Bravewriter anyone?

[mygracious]

Has anyone used Bravewriter philosophies out there? What has been your success with this? Is the Writer's Jungle worth the money?

Thanks so much!

[Moira in MA]

I haven't used the Writer's Jungle but I did have my eldest d take an expository essay class last summer at the end of 9th grade. She already wrote well but I wanted her to add polish to her essays.

The asynchronous class was a great experience and has had exactly the results I was hoping for.

HTH

[Michelle in MO]

because the writing process is explained in such a way that most families can easily incorporate at least some of the suggestions into their daily lifestyles. I would call it very much a Charlotte Mason-type approach, and is indeed very similar to what SWB recommends for the grammar stage in writing: copywork, dictation, and narration. I'm not finished with the book, so I haven't read the later chapters which would deal with older ages. I believe Bravewriter has another book, called Help for High School, which addresses writing at the high school level.

My oldest did Bravewriter's SAT/ACT Timed Essay writing class in January. I thought the explanations for timed essay writing were excellent; I wish I could say my oldest excelled in the class. I think she had difficulty, but it was not because she can't write well, nor was it because the class was poorly run. Rather, it was because she is more introverted, and the class posted their work in a public forum. All comments were strictly positive in nature, both by the students and by Julie Bogart, but my oldest found it difficult for others to read her work. I'm trusting that this is something she'll eventually outgrow.

For both of my girls, Cindy Marsch's tutorials (through Writing Assessment Services) have worked extremely well; it's more of a one-on-one class with the instructor, which seems to suit their personalities better. Cindy is also very positive in her instruction; her knowledge of grammar and good sentence patterns is superb, plus she gives great input into the logical underpinnings of their papers.

Bravewriter is hosting a class in Grand Rapids, Michigan----I wish I could go there! I would like to at least get CD's, if they're available.

Writing is one of those areas in which I would like to personally read every good resource available and cull from their wisdom, because there's so much to understand and especially to implement in this area!

[Jodi-FL]

on the curriculum board. In a nutshell, I think it's worth the money. The bravewriter website and Julie's blog has lots of information, too.

[Staci in CT]

He found it somewhat engaging, but he didn't really learn much. It was probably good for him to have someone else critique his work. That said, the feedback was minimal and always positive (not because he is such a good writer, but because they strive to be encouraging).

I have found The Lively Art of Writing to be much more helpful with structure and composition techniques. Bravewriter seems to me, to be more geared toward creative writing than essay writing. However, this is not a review of their essay specific class.

Hope that helps,
Staci