BJU Press Blog

Megan

7 Energy-Busting Activities for Your Homeschool

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energy busting activities
I live in South Carolina, and lately it has been very, very wet around here. And since my four young children do not particularly like sitting still, my 1700-square-foot home has been extremely noisy. That makes homeschooling challenging because, with so much pent-up energy, my school-age daughters have had a difficult time focusing. Sometimes, we just need to do some activities to keep us going.

Physical activity is important to mental health. My brain, like the brains of my four children, performs much better when we’ve had some kind of physical exercise. Below are ideas for some quick physical activities that you and your children can do together. Not only will they help you release some of that built-up energy, but they will also improve your focus for a better homeschool day.

Indoor Exercise

Technology can be a great help for quick, kid-friendly workout routines. Here are a few technology-aided workouts that we enjoy:

  • Animal Workouts (Alexa® Skill): If you have an Alexa-enabled device in your home, try the Animal Workouts Skill. Your device will lead you and your children through a routine in which you all pretend to be different animals. For example, you’ll be running in place like a jaguar, swinging your arms like a monkey, and hopping around like a kangaroo. My kids think it’s hilarious.
  • Home Workout (available on Google Play™): This app is geared more toward adults, but my fitness-loving second grader doesn’t let that stop her from using it. Most workouts take less than 15 minutes, but they are pretty intense.
  • Sworkit Kids (available on Google Play™): This app is similar to the Home Workout app but is more geared towards kids. I like that you can customize the workout based on how much time you have.

Outdoor Exercise

Some days, the kids just need to get outside, even if it’s raining or freezing cold. Here are a few of our favorite fresh-air exercises:

  • Taking a walk: Walking is a popular exercise in our family. If you enjoy walking with your kids, you may want to check out a post I wrote about how walking can also be an outdoor learning adventure.
  • Running around the house: Sometimes, when I notice that one of my daughters is having trouble concentrating, I send her outside and tell her to run around the house a certain number of times as fast as she can. It’s amazing what five minutes of running can do to sharpen her focus!
  • Timed races: Like many kids, my daughters are a bit competitive. They love to “win” even if they are competing against themselves. I often time them as they run down the driveway, race their bikes around the block, or roller skate to the mailbox. The presence of the stopwatch encourages them to try their hardest.
  • Puddle-jumping: Every once in awhile, after it rains, the kids pull on their rain boots, and we take a walk. The kids jump in ever puddle they can find and hold contests to see who can make the biggest splash. It’s a good mental and physical break for everyone.

These are just a few of the ways that we release energy to improve our focus. What are some of your homeschool’s favorite energy-busting activities? We would love to hear about them in the comments below!

Six Tips to Make the Most of Homeschool Conventions

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homeschool conventions
When I attended my first homeschool convention a few months before I started homeschooling, I went as an unsure, half-terrified mom. I had no idea how to even get started homeschooling. I arrived at the conference ready to soak up all the information that I possibly could. I’ve gained confidence since then, but I still go to homeschool conventions. They provide me much-needed support and inspiration, but they do require an investment.

In order to make the most of your experience, you will need to invest both time and financial resources. Below are some tips for all of you—whether veterans or newbies—who are headed to a convention this year.

Before You Go

  1. Choose the ticket that meets your needs.
    Homeschool conventions offer different price packages depending on how long you stay and whether you want to attend workshops. Although the cost may cause you to hesitate, I highly recommend trying to attend the workshops not just the main sessions. That said, a day-long shopping pass alone is usually worth the admission cost. Some conventions even offer free shopping passes for one evening during the conference. If you choose to go to the vendor hall during the free shopping period, be prepared to deal with crowds. And do some curriculum research beforehand because the time goes by quickly!
  2. Schedule your time.
    If you do decide to attend workshops, check the convention website a few days before you go to view the workshop schedule and speaker information. Make note of the workshops that interest you, and be sure to set aside some “free time” for shopping. I recommend that you include at least two one-hour blocks of time for the vendor hall.
  3. Plan your budget.
    Conventions provide wonderful opportunities to shop for homeschool curriculum and supplies—you can often get better deals at a convention than you can through a company’s website. Before you go, make a list of what you need for the upcoming school year and decide on your budget.

