BJU Press Blog

So You Want to Be a Homeschooler?

by

get started homemschooling with your family
Whether your first child is almost ready to start school or you’re worn out from years in the school system, you’ve decided to homeschool your children. Now that you’ve made that decision, where do you begin? The homeschool community is a lot bigger than it seems from the outside. It’s full of strong opinions and unique terminology. As you begin, here are a few questions that may be weighing on your mind.

Can I even do this?

You may not have an education degree and are probably feeling like you don’t know a thing about teaching. But don’t let such doubts distract you. The National Home Education Research Institute reports that many homeschooled children perform better on standardized achievement tests than public school students, even if their parents don’t hold higher degrees. Whether you’re homeschooling a special needs child or not, you are just the expert your children need. Ask around, and every veteran homeschool parent will say the same thing. If you’re uncomfortable with teaching or you’re homeschooling several children, consider using video lessons through BJU Press’s Online courses. Our online teachers are experienced and engaging educators who have a passion for Christian education.

What makes a homeschool family successful?

Every homeschool family is different. The choices you make on this journey will set you apart from every other family, from the style you choose to the curriculum you use. But there are two qualities that will equip you to go the distance—stability and flexibility. Successful homeschool families know that there are certain things they can’t or shouldn’t change about their experiences. These things are like signposts that direct the rest of your journey.

But on the other side, homeschool families also know that many elements of their journey are beyond their control. In order to keep moving forward, they stay flexible so that the inevitable changes that they face won’t become roadblocks. As you grow and learn as a family, you’ll discover that what worked when you began may eventually stop working. You will need to change and adjust as you go, and you will need the flexibility to accept new changes.

What should I expect as I get started homeschooling?

Your homeschool journey will be unique to you and your family. Because of that, you shouldn’t jeopardize the success of your homeschool by sliding into the trap of comparison. Your journey doesn’t have to fit into any particular mold because there aren’t many absolutes in the homeschool world. That makes it hard to foresee what your specific homeschool will look like. Much of your experience will be dependent on the goals you set for yourself and your family and on your specific reasons for homeschooling.

Do I have to do it alone?

Many homeschool families agree that it’s a lonely calling, but you don’t have to resign yourself to being isolated. There are plenty of online communities and local homeschool groups that you can join. Consultants with HomeWorks by Precept, partners with BJU Press, delight in bringing homeschool families together to share experiences and insights.

If you’re ready to jump into this homeschooling thing feet first, please sign up to receive our free eBook, “A Guide to Homeschooling,” and learn more about the road ahead of you. Be sure to fill out the Homeschool Preparation Checklist at the end, and feel free to ask questions in the comments section below.

Why Be Thankful?

by

be thankful
“Thank you” are two of the first words we parents teach our children to say. Even before our daughters could talk, we taught them the sign for “thank you” in sign language. It’s important to train our children to express gratitude for the things they receive. But it’s also equally vital to teach them why we should be thankful because it’s more than just a matter of using good manners. If we can lay a biblical foundation for thankfulness while they’re young, we will help them develop a habit of gratitude for the rest of their lives.

A Few Reasons to Be Thankful

So why should we be thankful, and why should we teach our children to be thankful? Here are just a few reasons—by no means is this an exhaustive list.

  1. God commands it. Several times throughout Scripture the Lord instructs us to give thanks, and of course whenever He gives us a command, we should obey because we love Him (Psalm 50:14; 105:1; 107:8; Colossians 1:3; 2:7; 3:17; 4:2).
  2. Gratitude is God’s will for us. Probably 1 Thessalonians 5:18 immediately comes to mind: “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Many Christians want to know God’s will for their lives, and He tells us some very specific things that are always His will for us. Gratitude is one of them. God makes it very clear that thankfulness is always His will for our lives, no matter what our circumstances.
  3. Gratitude is evidence of the Holy Spirit indwelling us. It’s one of the marks of a true believer. If we profess salvation in Jesus Christ, our lives will be characterized by a thankful attitude. When we submit ourselves to the control of the Holy Spirit, He produces the fruit of gratefulness in our lives (Galatians 5:22).
  4. Gratitude is a choice. Our children need to learn that they can choose to give thanks even when they don’t feel like it. As parents, we must learn this ourselves so we can teach them to follow our example. How often do we find ourselves complaining? Do we give God praise only when things go our way? Do we thank Him for trials as well as blessings? These are a few important questions to ask ourselves as we strive to help our children learn true biblical thankfulness.

