I need encouragement or admonition plz:o) very long-sry

[BarbinTN]

I have been doing BJU DVDs for 3 years. The longest I ever done anything. B4 that we did Sonlight, MUS etc. My dc were 1st, 3rd and 6th when I started. We are now upcoming 1st, 4th, 6th and 9th graders.

 

I am wanting to abandon the whole kit and kaboodle. Math is simply ridiculous (imho) in the complicated nature it tries to present things (elementary). Often I will have to reteach the lesson in "english" they can understand and they are like oh yeah I get that. I am teaching the rest of this year.

 

Reading...30 min lecture too. We dropped and am having them read whole books.

 

English...They still stumble over nouns & verbs!!!!!!!!:001_huh: Still struggle w/ writing. I've stopped and am teaching the basics of paragraph writing.

 

History & Science were fine with the exception they were staring @ the t.v. all day.

 

So, 9th grader. Did fine with everything. She wants to continue but I want to bail. I never see her as she is confined in bedroom ALL DAY watching these DVDs. I feel like it is passive and easy for her and that's why she has no interest in changing.

 

I am thinking Apologia Elementary Science for the youngers; read alone/narrate. TT for math-did sample lessons & luved it. Nervous though b/c of bad reviews. History STOW CDs together. Easy Grammar and IEW writing @ co-op for 6th grader.

 

9th grader.. NWH-includes whole books but yet still textbooky like she likes & do a few PP Guides. TT Alg 1....BJU DVDs go to 45 min lectures as well in the Science. Was gonna try Apologia Physical Science.

 

Am I crazy for doing a 360? I am NOT math savvy so can't rightly compare any algebra programs. I hate to upset my 9th grader but feel like she needs less/none screen time with BJU. She will be doing the IEW co-op as well. I was gonna get her an EG Grade 9 instead of BJU English as well.

 

Plz tell me that I am doing the right or wrong thing???? My little kids LOVE that I have taken there screen time away with the DVDs. My 3rd grader who HATES to read begged to read instead of watch the Reading DVDs. He narrates whatever he can read in 30 mins gladly:)

 

THANKS for reading. Plz feel free to comment on any of this and not on other parts since I know this is a lot.

Barb

[Grace is Sufficient]

I can't give any specific comments on the curriculum you're considering, but I wanted to encourage you because it sounds like you're asking the right questions. Since you use BJU, I'll assume you won't be offended by the reminder that God provides wisdom to those who ask. On your behalf, I asked God to give you great wisdom and to guide you to just right resources for each student and for you.

 

Blessings,

Debbie

[BarbinTN]

Thx Debbie!!! I thought I had it already figured it out but doubt/fear is creeping in. I know fear is not of the Lord as he gives us a spirit of power and might. However, I want to be wise and with my track record of switching curriculums, I am nervous!

Blessings,

Barb

[plansrme]

I also do not know much about the BJU DVDs, but I have had similar concerns about my lack of interaction with my high schooler this year. She is so self-sufficient, independent and self-motivated that she just sits down in the morning, does her work, checks it (with no cheating) and comes to me only when it is time to do oral discussion questions for literature, which is not often. Like you with your 9th grader, I miss her! I am hoping to make significant changes next year so that I can interact with her more. It may be our last hear of homeschooling her, and time is running out. I know this is no help, but I wanted to at least let you know that someone out there empathizes with your plight.

 

As for the Apologia elementary series for the youngers for science--yes, yes, yes! I recommend this all the time on the K-8 board, but you can get kits through Nature's Workshop that have everything you need to do every activity in the book. You have a lot on your plate, and I think that having everything ready to go will help science get done. The kits are $60 or $70 each, but I think I save money by not having to buy a full size of whatever supply when I only need a tiny fraction of the package. Also, the Notebooking Journals make it super-easy for the kiddos to do their assignments. I used 2 Apologia texts this year (Astronomy and Flying Creatures) with my 1st and 5th grader. They each did their own Notebooking Journal but shared a textbook and the supply kits. You could easily add in your 6th grader as well, just giving her the occasional meatier assignment.

 

Good luck with your 360! I hear that you want to reconnect with your kids, and they want to reconnect with you, when it comes to school. I wish you all the best in your search.

 

Terri

[Rhonda in TX]

I guess what I think of is why did you curriculum hop in the past? Was it just a case of "grass is greener"? Were you looking for that one perfect thing? Did you have difficulty making all the pieces fit? Was it too teacher intensive?

 

I'd want to make sure I wasn't changing for the same reasons as before. You have legitimate concerns with what you are currently using. However, only you know if things were better before.

 

I would hesitate to change something for my 9th grader that is working. I feel that high school is not the time to experiment, at least not with everything. Is there a way that she wouldn't have to spend all her time in her room? Are you using the online version or DVD? Can she watch her lessons and still be near the rest of the family? BTW, we are currently using BJU DVDs for 8th grade science and I do not find the course easy. If your DD is doing well with the courses, that is great!

