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.

So often I hear homeschoolers ask, “But what about college?” as they consider the option of homeschooling their high school students.  “Will they get in?”, “Can they get scholarships?” and “What do I do to get them ready?”

For a parent those questions can be scary.  We want the best for our children not just during those formative years as they grow and mature in our homes, but also as they grow and mature as college students, as young adults, young marrieds, parents and beyond.

Because of this desire, the college question is daunting for the parents of homeschoolers.  We do want to ensure that our kids are taking the right courses and doing the right things to not only prepare them for college but also ensure that they are competitive.

If you have explored my website, you have likely found several success stories for Bridgeway Academy homeschoolers students who have been successful in college and beyond.  But I also wanted to share some more recent success stories.

This article features a family of homeschoolers who have taken advantage of the opportunity to take college courses while in high school.  For this homeschooling family and many others, the ability to work at their own pace leads to students with a passion for and desire to learn:

http://www.mlive.com/living/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/08/homeschooling_can_pave_fast_tr.html

This next article featuring homeschooler Stevie Douglas makes it evident that homeschoolers can and do earn scholarships.  Stevie will go to college on a football scholarship; many others from our Bridgeway Academy family go on with sports scholarships for gymnastics, ice skating, soccer, tennis and more, while others are honored with academic and extra-curricular activities scholarships.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/08/12/stevie-douglas/

If you are considering homeschooling and don’t know where to start, check out Bridgeway Academy where they walk with you every step of the way and have many success stories.

And if you are concerned about your child’s future . . . stop worrying!  Homeschoolers like those featured in these articles are not the exception . . . they are rapidly becoming the norm!

First, this writer mentions that one of the drawbacks to homeschooling is that:

It’s уουr responsibility thаt уου teach уουr child everything thеу need tο know аt thеіr age, аnd thаt thеу understand thаt thе material thаt thеу hаνе learned.

The writer is correct that you are responsible for your child’s education and that you need to ensure that your child understands the material.  However, there is no magic formula for what a child must know at each age level.   Instead, parents will want to ensure that their children are learning and mastering the skill courses—Math, English (and Science as they get older) and developing an interest and passion for learning that impacts their other core courses and electives.   In homeschooling, parents have the privilege of owning their child’s education—that is not a drawback of homeschooling!  In fact, the ability to customize and individualize teaching to each child is a major plus!

According to this writer, another drawback of homeschooling is:

One οf thе drawbacks tο homeschooling οn уουr раrt іѕ thе amount οf free time thаt уου wіƖƖ hаνе tο give up fοr homeschooling.

Here the writer comes close to telling it like it is.  You will sacrifice the “free time” that you would generally have while kids are in school for homeschooling.  However, in exchange you gain the time in the evenings where many parents spend hours helping children with homework and/or reteaching the concepts taught in school (and I speak from experience on this one) and you gain the help of your children with the day to day responsibilities of keeping a home (not what I would call “free time” anyway).  The sense of purpose gained when you are committed to your child’s education combined with the rewards of seeing your children learn and enjoy learning is well worth the loss of a few hours of “free time.”

And yet another drawback of homeschooling mentioned in this article is that “your career may be put on hold.”  Yep, you got it.  My career was put on hold to allow me the time to homeschool my children.  But again, I would not call this a drawback of homeschooling.  As I get older I realize just how much time we have on this earth.  To spend part of it investing in our kids, teaching them and preparing them for their future is well worth “putting our careers on hold.”  If the Lord tarries and we are permitted to live our lives until we are old, we have plenty of time to pursue a career once the kids are grown.  Looking back, how I wish I could go back and focus only on homeschooling rather than trying to juggle both homeschooling and a career.

As for rest breaks and homework (also mentioned in the article), may I suggest that you decide when and where you will take a break and if you are giving homework, stop it! If you are engaged with your child during your homeschooling day, you do not need to add homework to their evenings.  Homework is a reality of a school system where teachers cannot work one on one with students and therefore cannot confirm that each student has mastered the concepts.  You can confirm this day to day and do not need to give them busy work at night.

In addition, this writer mentions that “thеrе аrе very ƖіttƖе brеаkѕ аѕ уουr child needs уου fοr аѕѕіѕtаnсе аt virtually аƖƖ times.” Once again, if this describes you, please change your methods.  You want your kids to become independent learners.  Challenge them to think for themselves. Don’t just answer their questions; instead, ask them how they would solve it, what they think the answer should be, or how they would better explain a concept.  This gently moves them from dependence on you to independence and understanding.

One of the final pieces of advice offered by this writer is that “yου hаνе tο mаkе time fοr уουr child tο ɡеt out аnd mingle аƖѕο.” With this point, I totally agree.  However, I again would not call this a drawback of homeschooling.  This is an opportunity for both you and your children.  Not only do they have the opportunity to enjoy other kids of all ages, but you are able to spend time with other parents who are facing many of the same challenges and enjoying the same rewards as you.  Where else but in homeschooling can you schedule regular get togethers with other parents who are just as enthusiastic about your meeting as you are?

I guess what I am saying is that yes there are drawbacks to homeschooling, but those drawbacks are also the benefits of homeschooling.  So rather than focus on the potential drawbacks, focus on the amazing benefits of homeschooling and enjoy yourself!

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!

Technorati Tags: Homeschool writing contests, Homeschooling writing contests

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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Perseverance is a character trait – a character trait of ants, rams, and snails?

Did you ever watch an ant carry a large cookie crumb to some far away nest? Maybe you commented on the ant’s heavy load, but did you think about her perseverance?

Did you ever see a ram try to butt its way through a fence? You may have laughed as he banged his head against the wood, but did you think about his perseverance?

Maybe you have watched a snail moving along the garden path, leaving a shiny trail of slime. You might have joked about how slow it was, but did you think about the snail’s perseverance?

What is perseverance?

Definition

Perseverance is a quality that sees difficulties in what we have planned, but causes us to take action and move ahead through those difficulties, no matter how severe they are, sticking with our undertaking until we reach the end.

Action!

Perseverance is impossible without action. If we begin an undertaking and then do nothing, we are quitting.

This character trait requires action that endures no matter what pressure is brought against us.

Ants

Ants are not able to exercise the character trait, but they give us a good example of it. They plan to carry home as much food as possible. They take action to pick up the food, and move ahead in spite of opposition such as rocks and logs. They persist in their undertaking until they reach home.

Rams

Rams are not able to exercise character either, but look at their example. Once rams decide to break through a fence, they take aggressive action and move ahead with their plan. They endure severe head battering, but keep it up until they accomplish their goal.

Snails

The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon once said, “By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” Snails, carrying their houses on their backs, continue their slow journeys in spite of opposition. They endure cold rain, hot sun, mud, and other obstacles, moving slowly onward until they reach the goal.

YOU

Perseverance is not just for ants, rams, and snails, of course. They cannot exercise it as a character trait. They exercise it simply because it is the way God made them.

Humans, however, can choose to exercise perseverance. You can choose to stick with worthwhile goals. You can keep going when it seems as though it’s too difficult. You can keep moving ahead when you get discouraged; continue on when everyone else gives up.

Perseverance is not just for ants, rams, and snails – it is for strong character builders.

© 2010, Elizabeth L. Hamilton. Elizabeth Hamilton invites you to learn more about perseverance at http://www.character-in-action.com. Elizabeth has posted articles on that site about other character traits, too. If you want to learn how character traits make a whopping difference, you won’t want to miss her article on the subject.

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