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 reading, writing, handwriting, spelling, math, and science skills without draining the joy from learning.

Join us as we rethink what rigorous learning can look like at home.

Resources:

• Learn a new language with Talkbox! Try it out at talkbox.MOM/brave
• Join us for our free Brave Writer Summer Camp on July 22nd and 23rd!
• Find our favorite readalouds and nonfiction in the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Registration begins July 20 for Gamers Write! Minecraft Edition, Becoming a Critical Thinker, and other awesome Brave Writer classes!
• Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
• Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
• Find community at the Brave Learner Home
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
• Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
• 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
• Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to [email protected]

Connect with Julie:

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

Connect with Melissa:

• Website: melissawiley.com
• Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
• Instagram: @melissawileybooks
• Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

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 beautifully adapted to their needs.

Most of all, we name the relief that comes when shame gives way to information. Listen in and let’s make room for every brain in the homeschool.

Resources:

• DIVA questionnaire for ADHD: Advancedassessments.co.uk
• Sign up for our free Brave Writer Summer Camp!
• Registration for our Semester of Classes opens July 13-17
• Check out the special offer at Talkbox.MOM/brave and start speaking a new language with your kids from day one!
• Find our favorite readalouds and nonfiction in the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Brave Writer class registration
• Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
• Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
• Find community at the Brave Learner Home
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
• Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
• 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
• Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to [email protected]

Connect with Julie:

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

Connect with Melissa:

• Website: melissawiley.com
• Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
• Instagram: @melissawileybooks
• Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

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 education itself into a living adventure.

Tune in for Part One of a conversation many of us didn’t know we needed.

Resources:

• DIVA questionnaire for ADHD: advancedassessments.co.uk
• Sign up for our free Brave Writer Summer Camp!
• Find our favorite readalouds and nonfiction in the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Brave Writer class registration is open!
• Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
• Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
• Find community at the Brave Learner Home
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
• Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
• 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
• Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to [email protected]

Connect with Julie:

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

Connect with Melissa:

• Website: melissawiley.com
• Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
• Instagram: @melissawileybooks
• Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

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, freedom, feedback, and delight.

Join us as we reimagine writing as nourishment for the intellect and the spirit.

Resources:

• Catch the replays of our free Brave Writer training webinars
• Shop our June sale!
• Find our favorite readalouds and nonfiction in the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Brave Writer class registration is open!
• Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
• Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
• Find community at the Brave Learner Home
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
• Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
• 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
• Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to [email protected]

Connect with Julie:

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

with Melissa:

• Website: melissawiley.com
• Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
• Instagram: @melissawileybooks
• Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

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 healing, safety, forgiveness, and a more honest future possible.

Listen in for a tender conversation about faith, courage, and choosing to truly live.

Resources:

• Visit Alisha Roth’s website at Alisharoth.com
• Alisha’s Instagram: @littlewomenfarmhouse
• Find Courageous Divorce in the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Brave Writer class registration is open!
• Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
• Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
• Find community at the Brave Learner Home
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
• Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
• 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
• Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to [email protected]

Connect with Julie:

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

Connect with Melissa:

• Website: melissawiley.com
• Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
• Instagram: @melissawileybooks
• Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

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 what’s new with Partnership Writing and how families can pair projects with Darts for a rich month of learning.

Tune in and reconnect with the deeply human work of writing.

Resources:

• Catch the replays of our free Brave Writer training webinars
• Shop our June sale!
• Explore the Brave Writer high school program
• Learn more about our mentor-led training program for Brave Writer parents
• Find our favorite readalouds and nonfiction in the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Brave Writer class registration is open!
• Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
• Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
• Find community at the Brave Learner Home
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
• Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
• 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
• Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to [email protected]

Connect with Julie:

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

Connect with Melissa:

• Website: melissawiley.com
• Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
• Instagram: @melissawileybooks
• Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

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 intimidation.

Join us as we make peace with checklists, protect our children’s investment in learning, and celebrate the evidence already unfolding in daily life.

Resources:

• Catch the replays of our free Brave Writer training webinars
• Shop our June sale!
• Visit the Brave Learner website at thebravelearner.com
• Order your copy of The Brave Learner from the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Brave Writer class registration is open!
• Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
• Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
• Find community at the Brave Learner Home
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
• Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
• 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
• Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to [email protected]

Connect with Julie:

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

Connect with Melissa:

• Website: melissawiley.com
• Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
• Instagram: @melissawileybooks
• Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

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 without turning home into school.

Join us as we trade arbitrary finish lines for meaningful progress.

Resources:

• Register for the Brave Writer Book Reveal on June 1st and 2nd – our biggest event of the year!
• Sign up for our free training webinars in June. It’s professional development for parent educators!
• Find our favorite readalouds and nonfiction in the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Brave Writer class registration is open for summer classes!
• Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
• Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
• Find community at the Brave Learner Home
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
• Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
• 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
• Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to [email protected]

Connect with Julie:

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

Connect with Melissa:

• Website: melissawiley.com
• Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
• Instagram: @melissawileybooks
• Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

What if your best homeschool resources are the small routines, songs, snacks, and tools your kids remember years later?

In this episode, we gather a treasure chest of family-tested ideas: read-alouds, Signing Time, Bob Books, captions, morning songs, poetry memorization, skip counting, quiet time, seasonal books, geography games, Postcrossing, DragonBox Algebra, Snap Circuits, and more. Along the way, we talk about why the imperfect moments often become the brightest memories, from dry Lucky Charms at Shakespeare Club to circus animal cookies at a recital.

Join us as we celebrate practical, playful ways to make learning stick.

Resources:

• DragonBox Math Apps - International Award Winning Series
• Postcrossing: Postcards connecting the world
• Find books and other resources mentioned in this episode in the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Brave Writer class registration is open!
• Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
• Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
• Find community at the Brave Learner Home
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
• Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
• 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
• Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to [email protected]

Connect with Julie:

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

Connect with Melissa:

• Website: melissawiley.com
• Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
• Instagram: @melissawileybooks
• Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

What does it mean to prepare our children for a future we can’t predict?

In this episode, we reflect on homeschooling, parenting, adult children, and the tender reality of endings. We talk about why “success” may be the wrong measure for family life, how love becomes the truest through-line, and why our kids’ adult reflections deserve to be heard without defensiveness. From changing job markets and AI uncertainty to theater outings, cancer treatment, and raisin bread metaphors, we explore how to keep relationship at the center.

Join us as we make room for love, complexity, feedback, and joy.

Resources:

• Find our favorite readalouds and nonfiction in the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Brave Writer class registration is open!
• Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
• Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
• Find community at the Brave Learner Home
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
• Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
• 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
• Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to [email protected]

Connect with Julie:

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

Connect with Melissa:

• Website: melissawiley.com
• Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
• Instagram: @melissawileybooks
• Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA