I simply cannot say enough good things about WriteAtHome as a resource for homeschooling families! I've been so pleased with all of my kids' writing coaches and have seen clear results of the success of your program in improving writing skills and in helping each of my kids find his/her particular writing "voice." I'm not fond of teaching writing myself but do want my kids to have good writing skills, so it's a real blessing to me to be able to turn the job over to WriteAtHome's coaches and rest easy in the knowledge that the job will be done for me, and done well.
I also cannot say enough good things about [our writing coach] in particular. Over the past couple of years, she has provided wonderful coaching and feedback for L., who is a challenged learner. The moral support and encouragement along with extensively detailed and clear explanations have enabled L. to work much more independently that I would have ever thought possible. She is thrilled with her progress, and so am I. L.'s educational advisor was equally impressed, too, when L.'s scores on the writing tests and subtests of her annual evaluation in June 2009 jumped an impressive several age-equivalent levels over the Sept 2008 scores - we're talking improvement in two categories of 2+ and 5+ years! :)
Holly B.
I have felt blessed to have found WriteAtHome. With WriteAtHome, I don't have to be a great writer to teach my children to write well. The coaches do that!
Pam C.
I spoke with you late last year, as my friend...recommended WriteAtHome to us. We have just finished your Middle School writing course. I just wanted to let you know that my son took his end of year tests, which is always the Woodcock Johnson. Up till this year, he remained at the exact same grade level in the writing category of the tests, even though I had really made an effort to teach him. This year he showed significant improvement. ...We attribute this to the writing course at WriteAtHome. [Our coach] was a great person to work with my son, very gracious and understanding of his hesitancy in writing. I do think he felt encouraged by his improvement. Can't thank you enough.
Amy B.
I can't begin to tell you how pleased we are with WriteAtHome. I saw the program at the MACHE conference last year. Even though we were unsure of how it would work we thought --let's give it a try. .. Last year we would all be in tears before [my son] had completed two sentences. (To say nothing of the quality of those two sentences.) Yesterday he said, "I want to check WriteAtHome to see if I have a new assignment. He now talks about writing a book. My son was an extremely creative third grade that found the teachers comments in traditional school...intimidating and uninspiring. [Our coach's] personal approach has helped him find his creativity and desire to write. Over the holidays he actually wrote without prompting and then posted his writing to a fanfiction site.WriteAtHome has taken the scariest part of homeschooling and made it an enjoyable part of our day.
Deb D
My son has just completed his first WriteAtHome course. He and I are both very pleased with the experience.
I make my living as a graphic designer and hack writer. About half of what I write is copy for promotional material such as ads, brochures, newsletters and websites. The remainder of the editorial work I do is ghostwriting. Many of my clients are professionals - surgeons, engineers and business executives - who engage my ghostwriting services because they do not feel confident about their ability to write well or they fear they can't write quickly and clearly.
It is hard for me to be completely objective about my children's writing and, after six years of home schooling, it was getting harder for my son to respond to constructive editing from me. His writing skills are still developing and in need of guidance. I would not like to see him grow up to be one of those professionals who need to hire a ghostwriter.
Over his objections, I decided to outsource the job of coaching his writing.
S. has high standards for instruction and no patience for mediocre classes.
He was so reluctant to enroll in the class, I was afraid he wouldn't put much effort into his work.
After he received feedback on his first assignment, he was hooked. He wanted to please his coach, he purred over her positive notes and enjoyed tweaking his work to improve it. He liked the feeling of independence he got from working with an outside coach. He even liked the interface - uploading and downloading files, taking his edits from a PDF file, etc.
WriteAtHome gave us a little more time to work on other areas together and gave me some time to work on my own projects.
There is no better endorsement for the program than this: he asked me to enroll him in a WriteAtHome course for next school year.
Lisa C
I just wanted to let you know what a great year it has been. You may recall, I was a bit skeptical last August. My son has had a wonderful experience writing this year, and he has always been intimidated by writing. Your program has allowed him the freedom to choose, in many cases, what he writes about and that has led to a very positive learning experience for him. I would have never dreamed the progress he has made and there is very little arguing about getting the assignments done. Your coaches have been fabulous with very constructive feedback.
