BJU Press Blog

Megan

6 Reasons I Love Online Video Lessons

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online video lessons
I never expected to love online video lessons. When my husband and I first started homeschooling, we used the DVD video lessons from BJU Press. We loved the video content and the high-quality textbooks that came with the program. But I found that I didn’t love managing all those DVDs. Often my daughter would forget to put the DVD back in the case when she was finished with it. Or she would return it to the wrong case. Sometimes she also put the wrong DVD into the player and ended up watching the wrong lesson. These frustrations were magnified when we started homeschooling our second child. I was so ready for an easier solution.

The online video lessons were that easier solution. It provided our family with the same video lesson content that we appreciated so much. It came with the same amazing textbooks—as well as with a lot of “extras” that have made my life as a homeschool mom so much easier. Here’s what I’ve come to love about the online program.

1. The Online Gradebook

Grading (and grade recording) has always been my least favorite part of homeschooling, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much easier it is with online lessons. All the answer keys are available digitally, so I no longer have to store (and hunt for) bulky teacher editions or parent guides. The online program also takes care of all the math involved, and it’s easy to filter the gradebook by grading period, assignment type, or date. It’s also easy to skip assignments that I don’t want my children to do. They can even see their current grades (but not make changes), which is very motivational. Starting this year, my fifth grader will also be able to take many of her assessments online (less grading for me!).

2. The Guide for Online Video Lessons

I’m not sure why, but when we were using DVDs, my children always had difficulty selecting the correct lesson. The online program has eliminated that problem by providing an online road map for every lesson. My children know exactly what they are supposed to do next. This feature has saved us a lot of frustration, and it has helped my children become more independent in regard to their schoolwork.

3. The Video Player

Have you ever wished you could speed up or slow down a lesson? The online video player lets you do just that—with very little effort, you can adjust the speed of the video so that it is just right for your child.

4. The eTextbooks

Not long ago, one of my children lost her science textbook. We searched for it everywhere but couldn’t find it for weeks (it had fallen behind one of our bookshelves). But school went on as usual. One reason it could was that that science textbook was available digitally on the online platform. I was so thankful! Not all textbooks are available in eTextbook format (only the ones that your child would not normally write in, like a science textbook). But you still get all the printed textbooks if you purchase online video lessons using the “with books” option.

5. The Online Parent Community

Homeschooling can often feel like a lonely venture, but not so with the online program. If I have a question about any of my children’s courses or about the online platform itself, there’s always someone ready to help me. I’ve been inspired to see what some other homeschool moms are doing with their children. It’s great to know that I’m not in this alone!

6. The Digital Resources for Online Video Lessons

I’ve already mentioned that the answer keys are available digitally to help with grading, but there are also tons of other digital resources right at my fingertips, such as student handouts, instructional aids, and extended activities. These resources help me better teach my child and save me a lot of time and frustration when something goes missing. I can even access the complete teacher editions through the online platform!

If you’re like me, you probably feel that the “online” aspect of the video lessons is the scariest part. A lot of horrible stuff is out there online, and even the “good” stuff can be very distracting for many students. Reading “How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Web” was very useful for me because it helped me realize what safeguards I can put in place to make sure learning happens in a safe, controlled way.

If you and your family need an “easier” homeschool solution, check out BJU Press’s online video lessons. You’ll be glad you did!

Loving My Neighbor with a Strawberry Cobbler

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loving my neighbor with a strawberry cobbler
I love to cook, and I especially love to bake. But a while back, I found myself in a quandary. I had three guests in my house. One was on a grain-free diet. Another was vegan. And I had no idea what to make for dessert. I had some fresh fruit in the house—including a large container of fresh strawberries—but all my usual strawberry dessert recipes had been ruled out. How could I possibly make a dessert that had no eggs, no dairy products, and no grains of any kind? Did such a thing even exist?

Showing Love with Food

People all over the world use food to nurture relationships with each other. Many of my own relationships have been built and maintained over a shared meal, a shared plate of cookies, or even a shared table at the local coffee shop. Food is an important tool that we as Christian homeschool moms can use to show love to our neighbors.

But, as I realized that afternoon in my kitchen, sometimes cooking for other people can get complicated. I’ve been blessed with a husband and children who can eat just about anything I care to cook. But many families in my church and some members of my extended family deal with food allergies and other dietary restrictions on a daily basis. How could I love my neighbor when they come to my home? By caring enough to adjust my cooking to fit their needs.

That afternoon, I managed to substitute my way through a strawberry cobbler recipe in order to meet the needs of my guests. To be honest, it wasn’t awesome, and I probably wouldn’t duplicate it even if I could remember the recipe. But it wasn’t a disaster. And it said “I care” in a very tangible way that went a long way toward making my guests feel welcome. In that sense, it was a very big win.

Cooking for Others with Dietary Restrictions

Here are a few tips that I’ve learned about caring for people with dietary restrictions.

