October 2023 - Page 4 of 4 - A Brave Writer's Life in Brief A Brave Writer's Life in Brief
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A Brave Writer's Life in Brief

Thoughts from my home to yours

Archive for October, 2023

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Struggling to Read

Brave Writer

Is your child struggling to read well (or at all)?

I’m listening to a podcast (suggested by a Brave Writer fan) called “Sold a Story” about the failure of a popular method of teaching reading that doesn’t emphasize explicit phonics instruction. Emily Hanford, the show’s host, cites data that indicates that nearly 65% of fourth graders are poor readers.

Most home educators use a phonics-driven program to teach reading. I remember using a little book by Ruth Beechik to begin that instruction with my oldest son. He sat at the table while I used a white board to connect vowel sounds with a variety of consonants on either side: hat, cat, pad, bag; pig, sit, bid, sip.

Lots of tortured sounding out followed, but it was the act of noticing each letter that eventually unlocked his ability to read. I discovered with my daughter that she was doing such a good job of paying attention to the alphabet, she struggled to differentiate the different fonts for the same letters! Once we figured that out, she took off.

The Starting Place: Phonics

Phonics is the place to start because reading is foundationally the capacity to use the alphabet to transcribe and signal the familiar words we speak orally. In fact, it’s a pretty ingenious system that has made it possible to learn other languages. We transcribe the sounds our mouths make in order to remind us of the words or to preserve oral language for others to read later.

Certainly reading must be taught (it’s not caught like speech). The power of reading does more than introduce kids to a world of fascinating ideas and stories. It also allows children to become their own transcriptionists (writers). Those who struggle to read will struggle to spell and handwrite too.

If you wonder where to find a reputable phonics program, I recommend Pinwheels by Rooted in Language. Check it out.

Read Aloud

And remember to read to your kids. A child’s academic imagination grows in direct relation to immersion in story.

So whether you homeschool or not, you can teach your child to read. Be patient, take your time, add treats and snuggles.

Let’s raise readers!


This post is originally from my @juliebravewriter Instagram account.
Follow along for more conversations like this one!


Brave Learner Home

Posted in Reading | Comments Off on Struggling to Read

Mechanics & Literature: October 2023

Brave Writer

October’s Dart, Arrow, Boomerang, and Slingshot selections spotlight protagonists who are brave and thoughtful. These stories provide loads to talk about and consider as your family explores writing, mechanics, and literary devices!

And this month’s Quill—Music & Song Lyrics—will get your feet tapping and fingers snapping as your family reads picture books, looks at lyrics, and explores a symphony of symbols!


Brave Writer Quill
Quill (ages 5-7)

Music & Song Lyrics

Tune up your singing voices and get ready to tap to the beat! The Music & Song Lyrics Quill is here! Check out the Music & Song Lyrics booklist to help curate your read-aloud stack!

In this Quill, we’ll:

  • look lovingly at lyrics on the page; 
  • spot a slew of symbols that make meaning; 
  • enjoy a bit of rhyme time—and make a few of our own; 
  • make meaning with dots, lines, and curves; 
  • make math stick with musical counting; and
  • count along to the beat of a song.

Get the Quill.


Brave Writer Dart
Dart (ages 8-10)

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook

The lush terrain of Sri Lanka comes to life in this tale of friendship for fans of adventure and Robin-Hood inspired stories! We’re confident you won’t want to put this one down!

We’re “tickled pink” and “happy as clams” to share this month’s literary device—idioms. This device makes writing sparkle, inserts humor, and amplifies messages. Join us in October for a closer look!

Inside this Dart, we’ll also:

  • litter a list with commas;
  • ask a rhetorical question (or will we?);
  • in-vestigate a common preposition;
  • admire some action beats;
  • take a look at words that can be both nouns and verbs;
  • see how words grow from big to bigger to biggest; and so much more! 

Purchase the book.

Get the Dart.


Brave Writer Arrow
Arrow (ages 11-12)

It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas

In this historical fiction novel, Zomorod Yousefzadeh is making a fresh start with a new home and a new name. But fun and adventure can’t distract her from troubles brewing back in Iran and anti-Iran sentiments hitting too close to home. This poignant but lighthearted story will spark Big Juicy Conversations your family will remember!

October’s literary device is Figurative Language.

In this Arrow, we’ll also: 

  • consider the clever comma; 
  • dive into dialogue punctuation;
  • assess the power of snazzy synonyms;
  • discover the power of detailed descriptions;
  • gather golden lines;
  • see how a hearty dose of humor lightens a tense scene; and so much more!

Purchase the book.

Get the Arrow.


Brave Writer Boomerang
Boomerang (ages 13-14)

The Giver by Lois Lowry

This modern classic features a highly discussable plot that touches on deep topics. You might want to budget extra time for the Big Juicy Conversations this book is likely to inspire!

In this Boomerang, we’ll:

  • ride the escalating action;
  • ponder puzzling irony;
  • toss around commas galore;
  • juggle the question of genre;
  • hunt for allusions;
  • track the crisis all the way through the turning point until resolution; and so much more! 

Purchase the book.

Get the Boomerang.


Brave Writer Slingshot
Slingshot (ages 15-18)

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

This autobiography of a power orator, activist, and spokesperson for civil rights will spark important conversations your family won’t soon forget.

In this Slingshot, we’ll:

  • probe the past through Frederick Douglass’s courageous autobiography;
  • tiptoe through timelines and jog through geography;
  • pore over parallels and measure up metaphors;
  • capitalize and hyphenate;
  • ponder primary and secondary sources;
  • use irony to tell the truth, and much more.

Purchase the book.

Get the Slingshot.


Brave Writer

Posted in Arrow, Boomerang, BW products, Language Arts | Comments Off on Mechanics & Literature: October 2023

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