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Critical Thinking and Fundamentalism
In his book, Strong Religion, Gabriel Almond (plus authors) makes a case for the idea that when a society is going through seismic shifts that feel unnerving, the tendency is to double down on the past and black-and-white thinking. Many times we adopt a fundamentalist spirit, whether or not, we are religious.
Hallmarks of Fundamentalism
The hallmarks of that fundamentalism are a rejection of the threatening new ideas or technologies, and a desire to return to familiar ones that make a person feel safe and secure.
Black-and-white thinking leads to suspicion which creates in and out groups. Problem-solving to account for a variety of needs goes out the window.
In the homeschool space, sometimes we fall prey to fundamentalist thinking about education—who qualifies as a true homeschooler or we eye other educational spaces or philosophies with suspicion.
Critical thinking starts with curiosity and a willingness to dissent. It also expands to include uncomfortable perspectives in an attempt to learn from them. It means not having the comfort of certainty but the relief of having your own thoughts—even ones that don’t fit neatly into your group.
I know I’m in my black-and-white mind when I’m smug, flippant, and stop being curious about what makes someone else tick. I know I’m thinking better when I pause to wonder—why, how, what was it like for _____, what don’t I know about this?
This post was originally shared on Instagram.
Watch the accompanying reel for more.
Monday Morning Meetings: Fall 2025
Our five-minute weekly podcast for your kids is going strong on Substack!
There are 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
- D.E.A.R.
- Board Games
- The Alphabet
- Table Centerpiece
- Compare and Contrast
- Book Collage
- Holiday Helping
Check out all of the episodes HERE.
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!
[Podcast #316] When Your Middlers Lack Interest
What do we do when our tweens and teens don’t seem “into” anything?
In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we explore how to revive interest, curiosity, and motivation in the middle school years—without forcing artificial enthusiasm.
We talk about:
- why middlers may seem disengaged,
- how risk and adventure replace the “magic” of early childhood learning,
- and how deep dives, conversation, boredom, and flexibility can open doors to authentic passion.
We also share practical scripts, examples from our own families, and tools for nurturing critical thinking and connection.
Show Notes
Middle school can feel like unfamiliar territory for many homeschoolers. The cozy magic that carried us through the elementary years suddenly seems mismatched to our tweens, who often appear restless, bored, or unsure about what interests them. As academic expectations rise, we may feel pressure to keep everything moving forward, even when our kids seem to stall. But the middle years are ripe with possibility if we’re willing to rethink how learning works.
Risk and Adventure Replace Early-Education Magic
One thing we’ve noticed is that the enchantment of the early years often comes from surprise and mystery: the twinkle lights, the themed read-alouds, the cozy writing moments. But tweens and teens are wired for something different. They’re ready for risk and adventure. Not necessarily cliff jumping or grand excursions—though sometimes that too—but the intellectual and emotional risks that come with forming opinions, exploring new worlds, and stepping outside familiar perspectives.
Rather than expecting them to declare a clear passion, we make space for them to discover one. For many kids, interest begins quietly. It emerges through consumption—books, films, fandoms, video games, music—long before it shows up as creative output. We sometimes forget that mastering a subject begins with taking in mountains of input. College students and graduate-level scholars spend years consuming before producing original work. When our middlers are devouring books or revisiting a favorite hobby, they are building vocabulary, context, and insight that later become the foundation of mature thinking.
Conversation as a Catalyst for Understanding
We also find that conversation fuels understanding. When we listen, truly listen, to our kids talk about what they love, they refine their ideas in real time. Some families build this into group activities like movie nights or book clubs; others find it easier to talk through a WhatsApp thread or emails with grandparents. However it happens, the back-and-forth deepens thinking and strengthens connection.
But sometimes, before interest emerges, there’s boredom. In a world full of instant entertainment, boredom can feel like a problem. But it’s actually the fertile soil of creativity. When we carve out device-free space and keep enticing materials accessible—binoculars, art supplies, maps, kitchen tools—we give our kids the freedom to wander mentally and physically. That meandering often leads to unexpected discoveries. The child who seems apathetic one week may suddenly be whittling wood, researching constellations, or organizing a geocaching route the next.
Inviting Kids Into the Process
The secret is transparency. Instead of changing course quietly, we invite our kids into the process: “I’ve noticed we’re all feeling a little stuck. I’d love to experiment with giving ourselves some free space every day to explore ideas or interests. It might feel boring at first, but I think something good could come out of it.” When we model curiosity and honesty, our kids feel respected and more willing to take their own risks.
The Power of the Middle School Transition
Middle school isn’t a dead zone of interest. It’s a transition zone. A place where kids shed childhood patterns and begin shaping who they are. When we provide spaciousness, conversation, and gentle encouragement, we help them step into the adventurous, risk-taking thinkers they’re becoming. And along the way, we rediscover a little of our own curiosity, too.
Resources
- Listen to our interview with Chris Balme, and find his book Challenge Accepted: 50 Adventures to Make Middle School Awesome in the Brave Writer Book Shop
- Brave Writer class registration is open!
- Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
- Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
- Find community at Brave Learner Home
- Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
- Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
- Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
- Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
- Send us podcast topic ideas by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684
Connect with Julie
- Instagram: @juliebravewriter
- Threads: @juliebravewriter
- Bluesky: @bravewriter.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter
Connect with Melissa
- Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social
- Website: melissawiley.com
- Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
- Instagram: @melissawileybooks
Produced by NOVA
Planning for After the Holidays?
While you take a holiday break from homeschooling, your mind may wander to new education ideas for January.
You might:
- mull over a unit study approach for weather while you sip mulled wine.
- wrestle with whether to switch math programs while you slap, smack, and knead the sweet roll dough.
- wonder as you wander through a neighborhood of lights whether you should try that co-op even though you hate driving anywhere in the winter.
Be present for the holiday cheer, but allow your mind to take some of those flights of fancy. It’s OK to try something new in the new year and for it to even fail. You’re learning as much about learning as your kids are. That’s just all part of the ordinary natural process of being a home educating parent.
Also: take some time off from wondering as well. Be present to the giftgiving and the yummy foods and the board games and the puzzles
Rooting for you!
This post is originally from Instagram and @juliebravewriter is my account there so come follow along for more conversations like this one!
A-Z Guide to Literary Devices
Brave Writer’s A–Z Guide to Literary Devices teaches kids to spot and use the tools authors rely on, with simple explanations, example passages from books they love, playful “Try it!” writing prompts, and a Literary Life Log to track discoveries.
If your kids have ever:
- pictured a vivid world while reading . . .
- felt a poem hum like music . . .
- watched a character change and grow . . .
. . . they’ve already experienced literary devices in action—whether they knew it or not!
The A–Z Guide to Literary Devices helps your family make sense of those sparks of literary magic.
What’s Inside the A–Z Guide?
This guide is both comprehensive and kid-friendly—an engaging companion to our literature guides!
You’ll find:
- Easy-to-understand definitions for common (and some uncommon) literary devices
- Passage examples from beloved books (many of them from our Literature Singles)
- Try It! prompts to help your kids use each device in tiny writing bursts
Use it as a reference on the fly—or settle in and explore one device at a time. There’s no right way to use it. It grows with your family.
