[Podcast #266] Julie’s Back!

Brave WRiter Podcast

You may have noticed that Melissa’s been hosting the podcast solo recently. Today we learn why Julie has been absent and what she’s learned while she’s been away.

We talk about Julie’s experience with her mother’s illness, leading Julie to reflect on how her mother created a homeschooling culture for her kids even though they were enrolled in traditional school.

Also, we review how the Brave Writer’s Day Off Conference went and discuss our favorite parts.

Join us as we celebrate Julie’s return!

Show Notes

Homeschooling is about intentional action as parents. That’s why parents of kids who attend traditional school can still provide a homeschooling culture at home for them. That’s also why we should focus on action when we do homeschooling parent development.

Homeschool Culture for Traditionally Schooled Kids

Growing up, Julie went to a traditional school, yet she still considers her mom a kind of “homeschooling parent.” Julie’s mom established a culture of reading in the household. She also put on parties for her kids and their friends to dive deep into enriching topics.

For any parent out there who wishes they were homeschooling, Julie’s mother is a great example that it’s possible, no matter where your kids spend the school day.

Brave Writer’s Day Off Conference

Most conferences are full of a lot of sitting and listening to talks. Not Brave Writer’s. The Brave Writer’s Day Off Conference this year was full of “doing the thing.” They had a snowball fight for narration, practiced reverse dictation, and visited a Shakespeare play.

We know kids learn best by doing, but sometimes we forget adults are the same! As you seek to grow as a parent, remember to pursue what brings you alive and join your kids in finding connections and passion in everything.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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Does Your Child Hate Writing?

Brave Writer

It’s okay if your child doesn’t love writing.

Kids need lots of freedom to make a slew of mistakes, to practice hooking up the mind with a hand—pencil (or hands—keyboard).

Pressure to produce a report or paragraph or poem is counterproductive when a child hates writing. It would be like teaching a kid to ride a bike by entering them in a biking race!

Start with freedom, support, and practice.

Write with your kids! Create time for practice that goes uncorrected or edited. Let them write freely and without criticism.

Catch your child in the act of narrating and jot down their words to enjoy, share, and celebrate!

And show understanding when they say it’s hard. It IS hard, especially at first. Some of you STILL think it’s hard and you’re in your thirties!

A little grace, lots of practice, freedom for mistakes, and snacking on cookies or apples can do the trick.

I believe in you!

This post was originally shared on Instagram.
Watch the accompanying reel for more.

Brave Writer 7-Day Writing Blitz

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Friday Freewrite: Oops!

Friday Freewrite

Today’s freewriting prompt:

Remember the last time you (or someone else) said, “Oops!” Write about what happened.

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, 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.

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[Podcast #265] Celebrating Book Series with Dawn Smith

Brave Writer Podcast

Is there anything better than the warm, magical feeling you get from a good book series?

In today’s podcast episode, Dawn Smith, Brave Writer’s Director of Publishing, joins us to discuss the power of children’s book series.

Dawn Smith
Dawn Smith

We talk about the unique delight of reading a book series, getting immersed in the characters and the world they live in. We also dig into how series help build kids’ confidence through repeat exposure to an author’s writing patterns. 

Tune in to hear some of our favorite book series and the memories they helped us make with our kids.

Show Notes

If you’ve ever seen a kid fall in love with a book series, you’ve witnessed the power of the medium. Kids (and parents) form strong bonds with book series, often embracing them for life. What makes book series so lovable? And what can that teach us about kids’ reading and writing development?

Characters and Setting

Book series often feature a large cast of characters, making it possible for a child to find one they really identify with. Series then allow those characters to deeply develop over time. You can’t help but form relationships with them!

Book series also create detailed settings over time, establishing a familiar reality that readers can easily slip right back into as soon as they open the cover.

These characters and settings create a “joy of returning” that delights children.

Reading and Writing Confidence 

As kids devour a series, they’re exposed to repetitions of vocabulary, grammar, and storytelling patterns. With repetition, kids develop more confidence. Often kids get to a point where they can even identify the repetitions and apply those skills to their own writing. 

There’s an important parent hack when it comes to series: Read the first book in the series aloud with your kids so you can help them more build the characters and settings in their mind. Then unleash them to read the other books in the series on their own, reporting back to you what they’re learning. You’ll spare yourself having to read all 15 books in a series about dragons while still engaging with your kids’ development.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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Meaningful Goals

Brave Writer

Kids need to know that their efforts lead to a personally meaningful goal. –The Brave Learner

Not your goals. Not the meaning you ascribe to the topic. Not some distant destination (unless they want that destination).

Your children will invest themselves when they care.

Here are examples of personally meaningful goals in learning. Kids:

  • like the subject—it’s intrinsically interesting to them. They may like a subject but hate how it’s taught. Tease that out.
  • decide how many problems/sentences/pages to complete and challenge themselves to hit the mark.
  • see learning the skill as adjacent to some other meaningful activity—“I want to spell correctly so I can be understood in the gamer chat group.”
  • care about college admissions or qualifying for the next level of whatever it is.
  • want to fulfill requirements set for them.
  • are more interested when they’re in a class with other students.
  • just want to know or do or understand the “thing.” They do just enough to satisfy that itch and no more.
  • become obsessed with a topic or skill and it becomes a portal for all other learning.
  • have a friend/YouTube creator/favorite celebrity who knows how so they want to know how too.

Jot down specific goals that are personally meaningful to your childen. Now support their journey! Provide resources and encouragement. You also might celebrate hitting a goal with a treat, a high five, or an entry into a record book they value.

The Brave Learner

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