As homeschooling parents, one of our biggest concerns is ensuring our children are ready for college when the time comes (if they choose that path). Today, we’re joined by Elizabeth Christie, homeschooling mom of six, who tells us about how her Brave Writers are now excelling in college.

Tune in to hear how Elizabeth’s kids sailed through college application essays, how her daughter was recruited to be a well-paid student writing tutor, and how her son has excelled as a technical writer.

If you’ve ever wondered about the power of read-aloud time or chunk writing, this is the episode for you.

Resources:

• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
• Check out all the 2024-2025 Brave Writer Mechanics and Literature Program class descriptions.
• Take a look at the Class Schedule for Fall.
• Learn more about Brave Writer 101.
• 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
• Twitter: @bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:

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

Produced by NOVA Media

“Structure” might be one of the most anxiety-provoking words for a homeschooling parent. If you feel like you’re always struggling to achieve structure in your household or if you don’t even know what level of structure is best for your kids, this episode is for you. This episode is a previously recorded webinar about parties. Yes, structure and parties are one and the same in the Brave Writer world.

Julie explains parties are, in fact, highly structured events. They have indicators of beginning, middle, and end stages. They have the clear purposes of reducing stress, increasing interactions between people, and making memories– which happen to be the foundational pieces of deep learning. Don’t worry, Julie also gets into the details of what this practically looks like for homeschooling families.

This episode is full of examples of how to use the party-structure lens in your homeschooling: snacks, candles, games, movement, decorations, music, and more. You’ll be surprised how much easier learning happens with this structure, even if you have to put up with a little more confetti on the floor.

Resources:

• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
• Create a party structure with these Tools for the Art of Writing.
• Find “Becoming a Critical Thinker” in the Brave Writer Book Shop.
• Check out all class descriptions here.
• Take a look at the Braver Writer fall class schedule.
• Sign up for Brave Writer 101.
• 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
• Twitter: @bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:

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

Produced by NOVA Media

Literary analysis shouldn’t be a cold dissection that increases the distance between the reader and the text, but rather a way for the reader to more deeply engage with the text. In today’s episode, Julie lays out Brave Writer’s approach to teaching literary analysis and writer’s craft to your kids. This is a rebroadcast of a training webinar.

Literary analysis and noticing a writer’s craft can start before your child even learns how to read, Julie explains. Daily read-aloud time, with pauses to notice feelings about the text and guess what comes next, builds your child’s critical thinking skills. Literary analysis doesn’t need to be bound to books either–using a remote while watching TV shows or movies can work in much the same way.

Julie then goes through each age bracket, showing how literary analysis can build a deeper love of literature and greater self-awareness.

If you find this episode helpful, be sure to check out our Brave Writer 101 training, where we coach you on giving kinder, more meaningful writing instruction to your child.

Resources:

• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
• Find “Becoming a Critical Thinker” in the Brave Writer Book Shop.
• Check out all class descriptions here.
• Take a look at the Braver Writer fall class schedule.
• Sign up for Brave Writer 101.
• 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
• Twitter: @bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:

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

Produced by NOVA Media

Welcome to Julie’s webinar, “The GPS of Writing: Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling.” Since Julie is taking a short break from the podcast to focus on her newest book, we’re replacing our typical podcast with a broadcast of this webinar.

Throughout the webinar, Julie weaves a metaphor for grammar, punctuation, and spelling: Grammar is the rules of the word-party, punctuation is the decorator and bouncer, and spelling is the personal stylist.

Most importantly, Julie reminds anxious parents that, at the end of the day, what children really need to learn is how grammar, punctuation, and spelling serve their self expression. It’s not about memorizing rules or being perfect. It’s about repeated exposure to meaningful experiences with living literature.

Resources:

• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
• Don’t miss Fall Class Registration. Full class descriptions here.
• Check out the 2024-2025 Brave Writer Mechanics and Literature Programs.
• You can find “Charlotte’s Web” and other books in the Brave Writer Book Shop.
• Get free samples of our Brave Writer products.
• Want the digital Brave Writer products professionally printed and quickly shipped to your home? Order physical copies from The Homeschool Printing Company.
• 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
• Twitter: @bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:

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

Produced by NOVA Media

Once you view time as a gift to be savored, you can start to naturally exchange agendas for rhythms and arbitrary expectations for deep learning. This is one of the takeaway messages from The Joy of Slow: Restoring Balance and Wonder to Homeschool Learning, a book by experienced homeschooling mom Leslie Martino.

