We Grow Writers
When I built Brave Writer, I had one goal: to grow writers. I found out quickly that most parents had a different goal: to grade writers.
The heart of what we do in Brave Writer, is to give kids the experience of growing. Grading doesn’t do that. Grading measures children against a standard and shows them where they fell short. If they get an A, the impression is created that there is no more growth to be had. Yet that’s also not true. Grading does not accomplish the growing. It only ensures that a child works for approval. Grading doesn’t teach craft.
What leads to growth in writing? A safe environment for risk-taking. That means having a supportive conversation partner who reads your words and gives feedback about that reading experience.
The comments our talented writing coaches (instructors) make help children know that they have been read and understood first.
Kids in our classes experience themselves as writers,
not as taking a writing class.
Our instructors’ comments are:
- kind,
- thoughtful,
- and move the writing forward.
A writing coach might say something like:
“I was drawn in by the opening sentence. Now I wonder what happened to the dog. Can you show me? Can you create a movie in my mind? Like this…”
Students are taught how to grow the content of their writing, not just clean up the mechanics.
So check out Brave Writer’s online writing classes. We have a wide array to choose from!
