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. read more

Our daughter went to Bridges for a couple of years. At Bridges they have a very methodical approach to reading and writing. If your coming here for a "quick fix" then its not the place for your child as they train the child to be a life live long reader and writer. Our daughter developed skills important in the work world which is whats really important to us. The program here far exceeds the quality of any public school in Orange County and most private school offerings. Our daughter had less than 5 other students in her class so students get alot of individual attention. read more

My 4th grader has been taking weekly classes at Bridges since 2nd grade and I can say with the utmost confidence that his reading and writing skills are at the caliber they are today because of Jeanne and her team at Bridges. He reads voraciously at Middle School level, and his writing is often filled with appropriately descriptive vocabulary and creative metaphors. The curriculum is stellar. The kids learn concepts and theories beyond their age group but taught in a manner that they can easily comprehend. It's such a great feeling when I'm in conversation with my (then) 2nd grader and he suddenly shouts out, "That's alliteration!" At the end of every semester they complete a writing project -- an application of all the concepts they've learned up to that point -- and I am constantly blown away by the end results. He has honed his reading comprehension skills and his writing has flourished more than I could have ever imagined. Although the tuition is considerable, it will be the best money you will have ever spent on your elementary-aged student. It's an investment that will open future doorways and put him/her ahead of the game. The personal attention my son receives in his Bridges class of 6-8 students is incomparable (especially in comparison to his 4th grade class of 35), and will benefit him not only in school but most importantly, in life. read more

I am so thrilled that I found Bridges Reading and Writing for my boys (ages 8 and 10). Having been a credentialed elementary school teacher in the past, I know how hard it is for teachers to instruct students in the writing process (Imagine going through the process with 30 students!). Therefore, most teachers just gloss over this important skill or, even worse, avoid teaching it! That is why I find Bridges a necessary program for my boys. All the teachers I have encountered here are top notch. They care about each student and want them to improve as writers. Ms. Jeanne was available to answer any questions that I had, offering suggestions and giving me feedback I needed to support my boys at home. My older son said that he felt his teacher gave him extra attention in class because he needed it. He also commented that he wanted to be a writer now because he felt he was "good at it." I loved that! I will continue to enroll my boys in Bridges because I know writing is a skill they will need in the future, and I know that it is not being taught effectively in a public school setting. Thank you to Ms. Jeanne and her team of teachers! read more

Both of my children have benefitted from Bridges. Please be patient and stick to it for a few years. As with any education frequency and reinforcement is essential. I place a high value in writing, which is tough to master but a highly valuable skill. My daughter has been told by teachers that her writing is genius. Bridges has been critical to her mastery. She has been accepted into the creative writing program at Orange County School of the Arts, a conservatory that has a 9% acceptance rate. My son, a kid for whom math and science comes easy, hunkers down and writes volumes without even being prodded. Bridges also has a warm family atmosphere and the owners are highly educated and passionate about what they do. Bridges is a special find for writing enrichment and mastery. read more

My daughter has been going to Bridges for almost 2 years. I can't begin to tell you how much of a blessing it has been for her to be attending there. She has developed confidence in her reading and writing abilities. The skills she has learned here have tremendously helped her in her regular school curriculum. The teachers are fabulous! Both Miss Meredith and Miss Jeanne have really worked with us to help our daughter Vanessa gain the confidence and skills she needs to excel in language arts. The most important blessing is she truly enjoys reading and writing! Thank you to the staff of Bridges, and especially Miss Meredith and Miss Jeanne for their sincere compassion and true dedication to the success of their students. Looking forward to next year's learning and curriculum! God bless! Your grateful parents, Ev & Vicky read more

I think it's impressive that Bridges offers a full refund if you're not satisfied with your child's progress and a free assessment of your child's reading and writing abilities so they can recommend where they should begin. They employ only qualified and credentialed teachers who hold a single subject teaching credential in English issued by the California Department of Education. They've also developed their own curriculum in reading and writing. read more

Bridges is the best reading and writing school we have encountered. My current 4th grade daughter started in summer 2015, and the project she brought home after only 3 weeks was unbelievable! Since then, she can't wait to go to Bridges every week! - Bridges owners and instructors are top notch! They are super dedicated, fun, and extremely effective in working with each child to reach his/her potential. - Bridges has a unique and effective way to break things down into bite-size pieces, and use activities/exercises to help students build solid foundations to write with confidence. As a result, students are no longer stuck with writing prompts, they are not intimidated to write, they know exactly how to start, and how to go through the writing process to produce amazing pieces. - Bridges also builds reading and literature analysis into their program. This shows students what makes a piece great. Such understanding deepens their comprehension, and enhances their own writing. - The class size is small, and the teachers know exactly where each child is so that the right level of attention is given. - The best thing is that Bridges inspires passion in writing. My daughter didn't like writing that much before, and it was her weak area. Now her writings are wowed by her teachers at school, and they couldn't believe a 4th grader could write so well! read more

Our 3 sons have been attending Bridges Writing Institute for several years now. It has made such an improvement in their writing skills I cannot even begin to explain. Our now 9th grader began with BRWI when he was in 5th grade. His ERB scores when up each year substantially after he was enrolled at Bridges. He told us that the A's he was receiving in school and his test scores would not have been possible without his teachings from Bridges. Our family has been so impressed with Jeanne, Sam and their teachers. It is like no other program we have invested in for our three sons. I highly recommend it to anyone that is either struggling or wants to take their high achiever to the next level. read more

My 7th grade daughter has been going to Bridges for a few years now. Bridges focuses on building writing foundation for kids, not just to deal with test or school homework. I am so glad that we started with Bridges early because middle school language art class is a lot more challenging than grade school, and my daughter is well prepared by Bridges. The director, Ms. Jeanne, is a true educator. She knows the strengths and weaknesses of each child. All the teachers there genuinely want to help the kids to write and read better and Mr. Benjamin always brings lot of fun to the kids. I am just so glad that I found Bridges for my daughter. read more

My daughter had a fantastic experience in the two week creative writing workshop this summer. She rated it an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10! She enjoyed her teachers and acquired new skills. Plus, she wrote an amazing fantasy fiction story. We are very pleased and will look for more opportunities for further study. read more