I have recommended your program to others. Thank you.
Laurie M.
I'd like to extend my thanks to my daughters' writing coach...I feel much more confident in my daughters' writing abilities after reading [her] unbiased comments. Thank you for your wonderful program.
Tracy M
My son, J., is in the one-semester, Foundations course, and I just wanted to let you and his coach...know that I really appreciate what you are doing. J. eagerly writes (and re-writes!) his compositions. This has always been an area of contention in our homeschool, and it is so great to see him blossom.
Lydia C.
After taking your courses, our first daughter, who is in college (and who used to hate writing before WriteAtHome), is studying to be an English/Lit/Writing Teacher and has carried a 3.8-4.0 average, and our other daughter scored a perfect score on the essay writing part of the SAT. Thank you teachers of WriteAtHome!
Cynthia F.
I just had to write to tell you how pleased I am with the writing coach my son, Scott, has for Composition 1 this year. I am really impressed with the way his coach, . . . both encourages and challenges him in his writing. She gives helpful, constructive criticism and really seems to want to work with him to improve his writing. . . .She obviously puts a lot of effort into her work and I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate it.
Christine G
I think if we hadn't stumbled across your site, he might not be such a serious candidate for top colleges. He is one of the top math students in the country, but even Caltech and MIT expect you to be able to write!
Laura
Words cannot express the gratefulness that I have for this course, and for [our writing coach].
I have to admit, I was fearful for [my son]. He hasn't had the greatest experience with his writing, and for me, I just don't know how to inspire him. He was beginning to show signs of frustration by lesson 2, and I was wondering if we had made a mistake putting this pressure on him.
Then, we received [his] first returned paper, [the coach's] comments were so encouraging, and so thoughtful - [our son] was literally jumping up and down with joy! The smile on his face just brought tears to my eyes! This is the best response I have ever seen from him for a writing assignment! [He] is hooked, and is actually looking forward to his next assignment! Unbelievable! Thank you, thank you so much, and please send our heartfelt thanks to [our coach] as well. She is a blessing to us!
Eileen
I can't believe what you have done with my daughter. She has always been a good writer, and honestly, never fussed at being asked to complete assignments. I simply enrolled her in WriteAtHome because I needed a break from the responsiblity on my part to assign and review her writing. In just two short weeks, I realize that this was the greatest decision I made for this school year. Her eagerness for writing has blossomed amazingly. She devours the assignments and wishes there were more. Somehow, you have been able to pull out of her creativity and ideas that I didn't know existed; and she hasn't even recieved the first comment from her coach! She loves the fact that she now has "designated computer time" and, if allowed, would spend every moment of her day working on a WriteAtHome assignment. (Oh, the poor writing coach if I allowed that to happen.) It is now great to be on the OTHER SIDE of the program and see, first hand, how wonderfuly it works with students.
Jennifer B.
WriteAtHome was such a blessing for us last year and we are excited for this year as well. I know you must hear this all the time, but my son hated writing until we started WriteAtHome. He now not only likes writing, but also has confidence like never before, which has positively affected much more than just writing for us. He was really nervous when he turned in his first paper, but after getting it back the first time he was excited thereafter for the positive and constructive feedback he knew he would receive.
Cristi P.
Dear Writeathome, I just wanted to take a few minutes to thank you, and our writing coach, for your fantastic writing lessons. I have both of my daughters enrolled in your Composition One class and they have found that they actually enjoy writing. Before this, writing always produced tears in our home. We are so thankful for the support and encouragement they have had for each assignment. They both look forward to seeing what their writing coach has to say each week when they check the website for their returned papers. Thanks again,
Paula N.
I don't know how many people tell you but, your [service] is awesome! Thanks so much for creating it! It's the only writing curriculum that has worked for me. Now I'm enjoying writing and I'm actually impressing a few people too. (The lessons are fun to read too.) Thank you so much.
Alyssa
Thank you for the great service you provide. I have always enjoyed writing, so I was surprised when I found it to be much more difficult to teach writing than I originally thought!
