We have used BJU Math for 3rd - 7th grades. It is thorough and clear. The instructions help students solve problems efficiently using math 'tricks,' but the demonstrate why those strategies work. It's a fabulous math curriculum, but it does take some parent or teacher involvement.

The Short AnswerBoth ABeka Language and are great programs. In many ways, they are very similar. They, both, subscribe to the of learning the concrete rules of grammar. They, both, emphasize a traditional style (workbook/textbook) of teaching. And, they, both, were originally designed for classroom use and have been slightly modified to be used in a homeschool setting. Because of this, they, both, can get a bit redundant at times for the fast-learner, but quite helpful for the learner who needs additional review. BJU, on the other hand, treats grammar and writing as an extension of each other.

A grammar skill is taught in one unit, reviewed for several days, and then emphasized in a week-long (or several lessons-long) writing unit that follows. In addition, students are taught many different forms and styles of writing.from technical writing such as business letters and short research papers to fictional writing such as tall tales and narrative fiction stories. The writing process is broken down into tangible, smaller increments in order to make the entire endeavor more do-able for a novice writer. As a side note, I appreciate how texts always include sample student work and a grading matrix for every type/style of writing being taught. Although I don't ever 'grade' my kids' writing, I do like to provide constructive and skill-appropriate feedback. As a mom teaching only one child per grade, it is sometimes difficult to know what is age/grade appropriate for writing success because I don't have any other work to compare my child's writing to.

The sample work not only gives my child a great example to pattern his/her work after, it also provides me with some objective benchmarks with which to assess a very subjective subject. By the time my kids each reach third grade, I plan to switch them all over to the BJU English program.

Because while I want them to build a firm foundation of grammar/mechanics (something that I think is seriously lacking in our spell-check/grammar-check society), I recognize that knowing a rule is only good if you ALSO know how to implement that rule in daily life. Since BJU emphasizes grammar and writing equally, I feel like my kids are getting the best of both worlds and will have a much better chance of becoming an effective communicator.a skill that will be necessary for them to have no matter what vocation God calls them to. Although this did not play into my decision of purchasing one curriculum over another, it is worth noting that BJU teachers' materials are much more user-friendly than ABeka's. The BJU English Teacher's Edition is an all-inclusive resource providing both the answer key to the student book, as well as the lesson plans and teacher's notes. ABeka's program, however, is divided into two different parent books. The lesson plans and teacher's notes are included in one resource, while the answer key to the student book is found in another. Please don't misunderstand what I am saying.

I DO think grammar skills are essential to good writing. That's why I support both of these programs. But, grammar without real-world practice is just grammar.

It's not writing.Yes, I would agree that both programs have some elements of 'busy' work, as I mentioned the 'redundancy'. They were designed for classroom use and classroom teachers NEED busy work in order to keep faster workers occupied while others finish and to provide enough review for those who need extra. Jamie, I completely agree with your review of the two programs, and the need for more application of writing to go along with the acquired grammar skills! I teach 3rd grade in a Christian school.

We use ABeka k-2, Bob Jones Math, History, and Science. Unfortunately, the decision was made to switch to McGraw Hill’s Open Court for Reading/LA. This was our first year. Total nightmare for the 3rd graders coming from 2nd grade ABeka 2nd grade materials. They were expected to be able to write an 80-100 word essay on the beginning of the year diagnostic, as well as all weekly essay for the reading story of the week! Keep in mind they are coming from grade 2 ABeka with having barely had sentence writing, no paragraph writing, and expected to be able to write a higher level critical reaction to a story using high level inference.

On top of that, Open Court for 3rd grade is a review year for what is taught in K-2 Open Court. What is expected is outrageous and all based on Common Core and Ohio’s 3rd grade reading guarantee - which our school does not adhere to!

So basically, I’ve been forced to teach unaligned public school curriculum. Because they needed to use up public dollars and didn’t have the money to buy Christian materials.so frustrated. I do not give any tests, Tamara, because I don't think they are necessary.at least not until the older grades. A test is usually given in a traditional school setting in order to provide the school district and the parent with a tangible assessment of the child's progress. As a homeschool mom, I KNOW how my child is doing DAILY. I know what he/she gets, and what he doesn't.what he/she struggles with and what he/she has mastered.We use a spelling program that doesn't require the memorization of a list of words each week, so I don't give spelling tests.

