Struggle to offer feedback to your older student on their writing (beyond grammar and spelling fixes)?

When you read reports and essays, are you able to identify specifics that work? Or don’t work?

Does your tween or teen react to your advice with defensiveness or tears?

Often we assume that older kids should be independent and able to handle the sting when we “keep it real.”

The truth is that tweens and teens still need a supportive and knowledgeable writing coach to help them grow their writing. (That’s you!)

That’s why, for this class, you’re the student!

Yep, we’re ready to teach you to partner with your tween or teen as they engage in nonfiction writing.

Are you ready?

Class Overview

Made With You in Mind

Partner with your student in this one-of-a-kind class! We’ll teach you the techniques our coaches use and help you give constructive feedback directly on your student’s writing.

Our expert instructors will give you “feedback on the feedback,” training you to be the warm, supportive writing coach you want to be, much in the same way we train our own staff!

Brave Writer® 201 focuses on these three areas for revision:

Find What Works—so they can do it again

  • Beyond a “good job!” comment
  • Learn to articulate what the writing does
  • See strengths that writers recognize

Ask for More—how to gently invite what the writing needs

  • Flesh out ideas
  • Add detail, insight, or energy
  • Envision a new shape to the writing

Add Interest and Information—nonfiction writing elements

  • Smooth and effective transitions
  • Accurate citations
  • Sentence variety

Be the writing coach your student needs and watch their writing grow!


Wait, this is a parent class?

Traditional approaches to writing would have you scribble a couple of suggestions and—poof!— your kids would be able to fix up their own writing. 

The truth is, writing needs substantive, nourishing feedback to grow.

Brave Writer® cares about making YOU an effective writing coach for your kids. You will enroll with one or more kids to gain these coaching skills under the supervision of our trained instructors.

Week by Week

Week One

Using a passage from the book Braiding Sweetgrass, participants identify high-quality writing choices. They follow up with a hands-on opportunity to notice writing techniques in a student's freewrite.

Week Two

While students work on original freewrites, parent coaches practice asking for more writing rather than critiquing what’s missing in a piece. They key in on the intent of the student’s writing, notice possibilities in the raw writing, and make suggestions that inspire.

Week Three

Students draft a nonfiction piece to receive directed feedback under the guidance of the writing coach. Students learn to choose from the feedback offered to have agency over direction of change in the piece.

Week Four

The focus this week moves from revision to editing. Students are introduced to a tool they can use to edit any piece of writing and take the lead in polishing their draft. 

Registration Details

Join Us!

Tuition:
$199.00 per student
Recommended Ages:

11 - 18

Class Size:
25 students partnered with an adult
Class Length:
4 weeks
Class Type:
  • High School
  • Middle School

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

Karen Edmisten   Register

Word on the Street

I can see she's getting more willing, even excited, about writing in general which is exactly what I hoped for! This class has encouraged this lovely process… and for that, I'm very grateful!

Jenny (Parent)

I actually like revision!

Katie, 12

Writing is a lot easier than it seems as long as you have the proper tools and input.

Evie, 15

[This class] teaches you as the parent/teacher how to respond to your child’s writing more effectively. It provides steps and lists to help facilitate the steps to work through together, as well as gives feedback on your feedback which is unique and helpful. It’s coaching for the coach! 

Kara (Parent)

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:

  1. Navigate to class.bravewriter.com. If you are a current student, you’ll need to log out in the upper right corner before proceeding.
  2. Log in using these credentials:
    Username: [email protected]
    Password: Brave1
  3. 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.
  4. Click on the class name of interest and start reading posts!
How Our Classes Work Download a class summary
Other options in Brave Writer®
Other options in High School
Nature Journaling
Early Elementary Family High School Middle School Upper Elementary
Other options in Middle School
Nature Journaling
Early Elementary Family High School Middle School Upper Elementary