Kencam Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Hi! I am a chronic lurker on these boards🤪. I have two dds. The oldest will be in 9th grade next year and the younger will be in 6th. My oldest has adhd and anxiety, and I must admit I have spent the majority of my focus on finding appropriate curriculum for her due to her probable LDs. My youngest has done BJU DLO for all her schooling years. It’s always been a great fit for her. However, this year (5th), she seems to not be enjoying it as much. She’s very bright and she completes all her lessons in 3-3.5 hours. She has straight As. She’s been complaining that the history is boring and the science is short. She really enjoys science, but BJU science lessons are only about 15 min long and involve reading about 2 pages of the textbook. The math is good for her. It’s been challenging for her at times, but she is still maintaining her A. Anyway, she is on the opposite spectrum of my older daughter, and I’m at a loss of different curriculum options for her. Does anyone have some suggestions? Should we continue with BJU next yea4 and supplement with some other things, should we switch curriculum entirely, or a different option I haven’t thought about? I need her to be a bit independent as her sister needs me to work with her a bit more for her classes. I love BJUs science in the middle-high school grade levels as it ramps up in intensity. Anyone have any thoughts? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Bean Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 (edited) My kids have all at one time or another done BJU dlo through 8th. (My oldest went on to community college at that point.) 5th is boring- she is right. It is mostly a repeat of 4th. 6th is where it really picks up. This far into it jumping ship just cause a hormonal middle schooler says "It's boring!" would not be something to consider. The books become so much more interesting in just a bit. I would stay with BJU dlo and add more books. Perhaps you could order a Logos or Home Science Tools kit for the coming year's science? Take a look at all the new stuff, even if it isn't dlo, at the school site. https://www.bjupress.com/ ADDING: BJU is not a fluffy choice- there is enough challenge for bright kids. You may have to look in the TM's to find extra assignments, but it is there. She could take the basic premise of any topic and find a way to build on it herself-- a project, more books, drawing, etc.. Make it work for you or rather make her make it work for her. Edited March 20, 2022 by Green Bean 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 53 minutes ago, Green Bean said: ADDING: BJU is not a fluffy choice- there is enough challenge for bright kids. You may have to look in the TM's to find extra assignments, but it is there. She could take the basic premise of any topic and find a way to build on it herself-- a project, more books, drawing, etc.. Make it work for you or rather make her make it work for her. It's not a fluffy choice................but it's also a company that puts in a "sure, fire breathing dragons have a ton of evidence for being real!" in their Life Science book. “[Is] it possible that a fire-breathing animal really existed? Today some scientists are saying yes. They have found large chambers in certain dinosaur skulls…The large skull chambers could have contained special chemical-producing glands. When the animal forced the chemicals out of its mouth or nose, these substances may have combined and produced fire and smoke.”—Life Science, 3rd ed., Bob Jones University Press, 2007 It's also totally cool with electricity being "a mystery" and that we don't even know where it comes from. No I wouldn't call it fluffy. I wouldn't be seeking them out to continue a science education after seeing that, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Bean Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 The 5th Life Science, my son just did eliminated that nonsense. At least that is what he says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 Only change what isn't working. If the math and LA and science are working, then just change the history. Anything will work for that, so just pick what appeals to you. Fwiw, the BJU 7 history is TERRIFIC and my seriously history loving dd LOVED it. BJU will let you pick and choose within your set, so you could bump that up. You could bump up the science as well if you wanted I suppose. Their gr 7 life science is terrific. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 (edited) Another idea, instead of changing what's working, is to get her some extra challenges. She's just old enough to do National History Day and compete. She could even go to nationals with her project. 😄 https://www.nhd.org/ There's usually a theme for the year and the students create projects that exemplify the theme. It's very flexible even if she's not so much a history person and there are lots of categories (performance, videos documentaries, etc.). HIGHLY recommend. Also she's at a good age to add latin or a modern foreign language. Edited March 21, 2022 by PeterPan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 Does it have to be a school-in-a-box approach? History and science at the 6th grade level are wide open for exploring areas of interest. She can read through a stack of books, create a historical newspaper or a science magazine, put together PowerPt presentations, write reports on topics of interest, etc. 3 of my 6 adult kids have pursued STEM fields. Not one of them used textbooks for science in 6th grade. (We never use textbooks for history all the way through graduation.) If she is says she is bored, I would listen to her. If she is an eager learner and wants to learn, I would absolutely honor her request. The greatest gift of homeschooling is the ability to nurture internally motivated learners. Encourage her to take ownership over her learning by giving her options on what she wants to learn. Research resources and then let her learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kencam Posted March 21, 2022 Author Share Posted March 21, 2022 Thank you so much everyone for all these suggestions. I will have to really think about them. I know BJU ramps up in 7th grade, and I love their science for the older years, but I wasn’t sure how it was for 6th. If it’s like 5th, then it’s not enough for my science loving girl.😊. And the the history for 6th. I may pick something different for those two classes for 6th grade and then go back to them for 7th. We really like BJU overall. And maybe just adding some different things to supplement will help. I hate to change curriculum she’s familiar with at this stage. Lots to think about. Thank you!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 11 hours ago, Green Bean said: The 5th Life Science, my son just did eliminated that nonsense. At least that is what he says. That is good, but it still makes me leery to buy science materials from people who don't understand science. I'm not inclined to have to run through something with a fine tooth comb because they've demonstrated gross incompetence on the matter in the past. