Multiple Ages

For Families

The happiest start to homeschooling

Grab your books and pencils! The Quill is our revolutionary product that puts joy at the center of reading, writing, and math for the youngest crowd.

Our year-long program has ten month-long lesson plans that develop pre-literacy skills! 

Lead your child into literacy of all kinds:

• Identifying letters and punctuation
• Differentiating between upper and lowercase alphabets, in various fonts
• Interpreting symbols and images
• Applying mathematical concepts: numbers, proportion, scale, measurement, and shapes
• Deciphering illustrations and images
• Understanding emotions and body language
• Practicing handwriting and pencil management
• Developing a rich vocabulary in specific language domains
• Exploring literary devices
• Building fine and gross motor skills
• Plus: oodles of games and activities

Turn early literacy into play!

Each handbook explores essential reading, handwriting, and math skills through a theme.

Pick either the Frog or the Hedgehog set. Enjoy Quills in any order. 

Frog Themes:

• Wordless Picture Books
• Riddles & Jokes
• Art
• Wild Animals
• Transportation
• Poetry
• Cooking
• Rocks Rock
• Buggy Bugs
• Spectacular Sports
  

Hedgehog Themes:

• Wordless Picture Books
• Under the Sea: Sea Mammals
  
• Inventions & Inventors
• Music & Song Lyrics
• Weather: Clouds
• Space: Planets
• Superheroes and Heroes
• On the Farm
• Flowers
• Pets

Note: The Wordless Picture Books Quill is on both lists because it offers foundational practices for exploring books with Quill-age kids.

Lay a great foundation in reading, writing, and math now!

The Quill* is delivered to your Brave Writer online account. Each handbook is four-color, about 30-40 pages, is a non-consumable PDF, and can be used with multiple children in your family (no need to purchase additional copies).

Want a print copy? Go to the front of the line at the Homeschool Printing Company with a special Brave Writer offer. Order here. 

Note: The Quill is one part of the Beginning Writers Bundle. 

All products are digital and downloadable. All sales are FINAL. No refunds.

*The Quill is not a phonics, handwriting, or arithmetic program. It is a pre-literacy program that makes learning to read, handwrite, and apply mathematical concepts easier.

Find related books in the Brave Writer Book Shop:

• Scholastic Year in Sports 2023
• How to Design the World’s Best Sports Stadium in 10 Simple Steps by Paul Mason
• Eyewitness Books: Sports
• E is for Extreme: An Extreme Sports Alphabet
• Amazing Athletes: 40 Inspiring Icons
• Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman
• Swish! The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters
• She Persisted in Sports: American Olympians Who Changed the Game
• Salt in His Shoes
• Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman Olympic High-Jump Champion
• Miss Mary Reporting: The True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber
• Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud That Changed Baseball
• Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball
• Game Changers: the Story of Venus and Serena Williams
• For the Love of Basketball: from A to Z
• Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles
• The Floating Field: How a Group of Thai Boys Build Their Own Soccer Field
• Billie Jean!: How Tennis Star Billie Jean King Changed Women’s Sports
• Be Water, My Friend: The Early Years of Bruce Lee
• Anybody’s Game: Kathryn Johnston, the First Girl to Play Little League Baseball
• Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball
• The Thing Lenny Loves Most About Baseball
• The Quickest Kid in Clarksville
• Take Me Out to the Yakyu
• Michael’s Golden Rules
• Good Sports: Rhymes About Running, Jumping, Throwing, and more
• The Field

Bringing literature, grammar, and joy together

Jumpstart your writing program with delight! The Dart invites kids ages 8-10 to enjoy literature while learning to write. 

This is the 2024-25 Year-Long Dart book list. The 2025-2026 program will be available starting June 2. Save the date!

Our year-long program is delivered in nine month-long lesson plans, released monthly.

Each handbook features a novel and immerses your child in the world of:

• stories
• literary devices
• grammar
• punctuation
• spelling
• and book club parties

Discover how easy it is to teach writing using literature!

Our program uses the time-tested practices of copywork and dictation as key tools to teach punctuation, spelling, and grammar naturally in context. Don't worry—we'll show you how.

Each handbook contains:

• Notes to go with a selected read-aloud (book not provided)

• Four passages taken from the novel for copywork and dictation, one per week

• Easy-to-follow instructions to teach writing elements found in the passages

• Playful and effective grammar and punctuation activities that kids love

• A delightful writing exercise to apply what they have learned 

• Nine comprehension questions

• Book club party ideas

• Copywork passages on separate printable pages

• Four-color design that looks gorgeous on tablets or printed at home

Start any time. Enjoy the published Darts in any order. You will receive all nine by April 2025. 

