Archive for the ‘Podcasts’ Category

[Podcast #257] The Right to Play: An Interview with Eloise Rickman

Brave Writer Podcast

What does it mean to be adultist? Do children have a right to not brush their teeth… or the right not to have cavities? Eloise Rickman joins the show today to discuss her new book, It’s Not Fair, Why It’s Time for a Grown-Up Conversation About How Adults Treat Children.

Eloise Rickman
Eloise Rickman

We have a big juicy conversation about:

  • human development,
  • education,
  • societal structures,
  • lived experiences,
  • and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

If you’re looking for absolute answers, then this episode isn’t for you. But if you want to hear three homeschool moms discuss how they find the daily balance between guiding children and listening to them, you’re in the right place.

Show Notes

What is Adultism

Adultism is the concept that children across all areas of society tend to occupy a minoritized, discriminated against position. Adultism is a structural concept, not something that is happening in individual homes. Using the lens of adultism, we can critically examine things like educational policies that are harmful to children’s full development and current environment.

Being a Responsible Adult

What does it mean to be a responsible adult through the lens of adultism? Does it mean you should let your child eat only candy, never brush their teeth, and stay up all night? No, it means engaging with your child in a respectful manner, honoring their individuality and development stage. 

Eloise points to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as a starting point for adults, and even kids, who are curious about this topic.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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Welcome Back Julie! Plus Lessons from Spain

Brave Writer Podcast

The sound of Moroccan Arabic, the smell of dried buffalo chips, the taste of sugary mint tea, the view of an open prairie—on today’s podcast we reflect on immersive learning experiences and how education becomes a part of a person for the rest of their life.

Julie is back from her trip to Europe, having spent a significant amount of her time in Spain. Always the homeschooler, she describes events on her journey that illuminated the true meaning of learning and teaching. We then discuss the joy that comes from being a lifelong learner alongside adult kids.

As the academic new year begins, fall back in love with education!

Show Notes

Adult Homeschooled Kids

The joy of homeschooling your kids, guiding them through self-empowering learning, doesn’t stop when they graduate. It continues throughout your adult relationships with them. As adults, they teach you new things and make you grow through new perspectives. You can continue to enjoy immersive learning experiences with them, no matter their age.

Immersive Learning on a Budget

Trips to Europe might be wonderful once your homeschooled kids are adults themselves, but often money is tight when they are little. Don’t worry, you can still give your young kids immersive experiences on a budget.

  • Take them to cultural festivals in your city,
  • teach them to soak in paintings at a museum,
  • and cook different cuisines.

It might be tempting to skip experiences like these for more formal coursework. But remember: immersive experiences are what makes learning really really “stick.”  

As the new academic calendar starts, we wish you all the joy and wonder that comes with learning alongside your kids.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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[Podcast #255] Brave Writers Thriving in College

Brave Writer Podcast

As homeschooling parents, one of our biggest concerns is ensuring our children are ready for college when the time comes (if they choose that path). Today, we’re joined by Elizabeth Christie, homeschooling mom of six, who tells us about how her Brave Writers are now excelling in college.

Tune in to hear how:

  • Elizabeth’s kids sailed through college application essays,
  • her daughter was recruited to be a well-paid student writing tutor,
  • and her son has excelled as a technical writer. 

If you’ve ever wondered about the power of read-aloud time or chunk writing, this is the episode for you.

Show Notes

The Writing Tutor

When Elizabeth’s oldest started university, she was almost immediately recruited by professors to be a writing mentor for other students. They noted how she had a writing voice and knew how to use it. She agreed to take the position and is now a well-paid student tutor.

The Technical Writer

Elizabeth’s second oldest is very interested in computers. That doesn’t stop him from using his Brave Writer skills, though. He’s an accomplished technical writer.

Both of Elizabeth’s kids sailed through their college application essays without breaking a sweat. She anticipates her younger four children will also be competent and confident when their turn comes. She credits Brave Writer read-aloud time, chunk writing, and the beloved book reveals.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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[Podcast #254] Book Parties!

