Our guest today is a Brave Writer mom, Emily Mohajeri Norris. Both Emily and her son Liam are contestants in the third season of LEGO Masters! We go into the story of how she built a family culture that allowed her son to dive deeply into his passion for LEGO building—and how investing deeply in any subject allows you to grow a rich vocabulary, and develop cross-disciplinary skills as well as a rich, meaningful life.

153. (S8E37) Emily Mohajeri Norris: How Emily and Liam wound up on LEGO Masters

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

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Education for Kids

There are two major pain points in homeschooling: writing and math. Our guest today helps us with the math part. Pat Murray is the founder of CTC Math, which should sound very familiar to listeners as CTC has been an incredible sponsor for many of our episodes. Pat tells us about the all-too-common trajectory of students: They’re fine with math when they’re very young, then they don’t quite master one skill, then other skills are built on top of that missing skill, then things start to fall apart and students’ entire confidence in “being good at math” shatters. That’s why Pat has specifically built his online math program to identify those missing skills, explain them in a very clear and concise way, and have the student implement them so they can experience immediate small victories.  Listening to how Pat has designed his program, why he makes all levels available to subscribers, and the stories he’s accumulated over the years is a real treat. We’re so glad he joined us! Resources:Sign up for a free trial at www.CTCtmath.comSign 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: @juliebravewriterThreads: @juliebravewriterTwitter: @bravewriterFacebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

 Connect with Melissa:Website: melissawiley.comSubstack: melissawiley.substack.comInstagram: @melissawileybooksTwitter: @melissawiley

 Produced by NOVA Media

240. Struggling With Math? An Interview With Pat Murray of CTC Math

When parents map out the annual homeschooling budget, there’s a tendency to only focus on curriculum. In this episode, we encourage you to prioritize tools that really bring learning to life. Plus, we give you tips on how to get them on the cheap. We dive into specific suggestion after specific suggestion, mainly grouped into six buckets: Writing utensils, art and handicraft supplies, baking ingredients and tools, science kits, games and puzzles, magazines and field guides. We also give examples of experiential, rather than physical, tools that are great for homeschool families. We’re big fans of annual memberships to art museums, zoos, botanical gardens, science museums, etc. Volunteering at local theaters or animal centers can be a great way to access fun learning environments.  The right tools make all the difference in having a happy learning life. We hope our suggestions spark creativity and joy in you and your kids!  Resources:Find books we’ve mentioned on the podcast here: Brave Writer Bookshop Check out our list of “Tools for the Art of Writing”Buy the new “Becoming a Critical Thinker” workbook Sign up to attend the free Brave Writer Book Reveal webinars!Shop Jim Weiss audiobooksStart 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: @juliebravewriterThreads: @juliebravewriterTwitter: @bravewriterFacebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

 Connect with Melissa:Website: melissawiley.comSubstack: melissawiley.substack.comInstagram: @melissawileybooksTwitter: @melissawiley

 Produced by NOVA Media

239. Tools to Buy Instead of Curriculum

Today, we reunite with fellow podcasters and homeschool moms, Maren Goerss and Angela Sizer. We dive into their new book, Think Differently About Learning: A Homeschool Where Children and Parents Thrive. It can be all too easy for homeschooling families to unintentionally replicate the negative aspects of traditional schooling that they were trying to avoid: Cookie cutter approaches, stress, burnout, etc. Think Differently About Learning gives a roadmap for a more joyful approach. We talk about building an appetite for learning by honoring learning differences, rest, and small wins. Plus, we discuss relying on relationships instead of rules to guide your child in decision-making. Themes of empowerment, pleasure, and wellness weave their way through our discussion. What Maren and Angela have to say as former traditional teachers and experienced homeschoolers is refreshing, tangible, and inspiring. Enjoy! Resources:Learn more at HomeschoolUnrefined.com Listen to the Homeschool Unrefined podcast Go to the Brave Writer Bookshop to buy their book, Think Differently About Learning. Sign up to attend the free Brave Writer Book Reveal webinars!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: @juliebravewriterThreads: @juliebravewriterTwitter: @bravewriterFacebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

 Connect with Melissa:Website: melissawiley.comSubstack: melissawiley.substack.comInstagram: @melissawileybooksTwitter: @melissawiley

 Produced by NOVA Media

238. Thinking Differently About Learning with Maren and Angela

It’s almost time for our annual book list release! Every year we curate a new list of books to be part of our Dart (ages 8-10 ), Arrow (10-12), and Boomerang (12-14) programs. Dawn Smith spearheads this undertaking and she joins us today to describe how she picks which books to be on the list. The reason the book release is so highly anticipated is because Dawn chooses books that she knows are going to elicit kids’ buy-in, lead to big, juicy family conversations, and give kids tools to tell their own stories. Dawn and Melissa explain the journey they go on to put together the Dart, Arrow, and Boomerang programs, how they are intentional about centering what is activating, engaging, and flexible.  Plus, stay tuned until the end to learn how to sign up for the book list announcement webinars and the giveaways you may win! Resources:Sign up to attend the free Brave Writer Book Reveal webinars!Check out the Brave Writer Bookshop Take a look at the Skunk & Badger DartStart a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention!Check out the new “Becoming a Critical Thinker” workbook 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: @juliebravewriterThreads: @juliebravewriterTwitter: @bravewriterFacebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

 Connect with Melissa:Website: melissawiley.comSubstack: melissawiley.substack.comInstagram: @melissawileybooksTwitter: @melissawiley

 Produced by NOVA Media 


237. 2024-25 Book Reveal Talk! With Dawn Smith

Hooray! Today’s the publication day of my (Julie’s) new workbook, “Becoming a Critical Thinker.”  If you’re a longtime listener of this podcast, you know that I’m pretty strict about workbooks. They should lead a child to mastery, to embodiment, to knowing the content for themselves.  That’s the approach I took to creating this workbook. I’ve reduced each of the activities to one key point. I've written just enough text for students to get that idea and then to practice it in the activity. I designed this workbook to help students grow as critical thinkers by turning the focus to their own thoughts. Why do they believe what they believe? What flaws can they notice in their own thinking? How do they reach conclusions? I dive into all this in-depth in today’s episode. Thank you for joining me on this special day! Resources:Check out the new “Becoming a Critical Thinker” workbook Buy the “Raising Critical Thinkers” book  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: @juliebravewriterThreads: @juliebravewriterTwitter: @bravewriterFacebook: facebook.com/bravewriter
Connect with Melissa:Website: melissawiley.comSubstack: melissawiley.substack.comInstagram: @melissawileybooksTwitter: @melissawiley
Produced by NOVA Media

153. (S8E37) Emily Mohajeri Norris: How Emily and Liam wound up on LEGO Masters

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