Make Learning Stick: High School and College Prep Writers

Brave Writer Bundles

Your high schoolers are ready for risks and adventures! You know, like D R I V I N G!

But they also like to entertain risky thoughts and go on literary adventures. Your hope is that all this education you are giving them will stick! You want them ready for college (if they go) and beyond! But maybe you’re overwhelmed with how to plan for high school! (It’s the homeschool Big Leagues, after all!).

To that end, Brave Writer has programs designed to give:

  • your teens the best experiences in reading and writing they could ask for
  • you, the support and training you need

No more:

  • dusty old books 
  • boring examination of themes
  • tedious exercises in grammar
  • predictable writing exercises
  • red pen critiques that don’t improve the writing

With Brave Writer, we help teens:

  • deep dive into making powerful associations between what they read and the social, historical, and cultural contexts of the literature we teach
  • discover the role grammar plays to add power and insight to literature
  • develop their own writing voices
  • draw out ideas of their own as they write reflection pieces
  • discern credible research from poppycock
  • determine what sort of writing form matches the aim of the writing task

We do all of this and more in our High School and College Prep Bundles.

Both bundles include Help for High School (you only need to buy HHS once no matter how many kids you have).

  • The High School Writers bundle uses our Boomerang Literature program.
  • The College Prep Writers bundle uses our Slingshot Literature program.

Learn more: High School Writers and College Prep Writers Bundles

We’d love to have you along for the ride this year! It’s not too late to start!

I can’t wait to hear all the great stuff your teens learn through our program.

Brave Writer Bundles

If you’re looking for some additional support, check out our online classes for teens. We teach how to write essays and fiction, as well as how to analyze movies and books using the tools of literary criticism!

Psst: Do you have new-to-Brave-Writer friends? You can get a discount for them and for yourself using our Refer-a-Friend program!

Brave Writer Bundles

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Protect Curiosity

Brave Writer Protect Curiosity

Traditional education models train kids to devalue their own thinking in favor of right answers and a teacher’s instructions. Little children who are used to exploring the world with their hands and wild imaginations are gradually conditioned to save those impulses for “after school” until they give them up all together before they even get to junior high.

And then we wonder why our teens appear to be inflexible, unable to grasp nuances. They’ve been conditioned by tests and homework to know that there is a right answer. They’ve lost their capacity for wonder. Teens who have retained their imaginations and their wide-eyed wonder are often seen as “not serious” about school or as “immature” or “socially inept.”

A Gift

If there were one gift I could give parents, it would be the ability to protect their children’s natural, not-jaded curiosity through the teen years. To:

  • have a teen boy who is delighted by knitting or a teen girl who wields a power saw,
  • converse with a teen who is enamored of fantasy novels to the point of writing their own and imagining that it could be published,
  • know a teen who becomes so tender to the plight of abused animals, that teen chooses to volunteer at a shelter,
  • raise a teen who plays with LEGO, who climbs trees, who secretly enjoys reruns of the PBS cartoon Arthur.

It’s one of the gifts of home education.

Let’s preserve conditions that promote wonder no matter what ages our children are.

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Friday Freewrite: On Repeat

Friday Freewrite

Think of a book or movie or song that you enjoy repeatedly. Share why you don’t get tired of revisiting it again and again.

New to freewriting? Check out our online guide.

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[Podcast] What to Do About Unmotivated Learners

Brave Writer Podcast

There are days when you feel invincible, ready to conquer the world, and there are other days where getting out of bed feels like a herculean task.

I confess, on those less-than-stellar days, I resort to watching bad sitcom reruns, while Melissa disappears into an endless loop of Instagram Reels.

Sound familiar?

Today on the Brave Writer podcast, let’s dive deep into the realm of motivation, unpack its moral significance, and explore how it meshes with our values and dreams, especially when it comes to our kids.

Show Notes

Understanding Motivation

It’s almost taboo to admit that you’re not always motivated. Why is that? The term “motivation” seems to carry with it a moral weight, making many feel guilt or shame for not being incessantly driven.