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 10 hours ago, Kencam said: I may pick something different for those two classes for 6th grade and then go back to them for 7th. Two reasons to consider bumping up now. One, BJU uses a less typical progression and does earth science in 8th. Starting life science in 6th will get her done with earth science in 8th, allowing her to start biology in 9th, a more typical college prep track. Two, it will give her room at the end to do AP or DE (dual enrollment) classes later in high school. There's zero benefit to waiting with a more advanced student. It's very probable she's going to want to do classes for college credit (DE). BJU even offers them. 😄 https://scope.bju.edu/dual-enrollment/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Bean Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Keep in mind, though, BJU Physical Science requires concurrent Algebra 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 I know nothing about BJU, but I am going to disagree that any well taught high school science course has any prereqs other than math. 6th grade should absolutely be wide open in terms of studying anything that the student is interested in and NOT boxed into taking a course that will in turn enable them to take some other course leading into another eventually into high school science. FWIW, @Kencam I would make sure her math skills are rock solid. Students who easily grasp the math involved in science will be more successful in science. If she will be taking alg before 9th grade, I would recommend a physics first approach. Physics before chemistry makes understanding chemistry easier. Chemistry before biology makes biology easier. I rarely outsource classes, but I have both physics and chemistry courses that I really like and don't hesitate to recommend. (So you don't have to stick with BJU for everything. There are lots of options available.) But, before high school, my kids study whatever topics they want for science. We read through stacks of books, watch documentaries, explore nature, and weave through a lot of different topics (my current 6th grader is creating her own version of Crocodile Hunter meets Wild Kratts. She has it all planned out. She will be using a Go Pro while she finds her creatures and then she will create her dialogue/ show/information. We have spent the past few months studying nature at dusk. She is excited spring is here bc she has big plans. 🙂 ) She is advanced and is finishing up alg 1 right now. She has asked to take physics next yr (she has an older sister who took it last yr and that is what she wants to take), but I am very reluctant. I don't see the need to rush into another high school course. She can spend another yr just having fun exploring lots of different topics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brittany1116 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 @8filltheheart not to derail this convo, but I have noticed several of your comments have resonated with me and I suspect we have similar philosophies. I'd love to see you expand on your approach to home education, favorite tools, etc whether in a separate thread or PM. 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 What about something different, like a Beautiful Feet Books study Guide? Or a unit study like Cadron Creek's Where the Brook and the River Meet? What about Total Language Plus for English skills? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kencam Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 Wow! Thank you so much for all these great ideas! I like the idea of letting her study whatever she wants for this next year. I will have to see what we can find online for some resources as we are missionaries in Kenya right now and don’t have access to physical books at the library. I also like the idea of switching the progression of science she takes. I will have to think more about that one. Im thinking she may take alg 1 in 8th, so that would give her a lot of the math skills she wud need for science in 9th. So much to consider! @Ellie-thank you for the extra resources. I will check these out as well! I appreciate all your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 7 hours ago, Brittany1116 said: @8filltheheart not to derail this convo, but I have noticed several of your comments have resonated with me and I suspect we have similar philosophies. I'd love to see you expand on your approach to home education, favorite tools, etc whether in a separate thread or PM. 🙂 LOL.....I'm pretty sure if you search these forums, you'll find whatever you want. I have been posting on here since my 32 yos was in 6th grade (though the forums have changed and older content poofed.) I am a terrible blogger, but I have a few posts on my blog that might interest you. Homeschooling Inspired by Treasured Conversations – Homeschooling through dialogue is a mindset and a lifestyle (wpcomstaging.com) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 11 hours ago, Ellie said: What about something different, like a Beautiful Feet Books study Guide? Or a unit study like Cadron Creek's Where the Brook and the River Meet? What about Total Language Plus for English skills? FWIW, I would not recommend Where the Brook and the River Meet for a 6th grader. It is definitely designed to be a high school level class with a lot of higher level reading assignments. I have used it with an advanced 7th grader and it stretched her. It would not have been enjoyable for her at all in 6th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brittany1116 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 8 hours ago, Kencam said: Wow! Thank you so much for all these great ideas! I like the idea of letting her study whatever she wants for this next year. I will have to see what we can find online for some resources as we are missionaries in Kenya right now and don’t have access to physical books at the library. I also like the idea of switching the progression of science she takes. I will have to think more about that one. Im thinking she may take alg 1 in 8th, so that would give her a lot of the math skills she wud need for science in 9th. So much to consider! @Ellie-thank you for the extra resources. I will check these out as well! I appreciate all your help! Maybe she would like this since you are in Kenya? You can add climate/weather, crops, etc to make it more sciencey. https://www.amazon.com/Travel-Dreams-Kenya-Fun-Schooling-Architecture/dp/1724642820/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?crid=1JH97E9B20ZOB&keywords=funschooling+travel+dreams&qid=1647967520&sprefix=funschooling+travel%2Caps%2C550&sr=8-7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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