I’m Just a Little Obsessed
When I was working on my PhD, I had a professor, JoBeth Allen, that changed my life…or at least added a richness to it that I’d never imagined. It probably wasn’t even supposed to be part of that day’s lecture, but as an aside, she told us about something her family did whenever they went on a long trip in the car. Before each trip she’d choose a truly high-quality piece of children’s literature, a chapter book, and She didn’t tell the kids or her husband anything about the book, not even its title. Then, as soon as they got on the road, she’d start reading the book aloud. She said that her boys associated trips with the books they’d read, “Mom! That’s the trip you read us The Tales of Despereaux.” JoBeth rattled off all the books they’d read as a family and I low-key kinda fell in love with her, okay it wasn’t love, but it was a bit like hero worship. That day I vowed that I would start this practice with my own family and we’ve never looked back.
btw- I still see JoBeth every once in a while on campus and I always remind her what an impact she had on my life.
"Here's what I know: you are the best person to help your kids learn and grow, and home is the best place to fall in love with books."
Sarah Mackenzie
I will come back frequently to write about the many “nuggets of wisdom” that are scattered throughout this book. For now, I'll just say that Myth #4 on page 116 is something I learned early on... It's not necessary for your kids to be sitting at your feet staring up at you with glowing faces as you read to them. Sitting still is hard for me, and I've had years of practice! Just as people learn in a wide variety of ways, kids (and adults) listen in different ways as well. So, allow your child to doodle, hang upside down off the end of the sofa, color, pace, eat or crawl. It doesn't matter. It's the connection that matters and while it may not look like it at first, believe me, they're listening (and remembering). That’s not to say that I don’t crave an under the covers snuggle-read every now and then. Who’s with me?
Not only has my hero written a great book, She’s also created a beautiful website & hosts a podcast. The website and podcast share a name, The Read-Aloud Revival. I've made a list of all the past podcast episodes I want to listen to and that list is LONG. My favorite episode thus far was #162 which features Australian author Mem Fox as a guest.
I squealed when I heard about The Read-Aloud Family and now feel the need I to gush not only about the book, but also about its author, Sarah Mackenzie. I love everything about this book and I totally agree with just about everything she shares. She’s written a book about what truly matters not only to her, but also her entire family.
Despite the HUGE age difference, if Sarah and I were ever to meet, I know that we'd be instant friends. We speak the same love language. For us, one of the most important things are books, really good books with words that roll off the tongue and pull in both the reader and those listening. Books that later become happy memories and markers of time. When you find great books make time to read those books with someone those you love. Believe me when I say that time marches on, and reading aloud to your children my friend is one way to freeze it for just a few moments.
