This class is purr-fect for you!

Gather pawsitive inspiration from REAL PLACES like your local zoo, park, or barn with Animal Stories!

Animal Stories is not only a chance to engage in fun age-appropriate writing activities but essential fodder for raising a self-aware critical thinker!

Ewe won't believe how we get your kids thinking, writing, and revising.. 

Get out your cow-culator! This class is a primer in the Brave Writer® method for an affordable price.

Class Overview

Made With You in Mind

Believe it or not, your homeschool is already shaping how your kids will make decisions later on.

Here’s your child’s first baby step in critical thinking. Talk to them about the authors of the books you’re reading together! 

In Animal Stories, you’ll learn

  • literary elements that make these tales so memorable
  • how stories are crafted
  • the structure of these narratives
  • a process that enables your kids to write their own!

Join your kids in imagining the unique features and personalities of their favorite critters.

Note: This class is best for older elementary or early middle school students. Younger kids can jump in with Story Switcheroo!

Family classes like Animal Stories 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 cluck!

What's a Family Class?

Animal Stories 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!

You’ll want to be stocked with your own selection of animal stories to read, appropriate to the ages and interests of your kids. Here are some suggestions if you’re looking for a place to start:

Please keep in mind that children's 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

Families will read an assortment of animal tales and look at four elements of style and storytelling: opening devices, musical language, moral development, and classic story themes.

Week Two

Students choose animals and characteristics to write about, using freewriting to capture initial ideas. Activities this week help writers develop a style similar to favorite authors.

Week Three

This week focuses on musical language and how it can enliven a story. Writers finish the week with first drafts to discuss.

Week Four

In the last week, children revise and edit their stories to emerge with a portfolio-worth story to share. 

Registration Details

Join Us!

Tuition:
$199.00 per family
Recommended Ages:

7 - 10

Class Size:
25 Families
Class Length:
4 weeks
Class Type:
  • Early Elementary
  • Family
  • Upper Elementary

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

–
Valerie Yoder   Session Full

Word on the Street

I appreciated this activity for its encouragement, not just as a reader, but also more globally as a human, to increase how we are active participants in our world, how powerful it is to focus on observation and noticing details and to think about why something is as it is. 

Jess

[H]e flexed his creative writing skill and grew his ability to review/update/revise his writing. We are hoping to build on this and in turn build his writing confidence long term. 

Neve

I noticed that [my son] developed his story well as he revised it, adding details and explanations to make the story more interesting and to make things make sense. It was interesting to watch this process become more intentional and independent and I could see him writing, reading, considering, and adding things for clarity.

Emmie

I loved the support that I felt in this class. But most important to me was the way my kids felt supported, encouraged, and cheered on by the comments and feedback they received along the way. They had such a positive experience with writing. 

Daniela

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
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