BJU Press Blog

How to Encourage the Best Work in Your Homeschool

April 23, 2019 by Megan

I’ve found that one of the great benefits of homeschooling is how well I’ve gotten to know my children. I know what delights them, what frustrates them, what fascinates them, and what bores them. I also know what they are capable of. And I know the difference between their best work and halfhearted attempts.

In Colossians 3:23, the Bible admonishes us to do our work “heartily as to the Lord.” The Lord deserves our best work—anything less would be an offense to the one who gave us everything. We as parents must teach our children to do their best in everything they do. But how? Here are a few thoughts about how we can encourage careful, excellent work in our homeschooling.

Know their best work

Realize that encouraging excellence is different from demanding perfection. God, in His wisdom, made every child with different abilities. For some children, everything in school seems to come easily, but others struggle with one or more subjects. It’s unfair to expect that every child’s “best” means a report card with straight As or above-average standardized test scores. Your child’s “best” is going to look very different from my child’s “best.” Even within my own family, there are going to be differences.

As homeschool moms and dads, we need wisdom to discern between a child who is truly struggling and a child who is not giving school his or her best effort. Here are some questions that I ask myself.

Has this child struggled with this concept or a similar concept in the past?
Did this child pay attention to the instruction?
Has this child put forth an effort to do well (i.e., studied for a test, taken notes, practiced on his or her own, etc.)?

Celebrate achievement

Best work deserves encouragement, no matter what the grade is. Encouragement comes in many forms, but it should certainly start with encouraging words. Let your children know that you are proud of how hard they worked, and point out the progress that they have made even if it doesn’t seem that significant.

For example, one of my daughters really struggled with contractions at one point. She struggled with them in English lessons, and she struggled with them in reading. When her weekly spelling list featured a list of contractions, I knew she was going to have trouble. So we split the list in half and worked on only ten words a week. We played spelling games. She wrote the words and used elbow macaroni noodles for apostrophes (an awesome idea borrowed from Mrs. Overly’s English 2 Online course). I went on Pinterest® and found all kinds of teaching ideas. She didn’t make an A on that spelling test. But we still celebrated—with chocolate—because I knew that she had put forth her best effort. For her encouragement, I showed her the difference between her pretest and her final test and pointed out the words that she now knew how to spell.

Discourage laziness

It’s sometimes tempting to want to shield my children from the consequences of doing less than their best work. As a mom, I want to see them succeed. I don’t want to give them poor grades. But, as I explained in a previous post, my children need to learn that there are consequences for not doing their best work. Consequences, like encouragement, come in many different forms. Sometimes, it means a lower grade. Sometimes it means having to redo the work (for the same grade) or doing additional work. It ought to cost the child something.

You, as a homeschool mom or dad, have unique opportunities to develop your child’s character every day. You know what your child is capable of, and you are there to observe all his or her work. Teaching your children to always put forth their best effort takes time. It might lengthen an already long homeschool day. But it is time well spent because the experience of doing one’s best work is going to stick with your child long after your homeschool journey is done.

Easter Activities for Celebrating the Resurrection

April 16, 2019 by Guest Writer

Where would we be had Jesus Christ not risen from the dead? First Corinthians 15:17 gives the answer: “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” The gospel would be incomplete apart from the resurrection because it provides proof that God had accepted the sacrifice of His Son. Because Jesus conquered death as well as sin, we can now have eternal life. This incredible truth gives us much to celebrate during this season! Here are a few Easter activities you can use to help your family really understand and enjoy the meaning of Easter.

Resurrection Garden

These mini gardens are simple to assemble and serve as a great visual reminder of Christ rising from the dead. Here’s what you need and how to do it:

a shallow potting dish
a small terra cotta pot (2–3”)
potting soil
one large rock for the tomb entrance
six small twigs (and craft glue or twine) for making crosses
grass seed
small stones or moss for decoration (optional)

Lay the small pot on its side in the center of the potting dish.
Scoop potting soil into the dish, mounding it all over and around the small pot to form a hill.
Sprinkle grass seed on the soil.
Mist with water from a spray bottle, making sure the soil gets plenty of water.
Place the large rock off to the side of the small pot to mimic the empty tomb.
Make three crosses with your small twigs and place them on top of the “hill.”
Add moss, decorative stones, and anything else you would like to complete your garden tomb.

Resurrection Eggs

This is a great way to teach younger children the story of Jesus’ betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection. You will need a dozen plastic eggs, an empty egg carton, and 11 small items (one to place inside each egg, leaving one egg empty to signify the vacant tomb). You can include (but aren’t limited to) these:

Leaf—representing the palm branches used at the triumphal entry
A piece of cracker—representing the Last Supper
Three dimes—representing the pieces of silver Judas accepted for betraying Jesus
String or yarn—representing Jesus’s flogging
Thorn—representing the crown of thorns
Three nails—representing the crucifixion
Dice—representing the soldiers’ gambling for His clothes
Sponge—representing the vinegar offered to Jesus on the cross
Cloves or other spice—representing the spices used in Jesus’ burial
White cloth—representing the linen burial cloth
Rock—representing stone that closed the tomb

You can either open all the eggs at once while teaching this account or open one each day in the days leading up to Easter Sunday.