2024-2025 book list:  

• August: A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
• September: Bob by Wendy Mass 
• October: Ra the Mighty: The Great Tomb Robbery by Amy Butler Greenfield
• November: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 
• December: The Greatest Gift (Heartwood Hotel #2) by Kallie George
• January: Once Upon a Camel by Kathi Appelt
• February: The Turtle of Michigan: A Novel by Naomi Shihab Nye
• March: Thirst by Varsha Bajaj
• April: Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

Delivery: The Dart is delivered to your Brave Writer online account once per month on the 15th. Each handbook (40-50 pages) is a non-consumable PDF and can be used with multiple children in your own family—no need to purchase additional copies.

Swap one! This year, when you purchase the year-long program, you can swap one handbook in the program for a handbook in the Literature Singles collection. Find the swap form in your account after purchase.

Find related books in the Brave Writer Book Shop:

• A Bear Called Paddington
• Bob
• Ra the Mighty: The Great Tomb Robbery
• The One and Only Ivan
• The Greatest Gift (Heartwood Hotel #2)
• Once Upon a Camel
• The Turtle of Michigan
• Thirst
• Love That Dog

Where great stories and grammar skills unite!

The Arrow creates a love of reading and writing through literature!

Our year-long program is delivered in nine month-long lesson plans, released monthly.

Each handbook is based on a novel and immerses your child in the world of:

• stories
• literary devices
• grammar
• punctuation
• and book club parties

Find out why the Arrow has been the most popular writing program in Brave Writer history!

It's possible to learn grammar and literary devices naturally, in conversation, through playful activities. We show you how!

Our program uses the time-tested practices of copywork and dictation as the key tools to learn punctuation, spelling, and grammar naturally in context. We teach you four methods for applying those practices to literature and writing.

Each handbook contains:

• Notes to go with a selected read aloud (book not provided)

• Four passages taken from the novel for copywork and dictation, one per week

• Easy-to-follow instructions to teach writing elements found in the passages

• Playful and effective grammar and punctuation activities that kids love

• A simple, delightful writing exercise to apply lessons

• Nine comprehension questions

• Book club party ideas

• Copywork passages on separate printable pages

• Four-color design that looks gorgeous on tablets or printed at home

The Arrow program comes with Guidelines to help you implement copywork and dictation practices, as well as a planning tool and a writing skills tracker to help you stay attuned to your child's progress.

Start any time. Enjoy the published Arrows in any order. You will receive all nine by April 2025.

2024-2025 book list: 

Swap one! This year, when you purchase the year-long program, you can swap one handbook in the program for a handbook in the Literature Singles collection. Find the swap form in your account after purchase.

Delivery: The Arrow is delivered to your Brave Writer online account once per month on the 15th. Each handbook (40-50 pages) is a non-consumable PDF and can be used with multiple children—no need to purchase additional copies.

Want a print copy? Go to the front of the line at the Homeschool Printing Company with a special Brave Writer offer. Order here. 

Note: The Arrow is one part of the Middle School Writers Bundle. Get all three components of the Brave Writer program in one bundle. 

All products are digital and downloadable. All sales are FINAL. No refunds.

Find related books in the Brave Writer Book Shop:

• Prairie Lotus
• The Wild Robot Protects
• The Mona Lisa Vanishes
• Eagle Drums
• The Doughnut Fix
• The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams
• Clayton Byrd Goes Underground
• Figure it Out, Henri Weldon
• The Last Mapmaker

Deep dives into high quality books!

Teens are ready for plot twists, adventure, moral quandaries, history, and a wide variety of literary genres. Enter the Boomerang!

This is the 2024-25 Year-Long Boomerang book list. The 2025-2026 program will be available starting June 2. Save the date!

Our year-long program is delivered in nine month-long lesson plans, released monthly.

Each handbook is based on a novel and immerses your teen in the world of:

• literary analysis
• historical context
• grammar
• punctuation
• and book club parties

Each handbook contains:

• Detailed notes to establish the context of the novel of the month (book not included)

• Four passages taken from the novel for copywork and dictation, one per week

• Easy-to-follow instructions to teach writing elements found in the passages

• Examination of grammar and punctuation

• Additional notes that go beyond the passage

• Nine "think piece" questions—for discussion and writing

• Book club party ideas

• Copywork passages on separate printable pages

• Four-color design that looks gorgeous on tablets or printed at home

The Boomerang program includes Guidelines for implementing copywork and dictation practices, a planning tool, and a writing skills tracker to help you stay informed about your teen's progress.

Start any time. Enjoy the published Boomerangs in any order. You will receive all nine by April 2025. 

