BJU Press Blog

Simplified Homeschool

You know that organization is the key to a smooth homeschool day. We share tips on planning your time and lessons as well as advice from other homeschool parents. There are also highlights from our Distance Learning daily video-lesson program, which is designed to simplify your homeschool.

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Early Start to Homeschool Kindergarten

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Learning the Alphabet
© iStockphoto.com/pkfawcett

Last fall, I had big plans for starting kindergarten with my daughter. Though not yet five years old, she had mastered the K4-level materials, so why not move on to K5 and give her a head start on life? On the other hand, I wondered if I would be robbing her of her childhood or setting her up for failure by beginning before she was ready. It was with these questions in mind that I asked advice from Carol, a mom who has twenty-five years of homeschool experience. While her family’s situation was slightly different from my own, I knew her insight would be valuable as my husband and I made this decision.

Carol began by explaining that we should approach this decision just like any other decision—by praying for wisdom. She said, “Carefully consider the reasons for the early start, make a good assessment to determine if the child is ready, get counsel and input from a few others you respect, use a good curriculum, and keep praying for wisdom. Don’t forget to have fun right along with your child!”

That struck me as perfect advice for parents of four- and five-year-olds. But I wasn’t sure what specifics I should look for to answer the question “Is my child ready for kindergarten?” Carol explained, “Some of the signs I looked for to gauge my daughter’s readiness for K5 included attention span, cooperation, motor skills, maturity level, and a desire to learn.”

These signs resonated with me because my daughter was still developing fine motor skills and maturity. Carol chose to start K5 with most of her children when they were five years old, but she began K5 with her youngest child when she was four. “After much prayer, seeking God’s wisdom, and confirmation from my husband,” Carol said, “I decided to begin K5 with my youngest child a couple months before she turned five years old. Many factors went into that decision, including her desire and enthusiasm to start K5, her success in completing K4, and my knowledge of the BJU Press K5 curriculum and experience of teaching it to my other children.” She added, “I definitely would not recommend beginning K5 at that age unless the child is ready. K5 should be a successful foundation, not a frustration. As it turned out, my daughter handled kindergarten very well.”

That curriculum helped Carol’s children enjoy learning. The education materials you choose will have a major impact on your child’s enjoyment of learning. “Each child is unique,” she said, “but all four of my children loved the BJU Press K5 curriculum and were very successful in accomplishing the objectives. They had fun learning and looked forward to school.”

Carol’s youngest is now in high school, so I asked how the early start in kindergarten had affected her daughter’s transition into later grades. Carol’s answer relieved some of my concerns. “Up through the end of eighth grade, she seemed ready for each successive grade emotionally, physically, and academically. Her scores on the Iowa Tests® have always been well above average and confirmed that she was ready to move on to the next grade level. Her transition into high school this year has been the first ‘hitch’ so far.”

Not exactly sure what caused the “hitch,” Carol’s been learning to trust God through it. She says, “My daughter has seemed overwhelmed at times with the amount of material covered in a day and also the number of quizzes and tests required. I’m not sure that this current bumpy road is due to the school grade as much as just adjusting to the teen years. It’s keeping this mom humble and praying and depending on God.”

After thinking through Carol’s advice and discussing the matter, my husband and I decided to wait on kindergarten. Our family situation this past year included a move and a new baby. So we continued to do preschool activities along with some basic reading instruction. My daughter loved learning how to read, but I’m thankful I held back on a full kindergarten program. The short and sweet period before formal schooling gave her time to develop her fine motor skills and to mature emotionally so that kindergarten will be less of a challenge and more of a joy.

Off to a Great Start: Kindergarten and BJU Press

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Closeup of cute little girl coloring drawing with mother 10415184
© iStockphoto.com/vgajic

Two years ago, my oldest daughter started using the Footsteps for Fours curriculum from BJU Press. Since she was my oldest child, I was both excited and apprehensive about her starting school.  She was young at that point—two months shy of turning four. But everyone assured me that she was ready.  Even at the age of three she loved to learn. She would sit for hours and listen to me or my husband read books. And she asked questions constantly.

As a parent, I wanted my daughter’s introduction to formal schooling to be a good experience. I didn’t want her to suffer through her schoolwork every day for the next fourteen years—I wanted her to like it.

It was also very important to me that what she learned in school would reinforce what my husband and I were teaching her. In our home, we do our best to live out the Word of God in all areas of life. I wanted her schooling to help us with that goal.

