Middle School Writing: Nonfiction Projects

[Audio Tracks now available! Listen to all class material with this new feature. Perfect for struggling readers. Click on the tab above to learn more.]

• Got a kid who loves projects, unit studies, and deep dives?
• Looking for a completed writing project to tuck into your child’s portfolio at the end of the year?
• Do you need some accountability, because writing always falls to the bottom of your to-do list?

We created this class with you in mind!

Middle School Writing: Nonfiction Projects helps your kids navigate an entire writing project from start to finish on the nonfiction topic of their choice.

This class is designed to help turn your children’s nonfiction knowledge and personal experiences into meaningful writing projects. Best of all, students create polished projects that look beautiful in homeschool portfolios!

This is a great first SOLO class. It’s designed to let your kids take the writing risks they crave! Middle schoolers are rapidly changing, exploring, and learning about the world.

But never fear! Our instructor is there every step of the way and we give parents ideas about how to support middlers at home. Students get to pick the nonfiction writing project that suits them and the instructor walks your child through the writing process for that project. You will be in the background to offer support only when it’s needed!

Here’s how kids will progress through the class:

Week One: Let’s embrace the possibilities! Project selection and research

Week Two: Exploring your thoughts! Freewriting and drafting

Week Three: Give a unique shape to your work! Narrowing and expanding your writing

Week Four: Tinker time! Polishing and publishing

This class offers a variety of project options!

• Fact Book
• How-to Report
• Newspaper Article
• One Page Narration
• PowerPoint Presentation

(The ones your child doesn’t choose? You can print them out to do together later!)

Some of the benefits of this class include:

• Personal achievement: Help your child take a step toward writing independence. The instructor will interact directly with your child on the four-week project while you offer support as needed.
• Exemplary feedback: Our instructors model how to provide feedback on writing to encourage writing growth. You won't find crushing criticism here!
• Go beyond the textbook: Students can tap into books read, movies watched, catalogues perused, recipes cooked, crafts constructed, photographs taken, pictures drawn, and more. Research isn’t just the library anymore!
• Manageable writing goals: Our guidelines allow for the successful completion of projects to boost kids' confidence in writing.

Audio tracks available! #

You've been asking for a way to support your struggling readers, and we heard you loud and clear! You have the option to add on audio tracks of all class readings for $49. Your child can now listen as they read, strengthening those developing reading skills and deepening understanding!

Register today and let your kids learn how to utilize their nonfiction knowledge and personal experiences for powerful writing!

For more information about how the classes are run, please read about online classes.

To explore our Brave Writer® classroom, click here to access a sample class.

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.

We’re excited to share our biggest update yet to our online writing class program:

AUDIO! #

If you’ve got kids who struggle with the volume of reading our classes require, we’ve got you!

An AUDIO feature will be available for a small fee in our classroom posts.

Got a reluctant or challenged reader? A lot of classroom reading might have been a deterrent in the past.

Now you can upgrade the classroom experience so your students can LISTEN to the class assignments and readings instead. Or they may like doing a combination of reading and listening—an effective way to grow both skills.

Listening to audio while reading benefits:

• fluency skills,
• pronunciation,
• pacing,
• and tone.

More choices. More support. More ways to learn.

Here's how it works:

1. Add "Audio Tracks" at checkout when you register for a class. Available as an add-on for $49.

2. Log in to the classroom.

3. Click on "Audio Tracks" to listen to any class post as you read!