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PODCAST

Brave Writer

Julie Bogart and Melissa Wiley

The Brave Writer podcast is a big juicy conversation about how to bring learning to life for your kids! Julie Bogart and guests talk about how parents and children are partners in the learning adventure, especially when approaching the daunting task of writing. Brave Writer appeals to homeschoolers, educators, and parents who want more out of "school" than merely passing tests. Visit us at http://bravewriter.com and follow along at the blog for show notes: http://blog.bravewriter.com

education books

All Episodes

01:15:51

360. Your Weekly Schedule Designed for You!

Brave Writer ·

2026/10/07

What if the thing standing between us and a satisfying homeschool rhythm isn’t the curriculum, but our resistance to sitting down and making a plan?We’re looking at how attention, boredom, confusion, and even our phones shape the way we approach learning. Then we get practical, building a flexible monthly rhythm around read-alouds, Poetry Teatime, copywork, dictation, freewriting, nature study, and meaningful writing projects.The goal isn’t a rigid schedule or endless workbook pages. It’s enough

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01:12:31

359. The Rights of a Homeschooling Mom

Brave Writer ·

2026/09/30

What rights do we forget we have when homeschooling becomes an all-consuming family project?Staying home to educate our kids can be meaningful, joyful work, but it is still work. We deserve a voice in family finances, time to maintain employable skills, space for lesson preparation, personal interests, exercise, rest, and a say in the educational decisions we spend our days carrying out.We also get to change our minds. Homeschooling does not require signing away the rest of our adulthood.We’re

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01:05:38

358. Don’t Forget to Watch Movies!

Brave Writer ·

2026/09/23

What if movie day isn’t a break from learning, but one of the ways we build a rich education?Movies give our kids stories, language, history, cultural references, and characters they can return to again and again. We talk about why rewatching counts, how film can make Shakespeare and Jane Austen more accessible, and what happens when favorite lines become family lore. We also explore modern adaptations, film clubs, fandom, and the joy of recognizing an old story in a new form.So dim the lights, grab

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56:58

357. Picture Books and the Public Library

Brave Writer ·

2026/09/16

What if one of the best tools in your homeschool is already free?We’re celebrating the library as a place where curiosity gets to roam and the default answer can be “yes.” We explore how browsing the stacks creates discoveries no search bar can replicate, why learning the Dewey Decimal System can empower kids, and how a regular library rhythm can enrich your homeschool.Then we make the case for picture books at every age. From visual literacy and sophisticated vocabulary to science, art, emotional

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01:03:11

356. Parenting Strategies or Teaching Tactics

Brave Writer ·

2026/09/09

What if the missing ingredient in your homeschool isn’t a better curriculum, but a bigger toolkit for teaching?When kids resist a lesson, it’s easy to reach for familiar parenting strategies: consequences, bargaining, reminders, and demands for cooperation. But learning asks something different of us. We need teaching tactics that spark curiosity, invite collaboration, leave room for contemplation, and celebrate real growth.We explore playful, practical ways to make math, history, writing, and other

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01:13:23

355. Feed Them Well with Jennifer Anderson

Brave Writer ·

2026/09/02

What if feeding our kids didn’t have to feel like a test we could pass or fail?Registered dietitian and Kids Eat in Color founder Jennifer Anderson joins us to talk about raising capable, curious eaters without getting trapped by nutrition trends, food guilt, or rigid rules. We explore picky eating, growth and weight concerns, food advertising, introducing unfamiliar foods, and why the “best practice” isn’t always the best fit for the child in front of us. Jennifer also shares ideas from her new

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54:17

354. Working Parents and Homeschooling

Brave Writer ·

2026/08/26

Can you really homeschool well while also holding down a job? Yes, but the answer may require us to rethink when, where, and how learning happens.With Brave Writer president Dawn Smith joining us, we explore flexible schedules, morning meetings, night schooling, body doubling, buddy reading, planning from behind, and the art of “triangling in” support. We also look at why homeschool doesn't need to imitate a nine-to-three school day and how ordinary moments, from breakfast to dishwashing, can become

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43:59

353. Only Connect: The Power of Partnership in...

Brave Writer ·

2026/08/19

What changes when we stop treating homeschooling as something we do to our children and begin learning alongside them?Connection is at the heart of meaningful education: connection to ourselves, to the subjects we study, and to one another. We explore how curiosity leads to purpose, why collaboration matters more than perfect independence, and how low-stakes practice can help children build confidence without turning every lesson into an evaluation.From fractions and cookies to grammar, handwriting,

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59:44

352. Handwriting: Why, When, and How to Teach It

Brave Writer ·

2026/08/12

What if one of the simplest tools for improving reading, memory, attention, and creative thinking is already sitting in your pencil cup?We’re revisiting handwriting and the surprising neuroscience behind why it still matters in a digital age. We explore how forming letters supports early reading, why handwritten notes encourage deeper thinking, and how copywork can build skill without limiting a child’s original ideas. We also share playful ways to practice, from cornmeal and sidewalk chalk to gel

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54:03

351. Hot Pink and the Art Museum

Brave Writer ·

2026/08/05

What changes when we stop rushing children toward the lesson we planned and start noticing the learning already unfolding?A visit with Julie’s six-year-old granddaughter becomes a fresh look at poetry, reading, art museums, and the remarkable power of one-on-one attention. We explore how treasure hunts turn worksheets into quests, why a child’s “wrong” answer contains useful logic, and how patient observation helps us see familiar subjects differently.Homeschooling does not always provide daily

