Learning is a natural function of the brain. As teachers, our job is to facilitate that natural function. In today’s episode, we dive into the research around how brains perform learning and the ideal conditions for optimal learning.

We dig into Renata and Geoffrey Caine’s research on the topic, focusing on three key areas: orchestrated immersion, relaxed alertness, and active processing. We explain how each one works and how to leverage them as homeschooling parents.

This episode is packed with information and ‘lipstick drops’ (you’ll understand after you listen). It will give you tools to create more ‘aha moments’ for you and your learners.

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 the book ‘Making Connections’ in the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Check out the Brave Writer Practice Pages
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Read all Brave Writer class descriptions 
• 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

Julie’s back!

You may have noticed that Melissa’s been hosting the podcast solo recently. Today we learn why Julie has been absent and what she’s learned while she’s been away.

We talk about Julie’s experience with her mother’s illness, leading Julie to reflect on how her mother created a homeschooling culture for her kids even though they were enrolled in traditional school.

We also review how the Brave Writer’s Day Off Conference went and discuss our favorite parts.

Join us as we celebrate Julie’s return!

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 the Brave Writer Practice Pages
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Read all Brave Writer class descriptions 
• Explore the Brave Writer Book Shop
• 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

Is there anything better than the warm, magical feeling you get from a good book series? In today’s episode, Dawn Smith, Brave Writer’s Director of Publishing, joins us to discuss the power of children’s book series.

We talk about the unique delight of reading a book series, getting immersed in the characters and the world they live in. We also dig into how series help build kids’ confidence through repeat exposure to an author’s writing patterns. 

Tune in to hear some of our favorite book series and the memories they helped us make with our kids.

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 the Brave Writer Practice Pages
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Read all Brave Writer class descriptions 
• Visit the Brave Writer Book Shop to learn more about the book series we mention in this episode
• 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

How can you go beyond the daily grind of lessons to truly enliven your kids’ learning? In this episode, we go over two methods that you might have already observed pop up naturally in your kids’ lives: rabbit trials and rabbit holes.

Is your kid super obsessed with something at the moment? That’s great! Feed their “rabbit hole” deep-dive with as much material and curiosity as you can.

Does your kid jump from one related topic to another? That’s great too! They are making connections between how things work via “rabbit trails.”

Your child’s natural curiosity is something to be fed, not fought. Join them in the hole or trail!

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 the Brave Writer Practice Pages
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Read all Brave Writer class descriptions 
• Explore the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Listen to Episode 263: Appreciating Art with Bianca Bosker
• 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

If you feel like an outsider when it comes to art, you aren’t alone. In fact, as Bianca Bosker explains, there’s a whole gatekeeping system built up around art: who you know, how you dress, what words you use, etc. 

Lucky for us, Bianca Bosker spent five years finding a way past the gatekeeping. In her book and in today’s episode, Bianca brings back her findings to the rest of us, teaching us how to better seek out and appreciate art.

If you want to find more beauty and meaning in the visual world around you, this episode will help. Bianca’s frank insightfulness is life-giving.

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 Bianca’s book, “Get the Picture,” in the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Check out the Brave Writer Practice Pages
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
• Read all Brave Writer class descriptions 
• Check out the Class Schedule for Fall 
• Sign up for Brave Writer 101 
• Read Bianca’s other book “Cork Dork”
• Read “Sister Wendy’s Story of Paintings”
• Read “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”
• 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

Play isn’t a reward for learning, it is the learning. In this episode, we dig into the puritanical reflex to be suspicious of anything fun, and rebuke it with developmental science and lived experience. We give ideas on how to create playful conditions for deep, sustainable learning for your kids and even yourself.

We also break down how to evaluate homeschool learning you’re already doing: How does it look like play? How are you capitalizing on tools, clothing, kinesthetic energy, excitement, and engagement? Does the skill being honed lead to something the kids actually want to do? 

