Jumpstart with Julie

Jumpstart with Julie

August 14-September 22, 2023

What if we were neighbors?

  • “I wish you lived next door.”
  • “I bet we’d be best friends.”
  • “It would be amazing to have you in my living room.”
  • “We call Julie the Fairy Godmother of Homeschooling.”

Are these not the kindest, most affirming messages?

They got me thinking:

What if I could pop into your living rooms, make friends with you, and sprinkle a little pixie dust on your homeschools? What if you could start your year with a cohort of other parents embarking on this audacious homeschooling journey, guided by me?

What if I could give you a “jumpstart”?

Introducing Jumpstart with Julie

Let’s jump in together!

Here’s what you don’t need:

  • Too many chatty webinars to attend
  • Busywork worksheets (hate those!)
  • Platitudes (you have Instagram for that)
  • Generic solutions (that don’t help you or your kids!)
  • Lots of philosophical ideas instead of actual practices

Here’s what I know creates confidence:

  • Live targeted teachings
  • Practical plans that are easy to implement
  • Gentle accountability to your best intentions
  • Community support from fellow travelers
  • One-on-one time with me (yeah, you read that right)

For six weeks, we’re going to walk into this school year together—linking arms.

First Two Weeks

Imagine kicking off the school year with

  • guided research
  • notifying your state (country) if needed 
  • preparing your home and curriculum

Next Four Weeks

Now imagine experimenting with four different structures for homeschooling to find the best fit!

  • Week One: DISCOVER: The kick off!
  • Week Two: PLAN AHEAD: Following a schedule
  • Week Three: PLAN FROM BEHIND: Following a child’s interests
  • Week Four: US-SCHOOLING: Creating a custom routine

What does the Jumpstart include?

  • Six-Week On Ramp to Homeschool (written by me)
  • Six webinars with me (+ replay access)
  • Q&A time at the end of each webinar
  • Emails with your week’s tasks clearly laid out
  • “Happy Hours”—drop in to chat with me about YOUR family
  • “All you need for the year” shopping lists
  • Hacks for your home to make it fit your homeschool
  • Worry prevention: how to be accountable and love it!
  • Habit formation: which to cultivate and which to ditch

How to Apply

The members of the cohort will be hand selected by me. 

Who is this program for?

  1. Brand NEW homeschoolers
  2. NEW Brave Writer families who homeschool
  3. Homeschoolers who need a NEW injection of life in their homeschool

In short, if you are a homeschooler with flexibility to experiment, try new models of learning, and feel the need for personal support, instruction, and accountability—this is for YOU!

Who is this program NOT for?

  1. Homeschoolers who have a well-established plan and don’t want to change it
  2. Homeschoolers who use K-12 or any other externally structured program
  3. Homeschoolers who are too busy to attend the webinars (or watch replays) or do the activities in the program

To apply, please fill out this form.

Note: taking applications until Monday, July 24.

Jumpstart with Julie

Bring a friend!

When you apply, you’ll be asked if you have a friend you’d like to join you in our cohort. Doing this process with a local or online friend will feel really supportive to you! You will each get a discount for tuition when you both apply. You’ll pay one price and settle up between you

Price

  • $249.00 (sign up in July)
  • $398.00 (sign up with a friend—$199 each)
  • $299.00 (sign up by August 10)

Can’t wait to meet you!

Jumpstart with Julie

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Pay Attention

Brave Writer Pay Attention

When you show interest in how your child sees the world, that child will more naturally tell you the truth.

Picture this:

Your child tells you, “I don’t need math.”

You ask, “Why do you think that?”

Your child says, “I’m going to be a professional ball player.”

The temptation at this point is to say something like, “Professional athletes need math to calculate all kinds of statistics, their income, how to manage their wealth, and more.”

A ten year old child is not going to be motivated by adult concerns.

Try this instead:

But what if you lean in more and say, “That’s interesting to me. Setting aside professional baseball for a moment, tell me more about why math doesn’t appeal to you. What is it about math itself you find problematic?”

Your child may feel freer to say: “Math is hard.”

Now you’ve pivoted to the child’s inner life. You aren’t being deflected by the reason your child gave—you are addressing what’s happening inside. You resist telling the child reasons that aren’t related to why the child is not willing to learn math.

When we pay attention to what’s happening inside the child, we make room for truth-telling rather than reason-giving or excuse-making.

The proper response when a child says, “Math is hard” is not “You’ll need it when you’re an adult,” but “It is hard. I can see why you want to avoid it. I wonder what we can do to make it less intimidating.”

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Friday Freewrite: Interesting Things

Friday Freewrite

How old are you? Now write that many interesting things about yourself.

New to freewriting? Check out our online guide.

Tags:
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Podcast: Supporting Learners Through Occupational Therapy with Sarah Collins

Brave Writer Podcast

Dive into a captivating conversation with our special guest Sarah Collins, a skilled occupational therapist turned homeschooling consultant. I met Sarah, known for her lively and engaging conversations, at the Michiana Homeschool Conference and there began an insightful dialogue about the powerful impact of her work.

