The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids Paperback – March 27, 2018

I am a fan of Sarah Mackenzie's RAR, I have listened to most of her podcasts, and even so, I feel this book is a valuable addition to my library. For me, this book is freeing. It IS okay to make reading aloud a priority, even with the older children.The first part of the book is dedicated to the positive outcomes of reading and reading aloud-- increased vocabulary and reading comprehension, empathy building, an education of the heart and mind, and more. A few studies are mentioned and one in particular from Carnegie Mellon states "that reading a story gives the brain similar network connections as actually living through an experience yourself." I have witnessed from my "non-reader" a stirring of emotions while reading aloud historical fiction that no excerpt in a history book could touch.The second part of the book is more about the relationship building with your children. It provides ideas on how to make this read aloud culture a reality in your own home, how to pick out great books at the library, and provides a list of compelling questions to get the conversations rolling when a book is complete. I put those questions to the test one afternoon when my girls and I were waiting for my son's soccer game to begin. We went for a walk around the facility and I slipped the first question in. I was amazed. My teen, who told me initially the book she finished was good when I asked a dead end question, transformed as she talked for 20 minutes when I asked a couple of Sarah's questions. Not only that, it led to another deep discussion about a tv series and racism. What?? Just by asking the right questions.The last section has an incredible list of books that are perfectly suited for reading aloud according to age. I know I will reference this often.I love this book. It is a refreshing and encouraging read, and even though I have heard much of the same information from Sarah's RAR, having this information all together in one place is a wonderful and useful tool.

Sarah Mackenzie in her new book Read-Aloud Family breaks down not only the what but the why of reading aloud with our families.Read-Aloud Family has the same easy-to-read conversational style as Teaching From Rest. Packed with strategies and truth for making reading aloud a part of your family tradition and daily activities. She calls on us not to miss the greatest opportunity to connect to those closest to us, in the everyday. Mackenzie urges us to be fully present, not missing what is right in front of us “waiting for big, splashy, take-my-breath-away moments.”Admonishing us to do away with the notion of the mythical perfectly quiet time, when our perfectly attentive children will be ready to sit still and listen, Mackenzie suggests the opposite. Stop in the middle of your crazy, busy day and do something important. Connect. Connect if only for a few minutes a day (and even while listening to an audiobook!) Connect through the “comfort food” of books. She says that having actual food during your read aloud time does help as well.Reminding us that by devouring great stories we can inspire heroic virtue, nurture empathy; increase vocabulary and language patters but most importantly encourage a love of reading. She calls on us to create a “book club atmosphere” in our homes, discussing and relishing not only the great books of the past but also the myriad of more contemporary literature.The beauty of this book is that Mackenzie has already compiled read-aloud specific booklists by age group, given parents some wonderful tools for engaging in conversation and how to do that as well as appropriate activities for every age.Chapter eleven is one I will return to often. As a homeschooling mom of seven (ages 13-3 months) this is a resource I will return to again and again and not just for the lists, but also for the tools it provides to make connections with my kids.Don’t just skip to the lists! Although they are incredibly helpful, the tools and encouragement in this book are what you need to fulfill those desire to “do something” about wanting to read-aloud more often.So momma, after you order this book, put down your phone, plop down on your couch with enough of a snack to share and start reading aloud, if only for a little while, because it’s one of the BEST ways to connect with your kids today.

This little book packs a lot of helpful information and inspiring anecdotes, thoughts, and affirmations into its pages. It will be a true guide to any parent wishing to establish a read-aloud habit and read-aloud culture in their home - from facts that back up what most of us know intuitively on some level (that we should be reading aloud to our children), to ideas on how to foster that at-home book club atmosphere, to inspiration that what we are doing is meaningful and important, and even help in going a step further and being able to start great conversations with your children about the stories you have shared together - this book really does have what you need.A pleasant surprise was that it was good for me, too. Sarah is rather preaching to the choir as I read this book - I spend many, many hours engaged in reading out loud to my family. But I found two things, personally, that were valuable to me, despite not being in a place to really need the "guide" - one, that list of questions to help me talk with my kids in a relaxed, organic way about the books we read together, and 2: enough reminders about the true worth of the activity of reading-aloud to be encouraged (even when the days are long and busy), and maybe even a little convicted (because even my family can let read-aloud time slide).I cannot recommend this book (complete with a fantastic book list for your kids!!) enough or recommend Sarah Mackenzie enough. Her writing is like getting to listen to a passionate and wise fellow mother, a woman who has been around the block enough times to know how to laugh, dust herself off, and do the most important thing - love on her kids and make real relationships with them. Reading most anything she has written is a like getting a big, fat hug. This book is a hug and a lesson in how and why to make read-aloud a priority all in one.