Well, more and more venues are recognizing the incredible benefits of homeschooling and the success stories are growing.

Check out this article about two homeschoolers (siblings) who are now attending Harvard.

And this one about several different homeschoolers and their success stories, including one about a student who earned the highest possible score on the SATs.

And there are even more homeschool success stories, like those of the Bluedorn family, whose successes go much deeper than academic achievement.  And then there is Christopher Paolini, author of the Eragon trilogy.

There are so many more homeschool success stories out there.  Successes that encompass not just academics and career but a strong sense of family, of character, commitment, and so much more.

Homeschooling is not just about academics, it is about instilling in children a love for learning and a foundation that will enable them to be successful in whatever they decide to pursue.

So when I found what is now Bridgeway English, I had to buy it.  Developed by top educators in the country, Bridgeway English is a remedial or review English course set up to take a struggling student from failure to success  in just one year.

So we put it to the test.  Prescribed it for high school students who just did not have a grasp on grammar, for middle school students who just needed that firm foundation before moving on to ninth grade English, and to adults who lacked the skills necessary to succeed in higher level English courses.

And across the board, we saw success.  Parents sent in comments like this one from Nikki in Alabama: “I can’t believe Jenny is getting it!  This course explains things so well that she is no longer saying how much she hates English.  She even grabs it first every day!  Unbelievable!”  And kids were surprised at “how easy English can be!”

I knew I had found a winner.  Every single one of the students who got the course loved it and wanted another just like it.  So although Bridgeway has not yet completed other titles, this one is a great start for any student who needs to review English from nouns and verbs to essays, resumes, and research.

This remedial English course does not teach literature.  It is a skills development course designed for students who need help with grammar, with writing, with usage, and with skills required for the realities of life.

Written in a step by step fashion with each skill building on the one prior, it just makes sense.  And it shows.  Kids are learning and succeeding, developing a confidence in their English abilities, scoring above average on standardized tests, and finding the desire to take another English course.

That is when you know that you have a good course!

If you need a review of English or a remedial English course, check out Bridgeway English.

Once only available to Bridgeway Homeschool Academy students, you can now purchase this remedial English course or the Bridgeway remedial math course at Curriculum Express.  The cost for the full course is $69.99.

Bridgeway also publishes a remedial math course.  To learn more click here.

You’ve tried all the typical homeschool math courses–Saxon, Singapore, ACE, Horizons . . . but the struggle continues.  Perhaps you are a homeschooler seeking a better option for math or maybe you have a student who is attending school but needs a remedial math course that will help him or her finally master the concepts.

Let me tell  you about a remedial math course that has people raving.  I know it sounds like I am writing an ad but please understand my sincerity here.   This course works!

Bridgeway Math is a remedial math course written specifically to be used as a homeschool independent study course.  No teacher’s guides, no extra work, no extra instruction needed.  Instead, it provides step by step easy to follow instructions to the student and plenty of practice to ensure that they are really mastering each concept.

It starts with the basics–I mean the real basics (remember, this is a remedial math course).  Place value, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, with the premise that without these foundational skills, math will never come easy to a student.  From there, students move through problem solving, fractions and decimals, basic pre-algebra and geometry and all the concepts necessary to prepare a student for success in the upper level math courses.  All in one full year math course!

Somehow the way this remedial homeschool math course presents the material works!  Kids just get it and find that they are able to succeed as they move on to more difficult concepts.  The order makes sense, the easy to understand teaching and instructions, the number of practice questions for each concept…  All carefully put together to ensure success.

I have seen this remedial math course used for children in 7th grade all the way up to high school seniors in need of  extra instruction in math.  And it works.

Once only available to Bridgeway Homeschool Academy students, you can now order it at Curriculum Express.  The total cost for both student texts and the answer key is $69.99 .  There is also a Bridgeway English course which you can read about by clicking here.

If you have used this course, we would love to hear from you.  Please post your comments and help other homeschoolers who may need a strong remedial math course for their child.

Do you have a homeschooler who hates math?  Or perhaps you have a math whiz who needs a challenge!

Math contests can provide that extra challenge for your gifted math student or that extra motivation for that student who struggles with math.

Best of all, a contest will help your child learn!  Why?  In a contest, children learn new approaches to math, they practice, practice, practice and thus improve their skills and they usually provide a review with ideas for improvement and accolades for what they do well.

All of this adds up to stronger math skills and higher standardized test scores.

But how do you find a contest that suits your child?  Check out homeschoolmathcontests.com for a complete list of math contests.

And be sure to post a comment and let us know how your child did!

“If you are looking for a way to get your homeschooled children loving math, contests may be the way to go. Math contests make math fun, like a game. A contest not only motivates a person, but also helps him learn. Competitions offer review, new approaches, and speed improvement, not to mention increased standardized test scores.”

