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Justin

Making Homeschool Easier

October 15, 2015 by Justin

When you think about how to describe homeschooling, what words come to mind? Most parents probably think of words such as love, joy, knowledge, and fun to describe the interactions and bonds that are shared with their children. But I’ve noticed that the words easy and simple generally aren’t associated with homeschooling.

mom sitting at computer working on paperwork

Parents who have homeschooled know that grading, organizing lesson plans, and keeping track of student records can be a stressful, time-consuming process. What if I told you that there was a way you could effectively manage teaching lessons, grading tests, constructing lesson plans, and organizing gradebooks? It’s hard to believe, but BJU Press Distance Learning Online makes all this possible . . . and more!

Distance Learning Online (DLO) delivers a high-quality biblical worldview education by providing daily video lessons for your child that can be watched from a web browser on almost any device. Expert teachers with years of experience teach fun and interesting lessons that your child can work through individually. Most textbooks, tests, and quizzes are easily accessed from the same simple login. Quizzes and tests are accessed online and are graded instantly, saving you valuable time that can be spent on the important things. Gradebooks and records are conveniently stored digitally, ready to be accessed anytime. It’s like having your own digital teacher’s aide right in your home. Read more about how the features of DLO work.

screenshot of BJU Press Distance Learning Online Gradebook for World History

DLO in Your Home

DLO is simple to set up when your kit arrives. You can learn more about getting started.

The school day begins when your child logs into our simple web interface. He can see the next available lesson and is able to work through it on his own at his own pace. Many of our customers who use DLO have several children learning at once. With DLO, one or all of the kids can work independently while Mom or Dad works with the others, makes dinner, or works from home.

Later while the children are playing or after bedtime, you can access the content to see how they’re doing. The answers for most assignments are available right on the lesson screen so you don’t have to flip through pages to find answers. If you disagree with how the system graded the test question or want to add an additional assignment, no problem. DLO is flexible and designed with the parent in mind.

screenshot of BJU Press Distance Learning Online Test Review

Still in Control

You, the parent are still in direct control of your child’s education. No assembly is required since DLO works out of the box, but you have the final say and the ability to make changes to lessons and grades whenever necessary. You’re also able to customize the program to meet the academic needs of your child, which leads me to another great benefit of the DLO program.

We know that not all children learn at the same pace in every subject, that’s why we’ve made Distance Learning Online in a way that allows your child to move up or down one or two grade levels in two subjects. For example, a child in third grade could use second-grade math and fourth-grade reading.

To learn more about BJU Press Distance Learning Online, please visit our homeschool website.

Filed Under: Simplified Homeschool Tagged With: benefits, Distance Learning Online, DLO, homeschool

The Special Way God Made You

September 15, 2015 by Justin

young child's face

Spend some time around young children, and you’ll quickly realize how interested they are in the human body. They’re extremely observant and love to compare and contrast noses, ears, eyelashes, fingers, and toes, pointing out every little difference from size to color. My four-year-old nephew is fascinated with my beard. Every time we’re together, he asks why I have “whiskers,” and wants to know why he doesn’t. What children like my nephew may not realize is why each person is so different.

All people are valuable because God made every one of them in His image (Genesis 1:26). Each person’s differing characteristics show the vastness of God’s creative genius (Ps. 139:13–16). Children love to ask “why” questions all the time, and you might be surprised how often the Bible has an answer that is easier and better than “it just is.” I’ve found that it’s never too early to begin shaping a worldview that has the Bible as its foundation.

Using Scripture as the basis for lessons for young children

As homeschool parents, you have a unique opportunity to point out God’s goodness to children starting at a young age by basing academic lessons on the Bible. As an example, let’s look at elementary science. The human body is a topic typically covered in Grade 1. First graders are given a basic overview of the human body, the functions of its main parts, and basic tips on how to care for it. Integrating the Bible into a lesson like this isn’t that difficult, and our homeschool textbooks do a good job of this.

The Bible says that God created every part of us for a purpose (Job 10:11–12). As you work through the parts of the human body, talk with your children about His purpose for each. God knew that we would need to be able to chew food, so He designed our teeth. Our fingers allow us to pick things up. Some children are born with differences. They might be missing parts that others have. Use the Bible to talk with them about God’s special plan for them and their special differences (John 9:2–7, Romans 5:3–5, Exodus 4:11, Jeremiah 29:11).

Why caring for our bodies is important

Teaching your children to care for their bodies (proper washing, toothbrushing/flossing, doctors’ visits) is not always easy. These everyday tasks are often seen by children as interruptions in their play time, and it can be difficult to convey the value of these things. Ask your children what they would do if God loaned them something special that He had designed. Would they take good care of it? Tell them that their bodies belong to the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), and that includes every part, for example, their teeth. Remind them that they need to take good care of their teeth because they belong to God and are part of His plan.