2024-2025 book list:

• August: The Princess Bride by William Goldman
• September:  I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai
  
• October: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
  
• November: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton 
• December: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L‘Engle
• January: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
• February: American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky by Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein
• March:  The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas
• April: The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Swap one! This year, when you purchase the year-long program, you can swap one handbook in the program for a handbook in the Literature Singles collection. Find the swap form in your account after purchase.

Delivery: The Boomerang is delivered to your Brave Writer online account once per month on the 15th. Each handbook (40-50 pages) is a non-consumable PDF and can be used with multiple teens—no need to purchase additional copies.

Want a print copy? Go to the front of the line at the Homeschool Printing Company with a special Brave Writer offer. Order here. 

Note: The Boomerang is one part of the High School Writers Bundle. 

All products are digital and downloadable. All sales are FINAL. No refunds.

Find related books in the Brave Writer Book Shop:

• The Princess Bride
• I am Malala
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• The Outsiders
• A Wrinkle in Time
• The Diary of a Young Girl
• American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky
• The Magnolia Sword
• The Wee Free Men

Timeless literature for teens

The Slingshot guides teens in literary analysis of classic and contemporary literature.

Even if your teen has never analyzed literature before... We’ve got you—and your college-bound teens—covered!

Our year-long program includes five month-long lesson plans.

Each handbook is based on a novel and immerses your teen in the world of:

• literary analysis
• historical context
• grammar
• punctuation
• and book club parties

Each handbook contains:

• Detailed notes to establish the context of the novel (book not included)

• Four passages taken from the novel for copywork and dictation

• Easy-to-follow instructions to teach writing elements found in the passages

• Examination of grammar and punctuation

• Additional notes that go beyond the passage

• Nine "think piece" questions—for discussion and writing

• Book club party ideas

• Copywork passages on separate printable pages

• Four-color design that looks gorgeous on tablets or printed at home

Start any time by selecting one of the lists below from the drop-down menu when you add to cart. Enjoy the five Slingshots in any order.  

Classics: 

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Contemporary: 

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Swing by Kwame Alexander

We encourage you to review the books yourself to be certain that you are comfortable with the content before giving them to your teens.

Delivery: After purchase, the Slingshots are available in your Brave Writer online account. Each handbook (40-50 pages) is a non-consumable PDF and can be used with multiple teens—no need to purchase additional copies.

Want a print copy? Go to the front of the line at the Homeschool Printing Company with a special Brave Writer offer. Order here. 

Note: The Slingshot is one part of the College Prep Writers Bundle. 

All products are digital and downloadable. All sales are FINAL. No refunds.

Find related books in the Brave Writer Book Shop:

• A Tale of Two Cities
• Jane Eyre
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
• Animal Farm
• The Great Gatsby
• The Fellowship Of The Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• The Secret Life of Bees
• Braiding Sweetgrass
• Swing

Catch your child in the act of self-expression

Welcome to the joy of writing without requiring your child to lift a pencil!

Jot It Down offers a collection of delightful activities:

• Writing fairytales
• Going on scavenger hunts in art museums
• Designing a photo journal
• Writing a mini book about animals
• Setting up a mail system in your house
• Creating posters, lists, and exploring the world of numbers
• Drawing a full sized body shape and filling it with words
• Three sorts of parties
• Not to mention poetry, music, recitation, and oral games!

By jotting down your child's words even before they know how to read, your youngest children discover that they're writers already!

Included in the program:

• Guidance for poetry recitation, word play, nature study, art appreciation, music, and movies
• Ten month-long writing projects: letters, fairytale narrations, posters, mini-books, lists, writing about numbers, and body art
• A tool to plan the projects
• A tool to track the skills your child gains
• A sample schedule (routine) for how to incorporate these practices into your year

Children love these projects because they get to hold in their hands evidence that they are writers, even when they're still learning to read and handwrite.

Jot It Down! is 80+ pages in a four-color PDF file. Looks great on tablets and iPads, or can be printed. The product is non-consumable and can be used for multiple children in your own family at once. Each activity can be done more than one time with a fresh topic to practice the formats.

Want a print copy? Go to the front of the line at the Homeschool Printing Company with a special Brave Writer offer. Order here. 

Note: Jot It Down is one part of the Beginning Writers Bundle. 

All products are digital and downloadable. All sales are FINAL. No refunds.

Team up with your young writers

When you partner with your child, writing skills and confidence soar!

Partnership Writing features a wide array of flexible writing projects that work for families with kids under 12.

What kid wouldn't enjoy a few of these?

• Breaking secret codes
• Creating a personal timeline
• Writing a humorous homophone mini book
• Investigating who, what, where, when, and why
• Designing an imaginary map
• Crafting a lap book about a Greek myth or tall tale
• Writing ad copy for a historical artifact
• Not to mention enjoying poetry, movies, music, and oral games!

