Brave Writer News: January 2026

Brave Writer Whats Happening news

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[Podcast #321] No Paper Trail? No Problem!

Brave Writer Podcast

If your homeschool doesn’t produce stacks of worksheets, does that mean learning isn’t happening?

In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we explore why meaningful education often leaves very little paper behind. From embodied grammar lessons to spontaneous moments of insight, we talk about how children actually learn and why traditional record-keeping can miss the point. We also share practical, low-pressure ways to document growth without turning your home into a classroom clone.

If you’ve ever worried that your homeschool doesn’t “look like enough,” this conversation offers reassurance, clarity, and permission to trust what you see unfolding every day. Join us and rethink what counts as real evidence of learning.

Show Notes

One of the hardest adjustments for homeschooling parents, especially those coming from traditional school environments, is letting go of visible proof. We’re conditioned to believe that learning must produce paper: worksheets, essays, tests, portfolios stuffed with graded work. When those things disappear, anxiety creeps in. Are we doing enough? Is this real learning?

The truth is that much of the most meaningful learning doesn’t announce itself with tidy artifacts. It shows up later, unexpectedly, in conversation, curiosity, and connection.

Why Paper Feels Reassuring

School trained us to equate effort with output. Thirty desks, thirty papers, one teacher checking compliance. That system depends on physical evidence. At home, learning happens differently. Children sprawl on couches, talk through ideas, act things out, read deeply, and connect dots silently. That can feel unsettling if you’re waiting for proof.

But learning isn’t linear, and it isn’t always visible in the moment. Skills like punctuation, sentence fluency, or narrative structure don’t emerge because a child followed steps in the right order. They emerge through repetition, exposure, and internalization. One day, a period simply appears at the end of a sentence because it feels right.

Catching Learning in the Wild

Instead of assigning work in order to generate records, we can become observers. When a child explains something they’ve learned, narrates a story, makes an unexpected comparison, or uses new vocabulary, that’s learning surfacing. Write it down. Record it. Take a picture. Save a note on your phone.

These moments are often more revealing than any worksheet. They show synthesis, understanding, and ownership.

Expanding What Counts as a Record

Documentation doesn’t have to live in a binder. Photos of projects, ticket stubs from museums, lists of books read, sketches, voice memos, timelines, family notebooks, and weekly reflections all tell the story of a rich education. Free writing, done occasionally, gives children a chance to consolidate what stuck without draining joy from the process.

Many families find it helpful to track what they did  in the course of a day or week, rather than focusing on what they planned to do. Looking back over weeks and months often reveals far more progress than memory alone can hold.

Shifting the Focus

When we focus only on what’s missing, we miss growth. A page of writing with three spelling errors still contains dozens of correct words, strong verbs, and clear ideas. Training ourselves to see what’s working builds confidence, both in our children and in ourselves.

Homeschooling isn’t about recreating school at home. It’s about creating a learning life that fits your family. When you trust that process, the evidence is there, even if it doesn’t fit neatly into a folder.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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[Podcast] 2026: The Complete List

Brave Writer Podcast 2026 Complete List

Did you miss a 2026 episode of the Brave Writer Podcast? Did you want to listen to an episode again?

We got you!

Here are all the episodes of the podcast aired in 2026 in one convenient place so that you can listen (or re-listen) to them whenever you want.

Show Notes are included!

And bookmark this page! Episodes will be added as they become available.

2026 Podcasts

Tune in to the Brave Writer podcast on Apple Podcasts (or your app of choice)
and also here on the Brave Writer blog.

Brave Writer Podcast

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Homeschooling for the first time?

Brave Writer

Take a deep breath. You don’t have to figure it all out at once—and you don’t have to do it alone!

Brave Writer has you covered in three simple steps:

Step 1: Watch the replay of Dawn’s Mid-Year Kick-Off Workshop (click the link then scroll down) for:

  • practical tips,
  • reassurance,
  • and real-life ideas you can use right away.

Step 2: If you’re feeling ready, go forth and homeschool! Trust that learning doesn’t have to look perfect to be meaningful. For more support, download our Six Week On-Ramp to Homeschooling!

Step 3 (optional): Buy yourself some breathing room by enrolling in an online writing class. Our short, flexible, coach-supported classes give you extra time to plan—while your kids stay engaged. Browse our full lineup and choose something that sparks their interest (or yours!).