Let’s try another example, the yearly eye exam. Young children don’t always understand the importance of checking the health of their eyes, but something they generally do understand is that God wants us to do things that the Bible says are good. Ask them to notice how we see everything in color. How would life be different in black and white? Remind them that God wants us to be able to appreciate the beauty of His world (Psalm 19:1), and having healthy eyes is very important to being able to do what God wants. This approach can be used to talk about any doctor’s visit and may alleviate a lot of anxiety as well.

Bible integration doesn’t have to be a scary concept. It can be a simple process of making Scripture your starting point and developing lessons with a little creativity and awareness of your child’s natural curiosities. So the next time your child asks you why something is the way it is or why he has to do something, check the Bible first. It has the answers he needs to know.

Filed Under: Shaping Worldview Tagged With: Bible integration, biblical worldview, homeschool, science

There’s More Than One Way to Learn

September 1, 2015 by Justin

Math 3D cubes

While teaching a Bible club lesson to a group of children at a local elementary school, I noticed that a boy named Ryan was having a rather difficult time. He didn’t participate in songs, and he didn’t seem to get much out of oral lessons with visual presentations. He was rarely able to answer questions during discussion time.

Eventually, I tried a new approach. I wrote down individual Bible verses with a brief explanation of each. I allowed Ryan to read and contemplate the content on his own in a quiet area. Later that day during discussion time, Ryan was one of the most active students. He knew the answer to nearly every question I asked.

We tend to assume that colorful visuals and over-the-top presentations are the best ways to deliver information (and often that is the case given the short attention span of many young children). But this isn’t true for every child. Ryan needed quiet, distraction-free study time to focus. He also needed to read the material for himself.

Not all children absorb content the same way. Some receive information better when it’s presented visually, while others learn best from hands-on activities. Some children need to read the material themselves, and others need to listen. Incompatibilities between teaching and learning styles can be frustrating for homeschool families.

Some parents mistakenly believe that they have somehow failed to be good teachers. Others get tired of paying for homeschool curriculums that promise success but fail to engage their child. Some parents even begin to question their child’s development and capabilities.

It wasn’t my fault or the fault of the other teachers that Ryan didn’t understand the Bible lessons. It also wasn’t that Ryan was slower to grasp the concepts than the other children were. The mismatch between learning style and instruction strategy simply made learning nearly impossible for him.

Understanding your child’s learning style can reduce these frustrations and make the learning process easier.

What is my child’s learning style?

There are three main types of learning.

  • Auditory learners
    These children like to listen to content rather than reading it. Verbally reciting information might be a preferred study method. Background noise such as music may be helpful to some, while it might be a distraction to others who work best in a quiet place.
  • Hands-on learners
    Children with this learning style learn by touching and engaging in hands-on activities. They might have a hard time sitting still while studying. Writing down information could be helpful.
  • Visual learners
    Visual learners understand information best by reading, viewing a demonstration, and looking at graphics. Children who learn this way might get impatient while listening to an explanation.

Finding out which learning style describes your child often requires a trial-and-error approach. A child who is a visual or hands-on learner can work through the same math problem on paper many times and have the concept explained in text or orally over and over but still not understand the material.

If your child is struggling with a concept, change tactics and try a different approach until you find one that works. For a child struggling with basic math concepts, try using beans or other small objects to demonstrate the concept visually. Let the child work out the problem with his hands. You might be surprised how quickly things begin to click.

Once I know how my child learns, what should I do?

Be creative. Find ways to shape a lesson toward the way your child learns best. Print off pictures of people, maps, and, places while reading about history, geography, and Bible if your child is a visual learner. Use projects, games, and crafts if your child prefers hands-on learning.

When selecting textbooks for your child, be sure to consider his or her specific needs. Some textbooks take an approach that would only appeal to one style of learning. Others offer a wider approach. A child who learns visually would have a harder time benefiting from an text-based curriculum with no pictures or graphics. A child who needs hands-on practice would struggle with only visual textbooks.

Some textbooks such as BJU Press elementary math are designed to appeal to all styles. Attractive pictures and illustrations help the visual learner while included manipulatives provide a hands-on experience. Extra practice sheets are there for those who need to read and work out the problems individually. Textbooks like these help take the guesswork out of teaching for individual learning styles.

The most important thing to remember is to stay positive and keep at it. A critical requirement of homeschooling for both parent and child is confidence. Don’t lose confidence in yourself, and don’t let your child lose confidence. You’ll get there. When things do go right, always remember to commend not only your child but yourself as well for a job well done. Homeschooling is a learning experience for both of you.

Filed Under: Successful Learning Tagged With: auditory, hands-on learning, learning styles, types of learning, visual

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