Have you ever felt anxious about homeschooling and worried that you're not doing enough? In this episode, you'll hear our advice on how to create a well-rounded learning experience for your kids and learn how even the least "schooly" moments can be opportunities for growth. Join us as we explore the idea that every day counts and that it's all enough.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Links to guest content, socials, business, website. Etc.
• Other relevant content links
• Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more, or text 1-(833)-947-3684 to submit questions or topics you’d like us to discuss on the show!
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Are you a parent or teacher who feels overwhelmed by the challenge of helping all of your students achieve their reading goals? Then you won't want to miss today's episode of our podcast! We're thrilled to be joined by Dr. Marnie Ginsberg, the founder of Reading Simplified, a program designed to support educators in teaching an evidence-based system of reading instruction.

In this episode, Dr. Ginsberg shares her insights about why traditional reading instruction often falls short, and how her program offers a more effective and efficient approach. She also discusses the challenges that parents and teachers face in balancing their many responsibilities and offers practical tips for implementing her system in a busy home or classroom.

Whether you're a seasoned educator or just starting out, this episode offers valuable insights into the science of reading instruction and the tools you need to help all of your students succeed. So tune in and join us for this inspiring conversation with Dr. Marnie Ginsberg!

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Contact Dr. Marnie Ginsberg at: [email protected]
• Website: ReadingSimplified.com
• Instagram: @readingsimplified
• Twitter: @readingsimplified
• Free: Switch It! Game
• Join us on an adventure for early literacy with Quill (ages 5-7): bravewriter.com/quill
• Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
• Send us ideas for future episodes by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Looking into our analytics, we discovered a surprising fact: Most of our listeners are Millennials or Gen X! In today's episode, Melissa and I will be exploring the unique challenges faced by young Gen-Xers and Millennials who choose to homeschool. We've been looking into generation theory to better understand the characteristics and demands that may be affecting this group of homeschoolers. Our goal is to support and advocate for you, as we think you're awesome and brave for taking on homeschooling. We'll also highlight some positive skills you already possess that will be helpful on your journey. It's important to remember that every generation that has chosen to homeschool has had to defy societal norms, and we admire your courage and imagination. So, let's dive in and explore how different generations have related to homeschooling, and how you can forge your own path that's right for you and your family. Remember to be kind to yourself and give yourself grace along the way.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Looking for a new math program? Get a free trial of CTCMath.com today to get a free trial.
• Get 10% off our Growing Brave Writers program using code GBWPOD10 at https://store.bravewriter.com/products/growing-brave-writers
• Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more, or text +1 (833) 947-3684!
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz
• Personality Hacker Podcast episodes: Boomers and Gen X Theory, Millennials and GenZ Theory

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Melissa and I just discovered an interesting coincidence about us: We both grew up as theater kids! Although we didn't pursue theater professionally, we bonded over our kinesthetic approach to home education. Our products, such as the Quill, Dart, Arrow, Boomerang, and Slingshot (affectionately abbreviated to Q-DABS), are designed to incorporate movement into learning. For example, when writing the Dart program, Melissa focused on creating activities that allow children to embody the concepts they're learning. As parents ourselves, we always consider how to keep kids active and engaged while teaching. Research shows that when children use their bodies to learn, they retain information better and have more fun. By creating a dynamic and enjoyable learning experience, kids start to trust that lessons can be interesting and relevant. Come along with us as we share some of the techniques we use at Brave Writer to integrate embodied learning and make lessons more engaging and effective.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Book: On Stage by Lisa Bany Winters 
• Looking for a new math program? Get a free trial of CTCMath.com today to get a free trial.
• Try our Semester-Long Dart, Arrow, and Boomerang for literature and grammar activities!
• Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
• Get 10% off our Growing Brave Writers program using code GBWPOD10 at https://store.bravewriter.com/products/growing-brave-writers
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

The way most of us were taught history can be boring — just a list of dates and events with no relevance. But once you start teaching history to your kids, everything changes, and you wish you could show your kids now what you wish you had seen when you were first learning history yourself. 

Today's guest, Emily Glankler, is the founder of Anti-Social Studies, wildly popular TikTok and Instagram accounts and a website by the same name. Her passion and sense of humor make history come alive for your family. With degrees in history and international studies, she's a veteran high school teacher in Austin, Texas, and a love of improv, Emily finds the details of world history and turns them into relevant stories for today’s students.. Emily's mission with her podcast and social media channels is to remind people of the significance of historical events and provide fun and contextualized historical information. We discuss how to make history interesting and engaging for kids and adults — and it’s simpler than you might think!

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Emily Glankler is found at: antisocialstudies.org/aboutemily
• Instagram: @antisocstudies
• TikTok: @antisocialstudies
• High School Writing:
• Historical Fiction (Start Date: February 20): https://bravewriter.com/online-classes/high-school-writing-rebellious-history
• Rebellious History (Start Date: April 3): https://bravewriter.com/online-classes/high-school-writing-rebellious-history
• Middle School Writing:
• History Writing Projects (Start Date: March 20): https://bravewriter.com/online-classes/middle-school-writing-history-projects
• Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Today Melissa and Julie nerd out about writing. We're passionate about writing. We're professional writers! Ergo: we LOVE it! The unique aspect of Brave Writer is that our approach to teaching writing is different from what's typically taught in education or seen in other writing resources. It’s a process that is reflective of the stages a writer goes through when writing and publishing a novel. And when we were designing that program, we felt that the missing element in writing education was love. We discuss the history of the written word that led us to this conclusion, as well as new technologies that may have the potential to disrupt what it means to be a writer.

