinced how awesome it is to read aloud to your children? Sarah will talk about her new book Read Aloud Family and give us some tips on how to fit it in and make it count!

You guys are in for such a treat. Today I'm chatting with blogger, podcast host, reader extraordinaire, and now AUTHOR... Sarah Mackenzie. Sarah is well known for her knowledge of all things reading, and today we are talking not only about the benefits of reading, book recommendations, the hows of reading to your kids, but we are also chatting about her motherhood journey and how all this looks in her home. It is a fantastic conversation and you're definitely going to want to pick up her new book because it is full of valuable information and the best book lists around! Be sure to enter in the giveaway for one of three books on my Instagram! Show Notes: Buy her new book "The Read Aloud Family" Check out her Read Aloud Revival website and Podcast Connect with Jessica: Instagram//Facebook//Email: jessica@extraordinarymomspodcast.com  

There has been so many tech advances over the years and we have smart phones, tablets, all kinds of app and websites. There's no shortage of ways to be entertained; especially for our children. However, with those advances we've seen in some cases that they can cause people to become disconnected. On this episode of Breakaway, Kevin Krueger speaks with Sarah Mackenzie. She wrote a book called “The Read Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids”.

If there is one thing I hope you take away from this episode - it's this: keep reading to your 8-12 year olds.  Kids ages 8-12 are so fun to share books with, and you can have such wonderful conversations with this age group. Plus, you are continuing to make memories and associate reading with warm feelings. That's a total win! There's lots more in The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids Through Books about reading with kids ages 8-12 (in fact, that picture for this podcast gives you a hint at some of the other recommendations for this age range in The Read-Aloud Family!), but today... In this episode, you'll hear: potential pitfalls when reading to 8-12'swhat to do about "the classics"and just a couple of books that I think your 8- to 12-year-olds will love (pssst... that picture gives you a hint of even more books I love for 8-12's. They're all listed with descriptions in The Read-Aloud Family.) Click the play button below: Listener Guide Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast: 1:28 'A mom-to-mom connection'3:54 Reading with 8- to 12-year-olds6:19 Potential pitfalls9:14 Feel silly reading to big kids?10:15 Introducing the classics11:30 Choosing books13:08 Funny books, heroic books, and more16:22 Heavier content, and talking things out18:45 More Resources for parents of 8-12's20:04 Let the kids speak More free resources & booklists Get the best episodes and reources from the Read-Aloud Revival Keep an eye on your inbox! We'll keep you posted whenever we have a new podcast episode or a great free booklist or resource for you. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. Email Address I'd like to receive the free email course. Yes! Powered by ConvertKit /* Layout */ .ck_form.ck_minimal { /* divider image */ background: #f9f9f9; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; color: #666; font-size: 16px; border: solid 1px #d1d1d1; -webkit-box-shadow: none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow: none; clear: both; margin: 20px 0px; text-align: center; } .ck_form.ck_minimal h3.ck_form_title { text-align: center; margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-size: 28px; } .ck_form.ck_minimal h4 { text-align: center; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 0px; margin-top: 0px; } .ck_form.ck_minimal p { padding: 0px; } .ck_form, .ck_form * { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } .ck_form.ck_minimal .ck_form_fields { width: 100%; float: left; padding: 5%; } /* Form fields */ .ck_errorArea { display: none; /* temporary */ } #ck_success_msg { padding: 10px 10px 0px; border: solid 1px #ddd; background: #eee; } .ck_form.ck_minimal input[type="text"], .ck_form.ck_minimal input[type="email"] { font-size: 18px; padding: 10px 8px; width: 68%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 3px; -webkit-border-radius: 3px; border-radius: 3px; /* border radius */ background-color: #fff; /* layer fill content */ margin-bottom: 5px; height: auto; float: left; margin: 0px; margin-right: 2%; height: 42px; } .ck_form input[type="text"]:focus, .ck_form input[type="email"]:focus { outline: none; border-color: #aaa; } .ck_form.ck_minimal .ck_subscribe_button { width: 100%; color: #fff; margin: 0px; padding: 11px 0px; font-size: 18px; background: #6fc171; -moz-border-radius: 3px; -webkit-border-radius: 3px; border-radius: 3px; /* border radius */ cursor: pointe...