When we signed C. up for your ½ year course, we were hoping her technique would be strengthened and possibly that her level of self-confidence in writing would improve. She has received so much more from your program.
The friendliness and warmth she felt from her coach’s communication has guided her gently through the ‘process’ of writing, and through that process, she has become a better writer. The bonus is, C. now enjoys writing! She is so looking forward to "meeting" and working with her new coach for this year's program.
Thank you, again, WriteAtHome!
Janice F.
I wanted to give you an update on J--. He took the SAT's at age 13 in January and scored a whopping 760 out of 800 points on the Critical Reading Section, 1st place in the State of Maryland, scoring higher than 98% of high school seniors across the country.He also scored 655 in Writing.
The reason I am telling you this, other than unabashed pride, is that I strongly feel that he scored so well, in part, due to the rigorous curriculum that Write-at-Home offered, and also due to the great feedback from his writing coaches. Reading and writing are flip sides of the same coin.Your assignments were varied and purposeful, and the coaches helped him to think analytically about the written word. Please forward this to all of Jason's writing coaches. I am most appreciative of their time, consistency and expertise. Jason's scores are testimony to the strength of your program and the quality of your coaches.
Marla C.
I want to thank you personally for your wonderful input for Jordan this year. He absolutely hates writing and it takes hours to complete an assignment, but your constant encouragement kept him going. At the end of an assignment that he had labored (!) over for hours, he usually felt good with the finished product. His topics were truly an extension of his personality, so you’ve now got a pretty good idea of what makes him tick! He looked forward to logging on each Thursday and reading your comments. I am glad you found him so entertaining. He found you very entertaining as well! Thank you for being very relatable to a young teenage boy – and making comments about his writing and choice of words that would make him laugh out loud. You truly motivated him to reach a little deeper. Even he says he thinks he has learned a lot this year from you. Perhaps there really is a future writer tucked in there somewhere – he sure doesn’t think so!
Jordan’s mom
Mr. B---, Thank you very much for an amazingly positive, encouraging and instructive writing class. You balanced your comments perfectly between legitimate criticisms and compliments. What we really want is for our kids to learn how to write well and communicate effectively. We want them to be taught the mechanics and art of good writing, not just get a grade. At the same time, because we home school, we are happy to get outside grading when we can. So this has been a perfect fit. You have no idea what a help you were. He respected your opinion. You seemed to really spend time reading, commenting and correcting his papers--you always picked up on changes he had made. If [our son] didn't think so before, he at least believes he can write now, and you have been instrumental in this confidence. This of course feeds on itself as he wants to try even more now. Wow! What a positive experience.
Lisa
Thanks for a great semester. We are signing up for an entire year next year. J---- has grown so much in his writing. He is my gifted in "Math and Science" child. Writing has never been his area of interest. I appreciate the ability to show the worried relatives that he can write! Thanks again,
Kathy
Thanks for a great year at Write@Home! I've learned an astonishing amount of stuff thanks to you and it couldn't have been more fun! I know I've been a pain sometimes, but thanks for suffering though with me ;} Thanks again.
Cy
[My son] actually enjoyed working on his assignments, felt good about his writing, and looked forward to [his writing coach's] comments each week. He enjoyed the variety of assignments and I appreciated the various elements of writing being addressed by the different tasks. [His coach] did a marvelous job of fostering a sense of pride and achievement and of focusing B.'s attention on certain finite aspects of his writing at a time. I saw B.'s writing grow tremendously and was so grateful for the way the course helped him develop a more positive attitude about writing. B. was actually disappointed when the course was over and, needless to say, so was I!
B. has gone back to school this year or he would certainly have enrolled in another of your classes. However, we have recommended your program to a number of people and if B. ever returns to homeschooling we'll definitely be back ourselves. His English teacher has told me that B. is one of the best writers in his sixth grade class! WriteAtHome definitely contributed to the successful foundation of skills and increased confidence that B. has taken back to school. Thank You!
Ellen W.
