What if better writing doesn’t start with a prompt, but with what’s already living in a child’s mind? On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with Andrew Pudewa, founder of the Institute for Excellence in Writing, to trace a surprising line from Suzuki violin training to strong language skills. Andrew shares how deep listening, memorized repertoire, and deliberate repetition lay the groundwork for fluent expression—whether you’re bowing a cello or crafting a paragraph. Input shapes output: the richer the vocabulary and sentence patterns a child absorbs, the more creative and confident their writing becomes.

We unpack the twin engines of memory and imagination and why they share the same neural real estate. That insight reframes everything from read-alouds to comprehension: prior knowledge often outweighs decoding when it comes to understanding, and books ask kids to co-create mental imagery word by word. Andrew contrasts that with today’s “cartoons on steroids,” where hypervisual stimulation, thin language, and passive consumption blunt attention and displace inner pictures. The fix isn’t anti-tech dogma; it’s smarter sequencing—long-form stories first, screen adaptations second, and daily habits that favor focus over flicker.

Then we tackle AI. Yes, modern tools can collect and polish at lightning speed, but only students who know the underlying process will use them well. Andrew argues for paper-first drafting to recruit more of the brain—motor planning, spatial processing, and the intuitive, artistic networks that spark better ideas. From there, we walk through his step-by-step method for transforming reluctant writers: start with short source texts, build keyword outlines, ask structured story questions, and move toward inventive writing that recombines known elements. Along the way, parents become coaches who prize process over product and help kids stack small wins into lasting confidence.

If you wonder about about attention, language, handwriting, and how to raise resilient thinkers in an AI world, this conversation offers clear tools and a hopeful roadmap. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s teaching a reluctant writer, and leave a review telling us one change you’ll try this week. 

ABOUT US:
The Brainy Moms is a parenting podcast hosted by cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore and Sandy Zamalis. Dr. Amy and Sandy have conversations with experts in parenting, child development, education, homeschooling, psychology, mental health, and neuroscience. Listeners leave with tips and advice for helping parents and kids thrive. If you love us, add us to your playlist and follow us on social media!

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