Leslie is our guest on the program today. She earned bachelor and master’s degrees in education from Columbia University, taught as an elementary school teacher, and now homeschools her four kids, ages 10-14. Her book is a meditation on the joy of slow as well as a how-to guide for homeschooling families.

In our conversation today, we dive into creating time and space for critical reflection, the importance of depth over breadth, and savoring joyful connection with our loved ones. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the question, “Are my kids learning fast enough?” this episode will (hopefully) bring a little peace and calm to your soul.

Resources:

• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
• Don’t miss Fall Class Registration. Full class descriptions here.
• Find “The Joy of Slow” in the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Check out Leslie's webinar at Brave Learner Home
• Learn more at Leslie's website: LeslieMartino.com/
• Follow Leslie on Instagram: @lesliemmartino
• 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
• Twitter: @bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:

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

Produced by NOVA Media

What’s living literature? What does it have to do with teaching your kids grammar and spelling? Today’s episode is a recording of Julie’s webinar where she explains the heart of Brave Writer’s approach to teaching writing.

Julie explains how immersion in rich, powerful literature is the best way to teach your child writing mechanics. She outlines the Brave Writer process in six steps: Parent reads aloud; student reads to themselves; student keenly observes what they read and asks investigative questions; student tests what they know through copywork and dictation; student corrects their own work; and student free writes.

With specific examples and colorful anecdotes, Julie dives into the details for each step. She also breaks them down by program level: The Quill (5-7 year olds), Dart (8-10), Arrow (11-12), Boomerang (13-14), and Slingshot (15-18).

If you’ve been looking for a distillation of what exactly Brave Writer is, this is the episode for you.

Resources:

• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
• Don’t miss Fall Class Registration. Full class descriptions here.
• Check out the 2024-2025 Brave Writer Mechanics and Literature Programs.
• You can find “Braiding Sweetgrass” and other books in the Brave Writer Book Shop.
• Get free samples of our Brave Writer products.
• Want the digital Brave Writer products professionally printed and quickly shipped to your home? Order physical copies from The Homeschool Printing Company.
• 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
• Twitter: @bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:

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

Produced by NOVA Media

Tia Levings was trapped in a high-control religion, experiencing church-sanctioned domestic abuse at the hands of her husband. Her only relief was the Trapdoor Society online message boards where she could discuss big ideas about education and human development.

Years later, she barely escaped with her and her kids’ lives.

Tia joins us today for an emotional, deeply meaningful episode where we discuss our intertwined stories and her new memoir, “A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy.”

Resources:

• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
• Don’t miss Fall Class Registration. Full class descriptions here.
• Check out the Brave Writer Book Shop for Tia’s book and all other books mentioned on our podcast
• Learn more at TiaLevings.com
• Follow Tia on Instagram: @tialevings
• Subscribe to Tia’s Substack, “The AntiFundamentalist”
• Watch “Shiny Happy People” on Amazon Prime
• 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
• Twitter: @bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:

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

Produced by NOVA Media

Homeschooling can be isolating, but it shouldn’t be and it doesn’t have to be. In fact, as a homeschooling family, you have unique opportunities to meaningfully connect with all kinds of folks. In this episode, we discuss how to find community as homeschoolers and why it is so important.

We discuss connecting to your local homeschooler advocacy organization, using the internet to find like-minded homeschoolers (and even non-like minded homeschoolers), and coming up with ways to integrate non-homeschoolers into your fun learning experiences.

We also dive into why community is important. Yes, social media can show you some reels of cool project ideas, but ongoing conversations and relationships drive deeper growth. That’s why we created Brave Learner Home. We discuss the Braver Learner Home features and invite you to join!

Resources:

• Join the community at Brave Learner Home
• Watch the Brave Writer Summer Camp webinar replays
• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
• Download our free Summer Games guide
• Don’t miss Brave Writer’s Fall Class Registration
• Listen to Episode 189. Party Schooling with Lise McGuinness
• 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
• Twitter: @bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:

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

Produced by NOVA Media