Archive for the ‘BW products’ Category

From freewrite to finished writing

When I offer observations about other writing programs, I feel a little squishy. I don’t like to target competing curricula and then pass judgment. It makes me feel like Simon Cowell.

Yet every now and then, it must be done. I forget that moms reading this blog may not know about Brave Writer, don’t realize to expect something very different than scopes and sequences. My hope is that by unfolding how we do things around here, you’ll catch a vision of what writing can be when we give our children the gift of written self-expression. Let’s take a look at some Brave Writer writing, shall we? Enough “telling” – let’s do a little “showing.” 🙂

To start, let’s look at a ten year old girl’s writing: from freewrite to finished piece. I leave in all errors deliberately so you get a realistic picture of what a ten year old is capable of producing. What I want you to notice in this journey through freewriting to finished piece is the strength of the young writer’s voice. It grows in confidence and creativity as she revises. This is no “I love spaghetti” paragraph. Through paying attention to what she loves and knows, she discovers some powerful writing elements and these translate beautifully into a finished piece of work that very much reflects the age and stage of development of this ten-year-old girl. To read more, click here.

Posted in Brave Writer Philosophy, BW products, General, Young Writers | 3 Comments »

First splashes of summer: the slides


Crazy good slides
Originally uploaded by juliecinci

I wrote about these bad girls last August. Brave daughter trotted up the stairs to be the first of our family to face the slides.

I, on the other hand, am hoping to do a little light reading.

Remember: Summer class registration is on Friday at noon eastern. We are adding one class to the list:

Write for Fun: August 27 – Sept. 14 (three weeks) Tuition: $79.00 per student. It’s perfect for junior or senior high kids who need to jump start their writing batteries with something creative and positive (rather than slogging into the year with academic reports and essays).

Rachel Ramer is the instructor. I’ll be adding these details to the website later today.

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Brave Writer goes to the movies

Ordering info can be found here.

Due to the popularity of last summer’s movie discussions on the Brave Writer forums, we are offering a “summer of movies” again this year. Jon and I will co-lead the discussions and will combine students from both the Boomerang and Slingshot Companion classes, as well as any new students who’d like to join us. We had a fabulous time last summer.

Here’s how we run the discussion. We watch six movies in two months (one movie per week with one week off each month). We discuss each movie for a week, going over things like plot, characterization, setting, theme, foreshadowing and other very relevant literary and cinematic elements. Those of you who have read Help for High School know that movie reviews are part of that curricula. Also, for those who don’t know, we are finding out from Brave Writer college kids that movie reviews are sometimes a part of English 101 curricula. Bonita’s son had to write an “ethnographic movie review” in his freshman English class, for instance. I had another student who had to write a comparative movie review.

Even without these incentives, though, the movie discussions are just plain fun. Kids love to discuss these films and we enjoy developing their insight. Participation is only $10.00 per month; $20.00 for the two months.
Here’s this year’s movie list (rottentomatoes.com is a movie review site):

  • June 11 – 15 “Remember the Titans” PG 2000 72% Rotten Tomatoes Rating (racism, teamwork, pride)
  • June 18 – 22 “Sense and Sensibility” PG 1995 100% Rotten Tomatoes Rating (reason vs. heart in love; loyalty, modesty)
  • June 25 – 29 “Sergeant York” unrated 1941 No Rotten Tomatoes Rating (duty to God and duty to the state)
  • —– Fourth of July Week Off —–
  • July 9 – 13 “Chariots of Fire” PG 1981 85% Rotten Tomatoes Rating (obeying one’s conscience, sportsmanship, integrity)
  • July 16 – 20 “Hoosiers” PG 1987 92% Rotten Tomatoes Rating (teamwork, self-control, discipline)
  • July 23 – 27 “Casablanca” PG 1942 98% Rotten Tomatoes Rating (intrigue, effects of war, human interpersonal drama)

Ordering info can be found here.

Posted in BW products, General | 4 Comments »

Summer Specialty Issues

Summer is around the corner which means good things at Brave Writer. Every year, I produce specialty issues for our language arts subscription programs to give moms a burst of inspiration for the coming school year. * This year, I’m thrilled to announce the contents of SIX big issues of the Arrow, Boomerang and Slingshot.