  • Before you take someone a food item or have people over to your home for a meal, ask if there is anything that they can’t eat or don’t prefer to eat or if they are on a specialized diet (such as paleo). That way, you can avoid any potentially awkward moments.
  • Read the ingredients lists on food labels. Some items have ingredients that you would never expect. (Bottled salad dressings and other sauces can be particularly tricky.)
  • Pay attention to how recipes work. If you know what each ingredient contributes, you’ll find it easier to figure out substitutions.
  • Encourage your kids to eat whatever you fix, especially if you have guests in your home. I fix vegan meals on a fairly regular basis now, and my four young daughters eat whatever is placed in front of them. It’s their way of loving our guests and making them feel welcome.

And here are a couple of my favorite variations on the classic strawberry pie that are tailored to meet some specific dietary needs.

Scripture for Your Homeschool Journey

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Homeschool scripture
I’m about to finish up my third year of homeschooling. Our homeschooling journey so far has been filled with many fun, joy-filled days along with a lot of really hard, frustrating days.  But that’s not really surprising; life is like that. We all have days of blessing mixed with days of trial. But regardless of whether you are in the middle of a dark trial right now or enjoying a time of blessing, God wants to teach you something. Here are some Scriptures to meditate on wherever you are in your homeschool journey.

Scripture for being mindful of the blessings

Honestly, some days my calling as a homeschool mom doesn’t feel like a blessing. Some days it feels more like a burden. I’m overwhelmed. Discouraged. Stressed. On those days, I need to read Scripture that reminds me of the great blessing and privilege it is to raise and teach my children.

Psalm 127:3

Children are an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Psalm 128:1–4

Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.  Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.  Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

Being a mom is a wonderful gift! These little seedlings in my home require a lot of time and care now, but someday, with the Lord’s help, they will be self-sustaining, fruit-bearing trees. I am continually amazed that I have the privilege to be a part of that growth process.

Trusting the Lord to do what you cannot

When I, as a homeschool mom, feel anxious and stressed, it is often because I am trying to control everything around me. I’m living in constant fear of failing because I’m forgetting something really important—that the one responsible for outcomes is God, not me. My only responsibilities are to trust the Lord and be faithful to what He has called me to do.

Proverbs 3:5–6

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

1 Thessalonians 5:24

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

As homeschool moms, we have a calling—a calling to be our kids’ mom and our kids’ teacher. Most days, this calling feels like more than I can handle. But I am often reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9: My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. I have always found God’s grace to be sufficient for whatever day I’m having. And I know that God’s grace will be sufficient for your day too.

How to Encourage the Best Work in Your Homeschool

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best work in your homeschool
I’ve found that one of the great benefits of homeschooling is how well I’ve gotten to know my children. I know what delights them, what frustrates them, what fascinates them, and what bores them. I also know what they are capable of. And I know the difference between their best work and halfhearted attempts.

In Colossians 3:23, the Bible admonishes us to do our work “heartily as to the Lord.” The Lord deserves our best work—anything less would be an offense to the one who gave us everything. We as parents must teach our children to do their best in everything they do. But how? Here are a few thoughts about how we can encourage careful, excellent work in our homeschooling.

Know their best work

Realize that encouraging excellence is different from demanding perfection. God, in His wisdom, made every child with different abilities. For some children, everything in school seems to come easily, but others struggle with one or more subjects. It’s unfair to expect that every child’s “best” means a report card with straight As or above-average standardized test scores. Your child’s “best” is going to look very different from my child’s “best.” Even within my own family, there are going to be differences.

As homeschool moms and dads, we need wisdom to discern between a child who is truly struggling and a child who is not giving school his or her best effort. Here are some questions that I ask myself.

  • Has this child struggled with this concept or a similar concept in the past?
  • Did this child pay attention to the instruction?
  • Has this child put forth an effort to do well (i.e., studied for a test, taken notes, practiced on his or her own, etc.)?

Celebrate achievement

Best work deserves encouragement, no matter what the grade is. Encouragement comes in many forms, but it should certainly start with encouraging words. Let your children know that you are proud of how hard they worked, and point out the progress that they have made even if it doesn’t seem that significant.

For example, one of my daughters really struggled with contractions at one point. She struggled with them in English lessons, and she struggled with them in reading. When her weekly spelling list featured a list of contractions, I knew she was going to have trouble. So we split the list in half and worked on only ten words a week. We played spelling games. She wrote the words and used elbow macaroni noodles for apostrophes (an awesome idea borrowed from Mrs. Overly’s English 2 Distance Learning course). I went on Pinterest® and found all kinds of teaching ideas. She didn’t make an A on that spelling test. But we still celebrated—with chocolate—because I knew that she had put forth her best effort. For her encouragement, I showed her the difference between her pretest and her final test and pointed out the words that she now knew how to spell.

Discourage laziness

It’s sometimes tempting to want to shield my children from the consequences of doing less than their best work. As a mom, I want to see them succeed. I don’t want to give them poor grades. But, as I explained in a previous post, my children need to learn that there are consequences for not doing their best work. Consequences, like encouragement, come in many different forms. Sometimes, it means a lower grade. Sometimes it means having to redo the work (for the same grade) or doing additional work. It ought to cost the child something.

You, as a homeschool mom or dad, have unique opportunities to develop your child’s character every day. You know what your child is capable of, and you are there to observe all his or her work. Teaching your children to always put forth their best effort takes time. It might lengthen an already long homeschool day. But it is time well spent because the experience of doing one’s best work is going to stick with your child long after your homeschool journey is done.

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!