Bridges Reading and Writing Institute 16470 Bake Parkway, Irvine, CA 92618

"This is a long overdue review, however, I wanted to wait until my son "graduated" from Bridges before I do a full review. Bridges is a writing school like no other. Ms. Jeanne, Ms. Meredith, Mr. Benjamin, and all the other teachers my kids had grew their writing skills step by step, in a methodical way, almost like approaching math. What I learned from sending both of my kids there is that there is a formula to teaching writing and the Bridges curriculum is unique in that way. I am one of the parents that would meet with the teachers there quarterly to see my child's progress and see the work they've done to make sure they were learning. I started sending my then little 2nd grader there when she came home crying because she had writer's block and could not write anything, literally. Second grade writing is very simple, but any worksheets that had to do with writing would be blank and she would be in tears when I sat with her. Seems silly for a second grader, but she was one of those really meticulous kids and is hard on herself. So came Bridges and cry no more! :) With a small class size and almost like one-on-one help, no more writer's block. She gained the confidence she needed to write and write she did! She started with Ms. Jeanne when they were in the Sand Canyon location. When she was done with 6th grade, my intention was to continue to send her in middle school because I can see the growth over the years. Ms. Jeanne personally said, "No, do not send her anymore. She's a great writer and will continue to grow on her own with the foundation that she has". Contrast that with my son, who is a late bloomer. When moving to middle school, she said it will benefit him to continue so she can help him grow and mature as a writer. AND SHE WAS COMPLETELY RIGHT.I am so thankful to Ms. Jeanne for guiding him all these years and now I am confidant he is ready for high school. My daughter's love of writing grew from Bridges. She loved it so much that she decided to go to OCSA and focus on Creative Writing. She will be a senior in the fall and is going in confidant with her college essays. I am so thankful to Ms. Jeanne and Ms. Meredith; they gave both my kids the solid foundation they need to write beautifully. Bridges is a long term commitment (give 2+ years). They grow a child's reading and writing foundation year by year. I focused my review on writing because that is harder for my kids; reading came naturally to them. If you are looking for something shorter, then try their Project Ink in the summer to get a taste of the quality of their teaching, although it is nothing like the intense learning during the school year."

"Excellent class sizes, fantastic building with windows. Cool teachers who knew their stuff."

"Bridges has helped me soo much in writing, it has improved my grades, and I really recommend Bridges!!"