[at the beach]

I've felt the same thing this year with my 8th grader. We started off with a lot of online classes. Ugh. Similar to what you describe with your child. We bailed on the math/science quickly. I cannot stand trying to duplicate a school atmosphere at home. I also think it's not good for a teen (or any kid) to sit locked up in a room all day. That's not why I am homeschooling. I know I am opinionated, so obviously YMMV.

 

Like plansrme, I also miss my daughter. We've been making changes throughout the year to try to address that. Next year, we are not doing any online classes but foreign language. Maybe AoPS. MAYBE. We'll see.

 

If you've been doing BJU DVDs for 3 years, that's a long time, so I wouldn't view ditching them as curriculum hopping. And you've already seen a positive result with your younger kids.

 

You said you are upcoming 9th grade with your daughter, right? I would absolutely ditch the whole BJU DVD thing right now. Seriously. She's in 8th grade, so just bail like you want. I agree that what she's doing in her room is probably way too passive. I think you are doing the right thing.:001_smile:

 

ETA: Just because you dump the DVDs, that doesn't necessarily mean you have to dump the math/science textbook for the rest of this year, does it?

Edited March 25, 2011 by Violet

[ccm]

I guess what I think of is why did you curriculum hop in the past? Was it just a case of "grass is greener"? Were you looking for that one perfect thing? Did you have difficulty making all the pieces fit? Was it too teacher intensive?

 

I'd want to make sure I wasn't changing for the same reasons as before. You have legitimate concerns with what you are currently using. However, only you know if things were better before.

 

I would hesitate to change something for my 9th grader that is working. I feel that high school is not the time to experiment, at least not with everything. Is there a way that she wouldn't have to spend all her time in her room? Are you using the online version or DVD? Can she watch her lessons and still be near the rest of the family? BTW, we are currently using BJU DVDs for 8th grade science and I do not find the course easy. If your DD is doing well with the courses, that is great!

 

:iagree:

[BarbinTN]

for the encouragement. Yes, I was thinking about the Notebooking Journals for Apologia. Having the kits would make experiments effortless for me. I HATE doing experiments so this way they could do it on there own:o)

Blessings,

Barb

[Mom22ns]

Why don't you just change what isn't working. If the younger ones aren't doing well with BJU math, switch it, but keep it for high school. The same for science. Switch everyone for history & LA. That will get them away from screens for at least a couple of hours/day and give you some interaction.

 

I would keep BJU math and science for your high schooler. BJU is a more rigorous program than TT or Apologia. If she likes it and is doing well, don't switch. She would be doing more, not less with the BJU.

[Tammyla]

:iagree:

I guess what I think of is why did you curriculum hop in the past? Was it just a case of "grass is greener"? Were you looking for that one perfect thing? Did you have difficulty making all the pieces fit? Was it too teacher intensive?

 

I'd want to make sure I wasn't changing for the same reasons as before. You have legitimate concerns with what you are currently using. However, only you know if things were better before.

 

I would hesitate to change something for my 9th grader that is working. I feel that high school is not the time to experiment, at least not with everything. Is there a way that she wouldn't have to spend all her time in her room? Are you using the online version or DVD? Can she watch her lessons and still be near the rest of the family? BTW, we are currently using BJU DVDs for 8th grade science and I do not find the course easy. If your DD is doing well with the courses, that is great!

Edited March 25, 2011 by Tammyla

[BarbinTN]

I wanted the "best" of everything. I was soooo addicted to this board and searched and researched every "good" thing. By the time I added the 3rd kid to school I was burned out. I could not "do" Sonlight w/all of them. Also, my 2nd and 3rd dc are boys. Big shocker for me that they weren't like my first born dd.

 

DD does awesome in her BJU stuff. There isn't anywhere close by for her to watch her lessons w/o big distractions.

 

Thanks for sharing Rhonda!

Barb

[BarbinTN]

is calling me to change. Several devotions (101 HS Devo 4 Moms) over the past few months have led me into the realization that I need to spend more time w/my dc. It is EASY to send them away to their rooms; they don't fight, they don't talk, they don't interrupt, it's like they are gone kwim? I can exercise, shower, cook, clean etc. All those things my FLESH thinks I NEED to be doing. It requires me dying to my flesh in order to give myself 100% again to homeschooling. It requires patience which I am always short on. It requires adapting to all my kids temperments instead of just sending them away....So, perhaps I am getting to the heart of the matter. Was school really to hard with 3 or was Mom just too selfish? I am after all adding a 1st grader to the mix....hmmm

 

Thank you!

Barb

[BarbinTN]

and my program shut off!!!!! Anywho, 8th grader does fine in all subjects. I just feel like she would be challenged more to read/find out on her own. She would have to adapt to her siblings more instead of being in her world/her room.

Thx for sharing,

Barb

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

We've used some BJU materials over the years, but never the DVDs. Your children can learn and progress by reading the material, discussing the section review questions, learning vocabulary, and talking about the chapter with you. If you like BJU then just do the textbooks for history and science. My 7th grader is doing the 7th grade history book and he is only reading the chapter, telling me about what he's read, and doing the tests open book.