As the school year draws near, parents often daydream of that “ever-motivated” student – a vision not always compatible with reality. Motivation isn’t just about having an aspiration; it’s about bridging the chasm between that aspiration and the steps to realize it. It’s worth noting that our motivation is a cocktail of various internal and external influencers.

Motivation in Homeschooling

Motivation is like a fingerprint – unique to each individual. It’s pivotal to recognize this and avoid the trap of imposing moral values upon it. Whether in conventional schooling or homeschooling, our perspective on motivation should be grounded in:

  • understanding,
  • compassion,
  • and a recognition of individual aspirations.

For children, motivation isn’t a broad trait but is tied to specific interests. The meticulous plans crafted by parents might not always resonate with the child. This is a nuanced dance between the child’s individual motivations and the structured environment the parent provides. Environmental conditions, too, play a substantial role in influencing children’s learning curves.

The path of homeschooling often sees parents wrestling with self-doubt, particularly when they confront the tangible, everyday hurdles of teaching.

The Role of External Rewards

Traditional schools frequently employ external motivators like grades. But do they truly ignite motivation? Homeschooling often ditches such systems, but without suitable alternatives, a motivation void can emerge.

Addressing a Lack of Motivation

Children, just like adults, have fluctuating energy levels. It’s vital to understand and respect this ebb and flow. The challenge arises when a parent’s ambitions collide with the child’s disposition.

Trust, patience, and dialogue are imperative. A child’s reluctance towards a subject needs to be approached with empathy and collaboration. A seamless transition to tasks, understanding of individual needs, and making learning relevant are just a few strategies to reignite motivation.

Rethinking Motivation

Before branding a child as “unmotivated”, it’s crucial to rethink our definition. More often, it signifies a child’s aversion to tasks dictated by parents. Our mission? To delve deep and uncover the essence of such resistance. By observing what genuinely interests a child, we can tap into their inherent motivation.

Celebrating their persistence in activities they love is key. For instance, praising their tenacity while mastering a skateboard trick can boost their morale significantly. Moreover, sitting alongside them, sharing their challenges, and jointly finding solutions can be as rewarding as conquering a difficult level in a video game.

Motivation isn’t a monolith but a mosaic of:

  • values,
  • aspirations,
  • and context.

It’s about understanding, empathy, and a shared journey of discovery between parents and children.

As we navigate this intricate world, let’s remember to be adaptable, patient, and always keen to find joy in the learning process. Whether it’s a new skateboard trick or a challenging math problem, there’s always a way to find and fuel that spark of motivation.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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Relaxed Alertness

It’s easy to associate learning with struggle and pain. Yet studies show that when you’re relaxed and happy, you’re more receptive to learning.

I challenge you today.

Gather data on who your kids are and how they learn.

Notice when your child appears “alert and relaxed.”

Take the day off of any “formal” lessons. Just sit around with your cold cup of coffee (let’s be real, is it ever hot by the time you drink it?) and pay attention.

When does your child drop into an activity and become absorbed?

If you are beset by a gaggle of wanderers in your house, help them out.

Give them art supplies, a sewing machine, colored pens, all sorts of paper, binoculars, the beeswax candle kit you keep “saving” for a better day, modeling clay, a unicycle, window markers, all the LEGO kits, the collection of dolls and their outfits, access to the baking mixes, the glue gun, shovels and pails, a calculator, a deck of cards, board games…

  • See what they do.
  • See how long they do it.
  • Notice when they need help and when they reject it.
  • When you see a smile, pause, and note to yourself what just happened.
  • When you see frustration or a wandering mind, check in. Make another offer, join the activity, bring a snack.

Dedicate today to learning about how your children learn…for themselves.

Renate and Geofrrey Cain say that the best state of learning is “relaxed alertness.”

I invite you today to relax and be alert.

Notice when relaxed alertness kicks in for your kids. How did that happen?

Maybe jot it down for next week.

Most of our products have weekly planners and skills trackers that help you
do this kind of noticing and record keeping to help you be an effective parent educator.

Check out our bundles.

Brave Writer Bundles

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