Before we get to the meat of those issues, though, I need to go over some housekeeping. The Brave Writer website is being overhauled this summer to make it more up-to-date and user friendly. We’re also installing new classroom software which will make classes a richer experience. As a result, the language arts subscription programs are also being revised and deepened. That means two things: 1) your current subscriptions will all end July 20 in anticipation of the new subscription programs to begin in August, and 2) if you don’t have a current subscription, you’ll need to purchase the June and July issues separately. These issues cost more than the typical Arrow, Boomerang and Slingshot as the content is much beefier than usual. (Those who have current monthly subscriptions through paypal will have access to these issues for no additional cost.)

Those who have purchased the Platinum package or have subscribed with a year long subscription but began that subscription some time after August will be contacted with information about how to retrieve the issues of the 2006-2007 school year that will fulfill your subscriptions. Not to worry. That information is coming to an email in-box near you some time before the end of May.

In the meantime, if you are looking for a burst of energy and inspiration for your coming school years, I commend the Arrow, Boomerang and Slingshot summer issues to you. They’re chock full of good ideas, insight and technical value. We’re selling them in pairs (cannot be purchased individually) and all six for a reduced price.

The Speciality Issues of the Arrow, Boomerang and Slingshot

Each June and July we create specialty issues to enhance your homeschool’s writing program. I’m very pleased to announce a full suite of products that are sure to add both creativity and substance to the teaching of writing as well as the atmosphere of living literature in your families.

Click here to order.

The Arrow: June and July Issues (2007)

(Grades 3-6)

June Issue – Non-Fiction: How do you know that the non-fiction your kids read is high quality? What are the literary elements of non-fiction? How much non-fiction should your kids be reading (or listening to)? Non-fiction lays a foundation for future expository writing. Reading quality non-fiction develops your child’s writing voice in ways that fiction doesn’t. We’ll explore this neglected genre of reading and how it influences writing in the June issue of the Arrow.

July Issue – Myth and Legend: Greek and Norse Gods, the Odyssey and the Illiad, the legend of Robin Hood, Beowulf… There is much rich material for young imaginations in our classic myths and legends. I’ll pick several to discuss in this issue, including the primary features of myths and legends. Also included will be a myth-making project for your young creative writers.

The issues are sold as a pair: $19.95

The Boomerang: June and July Issues (2007)

(Grades 7-9)

June Issue – Freewriting Frenzy: This issue will explore a wide variety of creative writing prompts and the goals of each one. You can use this issue to create an atmosphere of freedom and play around writing so that you aren’t always wondering how to recharge the writing battery. I’ll also discuss more about the theory of freewriting to help you grasp its value and how to better use it as a technique in your homeschool.

July Issue – Booking It: Tired of dreary book reports? Why write them? Your child read the book and you know it because you saw her curled up on the sofa reading. Still, there is value in narrating a book’s contents in written form. Instead of calling for those tedious book report formats, change pace and create fresh writing responses to a favorite novel. We’ll look at several ways to respond to novels and non-fiction that include writing and creativity.

The issues are sold as a pair: $19.95

Click here to order.

The Slingshot: June and July Issues (2007)

(Grades 10-12)

June Issue – Sources: This issue will focus on how to evaluate sources (credibility, use of Internet versus texts, the role of news media versus scholarship and so on) and how to cite them in academic writing. We’ll also look at the difference between primary and secondary sources. I’ll also give some tips on how to ensure proper use of the MLA guidelines for both citing sources and paper formatting.

July Issue – Textual Analysis: In writing about any topic (historical, religious, literary, philosophical, political), the writer is usually called on to comment on an original (or primary) text. In this issue, I’ll give you guidance on how to read a primary text and interpret it. We’ll use an interrogative approach that helps the reader engage the text both analytically as well as to generate meaning.

The issues are sold as a pair for $24.95

Click here to order.

The Arrow, Boomerang and Slingshot June and July issues are digital products and available through a private folder on the Brave Writer forums page of the website to those who purchase them. Each issue will be available online on the first of each month and will be left in the folder until the end of July. When you purchase these issues, you will be instructed to create user IDs on the forums page of our website. Then you will be added to the private permissions list of the folder that will house your issues. You will have all of June and July to retrieve your issues which can be downloaded to your computer via email or printed using a printer friendly button. These issues cannot be mailed overland and are not available in printed format.

*I realize that this blog is northern hemisphere centric and I apologize to my wonderful Brave Writer Mums down under who faithfully read this blog and participate in the BW community. I know you’re there and your school rhythms are different from ours. Thanks for bearing with us.

Posted in Brave Writer Philosophy, BW products, General | 4 Comments »