Easter Poem

Since April is National Poetry Month, consider having your children write the story of the resurrection using creative shape poems.

With a cross poem, encourage your children to focus the first four lines of their poem on the death of Christ, the next two on His burial, and the last six on His resurrection. Or with older children, you can try the form George Herbert used in his poem, “Easter Wings.”

May the miracle of Christ’s resurrection fill your family’s hearts with joy and gratitude as you celebrate this Easter!

• • • • •

Jennifer is a pastor’s wife and mom of two young girls and loves homeschooling them. During her own twelve years of being homeschooled, Jennifer developed a passion for reading and writing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and relishes writing during her free time.

Appreciating Librarians for National Library Week

April 9, 2019 by Guest Writer

National Library Week is a time when libraries actively reach out to remind the public about the value of library services. Since many homeschool families already rely heavily on local libraries, you probably don’t need to be reminded. Instead, take some time to give back to the librarians who serve your local community.

Explore some ways that you and your kids can show appreciation to librarians this week!

Make a Small Donation

Most libraries operate on a tight budget—a constraint that many homeschool families understand well. Explain to your kids that even a five-dollar donation to the library can be a big help, aiding with the cost of purchasing a new book or repairing an old one.

Some libraries conduct book sales and other fundraisers. If you have gently used or like-new books that you and your kids no longer need, consider donating those to your local library’s book sales or other initiatives.

Write a Note

A sincere “thank you” is a free and meaningful way of showing appreciation to librarians. Talk to your kids about all the tasks that librarians accomplish, and include some of those specific details in the note.

Things librarians do:

Organize and maintain the current collection of books
Buy new books for you to enjoy
Buy and maintain media such as CDs, movies, audio books, and more
Plan and oversee children’s events, including story time for kids and other activities
Host community programs and training services
Answer questions about books and other resources

Bring a Gift

Librarians are readers too! Like you, many of them love curling up with a snack, a cup of tea or coffee, and a good book. Appreciating librarians could involve bringing them a small gift—a box of assorted tea, some hot chocolate packets for the break room, or a selection of baked goods to share.

Talk to the Librarian

Many librarians say that they wish library visitors would ask them more questions! They’re busy, yes—but they love helping you! As you teach your children about appreciating librarians, encourage them to ask for book recommendations or to tell the librarian about a library book they recently enjoyed.

Visit the Library Often

Librarians love to see you using the library. When you leave with a huge stack of books, movies, and CDs, it’s exciting for them! When you use libraries regularly, their funding is more secure, and those free services are more likely to remain available.

Keep Your Library Clean and Neat

Of course, whenever you visit, be sure to treat the library’s facilities, products, and people respectfully. Instead of reshelving books yourself, put them in the appropriate reshelving area. A librarians may have to spend days looking for a book that a well-meaning patron left on the wrong shelf. Keep food and drinks out of the library. If you use the provided toys, pencils, or paper in the children’s section, be sure to put everything back where you found it when you leave.

Libraries open up a whole world of affordable books and resources, so that everyone can learn and have fun! Use Library Week to thank those hard-working librarians and to encourage your kids to discover new books.

• • • • •

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.

Teaching Poetry in Your Homeschool

April 2, 2019 by Jenna

Have you ever read Ezra Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro”? This twenty-word poem seems simple on the surface. In spite of that, I never really got it until one of my teachers took the time to flesh out its significance. We talked about the sounds and rhythm of the poem itself, the culture Pound lived in, his beliefs as a poet and writer, and the event that inspired the poem. All this information together inspired in me a deep appreciation for Pound’s art and for this poem in particular.

In the course of your child’s education, you’re probably going to read many poems. Let’s take a look at some approaches for teaching poetry to help your children better understand and appreciate it.

Looking for Sounds

Poets choose words not only for their meaning but also for their sound. Words with hard consonant sounds—b, d, k, and t—can sound harsh and forceful. In contrast, words with softer consonant sounds—l, m, n, and s—are melodic and have a gentle flow. In Pound’s poem, the sounds seem to mimic the noises a steam train makes as it comes into a station. The sounds grow harder as the train brakes and slows.

Analyzing Meter or Rhythm

All poems have rhythm. Some poems have metered rhythm—a regular pattern of stressed and nonstressed syllables. You might remember iambic pentameter from your own studies. For example, Shakespeare’s “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” uses iambic pentameter. Other poems don’t have regular meter, but they still have rhythmic sense, especially when they are well crafted. The words Pound uses in his poem not only sound train-like but also have a rhythm that supports the feeling of a train coming to a stop.

It’s surprisingly easy to spend time analyzing the sounds of a poem. In fact, there is a whole bank of terms to draw from to talk about sounds more effectively, and BJU Press literature books explore many of those terms.