Sarah shares her transformative journey from being introduced to homeschooling in 2016 while working with a client, to pioneering Homeschool OT in 2019. She uncovers the rich learning environment homeschooling offers and how this unique educational model motivated her to homeschool her own family.

Ever been perplexed about how to homeschool your children effectively? You’re not alone. Sarah shares how she identified with parents who grappled with similar questions. It’s this shared struggle that spurred her to use her expertise to consult with homeschooling parents around the globe.

Sarah Collins
Sarah Collins

In the context of homeschooling, we discuss:

  • handwriting,
  • sensory processing,
  • and executive function.

Prepare to gain comforting insights that will ease the journey of families with non-traditional learners.

Show Notes

Understanding the Role of an Occupational Therapist in Learning

An Occupational Therapist (OT) is a crucial figure in the field of education, particularly in homeschooling. The term “occupation” is not solely focused on professional work; it represents all activities that occupy one’s time, such as daily living activities, work, leisure activities, and so on.

OTs provide valuable insights when an individual experiences difficulties in their occupation. They focus on resolving these issues by addressing individual skills, environmental factors, and the occupation itself. This process extends beyond physical skills to encompass social, cognitive, and motor skills as well.

Consider handwriting, for example. To encourage a child to learn this skill, it’s essential to focus on the foundational skills that need to be in place: core strength, fine motor skills, visual motor skills, and motor planning. But above all, it’s crucial to help the child understand the value of the written word and its implications. For instance, documenting a child’s thoughts in a journal can underscore the importance of their words, keeping them motivated.

Recognizing When to Seek Help

Learning challenges are unique to each child, and it’s important to notice when your child’s behavior is obstructing their desired activities. If your child exhibits a strong desire to master a skill but consistently struggles with it, it may be time to seek professional help.

When it comes to handling learning difficulties, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The strategy should be customized to the individual child’s needs. Remember, homeschooling is not “alone schooling”—you can always reach out to professionals and build a supportive team.

Creating a Tailored Plan Around a Child’s Diagnosis

Once you have a diagnosis, it can be used as a launching pad to create a specialized learning plan at home. This plan could include a range of activities from targeted therapies to changes in the home environment.

For example, to support vision development and reading ability, you could arrange games on a shelf from left to right to promote visual scanning. Other methods could involve writing on vertical surfaces or using different writing implements. Even daily activities such as grocery shopping or hiking can be used to practice visual scanning.

John Stilgoe’s “Outside Lies Magic” is a recommended resource that encourages the reader to observe and notice things in their environment that they typically overlook. These practices can enhance reading skills, observation, and working memory.

Enhancing Fine Motor Skills Through Fun Activities

Fine motor skills can be developed outside the confines of pencil and paper. Activities like writing on a window, climbing trees, jumping, and crawling can all contribute to the development of core strength and shoulder stability.

Additionally, cleaning activities like wiping floorboards are functional ways to help a child move, provide sensory input, and contribute to family chores. Engaging in physical activities like playing on monkey bars or Leapfrog can also be beneficial for learning and development.

Taking a Person-Centered Approach to Learning

Rather than focusing on skills, a person-centered approach makes the learning process more enjoyable and relatable. This strategy involves observing children to understand their individual needs and desires and adjusting the teaching approach accordingly.

A person-centered approach celebrates the uniqueness of each learner and their interests. It ensures that learning becomes an enjoyable process, not a burdensome chore.

Reaching Out for Help

As parents and educators, we don’t have to navigate these challenges alone. Websites like HomeschoolOT.com offer valuable resources, including blogs, classes on various topics like handwriting, sensory processing, and executive functioning, and even memberships for live weekly sessions.

Remember, every child’s learning journey is unique. As we tailor our approach to their individual needs and strengths, we create an environment that promotes joy and excitement in learning.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Brave Writer Podcast

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Semester of Classes!

Brave Writer Semester of Classes

You love:

  • Our individualized instruction
  • Freedom to log on “whenever”
  • Our radical, compassionate approach
  • Methods that reflect the latest research in education

You want:

  • A ready-made plan
  • Consistent progression in skill building
  • Less guesswork in picking classes
  • Discount for multiple registrations

Picture me, waving my fairy godmother wand! Bippity boppity boo, we hear you!

Introducing our FULL SEMESTER OPTION for online study at Brave Writer!

Now you can register your child into one cohesive plan, semester by semester.

We’ve mixed and matched to curate the perfect combinations of:

  • Solo, partnership, and family participation
  • Core and interest-based classes
  • Classes built around individualized needs

Just pick and click!

No rush on registration day! No stress to find dates that fit all the classes you want to take. No worries if you picked the right ones. Each semester plan takes care of that for you. 

How It Works

  • Keep an eye out for when the Semester of Classes offer is available (during the weeks before a class registration).
  • Visit our semester page.
  • Choose the age level appropriate for your child.
  • View your options!

Most importantly: put your feet up and let Brave Writer take care of the rest!

Brave Writer Semester of Classes

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