Brave Writer introduction and a Gracious Space Giveaway!

I have a little secret I've been sitting on, and its time I split the beans. If you know me, or  if you pay any attention to the FaceBook page, you might actually already know.


A little over a year ago I stumbled upon the world of Julie Bogart and Brave Writer, completely revolutionising my home school. I will be so bold as to say, much of my home schooling joy has come by way of lessons from the Brave Writer education philosophy, if I can call it that!

The Brave Writer programme and general home education lifestyle it teaches, has completely transformed my own home school practices over the past year, and I honestly don't think I'd still be standing here today had I not somehow discovered the world of Brave Writer.

Even though I have always felt I had clarity that home education is not the same as school-at-home, and have always certainly tried to keep away from that model (bar our first official day where I'm sure I remember standing over my 4 year old because that's what *teachers* do...cringe!),  I don't think I could completely shake off "school" and give myself and my children the level of freedom home education truly gives.

Brave Writer however, has gifted me a whole new perspective; not only on kids writing, but on home schooling and family life in general.
It is for me, like a home educators teachers pack, encompassing guidance I would never have discovered, in so much more than just teaching writing. 
I shout about it to friends, I'm always recommending it in home school forums, and I feel after a year of using it with my own family, you will love it just as much as I do!

So what is Brave Writer? Put at its simplest, its a writing program designed by a home schooler (who is also a professional writer) for home schoolers; it is however, much more than that.

Brave Writer's creator, Julie Bogart shares a wealth of wisdom that you only get from someone who has battled the trenches and got out on the other side still alive. She is a home school veteran who has been there, done that and got the T-shirt!
I think in 20 years time, the (secular) home school world is going to look at Julie in the same way that educators now look back at the  work of John Holt.

Her methods around how children learn to write are eye opening, and has certainly taught me how important my role is in partnering with my children in their writing development, and just how long that takes.

I found Brave Writer through Julie's old Perisciope videos....within 2 weeks I'd watched most the replays I'd missed prior to stumbling across them, and went on a total Brave Writer shopping binge, purchasing several products....I've never in all our years home schooling "bought into" something so much so fast.

If you look online, you will find home schoolers all over the world talking about the "Brave Writer lifestyle". Its hard for me to explain exactly what it is. Its about embracing the home school life, its about honesty, its about telling the home school truth....too many of us hide behind a false idea of perfection which causes both judgements and shame. Its about loving our children and loving ourselves enough to allow growth. its about creating safe writing risks. Its about bringing brownies to the table when it seems like a really bad day. Its about trusting the process. It is about being you and being your family.

I'm planning on writing a full review of the writing programs I have been using, The Writers Jungle, Partnership Writing and the Arrow inshallah. So if you want to find out more, those are in the pipeline soon inshallah. You can also go check out the Brave Writer website (click here)
I'm also hoping to write a more detailed post about how Brave Writer has effected my home school bi'ithnillah....and how it has helped my youngest who struggled to read start reading (age 8!)....and loving

In the mean time, I have a give away announcement!
I recently contacted Brave Writer to become a Brave Writer Ambassador. I was accepted and was gifted a digital copy of A Gracious Space fall edition. I already have the book from my Brave Writer shopping binge when I first discovered it, and so I thought it would make an awesome giveaway prize...and the best part is because its digital it doesn't matter where you are in the world, you can enter so long as you have an email address I can send it to (hurray!).

A Gracious Space is a non-sectarian collection of short essays Julie Bogart has written surrounding home education and the general home schooling lifestyle. It is motivational reading to keep going and a much needed confidence boost to combat the self doubts which plague so many of us.

To enter the Give Away, all you need to do is hop onto our FaceBook page and share the Give Away post on your timeline. All the names will be entered into a "hat" and drawn at random on Sunday 15th January 2017 inshallah.