No Thanks

Our Christian character cannot be complete without thankfulness. Faith apart from gratitude becomes empty and powerless. Love apart from gratitude will disintegrate under adversity and discouragement. Sacrificial giving apart from gratitude will sour into resentment. A British pastor, John Henry Jowett, once said, “Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.” In short, we can’t be the Christians God wants us to be without it! Now is the time to cultivate gratitude in our families so we can grow “unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

• • • • •

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.

Tips for Road Trips

by

tips for road trips
You may be joining the thousands of others traveling for the holidays. Thankfully, my family lives literally across the street, and my husband’s side lives only an hour away, so we have it easy! But since we used to live about 675 miles away from family, I can completely relate to traveling with small children for long distances. Road trips can be challenging, to say the least; but we’ve found some useful ideas for entertaining the family that may help you keep your sanity if you’re traveling this holiday season.

For the Little Ones

If you have toddlers, try these ideas to keep them occupied in the car:

  • Arts and crafts. Bring plenty of coloring books and crayons, or drawing paper and colored pencils. Don’t forget a lapboard or other hard surface for them to write or draw on!
  • Books with lots of pictures. With these, you can ask them to find as many specific items as they can.
  • Books you can read to them. I used to sit in the back seat between our daughters and read them one story after another. They loved it!
  • Sing-along or story CDs. Our girls listened to these for hours. It really helped the time pass quickly.
  • Snacks. I’ve learned to pack lots of these for long road trips! If our girls were starting to get extra fidgety, I’d give them a sucker, and it would content them for quite a while. Of course, I tried not to load them up with sugar—that can majorly backfire!
  • Toys. We would let our daughters choose a few of their favorite toys to play with in their seats. I usually ended up playing silly games with them, not only to entertain them but also to hear their contagious giggles.

For the Older Ones

Traveling with children actually gets easier as they get older because you’re able to play different games with them, such as:

  • Twenty questions. It’s a classic time-filler! We like to play a Bible version of this that involves guessing a person, place, or thing mentioned in Scripture. With 66 books to choose from, you can come up with a plethora of possibilities.
  • License plate game. Keep track of how many other states each family member can spot on license plates and tally points. Award extra points for license plates from places outside the US, such as Canada.
  • Board games. Lots of travel-size board games are available, such as checkers, Trouble, chess, Connect Four, and so on.
  • Bible verse game. This one can be especially helpful if you get stuck in traffic. Have each family member quote a verse that starts with a  given letter of the alphabet in sequence. For example, for A someone could quote, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” The next person would quote a verse that begins with B, and so forth. References are optional.

If you’re all gamed out, you can listen to a sermon, read, or just spend time talking as a family. Road trips can be great opportunities to connect with and encourage each other in the Lord. Hopefully these ideas will help you on your next long journey!

• • • • •

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.

New Additions for Your Thanksgiving Meal Plan

by

your thanksgiving meal plan
We’re only a few days away from Thanksgiving, and many of us are already planning and preparing for the great feast. What was your family’s favorite part about last year’s Thanksgiving meal plan? What did you have entirely too much of afterwards? Was there anything that wasn’t as popular? (Personally, I think all Thanksgiving meals would be better with more mashed potatoes and much less stuffing.)

If you’re looking to adjust your Thanksgiving meal plan or try something new, here are a few Thanksgiving favorites from the writers of the BJU Press Homeschool blog!

Sharon’s Baked Corn

Ingredients

1 qt. corn, frozen or fresh

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. oil

3 Tbsp. sugar

3 Tbsp. flour

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients well in a bowl. Pour into a greased slow cooker.
  2. Cook on high for 3 hours and then on low for 45 minutes.