 

Math is different. If you aren't comfortable with math you can find another curriculum with DVDs or video lessons. There are lots of online math options too. You can read lots of opinions about different programs here. Read the math threads, write down all the titles, and google them ALL.

 

If you've done a "reading curriculum" for 3 years,why not just read good books for a year???

 

My older girls did a year of BJU writing and grammar (or maybe it was 2 years?) without the DVD, and then found Easy Grammar a refeshing change of pace. It does teach all the grammar one really NEEDS and does not HAVE to be finished in one year.

 

Writing? Assign some writing assignments from history, science, and reading. Correct grammar, spelling, punctuation. Explain how certain sentences might have been better. Take a year and just write. OR take 3 months to just write while you evaluate programs.

 

I've done a couple of "360s" over the years...mainly based on life situations. It is okay. Flexibility to meet the current needs of individual students is a main advantage to homeschooling.

 

Edit to add: I just noticed you are in TN..... me too....... maybe we can talk at the Nashville conference in May?

Edited March 25, 2011 by Pam L in Mid Tenn
add

[ccm]

 

DD does awesome in her BJU stuff. There isn't anywhere close by for her to watch her lessons w/o big distractions.

 

 

My daughter has recently retreated to her room with her work because she can't focus with the family distractions around her. She needs that time to work but doesn't stay in her room all day. Once she's done, the afternoon is for extracurricular activities and family time. She spends the evening before bed in her room studying and finishing up work not completed in the morning. I see the need for dd to have that quiet haven to focus on her work and am happy I can provide that for her because she didn't get that in public and private school (classroom noise/distractions).

 

I also wanted to mention that I often join my dd for her lessons because we like to discuss what she's learning. On days when I worked, I would watch that day's lesson the night before and discuss it with her when I returned home from work.

Edited March 25, 2011 by ccm

[BarbinTN]

Just did them so I could be "done" with school for those 3 years.

 

A reading program was never my desire, again we just got on that bandwagon of Dvds. I am postive about that decision:D

 

Not sure about the MTHEA. I have only been once and that was in Hendersonville when Chris Davis from the Elijah Co. was speaking. That was literally 6 years ago. I don't have a membership with MTHEA so I hate spend 30 bucks I think it is to go, kwim?!

 

Thanks for your comments:)

Barb

[BarbinTN]

needs quite time in order to think about her stuff. I just have this vision of us all sitting around my bar happily doing school;) Unrealistic expectation I know..

Thx!!!

Barb

[Susan C.]

Thoughts:

 

I love BJU math, but didn't use the dvds until Algebra 1. And I really like BJU Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 w/dvds. I used their English 6, Reading 6, Spelling 6, Science 6, Math 6, and History 6 all without dvds. (So maybe re-evaluate which dvds you need and don't need).

 

BJU is rigorous, and if your older dd is doing well, I don't know if I would change it. We did an all subjects package for ds senior year, and it was too much to watch. What we did was pick the two or three things we really needed the dvds for and ditched the rest and did text only for those. History was fine to just read the text. We did bail out of BJU physics for Apologia. But, I hear BJU's dvds for 10th and 11th gr. science are good.

[BarbinTN]

am pondering! I just p/u Alg1 BJU and TT Alg1 from friends. I'm gonna watch a little of each and see which I understand and think is best.

Blessings,

Barb

[Susan C.]

am pondering! I just p/u Alg1 BJU and TT Alg1 from friends. I'm gonna watch a little of each and see which I understand and think is best.

Blessings,

Barb

 

Teaching Textbooks is very different in format from BJU. The BJU Algebra 1 teacher is excellent!

[southcarolinamom]

I feel your fear and anxiety of making a change! Three to four years ago I was in your shoes. We were using almost exclusively BJU teaching materials - Not the DVD's, but the textbooks, with me as the teacher guiding them using the BJU teacher manuals, etc. My kids were at the point that the BJU format was literally sucking the joy out of learning.

 

Several friends of mine were using Sonlight and I enjoyed browsing through the catalog. I secretly loved the idea of literature-based learning, but didn't think I could swing all the read-aloud time with them (I do medical transcription at home about 5 hours a day, 5 days a week)

 

I discussed how Sonlight works, and both kids begged me to change to that format... I told them school would take longer each day... but they didn't care.

 

We now use Sonlight for history/lit, Apologia science, teaching textbooks math (although my son still uses BJU math- it "works" for him), etc. and couldn't be happier with the change. Their Stanford achievement testing scores still remained high - or a little higher, in some cases, and they love talking about the books they read in school. They wanted to read the "read aloud" books to themselves anyway, so I didn't have to do much reading for them.......I would say ... GO FOR IT!

[BarbinTN]

to review both!

[BarbinTN]

dc in it. I attempted 2 cores and 2 sciences and that instant burn out:glare:

Thx for encouraging me!

Barb