Brave Writer

What if homeschooling could be just as magical for parents as it is for kids?
We're joined by Kaitlin Zara, former public school teacher, homeschool mom, and host of the Homeschool Connections podcast, to explore the unexpected joys of home education. Kaitlin shares how homeschooling transformed her approach to teaching, why learning gaps aren't worth panicking over, and how a family trip to Ellis Island brought history to life.
We also discuss the freedom to learn anywhere, the importance of modeling a joyful adulthood, and why the best lessons aren't always planned.
Tune in for a refreshing reminder to enjoy the homeschooling adventure!

Resources:
Hear more from Kaitlin Zara on the Homeschool Connections Podcast and connect with her on Instagram at @kaitlinmzara.
Registration is open now for Scriptwriting and many other Brave Writer classes!
Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
Find our favorite readalouds and nonfiction in the Brave Writer Book Shop
Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
Melissa’s books make great readalouds—and there are Darts for The Prairie Thief and The Nerviest Girl in the World.
Find community at the Brave Learner Home
Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
Send us podcast topic ideas by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684
Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to media@bravewriter.com

Connect with Julie:
Instagram: @juliebravewriter
Threads: @juliebravewriter
Bluesky: @bravewriter.com
Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:
Website: melissawiley.com
Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
Instagram: @melissawileybooks
Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

Is sharing your homeschool online helping your family, or changing the experience you're trying to capture?
From handwritten newsletters to Instagram reels, homeschoolers have always looked for connection, inspiration, and practical advice. But what happens when sharing ideas becomes creating content for an audience?
We explore the benefits and hidden costs of homeschooling on social media, including the pressure children may feel to perform, the temptation to compare our homes to picture-perfect feeds, and the challenge of staying present.
How can we enjoy the best of online communities without losing ourselves in it? Join us as we rethink what deserves to be shared and what deserves to stay private.

Resources:
Explore the Growing Without Schooling archives
Registration is open now for Scriptwriting and many other Brave Writer classes!
Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
Find our favorite readalouds and nonfiction in the Brave Writer Book Shop
Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
Melissa’s books make great readalouds—and there are Darts for The Prairie Thief and The Nerviest Girl in the World.
Find community at the Brave Learner Home
Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
Send us podcast topic ideas by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684
Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to media@bravewriter.com

Connect with Julie:
Instagram: @juliebravewriter
Threads: @juliebravewriter
Bluesky: @bravewriter.com
Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:
Website: melissawiley.com
Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
Instagram: @melissawileybooks
Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

What if the way we think about sickness has been shaping our lives for thousands of years?
Historian and author Susan Wise Bauer joins us to discuss her new book, The Great Shadow, and the surprising ways illness has influenced everything from religion and medicine to consumer culture and politics.
We explore why ancient beliefs about sickness persist, how historical pandemics mirror our experience with COVID-19, and why we so often associate good health with personal virtue.
Susan also shares how understanding history can help us question our assumptions, navigate medical decisions, and approach illness with greater compassion.
Join us for a fascinating look at the history we carry into the present!

Resources:
Connect with Susan at ​​susanwisebauer.com, welltrainedmind.com, and on Instagram @@susanwisebauer
Check out her podcast and Substack
Here’s the article Susan mentioned: “What I Got Wrong as as New Pediatrician Talking to Parents” (gift link)
Find Susan’s new book, The Great Shadow, in the Brave Writer Book Shop
Registration is open now for Movie Discussion Club: Aquatic Adventures and many other Brave Writer classes!
Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
Melissa’s books make great readalouds—and there are Darts for The Prairie Thief and The Nerviest Girl in the World.
Find community at the Brave Learner Home
Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
Send us podcast topic ideas by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684
Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to media@bravewriter.com

Connect with Julie:
Instagram: @juliebravewriter
Threads: @juliebravewriter
Bluesky: @bravewriter.com
Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:
Website: melissawiley.com
Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
Instagram: @melissawileybooks
Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

What if the best thing we can give our kids isn’t a perfectly planned education, but a childhood that leaves room for wonder?
We’re joined by Wild + Free founder Ainsley Arment to talk about her new picture book, Grow Wild, My Child, and the philosophy behind a childhood rooted in nature, curiosity, story, and play. We explore Ainsley’s unexpected path to homeschooling, the origins of Wild + Free, and why wonder and rigor don’t have to compete.
We also dig into screens, AI, child-led learning, family culture, and the joy of following “contagious obsessions” wherever they lead.
Join us for a refreshing reminder that learning doesn’t need a worksheet to count.

Resources:
Connect with Ainsley on Instagram@wildandfree.co and at Wild + Free
Find her new picture book, Grow Wild My Child, in the Brave Writer Book Shop
Registration is open now for Building Brave Writers: Experience and many other Brave Writer classes!
Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
Melissa’s books make great readalouds—and there are Darts for The Prairie Thief and The Nerviest Girl in the World.
Find community at the Brave Learner Home
Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
Send us podcast topic ideas by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684
Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to media@bravewriter.com

Connect with Julie:
Instagram: @juliebravewriter
Threads: @juliebravewriter
Bluesky: @bravewriter.com
Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:
Website: melissawiley.com
Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
Instagram: @melissawileybooks
Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA

What if the thing standing between us and a satisfying homeschool rhythm isn’t the curriculum, but our resistance to sitting down and making a plan?
We’re looking at how attention, boredom, confusion, and even our phones shape the way we approach learning. Then we get practical, building a flexible monthly rhythm around read-alouds, Poetry Teatime, copywork, dictation, freewriting, nature study, and meaningful writing projects.
The goal isn’t a rigid schedule or endless workbook pages. It’s enough preparation to help learning feel alive, responsive, and sustainable.
Join us and discover how a little scaffolding can create more freedom in your homeschool.

Resources:
Click here to download a sample monthly plan!
Registration is open now for Brave Writer 101: Guided Writing Process and many other Brave Writer classes!
Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
Find our favorite readalouds and nonfiction in the Brave Writer Book Shop
Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
Melissa’s books make great readalouds—and there are Darts for The Prairie Thief and The Nerviest Girl in the World.
Find community at the Brave Learner Home
Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
Send us podcast topic ideas by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684
Interested in advertising with us? Reach out to media@bravewriter.com

Connect with Julie:
Instagram: @juliebravewriter
Threads: @juliebravewriter
Bluesky: @bravewriter.com
Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Connect with Melissa:
Website: melissawiley.com
Substack: melissawiley.substack.com
Instagram: @melissawileybooks
Bluesky: @melissawiley.bsky.social

Produced by NOVA