Teaching a Love of Writing from a Curriculum Creator

How to Teach Children to Love Writing

Introduction

Meet Julie Bogart & Brave Writer

In a recent interview, Julie Bogart of Brave Writer sat down with Nxt Era for a hearty chat about her work and homeschooling journey. Ms. Bogart began Brave Writer to help parents teach their children to write. Her inspiration came from Charlotte Mason, who was a British educator during the late 1800s to 1900s. Because of Charlotte Mason, Ms. Bogart firmly believes in coaching writing and easing away from the mechanics of writing. She wants children to write what exists in their minds.

She has published a few books, which include:

📘 The Brave Learner — how to apply practical ideas in homeschooling
📗 Raising Critical Thinkers — how to raise children in the digital age
📙 Help My Kid Hates Writing — how to become a writing coach for your child

Ms. Bogart's mother inspired her to write, and she was around professional writing from a young age. She later became a freelance writer, then began coaching people to write, and is also experienced in editing and ghostwriting.

Ms. Bogart received a diverse educational experience as a young learner. She attended school in the Malibu Canyon, and her instructors were former Peace Corps volunteers. She recounted digging in a pretend archaeological dig in the canyon with handmade clay pots, participating in a Renaissance fair, and nature journaling. Simply, she wanted to create an immersive and kinesthetic education for her own children. She also lived abroad in North Africa, where many friends chose to homeschool and shared books on the subject — and by the time she was ready to send her kids to school, she decided to homeschool.

Ms. Bogart explained that we write for ourselves first and write for readers second. In essence, we write to understand ourselves and our thought processes. A writer's goal should be to put pen to paper — to put their thoughts on paper. A student writer should not write for the teacher, but for themselves.

Ms. Bogart has witnessed a harsh emphasis on writing through a mechanical system. She said that at Brave Writer, their mission involves prioritizing the humanity of the child. This, in turn, prioritizes their intent to communicate. Then these children become better writers and can handle academic writing as well. This helps them understand themselves at a young age.

"And that is not what writing is." — Ms. Bogart on the school system's overemphasis on mechanics at the expense of intentional thought.

Ms. Bogart also noted that mechanics are important, but often overshadow a child's self-expression. She recommends that a child use free writing, then step back from the piece for an extended period, and then go back to it.

Because of Charlotte Mason, Ms. Bogart believes in teaching children great art and educating the whole person. Now that AI continues to rise, she explained that educating the whole person is vital because AI cannot replicate the whole person. AI cannot replace our thoughts, ideas, vocabulary, humor, insights, dreams, fantasies, and stories.

"Those cannot be taken over. So we'd better be educating that person, and that includes looking at the artists of the past." — Ms. Bogart recommends becoming like an old Renaissance man or woman.

Because of the performance metric system, we know ourselves as brands, not as human beings. Ms. Bogart suggests searching for who you are outside of your brand, your job, your grades, etc. She warns parents to show their children a different way of life outside brands, Facebook posts, and so on. Create individuality in your child. Let them understand their minds through writing.

Homeschooling helps us return to ourselves — return to the person. Ms. Bogart explained that clear writing can help foster open communication. As humans, we must be able to understand others' experiences and perspectives. She explained that we must have profound respect for other people's worldviews. This allows a person to communicate with you, instead of communicating against you. If your child practices a free flow of ideas, this helps their communication skills and open-mindedness.

How should you implement this writing experience in your homeschooler's life?

Encourage them to just write!

Sit down and hand them a notebook. If they need a basic idea to get started, feel free to use Pinterest for writing prompts. Encourage them to practice free writing (where a student doesn't focus on grammar, spelling, or punctuation). Explain to them that the rules don't exist for free writing. Let them have fun and write whatever they want.
Encourage them to write for themselves, not for you (the teacher).

Take time to talk about their story idea and offer support. Let them know that they can have freedom to write their story. They don't have to write correctly or for a grade.
Encourage your child when they're writing.

Say things like "Good job!" "I'm proud of your work!" "You're so creative." Encourage your homeschooler's written self-expression. Ask them about their story. If they have zany ideas, don't offer criticism — simply offer support and excitement. By doing this, they can write for fun.
Encourage them to practice copywriting and dictation.

To offer some form of rules, start teaching them how to copy write and practice dictation. Read a passage aloud to your child and have them copy it. Then correct the mistakes with them. You can also have your child copy the words by sight if they are younger and need to understand the process of physically writing.

Ms. Bogart recommends taking a passage from a book and reading it aloud to your child and then asking your child to copy it. By listening, your child can mentally marry the punctuation practices and spellings. Have them practice these sentences over and over. Watch for solid engagement and signs that they comprehend what they learn. Copywriting helps children internalize the passage.
Encourage your child to experience life.

Take your child to concerts, the local market, a park, the library, etc. Let them experience new places and watch people. This will fuel their creativity. Encourage them to use their new experiences in stories or perhaps even ask them to write a story about their observations.

This creates a well-rounded writing experience. Learning to write this way can help them in the future as they start adulthood. If they enter a trade path or a college career, writing can help them in many ways — they will need to take notes, send emails, or write essays.

Ms. Bogart recommended learning while your children learn. Don't be afraid to try a new hobby. Let your kids see that you want to learn, and you might get frustrated by learning something new, just like they do. Parents and children should never stop growing and learning as people.

Motivation & Next Steps

Ms. Bogart's words can encourage parents. She has the tools and wisdom to help your child in their writing journey. Encourage them in a life of writing and learning. Please access our community to chat with other families who are teaching writing to their homeschoolers and learn together. Help your child free write and express themselves through the written word. This skill will transfer to other areas of their life. As their parent, you can take the power back and create a well-rounded, creative individual.