BJU Press was perfect for her. She grew so much that first year—not only did she learn foundational skills that helped her learn to read once she reached K5, but she also grew in her understanding of God and the Bible. For example, she learned through stories about Jake and his family (fictional characters that appear in the Footsteps curriculum) the importance God places on loving your neighbors and sharing your faith. That year she was so burdened for one of our neighbors who was unsaved that, on her own initiative, she invited him to an Easter service at our church.

She also learned to love school from the very beginning. The Footsteps for Fours curriculum includes a lot of active learning. Instruction is carefully balanced with the use of learning centers where kids can learn through play. And there’s no dry lecturing—instead there are a lot of stories, singing, action rhymes, and hands-on activities. I also appreciated the fact that what she was learning was not only age appropriate, but the concepts built on one another in a logical manner. She was never frustrated by her schoolwork.

My daughter completed the BJU Press K5 materials about a month ago. But, in a way, she never finished school. She loves learning so much that she’s always doing school in her imagination. I often find her and her younger sister up in their room playing school with their dolls. She is usually the teacher, but sometimes she is the student. A few days ago, we took a walk to a nearby playground. When we arrived, my middle daughter immediately headed for the swings, but my oldest daughter sat down at a picnic table, pulled a pencil and small notebook out of her pocket, and informed me that she needed to work on her schoolwork. She had assigned herself the task of writing the names of the days of the week in order.  School is fun for her, and I attribute that, at least in part, to the BJU Press curriculum.

Is Your Child Ready for Homeschooling?

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Closeup of cute little girl drawing with color pencils 10415731
© iStockphoto.com/vgajic

Is it time to start homeschooling your young child? As I pointed out in my previous post, people start homeschooling their children at different ages. Individual family situations play a large role in the decision about when to start homeschooling, so I listed a few questions to help you think through your unique situation. But there’s another major factor in the decision—your child. How can you tell if your child is ready?

If you were placing your child in a school setting, the school would probably give your child a kindergarten-readiness test.  You can do a similar assessment at home. Think about the following questions, and jot down your observations.

1. How well does your child listen and follow directions?

A good early childhood curriculum includes a lot of active learning, but your child does need to have the ability to sit and focus for short periods of time (ten to fifteen minutes is a good goal). Your child also needs to be able to listen carefully, to respond to questions, and to follow directions so that he or she can get the most out of learning activities.

2. Does your child have the necessary fine motor skills?

Can he or she use a child-sized pair of scissors? Does your child attempt to color within the lines when coloring? Is your child able to hold a pencil correctly and do simple tracking and tracing activities? (These skills should be refined before attempts are made at writing letters and numbers.) Your child needs to have strong fine motor skills in order to learn how to write.

3. Is your child enthusiastic about learning?

Most experts agree that a child’s individual enthusiasm for learning is the strongest indicator of future success in school. Does your child ask to “do school”? Does he or she pretend to read or write?

You know your child best, but if you want a second opinion about whether your child is ready for school, you might want to consult your child’s Sunday school teacher, pediatrician, or other family members and friends who have had multiple opportunities to observe your child. And don’t forget to pray! The Lord promises to give wisdom to all who come to Him in faith.

When my oldest daughter was ready to start formal schooling, BJU Press materials helped guide her learning. Next week I’ll share my family’s experience with their Footsteps for Fours curriculum.

Are You Ready to Start Homeschooling?

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Closeup of mother and her little girl coloring drawing 10415816
© iStockphoto.com/vgajic

I recently came across a copy of a homeschool magazine that contained a series of articles about homeschooling very young children (ages three to five). The articles all centered around one big question—at what age do you start homeschooling?

That is a big question, especially if you’ve never homeschooled before and your oldest child is three, four, or five, the age when most children around the country are starting preschool or kindergarten. Should you start this year? What if you wait a year or two—will your child fall behind?

There are a lot of different opinions about when a child should start school. Some educators seem to think “as early as possible,” thus the creation of programs such as Head Start® and other preschools. Other educators think it is best to wait as long as possible. There are homeschoolers at every point along that spectrum. Why? Each child is unique, and each family situation is unique.

Here are some questions to help you determine if you’re ready to begin homeschooling.

1. What does your state law require?

Your state homeschool laws may require you to register as a homeschooler and start instruction when your child reaches a certain age. Some require attendance records and/or other “proof” of homeschooling. Do some research or contact the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) to find out what your state requires. A friend of mine, Cindy, started homeschooling her children when each of them was five. Her only reason for doing so was that her state’s law required it. She said that otherwise she would have waited until they were older.

