Ben

About Ben

Ben is a homeschool graduate who works at BJU Press. He's passionate about sharing biblical-worldview education with the next generation. He and his wife, Megan, have four little girls. They’re homeschooling the oldest, and Ben gets to teach her history after work. Growing up as a homeschooler, Ben participated in debate and eventually went on to earn an MA in communication. He also serves in leadership in a local outreach ministry and enjoys writing about history, education, and faith. Read more posts by Ben.

Introducing Our New 2019 Homeschool Catalog

February 21, 2019 by Ben

Our 2019 homeschool catalog is hot off the press and will show up soon in your mailbox! We brought back the Homeschool in Action Photo Challenge and had twice as many participants this year as last. The competition was close, with so many incredible pictures of your homeschool experiences. We included as many pictures as we could in the catalog, but here are the winners.

New Distance Learning Courses

As a homeschool dad, I’m thrilled to see how the self-paced video courses enable my daughters to take ownership of the learning. My wife and I still have final say over the activities and the grades, but with a flexible roadmap, our fourth grader and second grader can learn on their own and at their own pace. Plus, our four-year-old is enjoying the K4 videos with Mrs. Lawson, Mrs. Liston, and all their puppet friends. She gets exposed to important concepts in a fun way that will help her when my wife starts to teach her how to read in K5.

This year BJU Press is rolling out five new Distance Learning courses. You can see sample lessons for each course on YouTube.

K5 Math

Children learn about math through experience with Mrs. Rulapaugh. Through the farm family and their pet mouse, your child will see how math can be used to help in meaningful ways. This 180-day course introduces children to simple math concepts through hands-on activities and engaging on-screen demonstrations for visual learners.

Reading 2

This amusement park theme of the course keeps your children eagerly anticipating the next story. Mrs. Walker encourages children to think deeply by asking higher-order thinking questions. She also continues to build their phonics and vocabulary skills. They will love reading the lessons in this 180-day course.

English 2

Mrs. Jarrell invites children to learn grammar concepts and apply them to their writing. Children will love the special segments she uses to enhance learning. In the “Super Marks” segment, super punctuation marks will dispel confusing communication. This is a 180-day course.

Physics

Physics is only available through Distance Learning Online. Since physics can be an especially challenging course, Mr. Harmon offers optional tutorials on particularly difficult physics problems that students will encounter. Distance Learning Online is the best way to keep the optional format of these tutorials organized. This 180-day course will challenge your twelfth grader’s science and math skills and prepare him or her for college-level study.

Economics

In this capstone heritage studies course, Mrs. Bullock walks students through the fundamentals of economics. Mrs. Bullock suggests you do this 90-day course in the spring of the senior year as a follow-up to the American government 90-day course.

New Online Testing Option

Now you can take the Iowa Assessments™ Form E achievement test from the comfort of your own home! BJU Press Testing & Evaluation is offering faster results with fewer requirements for Grades 3–12. By testing online, you get

testing results in ten days,
no shipping costs,
year-round testing,
and an approved test administrator provided by Testing & Evaluation.

Learn more about this option.

Download a PDF of our new catalog or order your own free copy!

Remembering the 100th Veterans Day

November 8, 2018 by Ben

This year marks the hundredth anniversary of the end of World War I. It was a war that transformed the world and planted the seeds of conflict that would erupt again and again over the next century. But in the days immediately after it ended, Europeans were grateful to be free from the devastating war. More than 15 million people lost their lives during the war. Many today recognize the US military’s contribution to breaking the stalemate in France and bringing the war to an end.

Benefiting Others

America didn’t mobilize for war in 1917 to establish an empire. Our forces went across the ocean to counter an invading force in France. We went into the war knowing the risks. The use of chemical weapons and trench warfare meant more fatalities. Yet the American public grew convinced that Germany was at fault for the war. Americans were particularly outraged over the Germans’ unrestricted warfare (e.g., the sinking of the Lusitania and other brutal attacks on civilians). So without any interest in acquiring territory, America raised an army and built a navy to counter the German forces.

Making a Difference

American forces arrived at a crucial time. French troops had brought the German invasion to a standstill. In the end, they and their British allies were incapable of driving the enemy out. They needed help. At the same time Russia, collapsing into civil war, was ready to make peace with Germany—a development that would free thousands of German soldiers to move into France.

In a series of coordinated attacks (the Hundred Days Offensive) resulting in perhaps as many as a million Allied casualties, American, British, and French soldiers broke through the German lines. This was the bloodiest offensive American soldiers had ever participated in. The victory was decisive, and Germany was ready to admit defeat.

