This is a parent interaction class. Please click the "Parent is the Student" tab above to learn more. #
[Former class name is Brave Writer® 102: Stress-free Revision]
Your child writes. You notice dull sentences and spelling mistakes. So you try to help.
That child wilts. Sulks. Gets angry.
Now you’re stuck.
Do you ask yourself:
How to help your writer without crushing them?
What’s worth fixing and what isn’t?
How to find something good to say that’s genuine?
What will happen if I let X slide this time? Will they EVER learn?
This step in the writing process is the part parents struggle with the most! Let us walk you through the revision process, so you can do it at home with confidence.
Enter Brave Writer® 102: Learning to Revise.
Luckily, you don’t have to be an English major or copyeditor to do it well.
In this class, you, the parent, will:
Lead concrete revision practices with your child
Learn from our coach what to notice, what to ignore
Finish class with step-by-step approaches to use again and again
Your kids will:
Use familiar story elements to see their writing in a new light
Change up their writing with playful, no-pressure exercises
Get positive experiences revising without pain—no more tears!
Press the RESET button on your relationship over writing. Become the skilled partner and ally your child needs.
Let us take the stress out of the revision process for your child and for you!
Class Structure #
- Class is held in a private discussion board with 25 other families.
- Class is asynchronous—you log in when it is convenient for you each day of the week at no specific time of day.
- It is text-based—no video.
- Student writing assignments are posted in a text box, published to the classroom, and all students are able to read student writing.
- Class is a writing workshop format, with all coaching feedback available to be read.
- Class work, writing, and coaching feedback can be downloaded and saved in a PDF format.
Visit our sample classroom.
Note: In most cases, you won't need to enroll more than one student in this class to reap the benefits. Enroll with one child and do class activities with your other kids offline.
If you haven’t taken Brave Writer® 101: Guided Writing Process or worked through the material in the Writer's Jungle or Growing Brave Writers, consider starting here.
Brave Writer® 101 is the foundational class for your family if you are new to Brave Writer® with kids ages 9-14. You’ll experience the writing process soup to nuts with your kids with the meaningful support of a writing coach.
Familiar with Brave Writer® but dreading revision? Start with Brave Writer® 102!
For more information about how the classes are run, please read about online classes.
Brave Writer® online classes are specially designed with the busy homeschooling parent in mind.
Class Structure Overview #
- Class is held in a private discussion board with 20-25 other participants.
- Class is asynchronous—you log in when it is convenient for you each day of the week at no specific time of day.
- It is text-based—no video.
- Student writing assignments are posted in a text box, published to the classroom, and all students are able to read student writing.
- Class is a writing workshop format, with all coaching feedback available to be read by all families.
- Class work, student writing, and coaching feedback can be downloaded and saved in a PDF format.
Class Length and Time #
Classes last anywhere from three to six weeks. We offer courses that address a specific writing need so that you can take the ones that suit your family throughout the school year. Short class sessions enable you to work around family vacations, out-of-town swim meets, recovering from wisdom teeth removal, and visits from grandparents. We operate on the quarter system, including a summer session. Our most popular classes repeat each quarter, while others are seasonal.
We operate "asynchronously" (which means that the discussion is not live, but that posted information remains available to you in your time zone at your convenience). Instructors check the classroom throughout the day to answer questions and give feedback on writing. Writing is done at home and then typed into the classroom, and shared with both the instructor and other classmates. You're not required to be online at any specific time of the day. We have students from all over the world participating in our classes so "live" discussion is impossible. Instead, the online classroom enables the instructor to post information and assignments when it is convenient to the instructor. Then, when it is convenient for you, you come to the classroom and read the latest postings.
Private Classroom Space #
Our classes meet in a customized online classroom, designed specifically to meet the needs of Brave Writer®. Only registered students and the instructor have access to the classroom to ensure your privacy. Assignments and reading materials are posted by Brave Writer® instructors each week (no additional supply fees necessary, unless otherwise indicated). Either you (homeschooling parent) or your child (homeschooling student) will visit the classroom daily at your convenience to read helpful information about the current topic or to find the writing assignment.
Instructor feedback to student writing is offered for all participants to read. Writing questions are welcomed and encouraged! That's the point of class. We aim to give you immediate support as you face writing obstacles.
Safe Community #
Brave Writer® takes seriously the need for encouragement and emotional safety in writing. No student is ever at risk of being humiliated or mistreated. All online dialogue is respectful and supportive of your child's process. This is the core of Brave Writer® philosophy. You can read about Brave Writer® values here.
What makes our program especially unique in the world of online education is that we value a corporate experience. Rather than teaching your child in a tutorial format, we prefer students to have the opportunity to both publish their work for an audience (other students) and also to have the chance to read other student writing. In no other setting is this possible. Schools-in-buildings rarely have students read each other's work. Homeschooled children are rarely in a classroom environment to begin with, so the opportunity to read peer-writing is nil.
Our classes provide an utterly unique experience in the world of writing instruction. Since most writers grow through emulation of good writing, it is a real advantage to Brave Writer® kids to get the chance to read the writing of their fellow home-educated peers. They love it! They get to examine and internalize other ways of writing, analyzing and expressing ideas similar to their own. They have the chance to validate and cheer on their peers. And of course, the best part of all is that they receive the praise and affirmation of kids just like them.
Not only that, all instructor feedback is posted to the classroom for all students to read. That means your kids get the benefit of instructor comments on many papers, not just their own. We've noted that this style of instruction is especially effective and hope you'll agree!
To explore our Brave Writer® classroom, click here to access a sample class.
The Brave Writer® 102: Learning to Revise class is unusual in the Brave Writer® list of classes. The parent is enrolled as the "student" in the online classroom. The instructor will teach not just your children, but also you, the parent! You are being taught how to be an effective writing coach to your children, while your children are learning how to write! You will complete the exercises or assignments with your children at home. Then, you will report back to the instructor by posting your children's work. The instructor will give direct feedback on the student work, guiding you in how to become that kind of writing partner to your child for all future writing excursions.
The structure of this class is that the parent is the enrolled student, and the kids are the active participants. Our hope is that you and your children will discover the joy of working together as a writing-editing team over the four weeks you spend in class.