2. Do you plan to homeschool long-term?

Another friend of mine, Mary, started homeschooling her son with a preschool curriculum when he was four. She and her husband weren’t completely sure about homeschooling and were considering placing their son in a private Christian school for kindergarten. But she wanted to give homeschooling a try. She also wanted to make sure that their homeschool ran at a similar pace as the Christian school so that her son wouldn’t be behind if they decided to enroll him later.

3. How comfortable are you with homeschooling?

Sue also started homeschooling her four-year-old. She didn’t have any training or experience teaching, so although she was convinced that homeschooling was the best option for her family, she was really nervous about it. She began with a preschool curriculum when her daughter was four because she wanted to do a “trial run” before starting kindergarten material.

4. What’s going on in your life right now?

Although Rachel’s son is almost five, she has decided to wait another year to start homeschooling him. Her family is anticipating a move and a new baby within the next few months, so she and her husband have decided that homeschooling would add too much to their already stressed household.

So are you ready? Even if you are, your child might not be. Next week, I’m going to be giving some tips on how to assess whether your child is ready to start homeschooling.

Homeschooling with a Newborn

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painted portrait of a mother and two children
Mother and Sara Admiring the Baby by Mary Cassatt/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

As my husband and I excitedly awaited the arrival of our third-born, I wondered how homeschooling would fit into the new family picture. Megan recently wrote a post about the challenge of transitioning to three children and about the soul-stabilizing truth of our changeless God. With that assurance, I sought out some specific tips to answer this question: how do you get back into a homeschooling routine when you have a little one that needs lots of attention?

Here are three I came up with. I’d love to hear your answers in the comments.

1. Welcome Others’ Help

Caring for a newborn while recovering from birth (not only physically but also emotionally, as I remember the postpartum blues that hung over me like fog after the birth of my firstborn) is not a task to handle alone. Reject the pride that wants to be supermom. We must mortify the resentment that tempts us when we don’t receive the help we didn’t ask for. Identify areas where others can assist and be humble enough to request aid.

Older siblings are often eager to help with a new baby. (It might take some convincing that washing the dishes is a great way to do that.) A husband, while bearing the responsibility of providing, often wants to support you at home as well. He just may be waiting for some direction on specific ways to lend a hand. Grandma is probably eager to spend time with the grandkids. (Now you just have to figure out how to convince her to move in permanently!)

Besides family members, allow your church family to use their various spiritual gifts to help with pressing needs (Galatians 6:2). An older woman or a teenage young woman who’d like to earn some extra income may jump at the chance to help once a week for a month or two.

How about bringing in an experienced and exciting teacher for each of your children’s subjects? This is possible through BJU Press Distance Learning. Another idea is to have a stock of educational videos, such as creation science videos, in your possession or from the library for those times when homeschooling seems impossible. A stack of well-chosen books can also promote independent learning.

2. Set Realistic Goals

Unreasonable expectations lead to burnout. Forget the grandiose Pinterest lists of craft ideas and the exotic field trips. Pare down your school plan to the bare basics for those first couple of months. After that, my babies tend to be sleeping better at night and settling into a routine that jives with our family’s new normal.

Set realistic goals for completing household chores as well. Spring cleaning and those new or time-consuming recipes can wait for another season in life.

Ask God to give you wisdom in choosing tasks and to give you strength in completing them. He is the Good Shepherd who will “gently lead those who are with young” (Isaiah 40:11 NKJV).

3. Respond with Flexibility

While I might prefer my family to march to my perfectly organized schedule, I don’t work in a factory, and I’m not raising robots. Having a plan is wise, but it takes wisdom to learn how to balance the plan with the needs of the various family members.

Most importantly, do my children see the Galatians 5 fruit of the Spirit in me? Do they hear love, joy, and peace in how I respond to spilled milk and see patience, kindness, and goodness when I’m trying to calm a newborn down for a nap? Do I show faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in helping a resistant child solve a math problem? These life lessons are even more important than the academic lessons I’m hoping to check off my daily planner.

Apart from Christ the Vine, I can do nothing (John 15:5). Daily, I must seek the Lord privately in my devotions, drawing nourishment from His Word, casting my cares on Him in prayer, and surrendering my will to His. Our sovereign God orders each day according to His plan, so I can serve Him from a heart of faith.

For those of you who have homeschooled with a newborn, what advice would you give for getting back into a homeschool routine?