Dear WriteAtHome, I just finished sending in my last assignment. I wanted to tell you how good the program has been for me. Before I took this course I was not very confident in my writing. Through the encouraging and helpful coaching of my teacher,...I was able to gain confidence in myself and my work. I also learned a lot about how to check my compositions. I'm starting high school next year, and this course has helped me to know I can do well. Thank you again.
Skylar B., Age 14
This year our 14-year-old son enrolled in the Composition 1. We are so pleased with WriteAtHome and his writing coach that we encourage others to check out WriteAtHome, and we intend to re-enroll our son (and enroll our daughter) next year. You have met a need for our homeschool, and we appreciate everything about the program.You must be working very hard behind the scenes to keep it running so smoothly.
Thanks!
Kevin and Sheri F., Indianapolis, Indiana
I just wanted to let you know that my daughter, who had three years of WriteAtHome courses and workshops, was well-prepared when she went to college last year. The composition professor set very high standards for my daughter's composition class, noting that in seven years of teaching at that university, she had given only a handful of A's, just a few B's with a majority of the students receiving C's. My daughter received an A- in the class which I believe can be attributed to her hard work and a good writing foundation from WriteAtHome.
Thank you,
Suzanne B
This course was very beneficial to my son who goes to school in a second language (we are American missionaries living overseas)and does not have any writing coursework in that language. This was his first time to formally write in English and he not only did well and learned the basics, but loved the assignments! The weekly feedback from his instructor was a highlight for him. I highly recommend this course.
Connie P.
I just received your first newsletter and forwarded it to the leader of our homeschool support group in hopes that she'll send it to everyone in the group. My son took the 6th grade composition course this past school year and we were VERY impressed. The lessons were clear and easy to understand, the assignments were interesting and allowed him to exercise his creativity, which he enjoyed. He never complained about having to do his writing assignment. I'm not sure he even really thought of it as "school work." The writing coach did a very good job of being encouraging while correcting his work. My husband and I saw a big improvement in Jason's writing over the year. We have already signed up both him and our 11 year old for this year. And at least one of my friends (and I believe a second) have signed their sons up as well. Thanks for providing this valuable resource!
Christine G.
You were a huge help and encouragement to me this year in helping me homeschool my four teenagers. . . .You took the burden of assigning, reading, editing, correcting, grading, and encouraging their writings. It was such a relief to me. Your program is simple, straight forward, and best of all, "kid-friendly."
I appreciate how responsive you were when there were questions or problems and how gracefully you handled them. The kids were suspicious (of something new) but surprised even themselves by how much they enjoyed WriteAtHome. I graduated the oldest, and hope to register the next three for another year.
Laurie L.
This semester was our first time with WriteAtHome. Mrs. ___ has been a great coach. My daughter and I can't wait for Wednesdays to get new assignments and see her comments. She has been such a positive coach. This course has filled the one area I didn't feel confident teaching Lauren. Thank you so much for offering such a great service. We will be enrolling again for next year. Mrs. ___ has taken a grueling subject and made it fun. Her comments are so helpful. Now Lauren doesn't want the semester to end. Thanks so much.
Rebecca L.
I just wanted to let you know that [my children] have both enjoyed their writing course, and…their coach has been very encouraging to them. They are developing their skills and I have been very satisfied with the course. It is everything you say it is on your web site…I give it my strongest endorsement…Many people are intimidated by the thought of teaching high school coursework, and you are offering incredible support for an important skill area. It's worth every penny.
Melinda Boring,
Author of Heads Up Helping: Teaching Tips and Techniques for Working with ADD, ADHD, and other Children with Challenges
I am quite pleased with the 7th grade composition course. The first two assignments allowed a brief introduction of my children to their writing coach, followed by some great basic writing building blocks. The lessons and assignments are concise and clear.
I have appreciated [our Coach's] comments on returned papers; encouragement with correction I would call it. I am grateful to have help giving my children guidance in their writing. I believe an objective observation of their writing is necessary and at times wonder if I allow for skills appropriate for their age. Thank you for providing this format.
Lisa V.
