Favorite Homeschool Podcasts

Here's a quick post for all my newbie homeschooling friends (and their friends!)!

If you're searching for homeschool info/advice/encouragement, consider listening to one of the following podcasts:

I own EVERY SINGLE BOOK written by Julie Bogart, and I listen to her podcasts on a weekly basis. She's the crème de la crème of writing instructors, and her homeschool advice is exquisitely liberating. Her wisdom is a lifeline for those drowning in textbook-laden misery, and she's THE resource I recommend for parents of reluctant learners.

Listen to ANY (or all!) episodes of her podcasts. Read ANY (or all!) of her books. (The Brave Learner and A Gracious Space are my favs!)

Start with Read-Aloud Revival Episode #159: "10 Homeschooling Mistakes I've Made (So You Can Avoid Them)." Newbie and veteran homeschoolers alike will enjoy this one!

Many of the RAR podcasts are about specific books, so I don't stream these episodes as often as others. But if you're new to reading aloud, then I'd binge on this series for a while. Reading aloud is priority numero uno in our house (and in many other houses as well); the benefits are astounding, even for older kiddos.

Through her RAR podcasts, Sarah Mackenzie shares (1) how to nurture a love of reading, (2) how to avoid killing that love with tedious book reports, (3) which books are especially great for particular ages/interests, and (4) how to engage your kiddos in meaningful conversations about their favorite reads. Plus, you can also scour the RAR archives for interviews with popular authors of children's literature.

Need suggestions for great read alouds? Check out Sarah Mackenzie's book The Read-Aloud Family. We love this resource!

Sally Clarkson is one of my favorite human beings, and I listen to her podcasts every night as I fall asleep. The only reason I'm mentioning her podcast LAST is because her talks stretch beyond homeschooling. She covers everything from raising children to building friendships, and she sprinkles homeschooling tidbits throughout many of the episodes (she "home educated" her 4 children, and they all seem like fabulous human beings too!).

Nearly ALL of Sally's episodes are brimming with life-giving wisdom, so I'd start with whichever episode's title catches your eye. I started somewhere around episode 201 and have been listening to a new podcast ever since. ;-)

Also, last thing: Sally wrote a BRAND NEW BOOK, Awaking Wonder, that'll be released on August 20th. My hunch is that it will become a favorite of many homeschooling families. ;-)

That's it, folks! Happy streaming!