Sharon loves this recipe because it gives her an easy but delicious side dish to have cooking while she’s focusing on other, more involved dishes.

Megan’s Shoo-Fly Pie

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1 Tbsp. shortening

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup dark Karo Syrup

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup water

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup hot water

1 pie crust

Directions

  1. Mix sugar, flour, and shortening until crumbs form and reserve ½ cup for top of pie.
  2. In another bowl, blend together syrup, egg, and ¾ cup water.
  3. Combine crumbs and syrup mixture with spoon.
  4. Dissolve baking soda in ¼ cup hot water and add to mixture.
  5. Pour into pie crust shell and top with ½ cup reserved crumbs.
  6. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
  7. Serve with whipped cream.

Megan loves this recipe because it has deep roots in Pennsylvania, where she grew up, and making it for Thanksgiving gives her an opportunity to share her history with her daughters.

Jenna’s Cranberry Salad

Ingredients

1 bag cranberries, fresh

6 apples, red delicious

20 oz. can pineapple chunks with juice

12 oz. tub whipped cream

Directions

  1. Core and slice the apples.
  2. Use blender or food processor to finely dice apple slices and cranberries.
  3. In a bowl, thoroughly mix diced apples and cranberries together with pineapple chunks, undrained.
  4. Transfer to strainer with a bowl to catch the juice; allow the mixture to drain overnight or at least 6 hours in the refrigerator.
  5. Transfer mixture back to bowl and combine with whipped cream. Serve chilled.
  6. Bonus juice: Draining the diced cranberries, apples, and pineapples will yield up to three cups of juice. Mix the juice into a pitcher of cold water or seltzer water. Add sugar to taste.

For me, Thanksgiving never feels complete without a big bowl of my mother’s cranberry salad. After she passed away, I took on the task of making it every year and sharing it with friends and family wherever I happen to be on Thanksgiving.

As the psalmist said, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:8–9).

Staying Healthy in Your Homeschool This Flu Season

by

staying healthy with tea
Did you know that this year is the one-hundred-year anniversary of the global outbreak of the Spanish flu? It was the worst pandemic in the history of the world, killing 50 to 100 million people worldwide. And today, everywhere you turn, there’s coughing, runny noses, and tissues. It may not be a second outbreak of the Spanish flu, but flu season is definitely here. As you take steps to keep your family healthy, don’t forget the familiar tips for avoiding sicknesses. You may start dosing your children with vitamins—if you don’t already—and remind them daily to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. Here are a few more reminders for staying healthy when all around you are falling ill.

Wash Your Hands When You Get Home

At school, children pass around germs and sickness like some wild game of hot potato. Since you homeschool, you already have a big advantage. But your children still get exposed to sicknesses whenever they go out—to church, homeschool co-ops, the store, the library, or even sports games. It’s important for them to wash their hands as soon as they get back home. You may even consider keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer by your front door or in your purse.

Let Your Lifestyle Support the Immune System

It’s a simple truth that our daily routines do more for (or against) our immune systems than anything else we can do. More than ever, now is a good time for you to ensure that your children are getting plenty of sleep, eating right, and exercising. Are you an early-morning homeschooler? Consider pushing your start time back to ensure your children are getting a full eight to ten hours of sleep. Have picky eaters? Consider trying some new recipes to make healthy greens more appealing. Too cold to play outside? Consider some indoor games that include movement and exercise.

Learn About the Human Body

Perhaps the best way to ensure that your children stay healthy this flu season is to give them a healthy understanding of how their bodies work. The more they know about what keeps them healthy, the more capable they will be of making wise decisions throughout the day. Each grade of the BJU Press elementary science line includes a unit about the human body and its systems. If you haven’t reached it yet, consider skipping ahead to cover it early. Science 1 even features a special discussion on staying healthy.

So what does staying healthy this flu season have to do with the Spanish flu? While the average strain of flu won’t be nearly as deadly as the 1918 one, flu viruses still pose a very serious threat to many. Doing their best to stay healthy is a small service your children can do for others who may have compromised immune systems or may be at severe risk from the spread of a virus.