If I did use a more traditional program, I might consider it.My daughter does have an occasional math quiz, but as she does a computer-based math program, I have no control over the sequence of lessons. Plus, since I am not as involved with her math as other areas of her learning, the quiz is helpful for me to see how she is doing. I can use it as a guide for her learning and decide whether she needs more review or can keep progressing in the program.Long story short, I just don't think, in MOST scenarios, tests are necessary for elementary-aged homeschoolers. I am currently using Abeka workbooks in a freelance style. I tried to follow the teacher plan for the full curriculum and just couldn't keep up on all of it for my 1st and 2nd grade boys.

Camtasia studio 7 key. I was homeschooled using Abeka and HATED the emphasis on diagramming (although I now have a BA in English haha). I might check out the BJ English curriculum because I do wish they offered more writing practice with the Abeka even though I am completely satisfied with their grammar and phonics emphasis.

I do have a question to you though - what do you do about cursive? My boys were in public school prior to this current year (pre-k through 1st grade) and there was little emphasis on hand writing so they have been working hard on legible printing and had meltdowns when I tried to introduce cursive. Any suggestions? I like cursive and I hate to see it become a 'lost art,' but cannot think of a time as an adult or college student when it was actually useful other than signing my name or writing on decorated cakes.

As a former educator do you feel that cursive is an important aspect of writing and penmanship that should be taught at the expense of time/energy spent on other subjects? I'm just curious as I've done research on both and it really just seems to be a matter of personal preference depending on who is or is not teaching it! I used BJU 2nd & 4th grade this year. It was our first time with them. One of my favorite parts was that the chapters mirror each other. It made it easier for me to teach on one topic at a time. I have a question about testing though.

My kids were in public school and faced some anxiety over testing. Because testing is part of life, with college, work, drivers tests, etc., I have chosen to test and grade my kids to prepare them for the future. It seems to have helped ease their anxieties and has given me SEVERAL teachable moments.

One of my children believes that performance excellence is the end all be all in life and thinks he will die if he isn't perfect. My husband and I have talked him off the ledge, so to speak, many times.

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As this year progressed, he has finally started to see that his best effort is all we expect and all he should expect of himself. We are seeing that start to reflect in his day to day life with sports, hobbies and his expectations of others (which is pretty high and difficult for him that he can't control them to).

So my question is, since you are from the world of classroom teaching, what made you decide to not grade and test your children? I'm wondering what aspect I'm missing in my logic. Great question. I actually get this one a lot and should consider writing a post about it.Personally, I feel that the purpose of a test (at the elementary level) is to have valid proof of how a child is doing.in order to assign a 'grade' and keep accurate records for a school district. A test simply shows WHAT/HOW much a child knows about a particular topic.

As a homeschool mom, I teach my child and evaluate them every day. I know exactly what they know and what they don't.

I don't need a test to tell me that. It is kind of redundant, in my opinion. And really only needed in a school setting where a parent and school administrator would need physical proof of what was or was not mastered.I do agree, however, that the skill of being able to take a test is a a valuable one that most kids should have experience in. That is one of the benefits of taking a standardized test each year. Our math program, Teaching Textbooks, has built in quizzes that help to introduce the concept of testing, as well. AnonymousFor third grade spelling we used the Rod & Staff workbooks with the All About Spelling curriculum.

For reading we used the Abeka readers & the read & think skill sheets. Grammar was a blend of second grade R &S text with Abeka language workbook. Math was R&S. The rest (writing, science, history & manners was Abeka.). Now the question is what for next year??? I plan on staying with the R&S text for grammar & their spelling workbooks to compliment the All About Spelling. My dilemma is what to use for reading & writing.

I want a reading curriculum that tests not only simple comprehension but inference. I would like a writing curriculum that is not just creative writing & penmanship. We started homeschooling three years ago with just Abeka. I have found myself looking for a more thought provoking curriculum and haven't found one yet. I have begun to pick & choose a variety to serve that purpose. I would love a curriculum that does more than just incorporate rote memorization. I am not opposed to memorization.

I believe that it is necessary & goes along with the child's cognitive development during the grammar years. But sometimes with Abeka I feel like I am just pouring facts into bucket when my hearts desire is to light a fire for the love of learning! Especially with the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. I also am struggling with keeping R&S for math for next year. Can anyone help me out with what has worked for them? AnonymousJust wanted to add that I love Abeka phonics, too. However, after teaching 7th and 8th grade students in a Christian school, I knew I didn't like the writing program one bit.