ChatGPT

• But what about this brave new world of ChatGPT and the dawning of this new AI era? 
• Will Melissa and Julie be out of a job? 
• Do your kids even need to learn how to write?
• What role should ChatGPT play in our culture and education systems? 

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• openai.com/blog/chatgpt
• Sister Wendy's Story of Painting
• Looking for a new math program? Get a free trial of CTCMath.com today to get a free trial.
• Get 10% off our Growing Brave Writers program using code GBWPOD10 at https://store.bravewriter.com/products/growing-brave-writers
• Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Today's episode is dedicated to addressing the number one requested topic: screen time and our children. With the rise of technology and the numerous devices available, it's natural for us to feel overwhelmed and concerned about the impact screens are having on our kids. Do you ever feel guilty about letting your children watch television or use their devices, even though you don't feel the same way about listening to a podcast or audiobook? Our guest today, Devorah Heitner, is here to help us answer our most pressing questions and ease the nervousness we feel around screen time. Devorah is a Ph.D. who studied media, technology, and society at Northwestern University and works with communities, schools, and companies to raise tech-savvy children. She is the author of the best-selling book "Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive and Survive in Their Digital World" and is here to offer practical advice, not add more shame or guilt to our already complex relationship with screens. So sit back, relax, and get ready to learn about managing screen time for our children.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Reset your family’s tech habits with Devorah’s FREE 7-day email course.

Special Discount for Brave Writer listeners:

Phonewise: a 4-module self-paced course to prepare you for your child’s first phone. Perfect for the year before a phone or during your child’s first year with a phone.

Resources:

• Read: Screenwise
• Devorah's website: https://devorahheitner.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devorahheitnerphd
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DevorahHeitner
• Looking for a new math program? Get a free trial of CTCMath.com today to get a free trial.
• Get 10% off our Growing Brave Writers program using code GBWPOD10 at https://store.bravewriter.com/products/growing-brave-writers
• Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

I can’t wait for you to listen to today’s episode!

Today's show marks a new beginning in the Brave Writer podcast. I’m introducing a co-host to the show: Meet Melissa Wiley, a long-time homeschooler, children's book writer, and valued friend and colleague. Melissa has written two highly-regarded novels which we share in the Brave Writer world, "The Prairie Thief" and "The Nerviest Girl in the World," and also works for Brave Writer, writing our Quills (writing program for 5-7) and Darts (writing program for 8-10) and teaching many of our online classes. Today’s show highlights Melissa's unique approach to homeschooling, known as "tidal schooling," a metaphor for the ocean tides. We’ll talk about the ebb and flow of learning using Melissa’s model!

• How do you capitalize on a child’s interests while continuing to keep homeschool lessons rolling?
• What’s the difference between unschooling and tidal schooling? 
• Why do we tend to associate learning with effort?

You do not have to homeschool to benefit from the podcast, as much of what we will share are just great parenting ideas. So join in on the conversation and enjoy the new journey into the future as we get to know Melissa!

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Website: melissawiley.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissawileybooks/
• Prairie Thief: https://bravewriter.com/book-shop/book/the-prairie-thief
• Nerviest Girl in the World: https://bravewriter.com/book-shop/book/the-nerviest-girl-in-the-world
• Hamlet's Soliloquy - Blue Ridge Mountain Accent - Shakespeare's Version and My Hillbilly Translation
• Get 10% off our Growing Brave Writers program using code GBWPOD10 at https://store.bravewriter.com/products/growing-brave-writers
• Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Kids are naturally, wonderfully curious — especially when it comes to their own bodies. It isn't easy to answer curious kids' questions about their bodies with accuracy and to their satisfaction. That’s where the book "Human Body Learning Lab" by Dr. Betty Choi comes in. The author, a Harvard-educated pediatrician, shares her passion for helping children understand their bodies and satisfy their curiosity. Join us for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Choi on how to create opportunities for kids to get to know their own bodies.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Dr. Choi's website: https://drbettychoi.com/
• Human Body Learning Lab: https://drbettychoi.com/human-body-learning-lab-book/
• Get 10% off our Growing Brave Writers program using code GBWPOD10 at https://store.bravewriter.com/products/growing-brave-writers
• Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

We’ve often had requests to explore the struggles and strategies of raising neurodivergent children. Our guest, Debbie Reber, is the founder of Tilt Parenting and the author of "Differently Wired: Raising an Exceptional Child in a Conventional World." She shares her personal experience of homeschooling her son Asher, who is now an adult, and how she created her own website and podcast to help other parents navigate the journey of raising a neurodivergent child. With more than 20% of children being neurologically atypical, Debbie's goal is to provide support and resources for parents, caregivers, educators, and professionals.

In the homeschooling community, many parents choose home education specifically for their differently-wired children. This was the case for Debbie as well. She believes that homeschooling chose her family, as they struggled to find a suitable educational environment for her son Asher, who is twice exceptional and has ADHD and other neurological differences. Despite initial reluctance, Debbie began homeschooling Asher in third grade and found it to be a transformative experience for both her and her son. It allowed her to get to know him as a learner and as a person and helped her reframe her thoughts around neurodiversity. Debbie's experience highlights the importance of finding an educational environment that truly fits the needs of differently-wired children.

We talk about the different forms of neurodivergence, how parents can redefine their relationship with their child and embrace their own family dynamics, and building support networks to feel seen and heard.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Learn more at: https://tiltparenting.com
• Podcast: https://tiltparenting.com/podcast
• 10 Things You Need to Know About Raising a Differently Wired Child video series: https://tiltparenting.com/10things
• 7-Day Challenge: https://tiltparenting.com/7day
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/tiltparenting
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tiltparenting
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiltparenting
• Read: Differently Wired: Raising an Exceptional Child in a Conventional World
• Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter