Friday Freewrite: A and Z

Today’s freewriting prompt:

The letters A and Z have stopped speaking to each other because they say they’re just too far apart. And now they refuse to even be in the same words together! This has the rest of the alphabet in a panic. No one can use words like “amazing” or “dazed” or “zebra.” What do the other letters do to help A and Z be friends again?

New to Freewriting?

Freewriting is that wonderful key that unlocks the writer within. It’s the vehicle by which we trick our inner selves into divesting the words and ideas that we want to share but are afraid won’t come out right on paper if we do. So, read the freewriting prompt above, set the timer for 5-10 minutes then write whatever comes to mind. Just keep the pencil moving!

Need more help? Check out our free online guide.

Tags:
Posted in Friday Freewrite | Comments Off on Friday Freewrite: A and Z

[Podcast #244] Middle School Writers: Natural Stages of Growth in Writing #3

Brave Writer Podcast

Welcome to our third episode in our Natural Stages of Growth in Writing series! Today we cover the Middle School Writers stage, which typically occurs around ages 9-12.

This stage is all about building confidence, instilling in your student that they can consistently express themselves well in writing. 

On today’s Brave Writer podcast, we:

  • dive into freewriting practices—generating ideas and writing in short spurts,
  • walk through how to do low-stakes revisions to help kids get comfortable with messing with their writing after it is on the page,
  • and talk about non-writing activities students can do that contribute to their writing skills.

Be sure to check the show notes’ resources section below for links to our online Summer Camp (it’s free), Fall Class Registration (beginning July 22), Brave Writer Training (sign up ends July 31), our Tools for the Art of Writing, and all our Bundles.

Show Notes

Freewriting

Freewriting is a powerful practice for building confidence. Start by setting a timer for seven minutes (three, if necessary). The only rule is that your middle-schooler has to write the whole time. They can generate a list of their topics ahead of time or decide in the moment. They can even write about how much they hate writing. This practice will show them that they are capable of writing even without a lot of preparation.

Low Stakes Revisions

Revisions can feel like a personal failure and cause your student to shut down. To help them feel comfortable with their writing being shaken about, engage in low stakes revisions. Rather than focusing on grammar or syntax revisions, make up a silly revision task like “retell this story from the perspective of a dog.” This gets them used to changing their precious writing, not getting stuck in debilitating self-doubt.

Non-Writing Activities

Writing is a form of self expression. If your middle-schooler is hitting a roadblock with writing, change things up. For example, watch a movie together and discuss it. You are showing them that they naturally have thoughts and opinions that are worth sharing. They can then take that confidence with them as they approach more formal writing tasks.

The middle-school years can be an especially fun and fruitful time for your writers. We hope you can enjoy them!

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

Posted in Natural Stages of Growth in Writing, Podcasts | Comments Off on [Podcast #244] Middle School Writers: Natural Stages of Growth in Writing #3

Friday Freewrite: Outfit

Today’s freewriting prompt:

If you had to dress like a character in a favorite movie, but could only use items found in your room, how closely would your outfit resemble the character’s? Describe the similarities and differences.

New to Freewriting?

Freewriting is that wonderful key that unlocks the writer within. It’s the vehicle by which we trick our inner selves into divesting the words and ideas that we want to share but are afraid won’t come out right on paper if we do. So, read the prompt above, set the timer for 5-10 minutes then write whatever comes to mind. Just keep the pencil moving!

Need more help? Check out our free online guide.

Tags:
Posted in Friday Freewrite | Comments Off on Friday Freewrite: Outfit

[Podcast #243] Emerging Writers: Natural Stages of Growth in Writing #2

Brave Writer Emerging Writers Natural Stages

Welcome to our second podcast episode in our Natural Stages of Growth in Writing series! Today we cover the Emerging Writers stage, which typically occurs around ages 8-10. 

We explain that the key to the Emerging Writers stage is partnership. Parents need to partner with their kids while writing, just like parents naturally partner with their kids while teaching them how to drive a car, or any other major life skill. We dive into exactly what this looks like, and all of its benefits.

Plus, we talk about the Brave Writer Emerging Writers Bundle and the Dart and Partnership Writing Bundle.

Show Notes

Development Stage

At this stage kids can read and write, but they aren’t fluent in either. They’re just getting to the point they can read chapter books. They can verbally tell a great story, but they struggle to put it all down on paper with the correct:

  • grammar,
  • spelling,
  • and structure.

They have all the pieces they need to write well, but it’s hard for them to put it all together at once. 

The Key: Partnership

The key to the Emerging Writers stage is partnership. Parents need to partner with their kids while writing, just like parents naturally partner with their kids while teaching them how to drive a car, or any other major life skill.

What this looks like in practice is parent and child sitting down side-by-side, both with pencils in hand. The parent can take notes or even dictation of the story the child tells. Then the child can work from those notes, or trace that dictation.

In this role, the parent is sharing the load of the heavy transfer of verbal words into written structure.

Benefits

There are several benefits to this partnership approach. One is that you’re keeping your student’s creative mind and confidence undimmed. Another is that this approach lends itself to “writing back”—the innate human desire of wanting to write back a reply to what someone has said. Siblings can be great partners in this.

For more details on how to partner with your Emerging Writer during this stage, check out the Brave Writer Emerging Writers Bundle and the Dart and Partnership Writing Bundle.

Resources

  • Big juicy questions. Memories that last a lifetime. Meaningful ways to learn grammar, spelling, and punctuation. If this way of homeschooling speaks to you, check out our Brave Writer programs: Quill (ages 5-7), Dart (8-10), Arrow (11-12), Boomerang (13-14), Slingshot (15-18). On sale through the end of June. Sale includes a free lifetime membership to Brave Learner Home. Purchase by June 30 to take advantage of this deal!
  • Check out the Brave Writer Emerging Writers Bundle, on sale through the end of June.
  • Check out the Dart & Partnership Writing Bundle, on sale through the end of June.
  • 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 Natural Stages of Growth in Writing, Podcasts | Comments Off on [Podcast #243] Emerging Writers: Natural Stages of Growth in Writing #2

2024 Summer Camp

Brave Writer Summer Camp

FREE Online Summer Camp!

It’s that time of year again!

Are you feeling it? The overwhelm of homeschool planning!

Let Brave Writer help you reduce decision fatigue and unlock learning. This day-long, online camp is packed with useful information about:

  • homeschooling
  • writing across the curriculum 
  • all things Brave Writer

Summer Camp is over but you can watch the REPLAYS below!

Free Webinars

Note: the discount code has expired.

Homeschooling in Spite of Yourself (Julie Bogart)

Are you worried you aren’t doing a good job homeschooling? Maybe you feel you are too messy or too rigid, bad at math or bored by reading, need too much quiet or you feel like you never get around to the important stuff. What if you could discover YOU are the RIGHT person for the job, even with your flaws, doubts and foibles? You can homeschool taking all of YOU into account. Your kids can learn and thrive even if you lack confidence and don’t remember grammar. Julie will show you how.

REPLAY

Online Classes: Stress-Free Writing for All Ages (Kirsten Merryman)

Our award-winning online classes are unlike any on the market. Kirsten Merryman (Director of Online Classes) offers insights into how to help kids tap into their passions and fall in love with writing. Discover how online classes can fit seamlessly into your writing program with just the right dose of online interaction.

REPLAY

Poetry Teatime (Melissa Wiley)

The incomparable Melissa Wiley (children’s novelist, homeschool veteran of six, Brave Writer podcast co-host, and product writer) will host a Poetry Teatime for your kids! Melissa has been writing children’s books since 1995, including her Brave Writer featured books, The Prairie Thief and The Nerviest Girl in the World. And here’s a list of recommended poetry books and resources.

REPLAY

Publications: Unlock Learning Through Literature (Dawn Smith)

Whether fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or fantasy, literature opens doors to a wide range of school subjects and learning adventures. Discover how grammar, punctuation, spelling, and literary devices can be taught naturally, while also inviting children into science, history, math, geography, and imagination. Dawn Smith (Director of Publishing) shares how!

REPLAY

Community: Don’t Homeschool Alone! (Julie Bogart)

Can you imagine if when labor began, you were left alone in a house with no phone and you had to give birth by yourself? Of course you can’t. That would be a ridiculous scenario. Yet we often homeschool in isolation—wondering if we are on the right track, suffering our doubts in silence. Join Julie as she shares with you the various ways you can join our communities and find your people. You are meant to homeschool with friends! Let Julie help you understand why you need them, how to find them, and what to do once you’ve got them!

REPLAY

Brave Writer Get Started

Posted in Webinars | Comments Off on 2024 Summer Camp