Telling Tales | Brave Writer

Sure, you know the stories of Robin Hood and John Henry.

But have you heard the tales of the Runaway Pancake, the Thirsty Frog, and the Glass Knight? How about the Buried Moon, Skeleton Woman, and the Ship of Wheat?

Stories from around the world await you in this class!

Folktales, myths, and legends represent some of the most enduring stories of all time.

Spend afternoons at the library reading books about myths and legends. Play storytelling games, make a character collage, and act out a daring rescue that becomes your very own tale. Welcome to Telling Tales!

Class Overview

Made With You in Mind

Our goal in this class is to provide a gentle and flexible framework to open children's minds to an examination of literature. Consider it literary analysis for the elementary school set!

We are planting the seeds of critical thinking by engaging in thoughtful appreciation of the elements at play in myths and legends.

This class addresses the ability to narrate and the important role it plays in your child's development as a writer. Your family will be abuzz with chatter as you navigate the storytelling games and oral activities in this class.

Looking for a primer in the Brave Writer® method for an affordable price?

Family classes offer

One price for the whole family (no matter how many kids!)
Information on our practices: freewriting, jotting it down and more
Ways to learn that put relationships first
Individualized advice from a seasoned coach

There’s no better bang for your buck!

What's a Family Class?

Telling Tales is what we call a "Family Class." Your children are enrolled in the class and will be the ones doing the activities. The adult at home interacts with the instructor directly in the classroom, posting student writing and asking questions on how best to facilitate writing. We'll guide you on how to partner with your particular writers and grow your skills as a writing coach!

Grab Your Favorite Tales!

Families in this class will need to be stocked with an assortment of myths and legends to read. You can use books you have on hand or pick up an anthology at your local library or bookstore. Feel free to follow what delights you and your kids since we will become good friends with these themes and characters over the month!

Here are some suggestions if you are looking for a place to start:

A World Full of Animal Stories: 50 Folktales and Legends — Angela McAllister
A Year Full of Stories: 52 Folktales and Legends from Around the World — Angela McAllister
Ashley Bryan's African Tales, Uh-Huh — Ashley Bryan
Asian Children's Favorite Stories: A Treasury of Folktales from China, Japan, Korea, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia — David Conger, Marian Davies Toth, Kay Lyons, and Patrick Yee
D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths — Ingri d'Aulaire and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths — Ingri d'Aulaire and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
Mightier than the Sword: World Folktales for Strong Boys — Jane Yolen
Native American Stories — Joseph Bruchac and Michael J. Caduto
Not One Damsel in Distress: World Folktales for Strong Girls — Jane Yolen
Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories — Phuoc Thi Minh Tran

Please keep in mind that traditional stories can vary from slightly dark to positively jolly, so it’s up to you to select the most appropriate volumes for your kids.

Week by Week

Week One

Readings establish the varying cultural basis of myths and legends from around the world while noting that traditional stories are bound by common patterns, plotlines, and literary devices. Activities include oral retelling, word play, and storyboarding.

Week Two

This week focuses on the device of hyperbole as students investigate humor in the stories read this week. They build their own exaggeration skills by playing improv games that call on them to go big as they craft stories on the spot.

Week Three

Changing a setting for traditional tales calls upon students to have deep understanding of the original story and characters that inhabit it. They’ll call upon that knowledge base as they cast beloved characters into a modern locale or situation.

Week Four

In the last week, children take knowledge of the essence of myths and legends (themes, setting, plot devices) as well as specific characters and events and use that know-how to create a “twisted” scene or story.

Registration Details

Join Us!

Tuition:: $149.00 per family
Recommended Ages:: 5 - 10
Class Size:: 25 Families
Class Length:: 4 weeks
Class Type:: Early Elementary

Family

Upper Elementary
Class Schedule:: Asynchronous—log in when convenient to you!

Select from the available class dates below to register for that session:

Mar 25–Apr 19, 2024	Jen Jackson-Ellery	Session Full
Jun 24–Jul 19, 2024	Kimberly Misra	Registration opens May. 6th at noon ET

Word on the Street

[We] discovered and uncovered so much—from favorite new stories and collections, to recognizing archetypes, to how to work together in new and different ways, to how to be kind, forgiving and accepting. Without a doubt, you have sparked a deeper love for writing (in both of us)!
Kathryn

Writing was a bit like pulling teeth at the beginning of the year, but I can see he can organize his thoughts a bit better and express it more clearly now (rather than just write a bunch of words on a page for freewriting).
Jenna

Writing has actually become the most exciting class to teach. Writing doesn’t have to be boring and since this class, it really hasn’t been. It’s been implemented into our lifestyle and one of the most fun and enjoyable parts of our week.
Tanya

Brave Writer instructors have a way with feedback. It's constructive and guiding, but it makes the kids beam with pride over their written words. I smile from ear to ear as I'm reading it, and love the feedback I get when I mention how we persevered through an activity or how I adapted it to work with one of the kids. I love the confidence it's given me.
Kris

More Information

Sample class login

Want to see how our classroom works? Test drive a sample class complete with real class readings, assignments, and instructor comments!

Follow these instructions:

Navigate to class.bravewriter.com. If you are a current student, you’ll need to log out in the upper right corner before proceeding.
Log in using these credentials:
Username: [email protected]
Password: Brave1
Next, you will land on our Family Dashboard. You'll find a Parent icon and a Student icon to represent classes where the parent or the student is the primary participant. Click on Parent to view parent participation classes. To find classes with direct student-instructor interaction, click on Student.
Click on the class name of interest and start reading posts!

How Our Classes Work Download a class summary

Other options in Elementary Writing

Elementary Writing: Telling Tales