A Brave Writer's Life in Brief - Page 9 of 753 - Thoughts from my home to yours A Brave Writer's Life in Brief
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A Brave Writer's Life in Brief

Thoughts from my home to yours

Help! My Kid Hates Writing

Help! My Kid Hates Writing

When it’s time to write, if you have a child who:

  • rolls their eyes 
  • heaves a big sigh
  • tips their chair back
  • complains that their hand hurts
  • writes “poop” 16 times in a row
  • can’t think of anything to write
  • thinks writing is stupid
  • hates writing

…this book is for you!

It’s also for parents of kids who love writing…because most parents were taught writing using methods that cause harm. Your one task is to ensure your child goes on loving writing so that they don’t grow to hate it.

In other words: I wrote this book to protect children and to heal parents.

Writing is the one subject where kids are routinely harmed by our methods of instruction. You can turn that around. It’s not even difficult! 

I’m here. I’m rooting for you. I can show you how.

Order here!

Posted in Help! My Kid Hates Writing | Comments Off on Help! My Kid Hates Writing


The Homegrown Variety

Brave Writer

Something that can make homeschoolers feel bad is comparing home education to traditional school.

The chronic feeling of overwhelm, guilt, and pressure to perform often comes from the “ghost of public school past.”

Why do we let public school expectations dictate how we feel about our homeschools? We literally opted out of that method and system!

We create an emotionally draining environment when we continually measure our experience of education against the one we chose not to use.

It’s like measuring your homegrown strawberries against the perfectly sized flawless-looking berries in a supermarket display.

You literally grew your own strawberries for specific reasons that are meaningful to you. The way they grow strawberries for supermarkets is a completely different method and a process that you have chosen not to do in your own backyard because you prefer the homegrown variety! BRAVO!!

REPEAT AFTER ME: It’s emotionally draining to hold my homeschool to a school standard.

Keep growing wild strawberries…please!

Love you.


Brave Learner Home

Posted in Homeschool Advice | Comments Off on The Homegrown Variety


[Podcast #273] Announcing Julie’s New Book!

Brave Writer Podcast

Writing is often framed as an external obligation in schools, but we believe it’s much more than that.

Writing is an act of self-expression—a way to explore:

  • ideas,
  • emotions,
  • and creativity.

In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we discuss how parents can help children reclaim the joy of writing, emphasizing its value as a personal journey rather than just a task to complete. We also touch on the role of AI, the importance of fostering self-expression, and how writing connects us to the world and each other.

Listen to the full episode for insights on how to nurture confident, passionate writers in your family.

Also, learn about preorder bonuses for Julie’s upcoming NEW book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing, on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.

Show Notes

Reclaiming the joy of writing

One of the key ideas we aim to champion is that writing begins with the writer. When children (or adults) discover that their words matter—that writing is a means of exploring their ideas, emotions, and creativity—something shifts. The resistance we see in reluctant writers often stems from this disconnection. They’ve been taught that writing is about rules, not about them. Our goal is to help families reframe writing as a joyful act of discovery.

The role of parents in fostering self-expression

Parents have a unique opportunity to cultivate an environment where writing is seen as a tool for personal expression. This can start small. Invite your child to freewrite for ten minutes, with no agenda beyond getting their thoughts onto the page. Encourage them to share their writing if they wish but avoid critiquing it. Instead, celebrate the ideas they bring to life.

In our Brave Writer programs, we’ve seen the transformative power of this approach. Children often go from avoiding writing altogether to eagerly crafting stories, reflections, and essays. When they realize their thoughts and words have value, their confidence and enthusiasm soar.

Why writing matters now more than ever

In an age dominated by technology and shortcuts like AI-generated text, it’s tempting to let tools do the writing for us. But why would we? Writing is more than just producing words; it’s a way of understanding ourselves and the world. By writing, we develop our critical thinking, articulate our values, and preserve the unique stories that make us who we are.

We encourage parents to emphasize this point with their children. Writing is not a race to a polished essay. It’s a journey into the mind and heart, one that rewards curiosity and effort. It’s this sense of discovery and ownership that makes writing worth doing.

Carrying the torch forward

Ultimately, our mission is to ignite a passion for writing that will stay with families for generations. Writing connects us to each other and to our shared humanity. Whether it’s through a Substack essay, a poem in a eulogy, or a handwritten letter, our words carry meaning and power.

As we celebrate 25 years of Brave Writer, we remain deeply committed to this vision. Writing isn’t just about meeting standards or completing assignments. It’s about finding your voice and learning to trust it. That’s what we hope to inspire in every family we serve.

Resources

  • Austin Kleon on why he saves New Year’s resolutions for February
  • Anne Helen Petersen, “The Social Media Sea Change”
  • Find Wintering by Katherine May in the Brave Writer Book Shop
  • Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters: Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic
  • Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing: How to Turn Struggling Students into Brave Writers 
  • Try out our Brave Writer Practice Pages
  • Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
  • Read all Brave Writer class descriptions
  • Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
  • 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

  • Instagram: @juliebravewriter
  • Threads: @juliebravewriter
  • Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa

  • Website: melissawiley.com
  • Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
  • Instagram: @melissawileybooks

Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

Posted in Podcasts | Comments Off on [Podcast #273] Announcing Julie’s New Book!


Brave Learning: The Re-Upping Moment, 4 Ways to Ruin Your Homeschool, and more!

Brave Learning

Recently on Brave Learning…

The “Re-Upping” Moment in Homeschool [Public]

Remember when you decided to homeschool? Think back to what you felt about “school” as a concept, as a notion. [More]

4 Ways to Ruin Your Homeschool [Public]

I’ll share practices to make your homeschool hum with joy. But we can’t get there if you’re ruining your homeschool! [More]

The Homeschool Hand Grenade

You’ve got homeschool humming. Pencils flying, kids laughing, babies napping. Then: a jarring event dashes the momentary peace. [More]

Friday Freewrite: Needle in a Haystack [Public]

Write from the point of view of a needle (lost in a haystack!) while a child searches for it. [More]

Brave Learning with Julie Bogart on Substack

Posted in Brave Learning on Substack | Comments Off on Brave Learning: The Re-Upping Moment, 4 Ways to Ruin Your Homeschool, and more!


Belief vs. Fact

Becoming a Critical Thinker

Have you noticed that some people think they’re expressing facts when really they’re telling you a story about a fact?

Facts matter, but it’s what we say about them that determines how we think. Sometimes the stories we tell become so powerful, we adopt beliefs that undermine the fact itself. I’ve watched people use the same fact to prove entirely opposing ideas or beliefs.

Self-Awareness

That’s why I like to remind everyone that critical thinking starts with self-awareness. We can notice the way our own desire to be right or to fit into our communities or to know more than someone else undermines our ability to learn or have our assumptions challenged. We might even reject a fact just because it conflicts with what our community expects us to believe.

My workbook BECOMING A CRITICAL THINKER teaches your 12-18 year olds how to hold a bias while examining uncomfortable views. It gives them direct experience with examining their assumptions and exploring the ideas and beliefs of people who see the world differently. They will have tools that help them identify scams and charlatans.

Let’s raise a generation of kids who don’t get sucked into black-and-white, antagonistic thinking! Teach them to think for themselves and to think well!

Becoming a Critical Thinker

Posted in Raising Critical Thinkers | Comments Off on Belief vs. Fact


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