Brave Writer Lifestyle
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Have you ever thought, "I love the Brave Writer philosophy, but how do I make this work every day for my family?" If you have, you are not alone.
Many times, a new family will purchase Growing Brave Writers or will take the Brave Writer 101 online course and then ask, "But now what?" Lots of moms will want to know how to take the Brave Writer natural and lifestyle-oriented approach to living language arts and incorporate it into their lives.
When I began Brave Writer, it was with the intention of "holding the hands" of moms who didn't have the confidence to be their kids' allies and coaches in writing. Our online classes and home study courses have provided that support for thousands of families.
Still, at the back of my mind was a nagging sense that I could do more to put moms at ease in using this new philosophy.
I took notes from my own life to get a feel for how I do what I do. The results of that self-study are found in the program I've developed called, The Brave Writer Lifestyle. I've also included ideas from families who've been a part of Brave Writer over the years.
The Absolutely Free Program #
The following pages (listed below and in the sidebar) will help you to understand and implement the ideas and actions that you believe in but might feel somehow paralyzed to perform. Each page shows you:
- what steps to take,
- what materials you need,
- and suggestions to enhance the practice in your home.
Also, because of the significant influence of Charlotte Mason on my thinking, I have included nature study and art appreciation as part of the Brave Writing philosophy. Building on those, I've included movie viewing and theater performances as exceptional ways to keep your kids vitally involved in story, characterization, and script writing.
Don't feel guilty for not doing everything every week. If you only get to it once a month, that's plenty! (Or if you are addicted to tea times like my kids are, you will do it every week.)
Here's an itemized list of the Brave Writer activities that support a language rich lifestyle:
- Poetry Teatime
- Reading Aloud
- Big Juicy Conversations
- Freewriting
- Literary Elements
- Nature Journaling
- Writing Projects
- Art Appreciation
- Movies and Television
- Copywork
- Dictation
- Shakespeare
- One on One Time
- Jot It Down
- Language Games
- Sharing Your Writing
This program is totally free. You may share about it with your homeschooling groups, your online communities and any homeschooling friends. My "program" is actually a lifestyle and works well for families who are unschoolers because it is not a curriculum. Rather, this is how I live regardless of whether or not my kids are in school.
One of the unique aspects of being a Brave Writer who is a mother is that I see you participating in both reading and writing. You'll learn more about the process of writing and depth-reading if you are growing as a writer and reader yourself. This is a whole family approach to living the writing/reading lifestyle.
Click on the area that interests you for more details about the various ways you can become a Brave Writer with your kids.