So for this reason, we also switched to BJU about the same time. My first child would get so upset when she saw that blank page that said to write a report of Abe Lincoln. BJU first asked them to list three animals. Then they were asked to narrow down to one. A flowing progress of outlines, diagrams, and webs resulted in a painlessly written paper.

Switched to IEW in middle school. AnonymousHello Jamie,Thanks for your article on comparing BJU vs. It was helpful.I do have some other questions that maybe you could help me with?I'm a homeschool dad who is struggling a bit with knowing what Language Arts curriculum to now go with for my kids. I have two boys who will be in grades 3 and 6. They have both completed the Hooked on Phonics material and are excellent readers. The past two years, however, I used a piece-meal approach to teaching them Grammar and Spelling via some free material I found online (McGraw-Hill Treasure series - money was tight). Both boys are coming along well overall with the series but this year my wife and I wanted to start them on a dedicated kit/curriculum instead.

Additionally, both of my boys have not had any Cursive exposure yet.So with all that said, what curriculum would you favor? My concern is, since we have not been methodically teaching them in one of these kits prior, that if I, say, put them through BJU Grade 3 and Grade 6, then would they struggle a bit? Maybe I should put my oldest (who's generally a bit slower of a learner) in the Grade 5 BJU Language Arts (I guess they call it English) Kit to ensure it's at the right level for him?Those are my main worries. I wish BJU or A Beka would offer a few samples to know for sure whether the age level is appropriate for the child. I don't want it to be too easy or a grade too hard for either of them.I hope those questions make sense.

Thanks for your time!J. Great question. The good thing to remember is that English can be learned at any age. Some homeschoolers recommend NOT teaching formal grammar/mechanics until jr.

High or high school. I, myself, did not learn any of it until 7th grade. It was difficult at first, but once I caught on, it was smooth sailing.I think your third grader would do just fine jumping in at the third grade level of either BJU or ABeka or whatever program you decide to go with. Third grade is when grammar is introduced formally in most curriculums. Regarding your sixth grader, I would recommend starting with the fifth grade material and setting your own pace.

Slow down when needed and speed up when you can.Hope that helps. Hi Jamie, We started homeschooling our youngest for the first time last fall. She had been previously in public school first through 2nd grade. After researching curriculum and reading tons and tons of reviews, I took your advice in getting the 3rd grade BJU Grammar/Writing books. I have to let you know that we both love this curriculum!!

We love how the book alternates the grammar and writing which keeps our daughter's interest. I like how it is set up to teach in an organized way, but we can still go at our own pace.

We can easily do two grammar pages in a day if we have to skip a day during the week for co-op or something else. We will finish the book a little early this Spring, and we'll be purchasing grade 4 for next year! Thanks for your review.VERY helpful =). Wow thank you for this helpful post, even though it's been a few years:) my upcoming 3rd grader has been using CLE for both reading and grammar, but I've been seriously considering using BJU next school year.

Can I ask, do you remember how much time you spent prepping and teaching the lesson each day? Do you have any thoughts on the BJU distance learning videos for English 3? I'm also considering using that to lighten my load. And one more question - what's your view on the writing component in English 3 compared with other writing curriculum for this age? The prep was very minimal. The teacher's manual and the teaching section of the student pages is very open-n-go. To be honest, I didn't do many of the extras in the teachers manual.

I just did the basic lessons.I've not done any distance learning below the 8th grade level, but I have toured the studios where they film the content and have watched a younger lesson and it was fantastic!I like how sequential the writing steps are in the BJU materials. They help to make a subjective skill a bit more objective and concrete. Welcome to the Unlikely Homeschool! I'm so glad you've joined me on the journey. Like all of life's greatest adventures, homeschooling, for us, has been filled with many unexpected surprises.both triumphs and occasional tragedies.

The path will probably never be straight, but with our eyes firmly fixed on our Guide and the calling that He has placed in our lives to 'teach them when we sit at home, when we walk by the way, when we lie down, and when we rise up,' the journey is sure to be memorable.If you have a question, an idea worth sharing, or just need a good chat with a girlfriend, email me at: theunlikelyhomeschool@yahoo.com. Please note that all content and photo images of this blog are protected under all applicable international, federal, state, and local Copyright laws. All rights reserved to The Unlikely Homeschool. You have my written permission to repost a sentence or two of this blog elsewhere as long as The Unlikely Homeschool is cited within your post and a link is created to redirect your readers back to theunlikelyhomeschool.comIn addition, occasionally, I am asked to give my opinion on a particular curriculum or homeschooling product. Although at times, I receive monetary and/or product compensation for my reviews, the opinions that I write are exclusively my own. I have and will only ever give an impartial judgment of all reviewed materials.The Unlikely Homeschool is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to theunlikelyhomeschool.com.

