Read-Aloud Revival ®

What is your calling in life? 
For poet, songwriter, and academic, Malcolm Guite, it’s unequivocally clear–to be a storyteller. 
Today on the podcast Audrey and I chat with Malcolm about the first volume in his new retelling of the classic King Arthur stories, Galahad and the Grail, illustrated by the incredible Stephen Crotts and published by our friends over at Rabbit Room Press. 
Not only is Malcolm adapting the legends of King Arthur, he’s doing it in poetic ballad form, which means they are basically designed to be read aloud. 
In our conversation, he tells us about the epic journey he and his publisher and illustrator undertook to visit sites connected to the Arthurian legends, how a childhood surrounded by books and stories led him to his lifelong love and study of literature and poetry, and the impact his own mother had on his journey to becoming a poet and storyteller. 
In this episode, you’ll hear: 
Why Malcolm chose to write this story in ballad form 
How woodland walks inspire Malcolm’s writing and why he knew it was time to “take up the tale”
What elements and parallels of Biblical stories Malcolm wanted to restore that have often been left out of modern Arthurian retellings
Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:
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Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/malcolm-guite

Learning to read can be hard. And when our kids are still learning to read fluently and well, helping them fall in love with books can feel impossible.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Today on the show, I’m sharing some strategies to help hook your developing reader. And of course, I have some suggestions for books that they won’t be able to resist.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 
Why helping your kids fall in love with story is the the key to helping them fall in love with reading 
The way short, frequent phonics and reading sessions propel budding readers toward fluency and ease
How to become a book-matchmaker for your child 

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:
Read-Aloud Revival
Waxwing Books
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Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/child-resists-reading

We all want to build those meaningful and lasting connections with our kids. 
Around here, we’re usually talking about doing that through books and reading aloud. But how do we extend these connections into our everyday, ordinary parenting moments?  
Today, I’m talking to one of my favorite people to listen to when it comes to relationships. Dr Matthew Breuninger is a clinical psychologist and author of Finding Freedom in Christ: Healing Life’s Hurts and in this episode he shares how safe, secure attachment forms the foundation of close relationships with our kids and how to repair them when we inevitably mess up. 
He also unpacks the very common tendency a lot of us have to view our children’s behavior as a reflection on us, and offers a beautiful reminder of where our deepest identity as parents comes from (spoiler alert: it’s not your performance. ❤️)
In this episode, you’ll hear: 

What foundational perspective parents can offer to shape our kids relationships with us and others
Why ruptures are inevitable in all our relationships, and how we can approach repair
How our kids become mirrors for the wounds and self-protection strategies we need to work on in ourselves

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:
Read-Aloud Revival
Waxwing Books
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Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/connecting-with-your-kids/

Today, we’re revisiting a listener-favorite episode that has some advice and an activity that I think are perfect for this time of year in our homeschools.
Jon Acuff, author of All It Takes Is a Goal, joined me a while back for a perspective-shifting conversation about setting and achieving goals for our homeschools, and how looking back at our best moments, from major milestones to pockets of joy, helps us envision the kind of future we really want. 
Jon also shares some practical tips for reframing the urge to compare ourselves to others, especially on social media, giving ourselves credit for what we’re already doing–because it’s definitely more than you think–and approaching goals with a “some is better than none” mindset.
In this episode, you’ll hear: 
How taking stock of your past best moments helps you be more grateful and present for the moments happening right now
Why having dreams and goals bigger than your calendar is actually a gift 
A simple key to finding goals that work for you and your family 

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:
Read-Aloud Revival
Waxwing Books
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Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/jon-acuff

We talk a lot around here about the incredible impact stories have on our kids. They build empathy and connection, letting us walk a mile in another’s shoes. And some stories also help us see what it looks like to be brave and courageous, even in the face of fear or daunting challenges.
Today, Audrey is back to talk with me about how stories inspire courage in our kids and ourselves and can connect us to profound truths, no matter how fantastical the setting.
In this episode, you’ll hear: 
How stories become companions to us through challenging seasons 
Which stories have shaped Sarah and Audrey’s own lives 
The ways myths can echo profound truths to us that feed our hearts and minds and inspire heroic virtue

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:
Read-Aloud Revival
Waxwing Books
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/inspiring-heroic-virtue