If you’re feeling stuck and bored with your homeschooling, or if your kids are feeling that way, 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 the Brave Writer Practice Pages 
• Peruse the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs 
• Read all the Brave Writer class descriptions
• Check out the Class Schedule for Fall 
• Sign up for Brave Writer 101
• Explore Tools for the Art of Writing
• Read Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness
• Read How Children Learn
• Read Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life
• 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

This episode is being published the day after the U.S. presidential election. Tension, stress, and fears are running high. No matter which candidate wins, nearly half the voting population will be very upset. How do we navigate our relationships during this time? How do we move through the world in a thoughtful way? That’s the basis of our conversation today.

We focus on the role of consensus in maintaining rights. While aggressive action might be needed to achieve rights–like the Civil War and Suffragettes protests– we argue that consensus is what’s needed to maintain them. We discuss how consensus is slowly developed over time through countless conversations and interactions.

We give you specific questions you can use to start difficult conversations, including conversations with yourself about your own beliefs. We also discuss how you can get involved in issues you care about and make a difference that way.

We hope this episode provides empowerment, hope, and community to our listeners during this stressful, often overwhelming, time.

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 Julie’s Instagram post about thinking around the election 
• Listen to our episode with Shannon Watts: #235 Why Moms Make the Best Advocates 
• Check out the Brave Writer Practice Pages 
• Explore the Brave Writer Book Shop
• 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

Chances are someone you know will have a sick child hospitalized at some point. In this episode, Melissa explains how you can best support that parent and caregiver. Melissa herself has had two of her kiddos hospitalized so her suggestions come from lived experiences.

First, Melissa discusses the practical physical items you can bring to a caregiver in the hospital: toiletries, quality food, and a kettle or wand for warm drinks. She also describes some digital gifts that you can send. Then she describes what little acts of service you can do: doing the laundry, lending an ear, and taking care of the siblings of the hospitalized child.

Sometimes caregivers are so overwhelmed or shy that they don’t know what to ask for. If your friend is having trouble expressing what they need, start with the items in this episode and then go from there.

Resources:

• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
• Melissa’s Medical Summary Template
• The embroidery kits mentioned in the episode can be found at cozybluehandmade.com
• Check out libro.fm to buy audiobooks from independent sellers (rather than Amazon/Audible)
• Here are the nice pens Melissa mentioned in the episode: Jetpens.com
• Check out the Brave Writer Practice Pages
• Virtually wonder through the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs 
• Read all Brave Writer class descriptions
• Check out the Brave Writer Fall Class Schedule 
• Join 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

Leaves changing color, evenings getting chillier–autumn is a wonderful time of the year to turn our attention toward the natural world around us. Today’s episode is all about how to facilitate nature study for your kids.

We cover resources that can help you on your journey. We also give you specific practices you can try out with your family. 

Most importantly, we dig into why nature study is so beneficial to educational development and well-being. Remember, if you have nature study projects that you have really enjoyed, please share them with us!

Resources:

• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
• For all the books mentioned in this episode, check out the Brave Writer Book Shop. 
• Learn more about the 1000 Hours Outside platform.
• Learn more about nature studies at JohnMuirLaws.com.
• Check out the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs. 
• Read all Brave Writer class descriptions here. 
• Check out the Brave Writer 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

We tend to have a pretty clear idea of what practice looks like for musicians and athletes. But what does practice look like for writers? In today’s episode, Julie and Melissa discuss what writing practice can look like for writers of all ages and developmental stages.

Julie and Melissa describe their own daily writing practices and those of well-known authors. Then they dive into how you can facilitate your child’s practice. They anchor their discussion with the new Brave Writer product “Practice Pages.”

With references to Flannery O’Connor, judgy teenagers, and gleefully vindictive youngsters with the red editing pen in their hands, this conversation is as entertaining as it is informative. Enjoy!

Resources:

• Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention.
• Watch this space for our new Brave Writer Practice Pages—including a sample you can download (available in late October)
• For the books we mention in this episode, check out the Brave Writer Book Shop
• Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs 
• Take a look at all the Brave Writer class descriptions 
• Check out the Class Schedule for Fall 
• Register for Brave Writer 101 
• Listen to Episode 202: “Make It Stick”
• 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