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Homeschool Curriculum: Going Beyond the Books

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homeschool curriculum
What are all these books even for?

Have you ever caught yourself thinking that as you unpack your boxes full of homeschool curriculum for the year? Especially if you’re teaching the material yourself, there’s a lot of stuff in those boxes. Mixed in with the excitement for the coming homeschool year, you might find yourself asking, “Do I really need all this? What do these books do?”

Teacher Edition

If you really want to teach your children yourself, you need something that’s more than a glorified answer key. A good teacher edition will give you valuable resources that equip you to teach each lesson in a way that enables your children to understand the content.

You don’t have to be a subject expert to teach your children. And, as a parent, you’re probably already an expert or becoming an expert on how your children learn. What you need in your homeschool curriculum is a resource that equips you to create a learning experience that your child needs—without long, fruitless Pinterest searches.

BJU Press teacher editions offer strategies for presenting the content in ways that will bring children into the lesson. Those strategies may use hands-on learning, visual learning, discussions, or even storytelling. For example, you don’t have to go find resources for your study of light in Science 4. The Science 4 teacher edition offers additional resources for you, including directions for creating a shadow box theater or a kaleidoscope.

To get your children really thinking about what they’re reading, you need to ask questions. But what kind of questions? Which ones will get your kids really thinking about the content? Discussion questions and worldview development strands that you can choose from get your children thinking about the content. Additionally, they help them know how to think about it from a biblical worldview.

Besides teaching strategies and discussion questions, teacher editions also include lesson guides, background information, rubrics, answers, lesson plan overviews, and suggested schedules for the year. A teacher edition is truly a teaching resource.

Student Edition

The student edition or student worktext will be the most familiar piece. You might think of it as the core of your homeschool curriculum. It’s the book your children go to every day—or most days, depending on your schedule—to read lessons and complete assignments. Some textbooks may give you flashbacks to your high school days or make your homeschool feel like you’re just doing “school at home,” but a good textbook goes beyond the stereotype.

Textbook material will often be the first informational texts that your children read. Reading informational texts is an important skill for kids to develop because they will be reading and interacting with informational texts throughout their school days and as adults. When was the last time you read an instruction booklet, a news blog, or a how-to article? What about a devotional book or a sermon transcript? Even this post is an informational text. Information is all around us, and children need to learn how to read it, think about it, and respond to it appropriately. That’s why every BJU Press textbook is designed to help students as they work with informational texts.

Activities

An activities book seems kind of self-explanatory, doesn’t it? It’s a book full of activities. But what do those activities do? Many of them will be simple exercises that require just the book and a pen or pencil. Even though these activities seem simple, they give your kids a chance to review what they’ve learned so that they can develop mastery with the content. Other activities, especially in science, will be important for approaching the content in a different way. Not all children learn the same way, and your children may need to receive different kinds of information in different ways. So BJU Press activities also give your children the opportunity to draw pictures or diagrams of the content, to create models of it, to act it out, and so forth.

Assessments

Tests may be the bane of most students’ existence, but they do serve the vital function of giving you a way to evaluate whether your children are learning the skills they’re supposed to be learning. You may not plan on keeping track of all their scores, especially if you don’t have to submit grades to your state or a homeschool organization. But even if you don’t use the grades—because the numbers don’t really matter anyway—you can still use the information. Are your children showing that they can comprehend what they’re reading? Are they able to use reasoning skills as they answer questions? Can they think critically about the information? Are they drawing valid conclusions about it? Your children aren’t so much acing or failing tests as they are showing successes or weaknesses in their learning.

Do you know what all these homeschool curriculum pieces have in common? They’re all designed to do exactly the thing you want to do in your homeschool—teach. They give you manageable lessons so that you don’t have to go looking for lessons or create your own. Learn more about our textbook kits to find the perfect fit for your family!

2018 Homeschool Catalog Highlights

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homeschool catalog
Our 2018 homeschool catalog is off the press and will show up soon in your mailbox. We’re excited about what BJU Press families did to make this year’s catalog more engaging. Back in October, we asked you to photograph your homeschool in action. The results were overwhelming and fun! Here’s just one example.

New Distance Learning Courses

As a homeschool dad, I’m thrilled to see how the self-paced video courses enable my daughter 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, my third grader can learn on her own and at her own pace.

This year BJU Press is rolling out eight new distance learning courses. You can see sample lessons for each course on YouTube.

Heritage Studies 1

This 90-day course is taught by Mrs. Lawson and walks young children through civics starting in the home and expanding through communities and states to our nation. It concludes with a brief introduction to early American history, beginning with Columbus and finishing with Plymouth.

Science 2

Mrs. Overly teaches second graders simplified science skills and scientific methods so that they learn to be student scientists. They practice their skills in exposure-level discussions of earth science, biology, anatomy, and physical science. This is also a 90-day course.

Spelling 3

Students develop spelling skills as they inductively study word families. Mrs. Jarrell’s instruction also strengthens children’s proofreading and writing skills in this 180-day course.

Fundamentals of Math

Mr. Harmon’s personality engages students in this 180-day seventh-grade level course on math. Students will master the knowledge and skills they developed in sixth grade, providing them with a strong foundation for advanced math in high school.

World Studies

In this 180-day course, Miss Ingersoll provides students with a survey of world history from the Middle Ages to the present. Seventh graders will learn to think critically from a biblical worldview as they learn about the religions, movements, and philosophies that continue to shape our world today.

Earth Science

Geology is a field that’s dominated by secular thought, but Mrs. Gillenwater directs eighth-grade students to geology from a biblical worldview. This 180-day course also covers the atmosphere and space.

Geometry

Mr. Matesevac guides tenth graders in developing higher-level thinking skills. Students incrementally learn how to construct geometric proofs. This is a 180-day course.

American Government

In this capstone heritage studies course, Mrs. Bullock walks students through how our government was formed and the way it functions. The in-depth examination of our nation’s government is guided by a biblical worldview. This is a 90-day course.

• Price Drop for Spelling and Handwriting Video Lessons

If you’re considering buying spelling or handwriting video courses, be aware that they are now more affordable. We’ve dropped the prices for the spelling (1 through 6) and handwriting video courses from $299 per course to $149 per course.

• Vocabulary Now in Textbook Grade Kits

For the first time, we’re including vocabulary in textbook grade kits. This rounds out language arts for seventh–twelfth graders.

• Deeper Discount on Textbook Kits

When you purchase a grade or subject textbook kit, you can have the confidence that you have all of the items needed to teach your child. We’ve always discounted books when you buy them in kits. Three years ago, we evened out the discount to 20%. So purchasing kits cost 20% less than purchasing items in the kit individually. This year, we discounted the prices even more. Kits are now 25% less than purchasing the items individually.

• Lower Testing Prices

This year we’ve dropped the prices of Iowa and Stanford 10 achievement tests by 15%. This is good news for families, especially when you’re testing multiple children. Remember that many states require testing. If you’re planning on testing your children this year because your state requires it or if you do it for your own benefit, this is a great time to order—before the busiest season kicks in.

Q&A: How do I challenge my kids without frustrating them?

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The best way for me to answer this question is to tell you about three classes I took in college. I’ve always been a politics buff, so when it came time to take introductory political science, I was excited. That excitement quickly turned to disappointment when I realized I already knew the majority of the information. I didn’t learn much of anything.

Later I decided to take a class on Russian politics. I didn’t know much about that topic. It was challenging, but my general understanding of political science helped me through it. I loved that class and learned so much. I still remember a lot of it years later.

The class I’m least excited to mention is French. I’d never had any experience with French before. My advisor said French 100 was the “entry level” course, but it was way over my head. My classmates all seemed to have had French in high school, and the professor went over the basics in what felt like a one-day review session. Because of my frustration, it was hard for me to learn anything.

The best experiences for learners come from lessons in that “middle zone.” (That’s where Russian politics was for me.) When we have a strong foundation, we enjoy learning and remember the content, even when it’s challenging. The problem for college professors is that they have to design a class that tries to fit the needs of dozens if not hundreds of students. Some students are inevitably going to be bored or frustrated. The great news is that, as homeschool parents, you don’t have this problem. Your only concern is your own children.

challenging bored kids

How to keep them “in the zone”

Challenging your children without frustrating them isn’t always easy, especially if your curriculum isn’t helping out.  The best way to ensure that your children are “in the zone” as often as possible is to use a sequenced curriculum.

Sequenced curriculums have clearly defined learning outcomes for each grade in all subjects.  They divide concepts into grade levels to help ensure that the content is age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate for your child. Each grade provides the background structure of knowledge and information that your child needs in order to move on to the next.