MathematicsCritical Thinking - Math is More than Computation A firm grasp of mathematical concepts is fundamental to success in math. Students must have a thorough understanding of the mathematical processes and know how to use the processes to produce accurate solutions. While memorization is an essential component in math, students need to pair comprehension with the math concepts that they have memorized in order to succeed in higher-level mathematics. A major goal of the Secondary Math program (grades 7-12) is to help students become critical thinkers and life-long problem solvers.

Education is more that just getting good grades. It is learning to think for oneself. Students are encouraged not only to perform calculations but also to be able to explain and justify answers by applying critical-thinking skills.

Our academically rigorous materials prepare students to excel in standardized assessments as well as college-level mathematics. —BJU PressFundamentals of Math 7 Laurie Lamb,Using the Bob Jones Fundamentals of Math textbook, this class will review and refine necessary skills needed for Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1. Whole numbers, decimals, number theory, fractions, rational numbers, percents, measurement, geometry, area/volume, probability/statistics, integers, algebra, and relations/functions will be covered. No high school credit awarded for this course.Prerequisite: Students must have proficiency with multiplication tables through 12.Textbook:.BJU Fundamentals of Math Student Text (2nd edition).BJU Fundamentals of Math Tests (2nd edition)Pre-Algebra Kristi Freeman,Using the Bob Jones Pre-Algebra textbook, this course will develop and refine necessary skills needed for Algebra I. A thorough review of operations on integers, fractions, decimals, percents, and radicals will be given, as well as using algebraic expressions and linear equations throughout the course. (Some accountability associations award high school credit for this course if taken in 9th grade.

Check with your association. If you are taking this for a high school credit, you will need to speak with Mrs. Farthing.)Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Math or a placement testTextbooks: BJU Pre-Algebra Student Text (2nd edition), ISBN: BJU Pre-Algebra Test Pack (2nd edition), ISBN: Algebra 1 (College Prep with Honors option) Kristi Freeman, InstructorThis course provides the foundation for secondary mathematics study and focuses on the integration of algebraic concepts in technology and real-life applications. It begins with a review of the real number system, its operations, variables, and solving variable equations. Students then explore inequalities; absolute value; and the simplification, solving, graphing and interpretation of linear, exponential, radical, quadratic, and rational functions both manually and with technology.Prerequisite: Successful completion of Pre-Algebra (Grade of 80 or above) or successful score on the placement testRequired Texts: BJU Algebra 1 Student Text (3rd edition), ISBN: Calculator Required: TI-84 PlusSummer work is recommended.

Freeman will contact you with recommendations.Geometry (College Prep with Honors option) Kristi Freeman, InstructorThis course covers concepts of Euclidean geometry including definitions, postulates, and theorems. Topics will include reasoning, constructions, discovering and proving properties of triangles, polygons, and circles, area, Pythagorean’s Theorem, volume, and trigonometry. An honors option is available.Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra 1 (Grade of 80 or above)Required Texts: Discovering Geometry: An Investigative Approach, 4e, ISBN: 978-55953-882-4, Copyright 2008 Discovering Geometry: An Investigative Approach Solutions Manual, 4e, ISBN: 978-1-55953-890-9(Please check with Mrs. Freeman before purchasing the texts and Solutions Manuals. She has some available to rent for the year.)Algebra 2 (College Prep with Honors option) Kristi Freeman, InstructorThis course develops algebraic thinking skills and improves manipulation skills. With an emphasis on thinking and reasoning skills, discussions center upon quadratic equations, polynomials, complex numbers, and trigonometry. Operations, linear equations, linear relations, polynomial functions, radicals, complex numbers, inverse functions, probability & statistics, and other elements are also explored.Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra 1 and Geometry (Grade of 80 or above).Required Materials: BJU Algebra 2 Student Text (3rd edition), ISBN: Calculator Required: TI-84 PlusSummer work is recommended.

Freeman will contact you with recommendations.Pre-Calculus (College Prep with Honors option) Kristi Freeman, InstructorThis course prepares students for studying Calculus by reviewing previously covered algebra topics and delving further into the study of functions.