Get a Jumpstart on the New School Year

It’s been quite an interesting summer, hasn’t it? COVID-19 is still affecting people across the country, and though the upcoming school year is scheduled to start in a mere couple of weeks in many states, parents are contemplating what to do with their children–as are school administrators, teachers, and other staff. It’s a very difficult decision, compounded by the fact that kids everywhere are most likely suffering from not only summer learning loss but also COVID learning loss.

That means that, even if schools do start on time (whether it’s in person, remote, or a hybrid), so many students will enter the new academic year further behind than they should be. On the surface, it may not seem like a big deal. “It was only a few months, right? How far behind could they be?” Well…

If those few months had come during the middle of the school year, it might be a different story. Because at least students would have returned to class later in the year to start relearning what may have been missed. But…add those few COVID-related months to another three months of summer, and you’ve got yourself nearly an entire school year of potentially lost learning. And that, unfortunately, does not just snap back like a rubber band. It takes time.

With summer nearing its unofficial end, there’s not a whole lot of prep time left for kids before the new academic year begins. But there are still ways for students to regain some of that lost momentum and knowledge so they’re caught up and ready for new challenges–refresher courses.

A refresher course is exactly what you probably think it is. It’s a course that reteaches the material that your child would’ve been learning in the classroom during the spring. Refresher courses, well, refresh kids’ memories so they remember the material and can apply it and build upon it. It may seem repetitive to them, but that’s kind of the point–to reinforce the lessons so they retain the information.

Fortunately, our amazing education partner Elephango offers equally amazing refresher courses called Jumpstart! If you enroll with Bridgeway Academy or subscribe to Elephango, you and your student will gain immediate (and free!) access to these Jumpstart courses focused on English language arts and math, so they’re ahead of the game once the new school year starts.

These courses were designed specifically to fill in the learning gaps and combat the learning loss many students suffered during spring school disruptions and hastily assembled distance learning caused by COVID-19, as well as the typical annual summer learning loss.

Like other Elephango courses, Jumpstart allows your child to work toward a badge (or award) by completing lessons. Students can also track their success on the Elephango Leaderboard, which helps further motivate kids and push them to greater heights. If you’re not an Elephango subscriber, you need to check out these courses. Why?

• They’re incredibly fun and engaging, with interactive games, activities, videos, and downloadable resources and content relevant to each specific lesson.
• They’re personalized to your child’s personality and learning style. Each course is categorized by learning/personality type, so once Elephango knows how your student learns, it will offer a personalized course list. By explaining the subject matter in the way that your student learns best and by connecting learning to real life, we create “Ah-ha” moments for your child. Lightbulbs go off and connections are made as they grasp a concept or idea.
• Elephango can be used as part of homeschool curriculum and/or as a schoolwork helper and breaks down subjects and topics into mini-lessons. Elephango keeps your learner engaged as they dig deeper into topics of interest, find answers to questions, and enjoy learning about new things.

Elephango subscriptions run for one year, so not only do you get to take advantage of the Jumpstart refresher courses, but you can also use Elephango all through the school year to supplement your child’s learning.

Of course, if you want to take TOTAL control of your child’s education while knowing they’ll be in a safe environment, homeschooling just might be the way to go. Parents across the globe are turning to homeschooling–even for just one year–as the solution to both of those issues rather than waiting to see what school districts come up with for the upcoming school year.

Bridgeway offers homeschooling for any and every type of student. We provide your child with a learning style assessment to determine what type of learner he or she is. From there, we can help you create a personalized program based on your child’s strengths. Choose from any of our independent study programs, such as full-year Grade Level Kits, Live Online Classes, textbook learning, a blended online/textbook option, and more!

Or enroll in our academy, where you get to choose from any of our Total Care program options, plus receive full support from an academic advisor all year long as well as accreditation.

The 2020-21 school year is shaping up to be one filled with uncertainty. Children are already behind in school through no fault of their own, and who knows how the rest of the school year will ultimately play out? But there are answers to both learning loss and students being at the mercy of school districts’ decisions as well as COVID-19–Jumpstart courses from Elephango and homeschooling with Bridgeway.

We’re here for you if you have any questions about homeschooling, so please don’t hesitate to call us at (800) 863-1474 for more information.