Considering historical context

Looking at something according to its context should already be familiar to your children from hearing sermons and doing Bible studies. When exploring a Scripture passage, we should take a close look at the immediate context of the verse as well as what we know about the cultural beliefs, the life of the author of that book, and the original meanings of the words themselves. The same strategies for Bible study apply to poetry. If the reader knows how subway stations looked in the early 1900s, his appreciation for Pound’s poem increases.

Learning about the poet

At times, the simplest detail about where the poet lived and what he believed can help your children understand what the poet meant. In Pound’s case, knowing that he studied haiku helps us see why he chose to condense his poem to three short lines. And if we read that he once said in a letter, “I got out of a metro train . . . and saw suddenly a beautiful face, and then another and another,” we understand better how to view the poem.

Discovering the meanings of the words

Sometimes, your children will need to learn what the words meant way-back-when. The author Christina Rossetti lived from 1830 to 1894 in England. Many of the words she would have used regularly simply aren’t commonly used today. For example, when is the matin hour? And what does evensong mean? The Oxford English Dictionary is a great resource for learning the history of English words. By looking up these words, we can see that they both have to do with hours dedicated to prayer in the church—one in the early morning and the other in the evening. In other words, the rosebud that the speaker watches blooms and falls the same day. In Pound’s poem, it might be helpful to look up apparition. Its meaning combined with its sound and rhythm make it the perfect choice.

Poetry can inspire even a young child to look at things a little differently and to appreciate the power of language. You could probably spend hours delving into the depths of poetry. But you and your children don’t have to spend a long time on every poem. Finding even a few things in a poem that give it more meaning or beauty will make him a better reader—and maybe even a writer!

Homeschool Checklist to Know You’re Ready

March 19, 2019 by Jenna

So you’ve been thinking about this homeschooling thing for a while now. In fact, you’ve probably been doing a lot more than thinking. You’ve prayed, done the reading, had family conversations, and set some goals. You’ve even looked at curriculum. But are you ready? How do you know if you are? This homeschool checklist will help you decide whether you’re ready to take the plunge.

Have you checked your state’s regulations for homeschooling?

The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) explains which regulations apply to your state. Some states merely require parents to give notice that they intend to homeschool their children. Others may require homeschoolers to perform annual standardized testing to make sure that children are learning normally. You’ll want to know these requirements ahead of time.

Have you laid out your reasons for homeschooling?

Remember, it’s easier to commit to something when you know why you’re doing it. Consider writing out your reasons and displaying them—if nothing else, that will help you explain to a concerned friend or relative why you’re doing this.

Where will you turn for homeschool support?

Your homeschool support system can help you stay on your feet even on the hardest of days. Whether it’s just a chat with a friend or an expert to address your darkest fears, you’re going to need someone to turn to.

How much time will you devote daily to homeschooling?

Many homeschool families have their children do work between four and five hours a day. That’s both lesson time and homework. But what about you? How many hours do you have to devote to homeschooling your children? If you don’t have much time to devote to it, you may need to choose a curriculum that includes video lesson options or that can be self-taught. Or you can devise a schedule that lets you spread out your work. You could homeschool year-round or choose a six-day homeschool schedule, so you can spend less time each day on homeschooling.

What are your children interested in?

Many new homeschoolers are really excited about getting to tailor their children’s education to their interests. Now’s the time to really figure out what those interests are so you can be ready to do that.

What best describes the curriculum that you believe will work for your family?

Are you homeschooling on a tight budget? Do you have the budget but not the time to teach? Assuming you believe a strong biblical worldview is vital, should you use a curriculum built on that perspective or will a secular publisher do just as well? Do you prefer to do the teaching yourself, or would you rather use video lessons? These are all questions that will help you narrow down your curriculum choices.

How will you keep yourself organized?

It’s a challenge to manage all the stuff. If you have three kids, all in elementary grades, then they each have up to eight subjects. Each subject has two textbooks—usually a textbook and an activity book. That’s forty-eight textbooks—not counting any teacher editions, notebooks, binders, and whatever else they need. And it’s not only a question of space. What about organizing your time? The plan you have now doesn’t have to be permanent, but you need a workable schedule to at least get you started.

Have you laid out some short-term goals for your first few weeks of homeschooling?

Goals are pretty important, especially at the beginning. If you set a few easily reachable goals to start with, you can get off on the right foot and put yourself in a goal-oriented mindset for the future. Your goals don’t even have to be really serious. You could set a goal to finish one lesson a day, or to walk around the house like a duck once a day. That’s silly, but it’s good exercise too.

Use this printable checklist to work through some of the questions above.

Hopefully, you’re feeling confident and ready to get started on your homeschooling journey. Your first few years are going to be wild and crazy (plus moments that you wouldn’t trade for the world). But if at the end of it all, your children have a strong relationship with God and are using the abilities He’s given them for His glory, won’t it be worth it all?