Great video!! I’m going to be using BJU with my oldest for the first time and my Kindergartens this year.. Have they updated any of their videos 8-12 grade over the last few years? The 9th grade video looked like it was from the 90’s.. I love the 90’s my son… not so much 😅
Thanks so much! Lol, I loved the 90s, too, haha. Yes, they have updated many things. It does take a while for them to update the video courses because of what all goes into producing them. We were there in March & toured their facilities, and it's a massive undertaking, which they do very thoroughly... We were pretty impressed! Anyway, to see the most current version of each class, go to their website (bjupresshomeschool.com), click Shop, then the Grade level you want, then click the individual subject (make sure Online with Books is selected as the version). Down in the Description for that subject, there's a sample video that should be the most current version of the course. I will say that, having used them for almost 12 years now, we've had lots of updated courses AND lots of seemingly outdated courses, but truly, it didn't inhibit my kids' learning when the courses hadn't been updated yet. There was only one course my kids really expressed a strong dislike for due to a very dark set design (that course has long since been replaced/updated). Everything else has been fine for them. Even when outdated, the excellence in instruction and creatives makes the courses very effective in our experience!
Hi! I’m so happy that I have found your channel. I found so many channels that use BJU video lessons and fall in love at first only to end up ditching it later. Your tips are very helpful. This year is our first using BJU all video and was worried that it would be too much, but so far it’s working if I follow these tips! Thanks. Looking forward to seeing more.
Thank you so much! That's so encouraging that you shared that with me. I appreciate it, and I'm so glad my channel is helping you. We've used BJU videos for 12 years, and it really is about making it work for you! Let me know if there are any specific questions or issues you have that I can speak to! Thanks again for watching. I'm glad to have you here!
Such awesome tips! Thank you!!When it comes to History and Science especially in the younger grades, I will have my kids a notebook/sketchbook and they will draw/paint something related to what they learned that day that I’m reading or while they watch the video and then I will sometimes have them verbally narrate what they learned. It goes quickly that way and they don’t go, “Ugh” when they see those books come out the next time.😆 And another tip sometimes we alternate days we do history and science. Example: Monday: Heritage Studies Tuesday: Science and so on to not just bog them down.
Love it! ❤️ Thanks so much for sharing what’s working for you!! That’s great, and I love the sketchbook idea especially! Just a heads-up (you may know this already), in the older grades, Science and Heritage Studies turn into full-year courses instead of half, so if you still want to alternate days, you’ll want to get creative with how to work that out (still totally possible, though)! Thank you again!!
Thank you so much! In regards to Heritage Studies, you mentioned that they don't watch the videos or do the worktext, so what do you do for Heritage Studies? How do you handle it with your homeschool review? This is my first year doing videos and I'm still trying to figure all of this out. Thank you for your help!!
Hi, thanks for watching! I’m glad it’s helpful. 😊 For Heritage Studies, we read the textbook segments and take open-book quizzes/tests to demonstrate basic comprehension of what we read. I use Iowa Tests each year to evaluate overall progress, and we’ve never hit an issue!
This was SOOOOO helpful. This wa sout first week with BJU and you really nailed it. I felt so awful we spent 9 - 3 on school everyday and this really made me feel so much better. Wondering if you do the ultra block schedule with the younger grades. We have a 1st and 2nd grader this year. Would that still work?? Or what was your schedule?
Thanks so much for watching! I’m glad this helped take some pressure off of you!! We started the ultra-block approach a couple years ago (I can’t remember the exact timeframe right now), and my youngest now is 8 yo in 3rd grade. So I think we began this approach when he was in 1st or 2nd. It has worked mostly well; my biggest pitfall there is that he needs me to oversee more and help keep him on task. The other kids are much more independent, and while he acts like he is, he gets off-track easily if I’m distracted and don’t keep redirecting him from getting a drink, getting a snack, taking a break because his brother who just worked 45 minutes is on a break, etc. 😂 Our schedule is a a bit loose (that fits my personality/preferences better). I typically have the kids work 45 minutes then get a 10- or 15-minute break. We cycle thru that way until they’ve done a reasonable amount of work for the day. To your specific question, I’m not sure if ultra-block would be as suitable for a 1st grader, since they’re still learning so many of the basics in Math and Phonics. I could see a block schedule working, though, perhaps focusing on Math & Handwriting one day and Language Arts the next day. Maybe do a little Spelling every day? Just tossing around ideas. 😊 Feel free to toss some other ones back! I’d love to hear what you’re thinking. Thanks again!