How to find out if a curriculum is sequenced

A document called a “scope and sequence” can usually be found on a publisher’s website. This chart is a road map of every course for every grade a publisher offers curriculum for, providing you with the big picture of where your child will start and end with each course. 

A curriculum that suggests that a single textbook is appropriate for children in grades 1–6 is treating your kids the same way college professors deal with lecture halls filled with students—one size fits all. Some children are going to feel completely overwhelmed, and others will be bored. In many cases, you, the parent, must shoulder the task of translating content up or down to match your child’s level of development. That’s no fun for anyone.

I would recommend the next time you shop for curriculum, look for the scope and sequence.  Check out the BJU Press Scope and Sequence by Grade.

Staying on Course with Homeschool Organization

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tall ship sailing
© iStockphoto.com/FransDekkers

As a homeschooled kid, I thought very little about the amount of time and effort it took for my mom to keep everything organized. The concept only entered my mind when a new “school cabinet” showed up in our basement or living room and quickly filled up with books and DVDs, or when I saw my mom sitting at the kitchen table, notebooks and schedules spread out before her, like a ship’s captain consulting star charts and plotting the right course. With three kids, it took organization and discipline to make it all happen. Add in another child, or two or three, and homeschooling really gets complicated. Here are a few tips for keeping your little sailors and their school gear shipshape.

Color-Coding

Organization begins with stowing the books and supplies. My mom used a large cabinet with double doors and plenty of shelves, but other moms use cubbies, bookcases, drawers, and wall shelving─anything that can conveniently store a lot of books and educational items. To make it easier on you and on the kids, assign each child his or her own shelves, drawers, bins, or cubbies. Try color-coding these storage spaces using labels and the children’s names. The colors allow little ones to identify their supplies, even if they cannot read yet.

Of course, you also have those miscellaneous supplies that everyone needs─markers, pens, pencils, glue, scissors, sticky notes, folders, and paper. A separate cabinet or desk, placed in an accessible spot in your homeschool area, can house these “common use” items.

Using a Planner

Many textbooks and teacher’s manuals come with planning aids, and detailed homeschool planners are available online or in notebook format, depending on the style that is most comfortable for you. Before the beginning of the school year, set aside ample time to go through the kids’ upcoming subjects and create a plan for each child and every school day, right through the first month. It’s time-consuming but much less stressful in the long run. Of course, you can adjust your planner as you go along until you have a schedule that works well for everyone.

Teaching in Shifts

Homeschooling a mix of grade levels offers the potential for teaching independence and self-motivation. Using homeschool DVDs or online videos helps immensely here since you can start the older children with their lessons and check in on them periodically to keep them on track and to answer questions. Meanwhile, you can focus on the little ones who don’t yet have the attention span or the learning skills to take on a lesson by themselves. For instance, phonics and reading with a couple of the younger children happens while middle grade and high school kids are busy watching their video lessons.

If you don’t use video lessons, simply set up the older children in a quiet corner of the house with their reading assignments and then talk through the concepts with them later while the little ones are busy with worksheets. Work together on fun activities such as art, music, math manipulatives, and science experiments.

Knowing When to Flex

Many moms find that allowing their kids a little flexibility within the overall schedule works wonders. For example, Sophia may want to do math first and then science, rather than vice versa. If it doesn’t negatively affect anyone else’s schooling, Mom allows her that freedom to switch the two subjects. That way, Sophia is more engaged and interested in her work, and she gains a sense of responsibility for making that decision. It doesn’t change her assignment─ it just improves her mindset.

Motivating the Sailors─and the Captain

Whining and wailing about the workload happens in every homeschool, but it can really sap a mom’s patience. With a combination of consequences and rewards,  you can keep wayward sailors in line and stay the course for a successful homeschool day. If Jackson doesn’t finish his math assignment within the allotted time, it goes on the “evening work” pile and the schedule moves on to the next assignment. Jackson─and his siblings─quickly realize that the more they accomplish during school hours, the less they have to do later.

At the end of the day, not every pencil may find its way back to the pencil holder, and a couple of history pages may still be unread. What matters is the moments when their eyes light up with understanding, when they randomly give you a squeeze around the neck and a kiss on the cheek, or when they bend over a younger sibling and say, “Let me teach you what I learned.”

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Rebecca is a work-at-home freelance writer, novelist, wife, and the mom of two bright-eyed little ones. She credits her success in writing and her love of books to her own mom, who homeschooled three kids from pre-K through high school.