Bring writing voice and writing formats together!

The most overlooked practice in writing is working with a partner.

Good news! You get to be that partner for your child.

Included in the Partnership Writing program:

• Guidance for poetry recitation, word play, nature study, art appreciation, music, and movies
• Ten month-long writing projects: secret codes, personal time line, mini books, lap books, mail order catalog, how-to project, and written narrations, to name several.
• A tool to plan the projects
• A tool to track the skills your child gains
• A sample schedule (routine) for how to incorporate these practices into your year

This program offers the maximum flexibility for your family. Can be modified up or down in challenge level for kids between the ages of 5 and 12! One program for the entire family.

Partnership Writing is 113+ pages in a four-color PDF file. Looks great on tablets and iPads, or can be printed. The product is non-consumable and can be used for multiple children at once. Each activity can be done more than one time with a fresh topic to practice the formats.

Want a print copy? Go to the front of the line at the Homeschool Printing Company with a special Brave Writer offer. Order here. 

Note: Partnership Writing is one part of the Emerging Writers Bundle. 

All products are digital and downloadable. All sales are FINAL. No refunds.

Jumpstart your middle school writers

Want your Middle Schoolers to feel good about writing?

Building Confidence (formerly Faltering Ownership) offers a slew of engaging writing projects that prepare kids for a life of self-expression and academic achievement.

Combine style with skill!

Your kids will:

• Indulge wild word play
• Design a dust jacket book review
• Report on a natural disaster
• Keep a diary as a historical figure
• Examine headlines for bias
• Learn the features of great fiction
• Discover the joy of writing poetry
• Write a semester length report and celebrate with a party
• ...and so much more!

Confidence and competence are around the corner!

Middle School is a great time to introduce academic writing skills.

You'll guide and coach your middlers in:

• summary
• reporting
• conducting research
• citing sources
• letter writing
• book reviewing
• interviewing

Included in the Building Confidence program:

• Guidance for poetry recitation, word play, nature study, art appreciation, music, and movies
• Twelve month-long writing projects: reports, interviews, letters, poetry, fiction, advertisements, diaries, literary elements, book reviews and more
• A tool to plan the projects
• A tool to track the skills your child gains
• A sample schedule (routine) for how to incorporate these practices into your year

This program can easily last more than one year and can be adapted for families with children between the ages of 10 and 15. If your student is in high school but not yet a confident writer, start here. These projects lay the foundation for the Help for High School program skills.

Building Confidence is 160 pages in a four-color PDF file. Looks great on tablets and iPads, or can be printed. The product is non-consumable and can be used for multiple children at once. Each activity can be done more than one time with a fresh topic to practice the formats.

Want a print copy? Go to the front of the line at the Homeschool Printing Company with a special Brave Writer offer. Order here. 

Note: Building Confidence is one part of the Middle School Writers Bundle. 

All products are digital and downloadable. All sales are FINAL. No refunds.

Essay training made simple

Finally, a program written for teens, to teens!

Help for High School is a self-directed academic writing program.

It teaches rhetorical thinking, as well as the essay formats most commonly assigned in high school and college.

Inside are:

• Fifteen modules of writing instruction
• Six exercises that build critical thinking skills
• Nine lessons that teach the two key essay formats
  • Exploratory Essay (open form)
  • Persuasive Essay (closed form)
• Instruction in writing thesis statements and conducting research
• Helpful directions for how to paraphrase and cite expert opinion
• Samples and models for feedback are included

Help for High School teaches teens how to think, argue, and create their own powerful writing style at the same time.

Your teen will build the following skills:

• developing a command of language
• creating a supported argument
• fostering a rhetorical imagination
• comparing and contrasting viewpoints
• discovering the role of narrative writing in academic formats
• understanding the difference between exploratory and expository essay forms
• writing thesis statements
• identifying points and particulars
• documenting sources
• paraphrasing versus quoting experts
• understanding viewpoint, bias, perspective, and facts
• creating in-line citations and works cited

This program is great for kids who are no longer struggling with writing. If your student has not written a report or finds it difficult to freewrite, start with the Building Confidence program. Learning those skills first will make Help for High School a much more successful experience.

Help for High School is 166 pages, in a black and white format, and is a non-consumable PDF. One copy may be used for multiple students in the same family. 

Want a print copy? Go to the front of the line at the Homeschool Printing Company with a special Brave Writer offer. Order here. 

Note: Help for High School is one part of the High School Writers Bundle and the College Prep Writers Bundle. 

All products are digital and downloadable. All sales are FINAL. No refunds.