The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids

by Sarah Mackenzie

Overview

Discover practical strategies to make reading aloud a meaningful family ritual.

The stories we read—and the conversations we have about them—help shape family traditions, create lifelong memories, and become part of our legacy. Reading aloud not only has the power to change a family—it has the power to change the world.

But we all know that connecting deeply with our families can be difficult in our busy, technology-driven society. Reading aloud is one of the best ways to be fully present with our children, even after they can read themselves, but it isn't always easy to do. Discover how to:

• Prepare your kids for academic success through reading to them
• Develop empathy and compassion in your kids through books
• Find time to read aloud in the midst of school, sports, and dinner dishes
• Choose books across a variety of sibling interests and ages
• Make reading aloud the best part of your family's day

The Read-Aloud Family also offers age-appropriate book lists from infancy through adolescence. From a toddler's wonder to a teenager's resistance, you will find the inspiration you need to start a read-aloud movement in your own home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310350323
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	03/27/2018
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	90,634
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Sarah Mackenzie is an author, speaker, and podcast host. She created the Read-Aloud Revival podcast in 2014. That fateful decision resulted in a highly rated show with millions of downloads. Sarah helps families all over the world fall in love with books. She lives in the Northwest with her husband, Andrew. She homeschools their six kids and considers it her high calling to make sure they are well-stocked in the best books she can find.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS: PART I: THE TIME IS NOW Chapter 1: Why Reading Aloud Will Change the World Chapter 2: Equipped: The Best Investment Chapter 3: Enlightened: On Becoming Heroes and Heroines Chapter 4: Empathetic: Slipping into Another Person’s Shoes Chapter 5: Engaged: Meaningful Connections through Stories PART II: HOW TO BUILD YOUR FAMILY CULTURE AROUND BOOKS Chapter 6: The Art of Literary Matchmaking Chapter 7: Good Books: You Are What You Read (Aloud) Chapter 8: Ease: It’s Simpler Than You Think Chapter 9: Whim: This Actually Counts?! Chapter 10: Atmosphere: Creating a Book Club Culture in Your Home Chapter 11: Identity: I Am a Reader. Who are You? Chapter 12: Time and Place: The Siren Song of Modern Distractions PART III: 100 BOOKS TO READ WITH YOUR KIDS BEFORE THEY LEAVE HOME Chapter 13: How to Use this Booklist Chapter 14: Meeting Them Where They Are: Age 0-3 Chapter 15: Meeting Them Where They Are: Age 4-8 Chapter 16: Meeting Them Where They Are: Age 9-12 Chapter 17: Meeting Them Where They Are: Age 13-15 Chapter 18: Meeting Them Where They Are: Age 16+

Editorial Reviews

04/09/2018
This practical guide contains a skillfully designed plan for parents to use in hopes of fostering a love of reading in their children. Book-lover Mackenzie found Jim Trelease’s The Read-Aloud Handbook when the first of her six children was one year old. In Trelease’s thesis, Mackenzie discovered not only a method but also her calling. She has produced a popular podcast, Read-Aloud Revival; it targets homeschooling parents, but her brainstorming and cheerleading will be a support to all parents who want to help their children read. The trick is to read aloud to them, she writes—even to small babies and truculent teens. In laying out her philosophy, Mackenzie addresses how reading encourages kids to be more attentive and nurtures compassion. She offers ways to connect kids to and through books: create a book club at home, match the child to the book, converse with substance, and ask leading questions. An inveterate list-maker, Mackenzie divides children into age groups for which she provides suggested reading lists (including Bibles), plus activities for children to do while adults read aloud. Although designed for Christians—brief sections address the power of reading for finding truth in Jesus—this enjoyable book will also be welcome to general readers. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly