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Brave Learning: How Learning Comes Alive

Brave Learning

Recently on Brave Learning…

How Learning Comes Alive

And why a “felt sense” in learning matters to your homeschool.

The one thing I wish every home educator knew is that learning and schooling are not the same thing.

Once you embark on homeschooling, the temptation is to figure out a style of school instruction.

  • Will you use workbooks and textbooks?
  • Will you follow a literature-based program or organize history through a classical model?
  • How many hours a day will your kids be expected to work on math, handwriting, and grammar?
  • What sequence will you do the subjects?

Certainly part of homeschooling is envisioning what an ordinary day will look like. Super important to have a routine so that you can function without panic!

However, sometimes what gets lost in all that planning is thinking about how you will help you child understand what you have slated to learn.

For instance, it’s not enough to think about which math program to purchase or how many problems per day to solve. What matters infinitely more is asking: “How can I ensure my child understands the principle of addition?” [More]

Subscribe to Brave Learning on Substack where we chat, discuss, problem-solve, and create together. Here’s what you can expect: weekly themed content, freewriting prompts, and a podcast for kiddos called Monday Morning Meeting (first 6 are free)! 

Brave Learning with Julie Bogart on Substack

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[Podcast #295] Brave Writer Lifestyles of the Educationally Rich

Brave Writer Podcast

Do you ever wonder how to create a homeschool life that feels rich and connected, rather than just checking off boxes?

In this podcast episode, we explore the Brave Writer Lifestyle—moving beyond rigid schedules to routines that foster:

  • connection,
  • flexibility,
  • and joy in daily learning.

We discuss how to anchor your days with simple routines, value real-life learning, adapt to your family’s needs, and protect space for inspiration and downtime. The conversation highlights the power of memory-making moments and the freedom to design a homeschool experience that is meaningful for both parent and child.

Show Notes

A Lifestyle of Learning, Not Just Schooling

We often find ourselves answering questions like, “What curriculum should I buy?” or “How do I schedule my homeschool day?” These questions, while practical, can sometimes miss the point. Homeschooling isn’t just about transferring school to the home—it’s about crafting a unique family culture that reflects your values, rhythms, and needs. Home is not a school, and our homes should feel fundamentally different from a classroom. Instead of rigid schedules, we advocate for routines that flow with your family’s natural energy and allow for flexibility, connection, and joy.

The Power of Routines Over Schedules

One of the most powerful tools we’ve discovered is the routine—a predictable pattern that provides security without the rigidity of a minute-by-minute schedule. We often anchor our days around meals, using breakfast, lunch, and dinner as natural gathering points. These “hooks” in the day help us organize learning in a way that feels organic. For example, mornings might start with quiet play or a favorite creative activity, followed by poetry or read-aloud time during breakfast. Lessons, explorations, and hands-on projects find their rhythm in these predictable pockets, but always with the freedom to adapt based on the needs and interests of the moment.

Embracing Flexibility and Connection

Flexibility is at the core of the Brave Writer Lifestyle. Our routines adapt as our families grow and circumstances change—whether that’s accommodating a working parent, a new baby, or shifting seasons of interest. We prioritize connection: learning together, embracing curiosity, and making time for the “pearls” of memory-making that will stand out years from now. Whether it’s reading on the couch, a spontaneous nature walk, or diving into a creative project, we cherish these moments that foster both learning and relationship.

Letting Real Learning Shine Through

The most meaningful education often happens in unexpected ways—while reciting a poem at bath time, learning about birds from the backyard, or discussing rock history on a car ride. We give ourselves permission to value these experiences as much as any workbook. Instead of measuring our success by completed checklists, we look for evidence of understanding in our children’s everyday discoveries and passions. The Brave Writer Lifestyle is not about perfection, but about cultivating a home environment where learning is alive, enjoyable, and deeply personal.

Protecting Space for Downtime and Inspiration

Finally, we guard unstructured time in our days. Children (and parents) need room for boredom, creativity, and inspiration to take root. By resisting the temptation to fill every moment with activities, we make space for the connections and creative sparks that define a rich homeschool life.

By focusing on routines that suit our family culture, embracing flexibility, and celebrating authentic learning moments, we build an educational experience that supports both our children’s growth and our own enjoyment of parenthood.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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The Unsolicited Gift of Despair

Brave Writer

If you’re anything like me, you want life to be smooth sailing and believe it to be possible! But I’ve noticed that in the darkest hours, that’s when I hear my own voice and all the unspoken words that now must be faced.

I heard a speaker call this experience the unsolicited gift of despair. When you reach the end of your rope, the good news is there’s no more rope. It’s the realization that you can’t salvage your life or anyone else’s. You get to make a new (scary) choice.

So on the day your nerve fails, your children break your heart, and you’re out of energy for other people’s nonsense, you’re nearer to your breakthrough than you imagine. Throw it all out: the plans, the beliefs, the expectations, and put your peace first.

Take one step

Plan one thing today that feels like chicken noodle soup, a cozy blanket, a long hug.

  • Book time with a therapist.
  • Take a class.
  • Spend a weekend alone.