Celebrating Victory

Since the Armistice, or cease-fire, took effect on November 11 (at 11:00 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month), Americans established an annual commemoration of the victory on that day. Of course, the soldiers who survived were the celebrities of the celebration, which was only fitting. They were victorious warriors returning home. But they didn’t come back bringing the spoils of war. They came home with something far more valuable—the gratitude of the peoples of Western Europe. Every year since 1918, Americans have celebrated this event. Eventually, President Eisenhower renamed the celebration from Armistice Day to Veterans Day because we recognize the veterans not only of that war but also of subsequent wars.

Remembering Veterans Day

And Americans are not the only ones to pay homage. Every year Belgian schoolchildren make their way to a small American war cemetery at Flanders Field to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” to honor the fallen US soldiers who came to drive out the brutal invaders.

We in the United States have also benefited from their service and ought to give thanks. Around 18 million veterans of various American wars are still living. On this hundredth anniversary of the first Veterans Day, let’s honor their service for us.

Teaching the Constitution Early

September 13, 2018 by Ben

Recent surveys show that many Americans don’t know much about their own nation’s governing document. In our homeschool, one of our main objectives is to teach our children about the US Constitution. As believers, we want our children to exercise godly stewardship when it comes to voting (in the future). In order to help them understand the Constitution, we have decided to start early.

Framework

It’s important to provide children with an overview of the framework of the Constitution. A helpful place to begin is with the three branches our Constitution divides the duties of government into. Since our family is using BJU Press heritage studies textbooks, we introduce this concept in first grade. Every year, we repeat it—with more detail added each time. This might seem basic, but only one in four American adults can identify these branches, and even fewer can identify the duties of each. When children understand that the Constitution dictates who makes, enforces, and settles the laws, they have a solid working knowledge of what the it does.

If you’re wondering if your little ones are ready for something as big as the Constitution, remember that this is just an introduction. Also, you can teach them with hands-on-activities. I found that even our verbal learner was helped by doing an activity. You can read how we used Legos® to learn about the Constitution .

Narrative

One thing that often makes studying government documents dull is a narrow focus on the mechanics of governing. The learning is more engaging if you place the Constitution within a narrative context. The Constitution arose out of a certain set of historical events, such as Shays’ Rebellion. Studying the document within its historical context provides interest and understanding.

Narrative also helps us understand one especially critical part of the Constitution—the Bill of Rights. Throughout our history as a nation, various people, groups, and movements have attacked our liberties . For example, even our second president, John Adams, threatened our First Amendment right to free speech. Exploring these historical events can help children understand what their rights are under the Constitution and how they’ve often been threatened in the past.

Capstone

Even though we lay a framework and expand understanding, we need to pull it all together in a single course. When I was in high school, I joined another group of homeschool seniors and juniors for an in-depth study of American government. That class brought together the various threads of the Constitution I had learned through the American history I had studied over the years.

Teaching the Constitution enables our children to engage wisely. But if we try to pack it all into the final year of homeschooling, they’ll likely find it overwhelming and dull. Instead, we should attempt to give our children a foundation that they can build on all through the early years.

4 Reasons to Include Labs in Your Homeschool

August 16, 2018 by Ben

Let’s get real for a moment. Teaching high school science is intimidating.

I still remember how nervous my homeschool mom was about high school science. When I got to physics, we couldn’t find any labs kits. It was a nightmare. My dad helped me do one physics lab without a kit. That single lab cost us around $75 in supplies. We also spent hours creating the tool we needed for the lab. And when we finished, it didn’t even work. We couldn’t collect reliable data, and I never finished that particular lab.

So what could my mom do? She knew she needed to keep homeschooling through high school—and that she needed to include labs. Before I tell you how she made high school labs work for our family, here are four reasons she was committed to teaching with labs.

1. Creational Approach

Science at its core examines the works of God. We’re looking at what He did at creation and how His creation functions. As much as nature documentaries and science textbooks can evoke awe and wonder at God’s creation, they’re only presenting what others have discovered by investigating God’s world. If we teach our kids science without incorporating close, hands-on examination of creation, we’re doing it wrong.

2. Deep Understanding

There were a number of chemistry concepts that I thought I understood. After all, I could ace the reading quiz. Then we did the lab over the concept. I discovered I didn’t understand it nearly as well as my quiz grade suggested. Labs are where head knowledge meets real-world experience and critical thinking. If I hadn’t completed the labs, I would have only superficial knowledge of chemistry without deep understanding.