Just wanted to let you know, and also [our Writing Coach], how happy I am with the program so far. [Our Writing Coach's] comments on L---'s work have been just what I was hoping to see. I wanted a program that would be encouraging, and point out L---'s areas of strength, but also show her specifically where she could improve her writing.
Your "rubric" style grading system is excellent - this is exactly the kind of specific feedback I wanted to provide for L---, but needed help to do so. This program is a definite keeper.
… I have a son whom I would love to sign on! Typical of many boys, he has wonderful, creative ideas, yet just hates to write. Your format might just be the right "carrot" to dangle before him.
Pam B.
Our daughter, K--- has really enjoyed her … assignments and she loved reading the e-mail comments …. K--- likes to write and we feel that God has given her a writing gift. Thank you for providing this context (WriteAtHome) where she can develop her gift.
Ivy B.
I want to tell you how happy I am with your writing program. J----- is writing more than he used to, and not complaining about it! Often, when he reads [his Writing Coach's] comments, he shakes his head in disbelief at some of the mistakes he makes. (I do too, but that's not new for me -- it is for him!) On the other hand, he has been pleasantly surprised at [his Writing Coach's] appreciation of his writing abilities. He never thought of himself as a good writer, and his perception of his abilities is changing.
Patricia D.
Discussion Board post:
I want to preface by saying I'm in no way, shape, or form affiliated with this company. I'm just a very happy mom of a very happy kid who has only recently learned she can write.
My oldest daughter (12yo 9th grader) has always been a gun-shy writer, although she is a voracious reader and excellent student. She had recently expressed the wish to get over this hump and practice this skill. But I have such a problem teaching writing! It's the one skill that doesn't lend itself to self-teaching. Since I've evolved into more of a "facilitator" role with my daughter, I've found it hard to put on my teacher hat with her. Besides, writing is so subjective that it's difficult to know what to comment on and what to leave alone. On the suggestion of a friend and Brian's professional-looking website, I signed her up for the Write At Home semester course. I didn't really know what to expect, but this course has already exceeded any expectations I dared hoped it would meet.
The writing teachers at Write at Home are referred to as "coaches" and this seems to sum up the entire culture of the program. The course is run as a partnership rather than on an authoritarian model. The first lesson was on "humility" which I loved. Brian acknowledged how difficult it is for a person to share a piece of herself only to feel like she's opened herself up for criticism. He promised that the coaches would be gentle and helpful if the students promised to take the help in the spirit that it is offered.
My daughter has only done 2 assignments, but has thrived in this non-threatening, positive environment. She continually amazes herself (and me!) with the quality of writing she is turning out. Removing myself from the writing equation has been some of the best homeschooling money I've ever spent. I know a lot of people are planning what to do next school year (whatever that is for you LOL) and I wanted to throw this out there. Go take a look! If you've considered signing up for this course, I can't recommend it highly enough!
Barb F.
Through the lessons M------ is learning more about the finer points of writing than I could possibly teach her. She is attacking the assignments with spunk, and she seems to be finding her own voice as a writer. What parent wouldn't be pleased with that progress?
Kathie K.
We are enjoying all the feedback M----- has been receiving. She is growing in her writing skills and appreciation for writing. F---- and I are thankful for you and your program and your qualified and gracious coaches. We hope you feel the Father's pleasure as you use the skills and talents He has given you to help so many others.
Linda R.
Thank you for a wonderful writing program that is making my daughter realize the importance of writing and the writing process.
It is a very gentle approach that is ideal for the hesitant writer or one who lacks confidence in his/her writing ability. She actually looks forward to the assignments and appreciates the comments of her writing coach.
Monique R.
From a student:
I want to say thank you for your encouragement. I had my doubts about writing before I started this class. I am having a lot of fun and learning tons writing the homework for the class.
From a student:
I just wanted to say thank you so much, for being a great writing coach. When my parents signed me up for WriteAtHome I was really nervous that no one would like what I write. It has been so nice to get your feedback, and I think this was just what I needed to help me to become a better and more confident writer.
Thank you for all you've done for J------. She has gained a lot of confidence from this class, and your encouragement to her has been a tremendous blessing.
Kathy T.