Brave Writer News: October 2025

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What AI Can’t Write

Brave Writer

AI can write anything!

Almost. 

But you know what AI is terrible at writing?

  • The quirky way your daughter tells a joke.
  • The exuberant way your son describes kicking the winning goal.
  • The vivid way your child describes the freezing-cold river water running over their toes.

Those moments? They’re real. They’re human. 

So—how do you help bring them to the page while keeping your child’s authentic voice alive?

  • You pay attention. (You take their struggle seriously!) 
  • You Jot It Down. (You become their secretary until they can do it on their own!)
  • You partner with them. (You provide help that actually helps!)
  • You become the writing coach they need to gain both competence and confidence.

Need help?

Growing Brave Writers

Growing Brave Writers is your guide to leveling up your teaching skills—so you can nurture your child’s voice and love of writing.

And here’s the best part: the skills you learn (and they learn!) will serve you again and again and again. 

Unlike one-and-done curricula, this guide grows with your child—from age 5 to 18 and beyond! 

  • One purchase.
  • Years of writing instruction.
  • A lifetime of authentic expression.

If you’re worried about AI taking over creativity… or if you want your child to tap into what makes them beautifully, unmistakably human—Brave Writer has the key.

Stop the worry and start the writing!

Get Growing Brave Writers today! 

Growing Brave Writers

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[Podcast #308] Julie’s Brief History of Homeschooling

Brave Writer Podcast

On today’s podcast we go on a sweeping journey through the history of homeschooling, weaving together Julie’s story with the larger movement that reshaped education in America. From the experimental classrooms of 1970s California to the early legal battles of the 1980s and the faith-driven conventions of the 1990s, Julie shows how homeschooling evolved from a fringe experiment into a mainstream educational choice.

Along the way, she shares the moment she first heard the word “homeschool,” how early influences shaped her teaching philosophy, and why the movement looks so different today—with growing diversity, secular options, and new opportunities for connection.

This episode dives into:

  • Landmark cases like Wisconsin v. Yoder and their impact
  • The rise of Christian homeschooling and its cultural influence
  • How COVID-19 sparked a new wave of homeschoolers
  • Brave Writer’s unique role as a non-sectarian home for all families

Julie’s personal history is a reminder that homeschooling has never been static—it has always been about reimagining education for the times we’re in.

Show Notes

The Early Days of Homeschooling

Julie begins with memories of her own education in 1970s California—an era of creek-side science lessons, Renaissance fairs, and hands-on learning experiments. She then introduces the early influencers of the homeschooling movement, such as John Holt and Raymond Moore, and landmark legal cases like Wisconsin v. Yoder that carved out space for families to educate outside the system.

Homeschooling in the 80s and 90s

Through personal anecdotes, Julie recounts first hearing the word “homeschool” in the 1980s and discovering its promise of tailor-made education. She describes the rise of Christian homeschool conventions and curricula in the 1990s, the challenges of record-keeping in some states, and how communities were built—often through church networks.

Homeschooling Today

Fast forward to the present, where homeschooling has become both more mainstream and more varied. From the surge of new homeschoolers post-COVID to the growth of secular and religiously diverse communities, Julie highlights how Brave Writer continues to create a non-sectarian space that welcomes families of every background.

Homeschooling has always been about more than just academics. It’s a way to reimagine education to serve children and families in meaningful ways.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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The Foundation of Self-Worth

Brave Writer

I found this little gem in my Instagram drafts and it brought a tear to my eye. I recorded it in the spring of 2024. My mother was still alive at the time.

It struck me as I re-watched it that the foundation of self-worth is the faith that my parents have in me. Each of them have expressed in many different ways that the person I am is someone they are proud of and that they love.

They have weathered all kinds of changes in my beliefs, in my choices, in how I conduct myself as a grown-up. They haven’t always agreed with all those choices.

But at the core of my identity is the deep knowledge that both my parents love me and are proud of me.

If you’re worried about your kids right now and the choices they’re making, what matters more is that they know that they are important to you and that you are proud to be their parent.

You can’t protect your children from making choices they regret. But you can be the person that supports them no matter what.

So go forth and tell your kids today, “I think you’re the bees knees.” Then give them a big hug and tossle their hair.

Watch the Video

Brave Learner Home

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More Monday Morning Meetings

Brave Learning

Our five-minute weekly podcast for your kids is going strong on Substack!

We took a break for the summer but have new episodes available and they are FREE (they aren’t always).

The goal is to give your kids actionable steps to take control of their learning experience, to make it more meaningful and delightful to them.

So play a podcast for your kids then give them time to have fun with it.

Monday Morning Meetings

  • Back to Homeschool Hamburger: A gentle re-entry writing activity for your kids!
  • Subject Reset: What to do when you don’t want to do what you are supposed to do!
  • Snack Attack: Add a dash of literary devices to a delicious delicacy (see what I did there?)
  • Birds! Fall is a great time to kick off a bird-watching habit!

And if you missed the first six free episodes, here they are.

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! 

Brave Learning with Julie Bogart on Substack

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[Podcast #307] Italy, Literature, and Learning Connections

Brave Writer Podcast

Julie is back from her two-week trip to Italy (with a quick stop in Copenhagen!) and brings stories that weave together travel, literature, and layered learning. From visiting her aunt on the Mediterranean coast to finally stepping inside Florence’s Santa Croce—20 years after promising herself she would—Julie shares how books like A Room with a View transform sightseeing into soul-deep experiences.

She and Melissa explore how these kinds of connections—between story, place, and lived experience—are the essence of meaningful education. You’ll also hear about unexploded WWII bombs in a train station, the Leaning Tower of Pisa’s surprising wonder, naked bungee-jumping in Denmark, and a serendipitous plane conversation that led to the discovery of a century-old “living book.”

This Brave Writer podcast episode is a reminder to travel, talk to strangers, and create opportunities for our kids (and ourselves) to encounter the world twice: once through story, and once in real life.

Show Notes

Travel, Family, and Literature

This trip began as a chance to visit Julie’s aunt on the Mediterranean coast but soon became a deeply layered journey. Anchored in A Room with a View by E.M. Forster, Julie describes how reading about a place and then experiencing it firsthand adds dimension and delight—whether it’s stumbling upon Giotto’s frescoes, standing beneath Galileo’s tomb, or finally walking into Santa Croce. These encounters remind us that literature doesn’t just tell stories—it prepares us to live them.

Learning Twice: Experience + Story

Julie and Melissa explore the educational magic of encountering something more than once—first in books, films, or stories, and then in real life. From Sister Wendy’s art documentaries sparking awe in Florence’s Uffizi, to Melissa’s son recognizing dugouts from her novel The Prairie Thief, these layered connections create hooks for memory and deeper understanding. As Julie notes, “If you really want your kids to know something, they need it twice.”

Unexpected Encounters

The episode also celebrates the surprises of travel and conversation: unexploded WWII bombs unearthed in an Italian train station, Pisa’s leaning tower being more thrilling than expected, naked bungee-jumping in Denmark, and a chance plane-seat conversation that introduced Julie to Gordon MacQuarrie’s century-old Stories of the Old Duck Hunters and Other Drivel. These moments remind us that the world is full of unexpected teachers—if we’re willing to listen.

This episode is a joyful reflection on how travel, literature, and layered experiences enrich our lives and our children’s education. Whether through family stories, beloved books, or chance encounters with strangers, we are invited to step out of our comfort zones, connect deeply, and see the world with fresh eyes.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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