We’d love the chance to support your family as you begin this brand-new homeschooling adventure!

Brave Learner Home

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How to Raise AI-Proof Kids

Brave Writer AI-Proof Kids

Whether AI excites you or makes you uneasy, one thing remains true:

When kids believe their words have value, they’re far less likely to outsource them to a machine.

To build that belief at home:

  1. Lower the barrier to getting words on the page. When writing feels doable, kids stay connected to their own thinking.
  2. Validate your young writer. Let them see the effect their words have on a real human—you.
  3. Offer topics that matter to them. The right invitation sparks urgency, ownership, and voice.

Want to see these practices in action?

Watch Dawn’s webinar “How to Raise AI-proof Kids.”

Brave Writer AI-Proof Kids

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[Podcast #320] An Important Message from Julie about Brave Writer

Brave Writer Podcast

What happens when you realize the mission can grow even as your energy changes?

This week on the podcast, we share a heartfelt update about Brave Writer’s next chapter—

  • why protecting the “sacred trust” matters,
  • how strong culture makes change possible,
  • and what it looks like to move from doing it all to mentoring new leadership.

Along the way, we revisit a long-held Florence dream (Santa Croce + A Room with a View), talk about training replacements, and offer a “January gift” idea: online writing classes kids experience as a treat.

Come listen—then join us at bravewriter.com/online-classes.

Show Notes

There’s a moment many parents and creators eventually face when the work still matters deeply, but the way it’s been carried no longer fits. Today’s episode centers on one of those moments for Brave Writer. Brave Writer is in the midst of a leadership transition, one that allows the work to continue with strength and clarity while honoring a new season for the founder and for the company as a whole.

Brave Writer is not closing. It isn’t being sold or dismantled. Instead, day-to-day operations are moving into the capable hands of longtime team members, Dawn Smith (as President) and Kirsten Merryman (as VP of Operations). They are well trained in the pedagogy, culture, and mission of Brave Writer from the inside and they are fierce protectors of the legacy of our work. This shift protects what families have trusted for years while opening space for new energy and vision at the operational level.

Why This Change Makes Sense

In homeschooling, we’re familiar with seasons. Early years require constant involvement. Later years invite us to step back, moving from hands-on instruction to mentoring and encouragement. The goal is always growth, not control. The same pattern appears in meaningful work. When a company like Brave Writer has been carefully built by the founder, there comes a time when the creator of the company is ready to ask who is equipped to carry the movement forward.

This transition in leadership didn’t arise from dissatisfaction or decline. It came through honest reflection paired with the realization that Julie’s original vision for Brave Writer has been fulfilled and even surpassed. Brave Writer remains intact. What’s changing is how that mission is stewarded day to day.

Training Replacements Is Part of the Mission

One of the most overlooked forms of leadership is training others to do your job well. Brave Writer has always operated on this principle. Teachers, editors, writers, course designers, and administrative leaders have been trained over years, not dropped into roles overnight. That kind of preparation makes a transition like this possible without disruption.

Families already understand this concept. We teach writing as a process so children don’t depend on constant correction. Drafting, revising, and reflecting are skills meant to be internalized. When people are trained deeply, the work becomes bigger than any one person.

Process Thinking and Healthy Culture

A strong culture makes change feel like evolution rather than loss. Brave Writer’s culture has always emphasized process over perfection. In writing, revision isn’t a failure. It’s how clarity emerges. That same mindset allows an organization to adjust without panic or defensiveness.

Because the values have been practiced consistently, new leadership doesn’t mean a new identity. It means the same pedagogy, the same respect for children, and the same trust in process, now carried by a broader team.

What This Means for You

For listeners and families, this transition means continuity. Classes, resources, and support remain rooted in the approach you know and love. It also means longevity. Brave Writer is positioned to grow without losing its soul.

It also offers a model worth considering in our own lives. Parenting, teaching, and creative work all ask us to notice when a season is shifting. Stepping into a mentoring role, making room for others, and caring for ourselves are not acts of retreat. They are acts of wisdom.

This moment at Brave Writer isn’t an ending. It’s a revision. And like all good revisions, it keeps what matters most while making space for what comes next.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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