During the Convention

  1. Don’t be shy.
    As an introvert, I don’t particularly like talking to people that I’ve never met. But I’ve found that the greatest benefit of going to a homeschool convention is connecting with others in the homeschool community. You will probably meet someone who’s struggling with the same things you once did that you can encourage. Or you will meet someone who’s a little bit further along in the homeschool journey that you can glean some wisdom from. Take advantage of the opportunity to build relationships with people. Those relationships will be invaluable to you when homeschooling gets tough.
  2. Try to attend some keynote presentations.
    There is something pretty special about being part of a large group of people that is unified around a common purpose. That’s why attending keynote sessions at a homeschool conference is so beneficial. I always find my resolve to homeschool strengthened as I sit there surrounded by hundreds of other homeschoolers. It’s a great reminder that I am not alone in this homeschool journey.
  3. Review curriculum options.
    A homeschool convention vendor hall can sometimes be intimidating—there are a ton of homeschool products available. Take the time to check them out before you buy. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. One of my favorite questions to ask vendors is “How is your product different from anyone else’s?” It’s also helpful to talk to vendors about your child’s specific needs so that you can get a better sense of whether a product will be a good fit for your homeschool. Finally, involve your spouse in the decision-making process. Not only will he or she help you discern the best homeschool curriculum for your family, but you will likely have more success with your choice if you make the decision together.

If you’re headed to a homeschool convention this year, be sure to stop by the BJU Press booth! Read more about BJU Press convention discounts, and use our interactive map to locate a homeschool convention near you. We hope to see you there!

4 Thoughts on Retaking Tests

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how do you feel about retaking tests?
I looked at my daughter’s spelling test in disbelief. She had failed it. She had never failed anything before, so the fact that she had missed almost half her spelling words was a bit of a shock. And I was now faced with a question I had never faced before in my homeschool: was retaking tests the way to go?

Retaking tests is something that I, as a homeschool mom, have the liberty to allow. But is it a good practice? Here are some considerations.

  • I want my child to master the content being taught.

Tests really have one main purpose—to help me as a mom know if my child is learning what he or she is supposed to learn. A failed test is not something that I can ignore because it means that my daughter didn’t learn the content. She needs to learn that content, and I need a way to assess whether she learned it. Allowing her to retake tests is one of several ways for me to verify that she has truly mastered the material. But some other concerns come into play.

  • I want my child to learn academic diligence.

We as humans have a sinful bent toward laziness. I know I do. That’s why the book of Proverbs spends so much time encouraging us to be diligent. It tells us that the diligent will “have plenty of bread,” “will rule,” and “will be made fat [or rich].” In contrast, the lazy person “craves and gets nothing” and “will be put to forced labor.” I want my daughter to learn diligence in all areas of life—including her schoolwork—but if she knows that she can retake a test whenever she receives a poor grade, she will be less likely to be diligent in her test preparation.

  • I want my child to learn academic honesty.

Let’s say my daughter takes a science test and earns a 60%. She then goes and studies really hard (especially the questions she knows are on the test), retakes the test, and earns a 95%. Is it honest for me to put that 95% in my gradebook? She had an unfair advantage over most students, and that 95% is not an accurate representation of her level of mastery of the material.

As a mom, I want my daughter to look good. I want her to be smart and successful. But it is more important to me that she be a woman of integrity.

  • I want my child to learn how to deal with failure.

In life, we often don’t get second chances. If we botch a job interview, we won’t likely get called back for another one. If we forget to pay our mortgage bill, our credit score is going to be affected. I want my daughter to learn from her mistakes, and she must also learn that mistakes usually have consequences. It may sound harsh, but I believe that it’s OK to let my daughter fail and face the consequences for her failure. Learning to deal with failure is an important part of the maturing process.

So what did I do about that failed test? I had my daughter review that same spelling list the next week. But I didn’t change her grade. Since that test, she’s become more diligent in her weekly test preparation—and her grades testify to her diligence. I think she learned something even more valuable than a list of tricky spelling words.

Accepting Homeschool Help: Easier Than You Thought

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accepting homeschool help
I never enjoy accepting help, particularly homeschool help. I’ve always had a very independent personality. In fact, whenever my grandma talks about me as a child, she always talks about one thing—how self-sufficient I was, even as a toddler. And I never really grew out of it. Even now, I hesitate to pick up the phone to ask a friend to watch the kids. And if someone asks me how homeschooling is going, the answer is often an enthusiastic “Great!” even if I cried five times the day before.

Homeschooling Is Hard

But the Lord is slowly working to cut away at that thick, hard shell of pride that has enveloped me. He’s used my circumstances to show me how weak I really am and how much I do need help. One of the circumstances that He has used is homeschooling.

When I first started homeschooling, I had no idea how hard it was going to be. I was a homeschool grad, and my parents made it look pretty easy. But I realize now that there were so many things that I didn’t see as a child. I never saw the late night grading marathons or planning sessions, the early morning prep-work, the constant challenge of balancing homeschooling with the rest of life. I started wishing that my whole kitchen had a self-clean feature. It didn’t take me long to realize that homeschooling is hard. Really hard.

