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David

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About David

David worked in marketing at BJU Press while earning his MA in communications. He enjoys researching the impact social media has on organizations. Read more posts by David.

Explore a Country

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collage of American flag, basketball, and Empire State Building
Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

 

Yesterday was Canada Day, the day that Canadians celebrate the union of three colonies into one country. In two days, United States citizens will celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the beginning of our free country. As I was growing up and learning more about the Declaration of Independence and all the events surrounding that occasion, one of my favorite things to do was to view paintings and drawings of the people, places, and things that represent that time in American history. I especially remember being captivated by one image that I saw in my history textbook—the painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River.

History books are full of information and real-life stories about many different countries’ celebrations, traditions, and people. Exploring a country and its history is fun, and you can learn so much. Download this explore a country activity sheet and begin exploring a country of your choice!

Add a Homemade Touch This Christmas

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I love decorating for Christmas! Recently (thanks to Pinterest) I’ve become more of a “do it myself” kind of guy and have enjoyed creating my own Christmas decorations.

If you’re looking for something that you and the kids can do to add a homemade touch to your Christmas décor this year, look no further. I’ve created some ornament patterns that you can download and print out for your kids to create one-of-a-kind ornaments.

Materials

  • A printout of the ornaments pdf (If you want, you can print it out on thicker paper to make them sturdier.)
  • Scissors
  • Hole punch
  • Craft supplies to decorate the ornaments (I used glitter pens and colored markers for mine.)
  • Ribbon
  • X-acto® knife (optional)

Directions

  1. Print out the ornaments and cut around each ornament on the dashed line.
  2. If you would like to, you can use the X-acto® knife to cut out the patterns within the ornaments.
  3. Once all the ornaments have been cut out, use the hole punch to make a hole at the top of each ornament.
  4. Use your craft supplies to decorate the ornaments however you like.
  5. Once all the ornaments are decorated and dry, cut some pieces of ribbon and string one through the hole at the top of each ornament.  You can staple or tape the ends of the ribbon to make a loop.
  6. Now display your homemade ornaments around the house. You can hang them on the tree or even hang them from the top of a door. Get creative and have fun!

We’d love to see your ornaments! Share a picture of your ornament creations with us on our Facebook page.

Today is Special Education Day

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image of illustrated children holding a banner that says special education day

All of us at BJU Press would like to say “thank you” to the teachers, parents, and administrators who work hard to help students with learning disabilities to reach their full potential. We interviewed Anna Hamrick, a teacher who assists struggling readers, to get her perspective on teaching. It’s my hope that her thoughts will be an encouragement as you continue helping your students.

1. How long have you been a teacher? How much of that time have you been working with students who have learning disabilities?

This is my ninth year teaching full-time. I also was a part-time substitute teacher in Greenville County for six years while I was home with young children. Thinking back, I believe I have worked with students with learning disabilities every year.

2. Where do you currently work?

I currently teach in the Learning Resource Center at Bob Jones Academy Elementary School.

3. How do you help the students at the Learning Resource Center?

I teach the third- through sixth-grade students who struggle with reading. We work on phonics, decoding, expression, comprehension, and many other reading skills. My desire is that the students will take what they learn in my class and apply it to their other reading assignments and to their recreational reading. Ultimately, I want my students to love to read!

4. How do you adapt BJU Press textbooks when teaching your special needs students?

The adaptations I make to the reading curriculum are minor. I definitely move at a slower pace. I also place a much heavier emphasis on oral reading. This gives me an opportunity to pinpoint areas of weakness in rate, decoding, punctuation, and expression. For my younger students, I often read the entire worktext page to them while allowing them to answer the questions independently.

5. Do you have any advice for teachers who teach students with learning disabilities?

Be patient and be flexible! Be prepared to adjust your plans if necessary. Sometimes learning disabled students need extra time with certain skills.

Be aware. Keep an eye on how your students are doing in all their classes. Communicate regularly with the parents and the general education teachers.

Be approachable. Make sure the teachers and parents know they can come to you for advice, help, and encouragement. Be prepared to give the general education teachers suggestions for accommodations in the regular classroom and to give parents advice for how to help at home.

 

U.S. Presidents: Where Did They Come From?

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red and blue graphic that says Presidents DayApril 30, 2014, will mark 225 years since George Washington was sworn in as the first president of the United States. The nation has had 44 different presidents during those years. Many of these men began their careers as lawyers, soldiers, or politicians. But I was curious to find out what some of our presidents did before they entered the political arena. So I went to whitehouse.gov and did some research. I read the bios available for all of our presidents and found three different presidents that, in my opinion, had interesting beginnings.

Andrew Johnson

President from 1865 to 1869, Johnson was born into a poor family in 1808. As a boy he became a tailor’s apprentice. Eventually, he moved to Greeneville, Tennessee, and opened his own tailor shop. While there,  Johnson married Eliza McCardle. He would eventually participate in debates at the local school there, aiding his speaking skills.

James Garfield

His term shortened because he was assassinated, Garfield “was born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in 1831.”1 As a young man, he worked with canal boats. In 1856 he graduated from Williams College before going to work for the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute in Ohio. Eventually, Garfield was elected to the Ohio senate; he went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives before becoming president.

Herbert Hoover

President from 1929 to 1933, Hoover worked for many years in China as an engineer. He and his family were still in China when the Boxer Rebellion occurred and helped their Chinese neighbors during that tumultuous time. Hoover would continue to help in other countries as World War I began. Eventually he became president, and his presidency would be marked by the Great Depression. These are just a few of the presidents that I found who led interesting lives before their political careers began. I must admit I found those who were born in Ohio to be the most interesting—but that could be my Ohio-born bias. That said, I think it’s good to know that many of our presidents had a strong work ethic that led to their presidencies and helped them while in office. To me, that legacy makes honoring them important on this Presidents’ Day.

How do you observe Presidents’ Day?

1. James Garfield. Whitehouse.gov. http://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/jamesgarfield (accessed: January, 24, 2014).

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Bring on the New Year’s Resolutions!

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It’s a new year, which means a fresh start, new opportunities, and . . . New Year’s resolutions. Have you made any resolutions yet?

Maybe this year you’re determined to exercise more, spend more time with your family, or start a new hobby. Wanting to do those things is wonderful, and I encourage you to stick with them! But have you ever noticed that a lot of people end up not sticking with their resolutions?

As a homeschool parent, maybe you’ve thought of making New Year’s resolutions for your homeschooling. It’s the start of a new semester and a great time to set some new goals. But I’d like to share a thought that will hopefully help you set attainable goals. 

The Key to Stick-To-Itiveness

The reason many people abandon their New Year’s resolutions is that instead of setting small goals for a short period of time, they set big goals for a long period of time (like a year). Is it any wonder that they don’t stick with those goals? It’s hard to keep your momentum going for an entire year.

But what if you thought in terms of a month, week, or day. Take those big yearlong goals and chop them up into tinier ones. Imagine how much more manageable and attainable your goals would look.

So this year, I encourage you not to think of it as a year. Rather look at a single day or month and see how much of your goals you want to accomplish then. And by this time next year, you’ll have accomplished your New Year’s resolutions.

What helps you stick with your resolutions or goals?