Brave Writer Podcast Book Parties

“Structure” might be one of the most anxiety-provoking words for a homeschooling parent. If you feel like you’re always struggling to achieve structure in your household or if you don’t even know what level of structure is best for your kids, this podcast episode (was a previously-recorded webinar) is for you. Yes, structure and parties are one and the same in the Brave Writer world!

Let’s Party!

Parties are, in fact, highly structured events. And this episode is full of examples of how to use the party-structure lens in your homeschooling:

  • snacks,
  • candles,
  • games,
  • movement,
  • decorations,
  • music,
  • and more!

You’ll be surprised how much easier learning happens with this structure, even if you have to put up with a little more confetti on the floor.

Show Notes

Parties as Structure

Parties have indicators of beginning, middle, and end stages. They have the clear purposes of reducing stress, increasing interactions between people, and making memories– which happen to be the foundational pieces of deep learning. 

Examples of Using the Party Structure 

So, does this mean you have to host a chaotic neighborhood party every week with sugar-crashing kids and mass home destruction? No. The idea is to apply a party lens to your everyday homeschooling.

  • It can be as simple as allowing your kids to have a snack during their least favorite subject.
  • It can be decorating a corner of your house as a reading nook based on their favorite book.
  • Another Brave Writer favorite is Poetry Teatime, which can just be some Gatorade in a cheap pitcher.

Using a party lens to build your homeschooling structure might sound like additional work, but it actually introduces more ease and joy into your homeschooling. Plus, lowering your child’s resistance to learning activities and creating embodied, deep learning is a powerful way to increase their retention and critical thinking.

Resources

  • Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
  • Find “Becoming a Critical Thinker” in the Brave Writer Book Shop.
  • Check out all class descriptions here. 
  • Take a look at the Braver Writer fall class schedule. 
  • Sign up for Brave Writer 101. 
  • 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

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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[Podcast #253] Literary Analysis & Writer’s Craft

Brave Writer Podcast

Literary analysis shouldn’t be a cold dissection that increases the distance between the reader and the text, but rather a way for the reader to more deeply engage with the text.

Today’s podcast is a rebroadcast of a training webinar where we talk about Brave Writer’s approach to teaching literary analysis and writer’s craft to your kids.

Noticing a writer’s craft can start before your child even learns how to read! Daily read-aloud time, with pauses to notice feelings about the text and guess what comes next, builds your child’s critical thinking skills. Literary analysis doesn’t need to be bound to books either–using a remote while watching TV shows or movies can work in much the same way.

Also, if you find this episode helpful, be sure to check out our Brave Writer 101 training, where we coach you on giving kinder, more meaningful writing instruction to your child.

Show Notes

Noticing

The first step of literary analysis is to notice how a text makes you feel. You can start teaching your kids this before they can even read or write themselves. Read aloud to them every day and pause to ask them questions about how the text is making them feel—nervous, sad, happy, excited? You can do this with TV shows and movies too. Teach them how to notice how the material makes their body feel.

Naming

The next step in literary analysis is to recognize the author intended the reader to feel a certain way, and that they used literary devices to achieve their goal. You can teach literary devices by having your student identify them in text. Then you can have your student master them in their own writing. This stage of literary analysis education gives your child the vocabulary to more deeply discuss their interaction with the text and appreciate the writer’s craft.

Thinking Critically

The final step of literary analysis is critical thinking (all these steps are part of an ongoing cycle, of course). This is where you engage your student in questions like: Why did the author want to make the reader feel a certain way? Did they achieve their goal? How does a reader’s own context shape how they interpreted the text? Critical thinking is the ultimate goal in teaching your child about writing.

Resources

  • Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
  • Find “Becoming a Critical Thinker” in the Brave Writer Book Shop.
  • Check out all class descriptions here. 
  • Take a look at the Braver Writer fall class schedule. 
  • Sign up for Brave Writer 101. 
  • 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

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

Posted in Podcasts | Comments Off on [Podcast #253] Literary Analysis & Writer’s Craft