Not Going It Alone

Thankfully, that first year, my husband had the foresight to know that I couldn’t do it all alone. I was going to need to accept some homeschool help whether or not I wanted to admit it. He encouraged me to include a few BJU Press Distance learning courses alongside the textbook subject kits that we ordered. Initially, we used Bible 2, English 2, and Science 2—only three courses, but what a difference they made!

I decided that year that I loved BJU Press Distance Learning courses. Here’s why:

  • They held my daughter’s attention. In fact, I never felt that I had to sit with her to make sure she was paying attention. I was free to do other things—like clean the kitchen—while knowing that she was getting an incredible education.
  • They enhanced my daughter’s learning experience in a way that I never could. These courses include features such as video tours, interviews, and dramas. Replicating the same experience would have taken me hours—hours that, as a homeschool mom, I didn’t have.
  • They did all the hard work for me. I didn’t have to think about how to pace the course, how to grade her work, how to make each lesson interesting, or how to explain a difficult concept. Now, they didn’t eliminate all the work; I still had to grade papers and do some prep work, but overall these courses saved me tons of time.

As our children grew—we have three school-age children now—we have added more Distance Learning courses. These video courses have not just become important timesavers for me—they have become sanity savers. I’m honestly not sure how our homeschool would function without them.

If you’re looking for help in your homeschool, I would highly recommend that you try a Distance Learning course. Preview any of the courses on the BJU Press YouTube Channel, and check the special offers page for current discounts. You’ll be amazed at the difference Distance Learning can make!

Interpreting Test Results for Your Homeschool Child

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interpreting test results
Standardized achievement testing is an important part of my homeschool. We test our children every year to see how they’re growing academically. And as I mentioned in my post “How My Family Benefited from Standardized Testing,” we’ve found that standardized testing provides a lot of other benefits too.

Nevertheless, if you’ve never tested your child before, the test result PDF you receive on your BJU Press Homeschool account may be a little intimidating. You might find yourself wondering “What does it all mean?” and “What should I do with all this information?” Let me walk you through interpreting test results so that you can understand where your child is academically and how you can best help him or her in the future.

Interpreting Test Results

Understanding Norms

It’s important to understand that your child’s test results don’t compare him or her to other current homeschool students in a particular grade. Your child’s score is a comparison to a norm group. A norm group comes from a group of students in a particular grade across the nation—from both public and private schools. These students all took the same test at a similar point in their academic year.

However, keep in mind that the Stanford Achievement Test was recently re-normed so that your child is being compared only to students who attended private schools. This means that the average score on the current Stanford Achievement Test is going to be quite high.

National Percentage Rank (NPR)

If you are using The Iowa Test® (the test that my family uses), you will probably notice right away the national percentile rank (NPR) score for each subtest on the first page. The NPR score indicates the percentage of students who scored lower than your child. For example, if your child had a NPR rank of 89 in Social Studies, that would mean that your child did better than 89 percent of students who took that same Social Studies subtest. Since NPR rankings above 75 are considered above average, an 89 would be a very good score. Scores ranging from 25 to 74 are considered in the average range, and scores 24 and lower are considered below average.

So—hypothetically speaking—if your child scored an NPR of 92 on the Math Total, you could be very confident of his or her readiness to tackle some more advanced math concepts. But if he or she scored a 32, you would probably want to note the weak areas and possibly slow down on (or even re-teach) some of those more difficult concepts before moving on.

National Stanines (NS)

The single-digit numbers that you see on your test results are national stanines. Stanines are another way to communicate where your child is in relationship to the average. An NS score of 5 is average. Scores between 6 and 9 are considered above average, and scores 1 through 4 are considered below average.

Grade Equivalent (GE)

The grade equivalent score is perhaps the most confusing and the most often misinterpreted score in your achievement test results. What does it mean if your third grader has a GE of 8.7 in reading? It doesn’t mean that your student is ready for eighth grade work. And it also doesn’t mean that your third grader is reading at an eighth grade level. It only means that your child did as well on this particular test as an eighth grader would.  High GE scores can be confidence boosters—they indicate that your child has mastered the material on the test. They don’t indicate what grade your child should be in.

Drilling Down to Spot Weak Areas

When you look at your achievement test results, you will want to look deeper than just composite scores. Be sure to check the breakdown of scores for each subtest to see if there are any problem areas. For example, let’s pretend that your child has a composite math score of 88 (a great  score), but when you dig deeper into the report, you notice that the geometry score was actually only a 29. This is valuable information—now you know that your child probably needs some extra practice with those geometry concepts.

If you don’t understand what some of those breakdown categories are, or if you need some ideas for how to strengthen some of those areas your child is weak in, please call BJU Press Testing & Evaluation. They have some awesome, very knowledgeable staff members who would love to talk with you.  You can also explore the various achievement tests they offer through Testing & Evaluation.