Let your peace of mind be your guide—even if it takes you in what you have always been told are scary directions. You’ll know you are on course when you can breathe, when you aren’t looking over your shoulder, when you smile, when you glimpse a future you want to have.

In other words: your despair is the first clue that a new, different life is possible.

You don’t have to move quickly. Keep going in the direction of: joy, rest, confidence, relief, safety, curiosity.

You don’t have to do it alone!

There are so many communities that offer you tools designed to support you. I’ve written books and we have a membership community called Brave Learner Home if your struggle is related to homeschooling.

No matter what, you have the strength, courage, and wisdom to trust that something new can emerge.

Rooting for you always.

PS: If this message stops you in your tracks, start by pausing and writing your thoughts. You can take a match to the paper later. Write the wrong thing and let yourself know your truest thoughts. You’ll be okay.

Brave Learner Home

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Brave Learning: Micro-schools, Hybrids, Co-ops, and Charter schools

Brave Learning

Recently on Brave Learning…

Micro-schools, Hybrids, Co-ops, and Charter schools

The shift in home education is outsourcing.

Does the vision of homeschool draw and repel you at the same time?

You want this idyllic seeming education for your kids, but the thought of being in charge of it is daunting (and frankly, overwhelming). So you put your ear to the ground and find out that there’s a co-op in your town for homeschool families like yours. You discover that you can drop off your kids for a few hours and someone else will do the “homeschooling” a couple days a week. All you need to do is keep up with homework and do a little extra on the off days.

The idea is that your kids will get the friends they crave, predictable lessons, and you’ll get the support you want to ensure you don’t make mistakes or leave something un-taught.

For many families, this feels optimal! But I also hear some of the frustrations with this model as well. I am going to do a series on this topic for the next few weeks. I hope you’ll join me. [More]

Subscribe to Brave Learning on Substack where we chat, discuss, problem-solve, and create together. Here’s what you can expect: weekly themed content, freewriting prompts, and a podcast for kiddos called Monday Morning Meeting (first 6 are free)! 

Brave Learning with Julie Bogart on Substack

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[Podcast #294] Make Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling Stick—with Books!

Brave Writer Podcast

Do you ever wonder why some learning experiences “stick” while others fade away?

In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we explore how grammar, punctuation, and spelling can come alive through brief, meaningful conversations and playful discovery—far from the world of endless worksheets.

We discuss:

  • the power of “quick dips” in learning,
  • the magic of using favorite books as a playground for curiosity,
  • and the importance of connection in helping knowledge grow naturally.

By making room for authentic curiosity and everyday conversations, we can nurture a love of language that lasts. Tune in for practical ideas and a refreshing perspective on making language arts meaningful at home.

Show Notes

Learning Happens in Relationship

At the heart of meaningful learning is relationship. Our children learn not only through materials but through the time and attention we offer them. Just as they picked up skills like eating with utensils or brushing their teeth through countless small interactions—not formal lessons—so too can they absorb the mechanics of writing and language. These “two-minute drills” scattered throughout the day do more than you might think, laying a foundation that lasts a lifetime.

Quick Dips Over Deep Dives

There’s a common belief that mastery comes from hours of drills or intensive lessons, especially in subjects like grammar. But research tells us that a child’s attention span is, at best, their age plus a minute. The magic often happens in “quick dips”—short, focused bursts of conversation and discovery. Two minutes spent discussing a comma, an unusual word, or the punctuation in a favorite book passage can be far more effective than an hour spent on worksheets. These brief but regular dips build knowledge naturally, bit by bit, making learning feel less like a chore and more like an adventure.

Using Literature as Our Playground

When we use books our children love as the starting point, we transform grammar and punctuation from abstract concepts into meaningful experiences. Every passage in a book—whether chosen at random or with purpose—becomes a treasure trove of questions: What words stand out? What punctuation marks shape the meaning? What mood does this passage create, and how does the author achieve that? We invite our children to notice, to wonder, and to play detective with language. Even a disliked passage can become a “level up” challenge in critical thinking!

Authentic Curiosity Fuels Growth

Children are naturally driven to explore the things that interest them. When learning feels personal, they are willing to push through challenges, take breaks and return, or even ask for help when needed. The same persistence and creativity they use to master skills like roller skating or coding can be harnessed for language, spelling, and writing—if we let curiosity lead the way.

Every Conversation Counts

We don’t need to save our best questions for “school time.” Discussions about language can happen at the dinner table, during car rides, or while brushing teeth. The aliveness of these moments—their spontaneity, their relevance to our actual lives—helps make learning meaningful and memorable. Instead of seeking out the perfect program, we focus on building a family culture where books, words, and ideas are woven into our days.

The Brave Writer Approach

Our mission is to support families in bringing this kind of living, connected learning to life. Through our programs and resources, we offer not just content, but discussion questions and strategies to turn any book, passage, or even billboard into a learning opportunity. The goal isn’t to produce perfect grammar for the sake of a test, but to help our kids discover how language creates worlds, sparks imagination, and gives voice to who they are.

Let’s keep looking for the moments when learning feels alive—and trust that it’s in these small, joyful interactions that true understanding is born.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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