BJU Press Blog

handwriting

Embracing the Unfamiliar in Math and Handwriting

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unfamiliar teaching
I have a confession to make. When I started homeschooling last year, I was scared. I was scared of messing up my children’s education. I was scared that my carefully ordered life was about to be turned upside-down. And I was scared of two subjects in particular—math and handwriting.

As I read through the Math 2 and Handwriting 2 Teacher’s Editions in preparation for the beginning of our homeschool year, I began to get really nervous. I knew, of course, how to write in cursive and how to add and subtract. But this teaching methodology, this style of writing—all of it was new. I couldn’t help thinking to myself this is not how I learned it.

My memory of second grade isn’t perfect, but I remember drilling math facts, the long homework papers filled with math problems, and the stressful timed tests. I didn’t learn cursive writing until third grade, and my uppercase Ts, Gs, and Fs looked nothing like the letters that I saw on BJU Press’s handwriting chart.

Maybe you find yourself having similar thoughts as you evaluate the BJU Press math or handwriting curriculum. Like me, you might want to avoid the unfamiliar in favor of the familiar. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind that I hope will be a help to you.

BJU Press math is different because it emphasizes understanding.

I grew up with a “drill and kill” math curriculum that heavily emphasized the memorization of facts, formulas, principles, and so on. And I did fine . . . until I had to actually apply the math. Since I had no real depth of understanding, I struggled to apply what I learned.

Without ignoring the need for learning math facts, BJU Press aims to develop a depth of math understanding that leads to application from the very beginning. I personally learned so much as I was teaching second-grade math—I went from a mindset of “I didn’t learn it this way” to “I wish I had learned it this way.”

BJU Press handwriting is different because it’s based on how kids naturally write.

Many young children struggle with writing. I know I did. In first grade, I even had a tutor to help me with my handwriting. Straight lines and round circles aren’t easy for small hands to form. That’s why BJU Press developed the PreCursive handwriting style. It’s simpler for little hands. Plus, it makes the transition to cursive a breeze.

It took me a couple weeks to retrain my own pen strokes, so kids who didn’t start out learning BJU Press PreCursive from the very beginning might need a little time to get used to the new handwriting style. But once they learn it, it will be easy for them to produce neat writing.

BJU Press math and handwriting have been a big blessing to our homeschool. I no longer consider them odd—I think they’re awesome.

Check out our math and handwriting products for yourself, and see what a difference  “different” can make.

3 Benefits of Writing Thank-You Notes

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After every special occasion involving gifts, there’s the inevitable round of thank-you cards. And while you do want to show gratefulness, they probably aren’t something you look forward to writing. After all, who has the time?

But, for your children, writing thank-you notes has a lot of value. They give your children a chance to. . .

(Image use) WP 12/2016

1. Practice Composition Skills

Thank-you cards give your children an opportunity to apply composition skills outside of their studies. If they follow the traditional “thank-you-for-your-gift-I-will-use-it-for . . .” format of thank-you notes, they’ll need to consider what the item is, how it’s typically used and for what, and who they’re writing to. All these considerations involve important writing skills. For instance, they might change their tone if they’re addressing a jovial uncle as opposed to an affectionate grandma.

2. Practice Writing and Grammar Skills

Thank-you notes also give your children an opportunity to practice handwriting and grammar skills. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a thank-you card on college-ruled card stock. Writing cards encourages them to practice writing in a straight line, rather than letting their writing curve up or down. And since they won’t want to ruin the card by making too many mistakes, they’ll need to recall what they’ve learned about grammar and spelling to get it right the first time.

3. Practice Gratitude

But most importantly, thank-you notes are an opportunity to teach your children how to have a spirit of gratitude for the things they’ve been given. It’s a time to pause and appreciate the value of not only the gift but also the relationship with the giver. Even if they may not fully appreciate the gift itself, they can appreciate how much the giver means to them. After all, we as believers may never be able to fully comprehend the sacrifice Christ made for us, but we can love Christ because of the love He has shown us.

So encourage your children to take the time and write handwritten thank-you notes this year! At the very least, you can count them as extra credit later.