This week on Mom Talk Radio, Angela Santomero, Blues Clues Co-Creator, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Creator and author of Preschool Clues: Raising Smart, Inspired, and Engaged Kids in a Screen-Filled World, shares tips for overcoming early childhood hurdles. Spotlight on Moms features Christy Emanuel of StainedWithStyle.com. Sarah Mackenzie, author of The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids, shares the benefits of reading aloud to your kids. Angela Cuff, author of What a Tragedy, shares how travel fuels the soul.

Listen in this week as the dynamic duo sit down for an enthralling interview with Sarah Mackenzie.  Sarah is a, speaker, podcast host, and author of the new book, The Read Aloud Family.  Once you listen to this conversation, you’re going to turn off whatever appalling electronic device you’re listening to, grab your child and read to them…Aloud!  It has to be aloud!  The benefits you may ask?  You ain’t going to believe this…

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.

Episode #054 with Sarah Mackenzie : The Power of Being a Read Aloud Family   * Head to SimplyJoyfulPodcast.com or KristiClover.com/054 to see all the Show Notes & Awesome Quotes that we collected for you!   * A special thanks to our wonderful sponsor this month: PeachDish  — Be sure to check out all their amazingly delicious meals at PeachDish.com. You can get $15 OFF your first order by using the coupon code: SIMPLYJOYFUL     *CHECK OUT OUR NEW “SIMPLY JOYFUL TV!” It’s the video edition of the podcast! I had the honor of interviewing Jon Erwin, the director of the new movie I Can Only Imagine and Moms Night Out. You can watch it HERE! There are more video interviews coming soon!   BOOKS & POSTS MENTIONED… Read-Aloud Family Teaching From Rest Honey for a Child's Heart The Read-Aloud Handbook The Green Ember  Ember Falls Ember Rising The Chronicles of Narnia Autobiography of Mark Twain Harry Potter Murder on the Orient Express  Lord of the Rings  Mr. Popper's Penguins  A Wrinkle in Time  Swiss Family Robinson  Paddington  The Little House The White Knight   LINKS TO OTHER THINGS MENTIONED… (See more details on the SHOW NOTES!) Join my mailing list and get weekly encouragement -- and get my Sanity Savers for Moms book FREE! The Simply Joyful Membership Site!! — To hear my special “How to Set Better Goals in 2018” bonus podcast episode! Join our Facebook Community, too! Your question might just be used in the podcast. I didn’t mention that I have a weight loss program that I love called Optavia! I’m a health coach with them. If you are interested in learning more about that and my special coaching program, just head HERE for more info. Listening to Audio Books with Audible! The Simply Joyful Podcast mug Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss the next encouraging episode! iTunes & Stitcher & now GooglePlay   I hope you enjoyed this week's podcast! My prayer is always that you will be blessed and encouraged by each episode. Live Simply. Be Joyful.     LET’S CONNECT!… I'd love to connect with you more online! Be sure to follow me on social media and see what we're up to.  My Website | Facebook  | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest | Twitter     CONNECT WITH SARAH… Sarah Mackenzie is an author, speaker, and podcast host. On the immensely popular Read-Aloud Revival podcast, she helps parents all over the world make meaningful connections with their kids through books. She lives in the Northwest with her husband, Andrew, homeschools their six kids, and loves making sure her family is well-stocked in the best books she can find. You can check out Sarah's book HERE on Amazon! Be sure to visit her site as well at www.readaloudrevival.com.     **This post may contain a few affiliate links, both Amazon & others. Please see my disclosure page if you have any questions.