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01:01:21

350. Pro Tips for Fabulous Field Trips

Brave Writer ·

2026/07/29

What if some of the richest learning in your homeschool happened after you walked out the front door?We’re exploring how to plan family outings that turn science, history, art, literature, music, sports, and local culture into hands-on experiences. We share what to pack in a reliable go-bag, how to prepare children for unfamiliar environments, and why a little advance exposure can make an outing more exciting. You’ll also hear dozens of affordable field-trip ideas, from factory tours and art

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01:02:50

349. Preparing for the First Week of Homeschool

Brave Writer ·

2026/07/22

What if the best first day of homeschool begins long before the first lesson?As summer stretches toward a new school year, we’re talking about the kind of preparation that actually supports family life: flexible routines, child-centered planning, cozy spaces, printed materials, backup plans, and first-day rituals that invite kids into learning with curiosity instead of pressure.We explore how to protect homeschool mornings, plan from behind, use Poetry Teatime as a reset, build in experiences your

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01:04:05

348. Kids Don't Learn the Way You Think They Do

Brave Writer ·

2026/07/15

What if rigor isn’t about children sitting still, pushing through tedium, and finishing every worksheet without complaint?In this episode, we reimagine rigor as a meaningful challenge: the kind children willingly embrace when the goal matters to them. From math games and secret codes to bird lists, comics, Pokémon tea time, and writing that reaches an interested audience, we explore how hard work becomes inviting when it is rooted in play, connection, and curiosity.We share practical ways to build

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33:39

347. ADHD and Homeschooling Part 2

Brave Writer ·

2026/07/08

Have you ever wondered whether your scattered systems, duplicate scissors, or frozen to-do list are actually character flaws, or clues to how your brain works? In this second conversation about ADHD in the homeschooling parent, we look at the inattentive traits that can hide behind daydreaming, over-planning, lost objects, and task paralysis. We talk about accommodations, body doubling, medication, the ADHD tax, and why evaluations can miss neurodivergent homeschooled kids whose lives are already

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46:49

346. ADHD and Homeschooling Part 1

Brave Writer ·

2026/07/01

What if the neurodivergence in your homeschool is not only in your child, but in you?In this honest and eye-opening conversation, we explore what happens when the home educator begins to recognize ADHD traits in themselves. From task initiation and time blindness to hyperfocus, novelty, shame, doom boxes, and the relief of a diagnosis, we talk about how our wiring shapes the homeschool experience.We also name the gifts: enthusiasm, curiosity, side quests, deep dives, and the ability to turn

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48:39

345. DIY Writing Retreats for Kids

Brave Writer ·

2026/06/24

What if a writing retreat didn’t require a plane ticket to Ireland?This week, we explore what makes writing feel spacious, playful, and alive. From Julie’s memoir retreat on the Irish Sea to Melissa’s fiction experiments with point of view, we talk about how atmosphere, community, sensory detail, and low-stakes exploration can help writers of every age drop beneath the noise of daily life.We also share practical ways to create a mini writing retreat at home for your kids, complete with snacks,

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01:00:19

344. Courageous Divorce: An Interview with Alisha Roth

Brave Writer ·

2026/06/17

What happens when faith, prayer, endurance, and every “right” effort still do not make a marriage safe? In this brave and deeply honest conversation, we talk with Alisha Roth, author of Courageous Divorce, about young marriage, religious expectations, abuse, motherhood, homeschooling, community loss, and the difficult clarity that can come when a woman finally listens to her own body and life.Together, we explore divorce not as failure, but as a serious boundary, sometimes the one that makes

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01:05:34

343. Partnership Writing with Dawn Smith

Brave Writer ·

2026/06/10

Why teach writing when AI can generate paragraphs in seconds? In this episode, Melissa Wiley talks with Brave Writer president Dawn Smith about why writing still matters, maybe more than ever. Together, they explore writing as a tool for thinking, voice, discovery, and connection. We look at how kids develop their own style, why pre-writing conversations are part of the writing process, and how partnership writing helps children bridge the gap between ideas and words on the page. Plus, Dawn shares

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58:36

342. Brave Learning and Academics

Brave Writer ·

2026/06/03

What if academic standards didn’t have to threaten your homeschool rhythm? In this episode, we explore how to translate grade-level expectations into the rich, lived learning already happening in your home. From Poetry Teatime to bird watching, baking, narration, read-alouds, and everyday conversations, we look at how whole experiences often contain the very skills listed in scope-and-sequence documents. Rather than turning homeschool into school-at-home, we can use standards as information, not

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56:58

341. What If My Child Won't Finish the Lesson?

Brave Writer ·

2026/05/27

When is schoolwork really finished? If your child refuses the last five math problems, drags through copywork, or resists the assignment you carefully planned, the issue may not be laziness or defiance. It may have meaning.In this episode, we rethink what completion really means in homeschool. We explore intrinsic motivation, rote practice, sensory needs, Charlotte Mason’s wisdom, gaming “grind,” and the parent’s role as coach rather than taskmaster. We also talk about how to document learning

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346 results

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