#BraveWriter 2017-2018 Boomerang Book Selections

The following is taken from the Brave Writer website:

The Boomerang is the monthly digital product that features a classic work of fiction each month. These novels are used to teach the mechanics of writing (grammar, spelling, punctuation, and literary elements). In addition to the weekly passages used for copywork and dictation, The Boomerang includes 9 discussion questions which are designed to enhance a student's comprehension of the novel's themes and construction through discussion and writing.

Each guide contains the following:

• Copywork/dictation passages
• Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and literary device notes
• 9 discussion questions
• Book Club Party ideas
• Access to the Private Facebook Group to discuss how you implement the Arrow

2017-2018 Book List 

August: Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel) (purchased paper book and audiobook on estories)
September: Walking (Henry David Thoreau) (purchased paper book)
October: The Thing About Jellyfish (Ali Benjamin) (purchased audiobook on estories)
November: Georges (Alexandre Dumas)
December: The Westing Game (Ellen Raskin)
January: The Call of the Wild and White Fang (Jack London)
February: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (Frederick Douglass)
March: When You Reach Me (Rebecca Stead)
April: The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog (Adam Gidwitz)
May: Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montgomery)

Always review the books yourself and be certain that you are okay with the contents before giving them to your children. Some of these titles do contain adult language and themes.

#BraveWriter 2017-2018 Arrow Book Selections

The following is taken from Brave Writer's website.

The Arrow is the monthly digital product (like a magazine) that features copywork and dictation passages from a specific read aloud novel (novels listed below, not included with purchase). The Arrow is designed for children ages 8-11 (3rd - 6th grades) and is an indispensable tool for parents who want to teach language arts in a natural, literature-bathed context.

This year's Arrow Guides are brought to you by Melissa Wiley, well-loved children's novelist and Brave Writer instructor! Mary Wilson, popular blogger, is adding a page of Book Club Party ideas for each book this year as well.

Each guide contains the following:

• Copywork/dictation passages
• Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and literary device notes
• Writing activity
• 9 discussion questions
• Book Club Party ideas
• Access to the Private Facebook Group to discuss how you implement the Arrow

2017-2018 Book List 

August: The Bad Beginning, (Lemony Snicket)
September: Esperanza Rising (Pam Muñoz Ryan)
October: The Girl Who Drank the Moon (Kelly Barnhill)
November: Johnny Tremain (Esther Forbes)
December: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Grace Lin)
January: Finn Family Moomintroll (Tove Jansson)
February: Elijah of Buxton (Christopher Paul Curtis)
March: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (E. L. Konigsberg)
April: The Red Pencil (Andrea Davis Pinkney)
May: The Thing About Luck (Cynthia Kadohata)

Always review the books yourself and be certain that you are okay with the contents before giving them to your children.

Coffee and Co-op Planning 2017 Semester 1

This will be our third year participating in a Catholic co-op as a family. The first year I was a classroom helper and cafeteria cleaner. Last year I taught PE, Creative Writing and Drama. This year I feel like I'm getting the hang of things finally and will be teaching 5th/6th PE, 9-12 PE, and 5-8 Creative Writing one semester/Drama the next.

June was funky with my kids off at different camps and activities. July was funky with my husband working double hours. Have you ever tried to do homeschool planning with five of your own kids running around plus neighbors and friends? My brain was short-circuiting from all the stops and starts so I focused on organizing physical stuff like backpacks and bookshelves.



Anyway, last year I did a little too much seat-of-my-pants teaching and I don't want to do that again. If I have it all planned out for one entire semester of 16 meetings then I won't be freaking out the night before/morning of trying to figure out what to do. I don't feel this benefits my state of mine OR the kids and their learning. I know when I have things planned in advance that I'm excited to teach, I am a much more fun teacher. This goes for at home as well.

My husband's work hours went back to normal, it's Saturday, so I checked the calendar and it looks like a great (rainy) day to head to somewhere with Wi-Fi and coffee and knock out some planning. Parents and kids like a good syllabus, and I'm gonna give one (well, three) to them.

I have the basic layout of the syllabus so I know how many days/slots to fill in so I can get my topics and activities organized. I'm finding I have a lot of fun to be had with poetry, something I personally didn't think I enjoyed but am finding I really dig. And if I dig it, I know I can get the kids to dig it!

Heading out to fill in those slots, which will hopefully turn into an hour a week of homeschool co-op enchantment and discovery and enjoyment. My biggest problem is that I'll be in Florida for a couple of weeks and don't know what I can give up for my helper to teach. I just want to do it all! If only I could be in two places at once :-)

Check back for my Homeschool Co-op Creative Writing Syllabus for grades 5 through 8 (yes, quite a spread but we'll make it work).

I'd love to hear about your planning processes, successes and challenges!