A Wrinkle in Time is one of my favorite books to share with kids, and it’s featured as one of my top picks for read-alouds in chapter 15 of one of the brand new book, The Read-Aloud Family.  The movie’s release later this week offers families a wonderful opportunity to experience the book together and have some meaningful conversations about all kinds of topics. (This is both an article and a podcast. If you'd prefer to listen to the podcast episode, click the play button below.) Though often recommended for kids age 10-14 years, older teens and adults will find a lot to love, as well. If you’re reading the book aloud, kids as young as 7 or 8 can listen in. 3 simple steps to sharing A Wrinkle in Time with your kids: Read the bookShare an experienceTalk about it It’s that simple. No need for literary expertise or complicated plans. If you and your child read A Wrinkle in Time together, share an experience, and then talk about the book, you will find that both your relationship with your child and your child’s relationship with books will change for the better. Here’s how to get the most out of the The Wrinkle in Time book & movie experience: Step 1: Read the book A Wrinkle in Time makes for a wonderful read-aloud! If you’d like, use the audio book version (so you can enjoying being read to, as well). I particularly like the version narrated by Hope Davis. Audio books are a great way to fit read-alouds in when you’re with your kids in the car, sharing the task of folding laundry, or relaxing together in the evening. If you’re short on time or your older kids and teens haven’t warmed up to the idea of being read aloud to yet (you’ll find strategies to help you with that in The-Read Aloud Family), each of you can read the book independently and then come together to share the experience of watching the movie and talking about it. It’s worth making the effort to either read the book aloud or listen to an audio version, if you can. That shared experience is magical. Step 2: Share an experience Mark your calendar! The brand new Disney movie, A Wrinkle in Time, releases to theaters March 9, 2018, and is rated PG. If you read the book first and then watch the movie, your kids will enjoy pointing out what was different and what was the same. They’ll also likely have opinions about how characters were depicted in the film, and what scenes the filmmakers decided to include or leave out. (Find out more about the movie here.) If your kids are digging the sci-fi nature of A Wrinkle in Time and you’re feeling a bit adventurous, try a simple but fun activity like breaking open geodes or growing crystals. Step 3: Talk about it Ask any of the questions below to spark a conversation with your kids about A Wrinkle in Time. You can ask kids of all ages these questions— the answers will vary depending on your children’s age and maturity level. As you talk with your kids, keep in mind that compelling questions are more important than compelling answers. A child who practices the art of asking questions will develop a habit of thinking deeply when they’re reading in the future. This is what we’re going for! Asking even one of these questions will make a difference in the way your kids think about what they’ve read. Think of the questions as doors. Opening any one of these doors can lead to a wonderful, meaty discussion. So pick a door— any door— and see where it takes you! You'll find all of the questions I suggest in this FREE guide: Download the FREE reading guide A WRINKLE IN TIME BY MADELEINE L'ENGLE Awesome-- check your email inbox There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. Email Address I'd like to receive the free email course.

With all the distractions and busy schedules, it can be challenging to sit down and read some of your favorite books to your kids. In this podcast Andrew and Julie welcome author and podcaster Sarah Mackenzie to discuss reading aloud. Get a sneak peak of Sarah's new book, The Read Aloud Family, and learn the importance of prioritizing reading to your children. Referenced Materials: Read-Aloud Revival  Read-Aloud Revival Podcast  The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie  Sarah's Podcast with Andrew Pudewa  Nurturing Competent Communicators audio talk by Andrew Pudewa Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson  Sarah's Podcast with Katherine Paterson Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (Amazon Affiliate) The Giver by Lois Lowry (Amazon Affiliate) The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (Amazon Affiliate) Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Amazon Affiliate) Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo (Amazon Affiliate) Purgatorio by Dante (Amazon Affiliate) Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett (Amazon Affiliate) The Fable of George Washington and the Cherry Tree  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis (Amazon Affiliate) The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood (Amazon Affiliate) Matilda by Roald Dahl (Amazon Affiliate) Sarah's Podcast with Jonathan Rogers The Way of the Wilderking by Jonathan Rogers (Amazon Affiliate) The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson  (Amazon Affiliate) Remember to send your questions to Podcast@IEW.com, and perhaps yours will be answered the next time we Ask Andrew Anything (AAA). If you have any questions about IEW or our products, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 800.856.5815 or Info@IEW.com