3. Student Scientists

We aren’t teaching our children science so they can win on a TV game show or in a trivia competition. That would reduce science to superficial answers for esoteric questions such as, “Why is the sky blue?” That isn’t what science is at all. Instead, it’s a powerful tool for investigating and solving real-world problems. So when we teach our children science, we want them to act like junior scientists instead of students learning about science facts. Labs are where children act like scientists. This is especially true in high school science. We need labs to give our students the opportunity to behave like scientists.

4. Required Courses

Many states require lab sciences for high school graduation. And even if your state doesn’t, the college your son or daughter wants to attend may require it. And colleges may view non-lab science courses with suspicion. So how many labs should you include? A good rule of thumb is thirty hours of labs for each course. If you figure your setup time, lab time, and post lab time, each lab can last two to three hours. So aim for ten to fifteen labs.

Making Labs Happen at Home

So what did my mom do? She found kits. A number of kits helped us complete high school biology and chemistry. These kits made high school labs achievable. My sister and I could do most of these labs without any parental aid. They also made it affordable. We could have spent thousands of dollars if we had tried to pull together all the individual components that were in these kits. Instead, they cost my parents around $200.

For me, these lab kits made science creational, deepened my understanding, and gave me an opportunity to practice being a scientist.

At BJU Press, we’ve worked with Logos Science, Inc., to create lab kits for all of our secondary science textbooks and video courses. If you’re looking for something to help you bring labs to your homeschool, check out our Logos Science Kits.

God’s Word to His Creation

July 31, 2018 by Ben

Our family enjoys gardening together. Even our toddler likes to explore the climbing pea vines and touch the ripening tomatoes within her reach. In the South, we’re able to plant early. We can put out plants vulnerable to cold by the beginning of April so that we can start enjoying their fruit in May.

However, this spring, we experienced three late frosts. My eight-year-old enjoyed wrapping the plants with rags and towels to keep them safe from the light frost. Despite our efforts, we lost a zucchini plant and a bell pepper.

While we scurried around to keep our plants safe, it was comforting to reflect with my daughter that the Lord was holding all things in His hands.

The World—By His Word

Paul tells us that Christ holds all things together (Colossians 1:17). It isn’t that God created the world and left it to operate on its own without His intervention. He actively maintains it.

And Peter identifies God’s means of maintaining the world: His Word (2 Peter 3: 5–7). God keeps the world by the same word by which He created the world.

Snow—By His Word

In Psalm 147:15–18, the poet meditates on the role of God’s word in the coming and going of snow.

He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.
He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

These images depict God’s word running across the face of the earth, scattering snow like wool. Then, He sends another word and it melts the snow. God is able to speak to every single particle in the universe. And since He is infinite, He still has unlimited capacity to listen to His people and answer.

The psalmist concludes that “he sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel” (Psalm 147:19). The word of God to creation and His written Word are laid side by side. So let’s compare these two sets of words.

Similarities

The words have the same author. And so those words have the same authority. His commands are perfect. And the Lord is unchanging. He’s consistent. He never fails to hold the sun together. And His precepts will never change.

Dissimilarities

God’s written Word is clear. While interpreters have disagreements about the meaning of some difficult passages, the vast majority of Scripture is plain, while His words to creation are unintelligible to us.

Another dissimilarity is how the words are obeyed. God’s words to creation are never disobeyed. Yet we routinely ignore the written words of God.

God’s Word and Natural Laws

Scientists have identified some theories that hold up under testing so often that they call them laws. I believe that the laws of science persist because the Lord is constantly speaking to creation. Bodies of mass always attract (something we call gravity) because of God’s speech. If the speech of the Lord is observed in creation, we ought to observe the effects of God’s speech in nature. These observation will help us know how to live well in God’s world by living according to His creation.

God’s Word and Creational Norms

When we adjust our lives according to the way God made the world, we are finding creational norms. These norms enable farmers to plow, plant, and harvest in a timely manner to bring in the most produce. In some cases, God gives us explicit instruction in His Word. But we often have little direct instruction from the Lord. So we study creation through the lens of God’s Word. We observe, experiment, and adjust. When we do so, we are “listening in on” God’s speech to creation.

Finding Norms

The education of our children enables them to identify creational norms. Their study of math, science, language arts, and history is a collection of discovered norms that they should incorporate into their lives to live well in God’s world. That’s why education is so important to our children. It’s also reason for the need to learn in the context of a biblical worldview.

Ben