The Arrow: 2007-2008 Book List posted below

Monthly Language Arts Progam (3rd-6th grade)

This year's Arrow features a brand new book list! It's also redesigned to be more attractive and user friendly. The new book list is below. You can skip to it now if you already know what the Arrow is and does. If you are new to the Arrow, keep reading.

The automatic monthly payment deduction option is now available.

What is the Arrow?

The Arrow has proven to be an indispensable tool for many Brave Writer parents. It is a language arts resource that equips you, the homeschooling parent, to fulfill your best intentions related to spelling, punctuation, grammar, literary elements and quality living literature. The Arrow features the practice of dictation and/or copywork as the primary method to teach your children the fundamentals of written communication. Dictation and copywork are practices that naturally facilitate the development of accurate mechanics in writing with the side benefit of savoring quality writing as revealed in those passages.

Each month, the Arrow features one classic novel. Four passages are chosen from the novel as dictation passages. First, you and your child read the passage outloud to hear the musicality of the language, to notice the correct use of apostrophes or semi-colons, to note new vocabulary and tricky spellings, to pay attention to the grammatical structure or the special dialog punctuation. The Arrow supplies you with notes to help you notice what you might overlook in the passage. I help you identify why the writing works and is enjoyable to read, as well as highlighting excellent uses of punctuation or alliteration or description.

After you've enjoyed the passage together, your child will either copy it into a copy book attempting to reproduce it exactly, paying close attention to all of the spelling and mechanical demands of the passage (copywork), or you will read the passage to your child and he or she will write it out onto a sheet of paper without looking at it, attempting to remember how to punctuate and spell the passage correctly. Dictation done about once a week over several years does more to increase your child's ability to punctuate and spell correctly than almost any other practice I've ever run across. The French swear by it and use dictation from Kindergarten all the way through lycee (high school). I had to take dictation in college when I attended a French University!

Consistent dictation practice allows you, the home educator, to use quality literature to cover the aspects of writing that you care most about without the tedium of workbook sentences isolated from the context of real writing.

In the Arrow, with dictation passages already selected, explanations for why the passages were chosen as well as teaching tips for grammar, spelling and punctuation, parents like you have discovered that they are covering the essentials of the mechanics of writing through literature they are reading aloud.

In addition to the dictation passages, the Arrow includes a monthly literary element to learn and discover with your child. One month we might look at onomatopeia and another, alliteration or rhyme. Each literary element is presented in understandable language with examples taken from literature and poetry so that you are able to teach the elements in context to your kids.

Lastly, each issue also features a writing exercise, game or prompt so that you don't have to think of them yourself. These often relate to the literary element and sometimes to the season of the year.

The Arrow is a full-service language arts guide that takes the burden off of you—the homeschooling parent—and lets you enjoy the simple routine of carrying out your best intentions.

How it Works

The Arrow is a language arts subscription program that provides support for development in spelling, punctuation and grammar for children ages 8-12.

Using the practices of copywork and dictation, each monthly issue of the Arrow includes:

Four dictation passages selected from one novel each month. These passages will highlight not only grammar and punctuation, but also beautiful, cogent writing. I'll explain why I selected them and what you can share with your kids when you use them, one per week.
One literary element of the month. I'll define and explain what the literary element such as rhyme, alliteration, metaphor, characterization, opening hooks, dialog and so on, is and then give you four examples from literature (various sources) that can be used as copywork during the month.
One writing tip, game or exercise to try with your kids.

The Arrow is a digital product only. We post each month's issue in a private folder for subscribers. When you sign up, you are granted access to the private folder where the Arrow is housed. You may then open the folder, read the current issue and print it. You have a month to access and retrieve your issue of the Arrow. It does not exist in hard copy format.

View a sample issue here.

The dictation passages are appropriate for writers between the ages of 8-12. I include instructions about how to execute copywork and dictation practice, as well as how to modify dictation based on the age and stage of your student.

The Book List

Choosing the book list for the Arrow is a challenge. There are so many delightful books for young children! This year I am introducing a brand new Arrow book list. I'm excited to share these books with you.

2007-2008 Arrow Book List

August—Poppy by Avi (ISBN-13: 978-0-380-72769-8)
September—Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (no ISBN)
October—Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry (ISBN: 0-689-71534-X)
November—Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick (ISBN: 1-883937-12-4)
December—Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr (ISBN: 0-440-47465-5)
January—Journey to Jo'burg by Beverly Naidoo (ISBN: 0-06-440237-1)
February—The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary (ISBN: 0-380-70924-4)
March—Turn Homeward Hannalee by Patricia Beatty (ISBN: 0-8167-2260-9)
April—Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry (ISBN: 0-689-71391-6)
May—Mossflower by Brian Jacques (ISBN-10: 0-441-00576-4)

Each issue of the Arrow is $9.95. To pay using the automatic monthly deduction option, see our order page.

If you'd like to purchase the whole year at once, you can do so by paying with a check or a one-time Paypal payment. Get all ten months for only $79.00 (that's a savings of more than $20.00)! The discounted, year long price is a non-refundable subscription. If you aren't sure whether or not the Arrow is for you, sign up for the monthly subscription so that you can cancel if you choose to.

Order via paypal for a ten-month subscription at a discount:

To pay with a check, make your payment to Brave Writer LLC and send it to the following address. Be sure to include your email address and phone number in all correspondance and indicate that you want the Arrow 2007-2008 program.

Brave Writer LLC
7723 Tylers Place Blvd. #165
West Chester, OH 45069

Send questions or comments to julie@bravewriter.com