Archive for November, 2023

[Podcast #212] Hygge Homeschool for the Holidays

Brave Writer Podcast

As the leaves turn and the days shorten, there’s a distinct shift in the air – it’s the cozy season, a time for warmth, reflection, and connection.

This season, we’re embracing the Danish concept of ‘hygge’ (pronounced ‘hoo-ga’) in our homeschooling journey. Hygge is all about creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. It’s the warmth of morning light streaming through the window, the comfort of a hot cup of cocoa, the joy of a shared story.

Today on the Brave Writer podcast, we’re delving into how hygge can transform the homeschooling experience. As the season changes, so does the rhythm of our homes and our approach to education. It’s a time to slow down, to savor, and to connect more deeply with our children through learning and play.

Show Notes

Creating a Cozy Learning Environment

The essence of hygge homeschooling lies in creating an inviting, warm environment where learning is as much about the atmosphere as it is about the content. Imagine your home filled with soft lighting from lamps and candles, comfortable corners with piles of books and crafting materials, and the aroma of a simmering soup filling the air. This environment naturally invites key ingredients for effective learning:

  • curiosity,
  • creativity,
  • and a sense of comfort.

Engaging in Meaningful Activities

This cozy season, we encourage families to engage in activities that foster togetherness and creativity. Storytelling games, role-playing, and crafting projects like Mouse Guard adventures offer opportunities for children to stretch their imagination and bond with family members. Cooking and baking become not just about feeding the body but also about nourishing the soul and creating lasting family memories.

The Importance of Unstructured Play

Hygge homeschooling is also about recognizing the value of unstructured play. In a world that often overemphasizes productivity, allowing children the freedom to:

  • explore,
  • create,
  • and simply be is essential.

Whether it’s through fabric arts, crafting, or imaginative play, unstructured activities are fundamental to a child’s development and well-being.

Embracing the Outdoors

Even in the colder months, the outdoors offers a wonderland of educational opportunities. Nighttime walks, stargazing, and nature exploration offer unique experiences that can’t be replicated in a traditional classroom setting. These activities not only connect children to the natural world but also ignite their curiosity and sense of adventure.

As educators and parents, our goal is to create an environment where learning is a natural, enjoyable part of everyday life. By incorporating the principles of hygge into our homeschooling approach, we create a space where education is not just about the acquisition of knowledge but about the experience of learning together, in a warm, nurturing environment.

We invite you to embrace hygge in your homeschooling journey. Light a candle, curl up with a good book, and let the learning unfold in its own beautiful, organic way.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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Build a Unit Study: Winter/Holiday

Brave Writer Build a Unit Study Winter

December is a busy month. Let us help lighten the load with a FREE gift.

Build a Winter or Holiday-themed Unit Study with Brave Writer products and resources—organized just for you!

It’s simple:

  1. Select a theme (winter or holiday)
  2. Review Brave Writer resources inside the guide
  3. Select the resources you want to use
  4. Make a plan!

Get Your Guide

For homeschool coaching, webinars, and free resources,
become a member of Brave Learner Home.

Brave Learner Home

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Brave Writer Precept #7: Honesty, Emotional Safety, Love, and Creative Problem-Solving

Brave Writer Precept

The seventh Brave Writer precept is: Our life together is protected by our commitment to honesty, to emotional safety, to loving each other, and to creative problem-solving.

You know what makes a holiday happy? It’s not the presents under the tree. It’s not the best foods.

It’s the feeling of being seen and safe as you are in your family.

That’s it. That’s the whole thing!

Be:

  • honest,
  • caring,
  • loving,
  • and solve problems with creativity and heart.

You might try writing this precept on a sheet of paper you stick to your bathroom mirror! Would make a good start to each morning once the onslaught begins.

Brave Writer’s 12 Precepts

Brave Learner Home

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Friday Freewrite: Time Limit

Friday Freewrite

Remember when you had a strict time limit for a certain activity or project. Describe how that went.

New to freewriting? Check out our online guide.

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This Blog Post Is a Persuasive Essay

Brave Writer Essay 102

Persuasive writing is everywhere! A writing form equally at home in the classroom, in the media, and on the pages of your favorite influencers. 

In fact… BLOG POSTS like this one are a huge way you interact with persuasive writing!

Let me show you. I plan to call this essay:

“Beyond Five Paragraphs: Why You Should Take Essay Writing 102 This Fall”

Introduction and Opening Hook

A stressed-out student is hunched over a desk with a pot of coffee near at hand. A spotlight lamp shines down on an empty piece of paper. It’s midnight. There’s an essay due… tomorrow morning.

You know this is going to happen to your teen one day. Is your kid ready?

My thesis statement:

Although Brave Writer® has a reputation for “creative writing,” our approach is actually the most effective method to teach your teen how to write a persuasive essay.

Why should teens take Essay Writing 102?

Main Point #1

This class uses college techniques taught in university combined with the creative writing strategies of Brave Writer®. The result? A new twist on learning the old ways. 

Researchers from the University of Sussex report that creative writing processes have a strong link to proficiency in essay writing. Creative writing strategies have been found to enhance academic writing in university. (Creme & Hunt)

Main Point #2

Essay writing is more than just a format. We explore the spark that leads to all good persuasive essays—taking an informed stance. Students spend the whole first week of Essay Writing 102 focusing on learning and thinking critically about their topic.

Findings from The Centre for Cognitive Processes in Learning (Queensland University) report that students need more focus on the understanding of their topics, with less emphasis on just retelling information. Competent essay writing skills require a “relationship between students’ understanding of the content and their ability to write about it.” (Campbell, et al.)

Main Point #3

Good essays require a series of elements to work together. “Write an essay with 5 paragraphs” doesn’t cut it. Our class covers:

  • Making a strong argument
  • Evaluating proofs
  • Incorporating research and citations
  • Transitions and connections
  • Drafting and revising

In a study about metacognition, researchers found that giving students “topics and simple instructions” was less efficient than a more complex approach, whereby the writing structure involved more “planning and revising, monitoring, evaluating, and editing.” (Cer)

Conclusion

The expository essay is the primary writing format that ought to be learned before college. This class helps students become comfortable with the demands of academic writing using the persuasive essay format. 

Brave Writer® takes teaching the essential skills of persuasive essay writing to the next level by utilizing a creative, multifaceted, and complex approach. 

Bottom line? You can sign up your teen here:

REGISTER

Works Cited

Campbell, J., Smith, D. & Brooker, R. From conception to performance: How undergraduate students conceptualise and construct essays. Higher Education 36, 449–469 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003451627898

Cer, E. (2019). The Instruction of Writing Strategies: The Effect of the Metacognitive Strategy on the Writing Skills of Pupils in Secondary Education. SAGE Open, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019842681

Creme, P., & Hunt, C. (2002). Creative Participation in the Essay Writing Process. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 1(2), 145-166. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474022202001002003

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