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The ability to convey ideas in writing has become even more essential with the advancements of technology.  An individual who can communicate well, earns respect.  And with email becoming the communication tool of choice, we must ensure that our children have the tools to write well.

Molly Fox knows the importance of writing and of using the right motivation to help children become stronger writers.  This incredible young homeschooler, founder of Homeschoolwriters.com maintains a website designed to keep you up to date with writing contests and opportunities for your child.

Be sure to visit her site and select several contests that will interest your child.  The spirit of competition and the opportunity for feedback will do wonders!

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In most cases I have been amazed at the perseverance and accomplishments that these families exuded despite the difficulties.  Although not every family was able to meet the academic deadlines or the requirements for the year, most hung in there and did their best to maintain normalcy for their children while dealing with the storms that had come their way.

In some cases, I had to recommend that they continue to work through the summer to help their students meet their goals for the school year; in other cases, I saw such incredible growth and learning opportunities as a result of the storms that there was no reason to add book work.  Children had been part of the care giving for loved ones, and watched as their parents helped their parents with finances, meals, cleaning, research on specific illnesses and much more.

These kids learned so much through life lessons that no amount of book work

Tonight she rallied all of us together to play a good game of Pit.   Soon sounds of “Two, two, two, one, one one, three, three, three,” filled the kitchen along with a few screams and a lot of laughter.

When I tucked her in tonight I asked what she loved so much about games.  She didn’t hesitate: “They’re fun and when we get together we laugh a lot and don’t fight.  It’s good family time.”

She is so right.

I often use game time as learning time.  Selecting games that teach is what I would call one of my fortes and somehow the ideas do come fairly easily.  We use games like Pictionary to review what we have learned about a particular historical event or scientific principle, 20 Questions to identify various historical figures we’ve studied, Twister, Bingo, Memory match . . . you name it, we play it.

But the games for games sake are the ones that draw us together as a family. And isn’t that why so many choose to homeschool?

So I encourage you this week to pull out a game and just have fun.

And don’t be surprised if you climb into bed that night with a smile on your face and a memory to keep.

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And that is what we have going on in our family right now.

We have done the cookie bake, we have set up the tree, we have sought out those special giving and ministry opportunities, and we are winding up the various Christmas productions next week.

But we have not even tackled the Christmas shopping yet.  Imagine how wound up these kids are going to be after they purchase their gifts for one another? ARGH!

For them, there is something magical about this season.  And it is magical even though we haven’t focused on buying gifts for one another yet.  Perhaps it is because we often discuss Christ’s birth and the real reason behind this season.  I’d like to say they are just so on fire for the Lord that they are excited about what He did for us.  But I think despite the fact that they are excited about Christ our discussions about the Wonder of Christmas keep them focused on the upcoming special day and that has them wound up as they think about the gifts, the food and the family.

But I look forward to piling on the couch, reading the Christmas story and hearing from them what Christ has meant to them this year.

If you have any suggestions on how to tone down the energy level, PLEASE comment. I am not sure my floors can take any more!

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And many of them do.  Why?  Because the JOYS of homeschooling  always outweigh the “joys”.

Check out this article on the 10 JOYS of Homeschooling.

At the end of the day, you know that what you are doing has changed your life and the lives of your children.  Remember that during those rough days and/or weeks and . . .

Keep on keeping on!

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Did you know that nearly one million members of our military are parents?

This means that there are at least one million children in our country who face the uncertainty that comes with having a mom or dad away at war.  And there are countless men and women in our country today who face the challenges of single parenting combined with the worry of whether their loved one will make it home from active duty.

Combine that with those who find themselves transferred often and moving from place to place and it is clear that our military families are constantly sacrificing for our country.  Time, certainty, watching their children grow and learn, the arms of their husband or wife . . . these are just a few of the many things they sacrifice on a daily basis.

And during this holiday season I imagine the miles between them must seem impossible.

Many of these military families choose to homeschool their children.  For some, it is an opportunity to provide stability; for others it is a necessary reality; for still others it is a way to keep their family together.  But for all, homeschooling is a commitment that is both rewarding and tough.

This year, please consider supporting a military family with your love, your friendship, your time, and your heart. Their commitment to our freedom requires huge sacrifice.  Sacrifice that none of us who are not members of the military can possibly understand.  But we can thank them and we can demonstrate Christ’s love to them.

So please find ways to thank them during this holiday season.  A card, a care package, a night out for those left behind, friendships for the children, support, help with homeschooling, repairs around the house . . . imagine the encouragement your little acts of kindness will bring to our families who give so much.

If you are a Bridgeway Academy family and would like to reach out to one of our homeschooling families in the military, please contact us. We would love to help you support them.

Learn more about Bridgeway Academy’s homeschool scholarships for military families.

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