I've watched this twice now. So many good tips! I'm am needing to streamline our weeks further. Thank you!
Hi, Heather! I’m so glad it’s helping you!! Thank you for letting me know. That’s so encouraging. ❤️
Great video!! I’m going to be using BJU with my oldest for the first time and my Kindergartens this year..
Have they updated any of their videos 8-12 grade over the last few years? The 9th grade video looked like it was from the 90’s.. I love the 90’s my son… not so much 😅
Thanks so much! Lol, I loved the 90s, too, haha. Yes, they have updated many things. It does take a while for them to update the video courses because of what all goes into producing them. We were there in March & toured their facilities, and it's a massive undertaking, which they do very thoroughly... We were pretty impressed!
Anyway, to see the most current version of each class, go to their website (bjupresshomeschool.com), click Shop, then the Grade level you want, then click the individual subject (make sure Online with Books is selected as the version). Down in the Description for that subject, there's a sample video that should be the most current version of the course.
I will say that, having used them for almost 12 years now, we've had lots of updated courses AND lots of seemingly outdated courses, but truly, it didn't inhibit my kids' learning when the courses hadn't been updated yet. There was only one course my kids really expressed a strong dislike for due to a very dark set design (that course has long since been replaced/updated). Everything else has been fine for them. Even when outdated, the excellence in instruction and creatives makes the courses very effective in our experience!
Hi! I’m so happy that I have found your channel. I found so many channels that use BJU video lessons and fall in love at first only to end up ditching it later. Your tips are very helpful. This year is our first using BJU all video and was worried that it would be too much, but so far it’s working if I follow these tips! Thanks. Looking forward to seeing more.
Thank you so much! That's so encouraging that you shared that with me. I appreciate it, and I'm so glad my channel is helping you. We've used BJU videos for 12 years, and it really is about making it work for you! Let me know if there are any specific questions or issues you have that I can speak to! Thanks again for watching. I'm glad to have you here!
Such awesome tips! Thank you!!When it comes to History and Science especially in the younger grades, I will have my kids a notebook/sketchbook and they will draw/paint something related to what they learned that day that I’m reading or while they watch the video and then I will sometimes have them verbally narrate what they learned. It goes quickly that way and they don’t go, “Ugh” when they see those books come out the next time.😆 And another tip sometimes we alternate days we do history and science. Example: Monday: Heritage Studies Tuesday: Science and so on to not just bog them down.
Love it! ❤️ Thanks so much for sharing what’s working for you!! That’s great, and I love the sketchbook idea especially! Just a heads-up (you may know this already), in the older grades, Science and Heritage Studies turn into full-year courses instead of half, so if you still want to alternate days, you’ll want to get creative with how to work that out (still totally possible, though)! Thank you again!!
Thank you so much! In regards to Heritage Studies, you mentioned that they don't watch the videos or do the worktext, so what do you do for Heritage Studies? How do you handle it with your homeschool review? This is my first year doing videos and I'm still trying to figure all of this out. Thank you for your help!!
Hi, thanks for watching! I’m glad it’s helpful. 😊 For Heritage Studies, we read the textbook segments and take open-book quizzes/tests to demonstrate basic comprehension of what we read. I use Iowa Tests each year to evaluate overall progress, and we’ve never hit an issue!
This was SOOOOO helpful. This wa sout first week with BJU and you really nailed it. I felt so awful we spent 9 - 3 on school everyday and this really made me feel so much better.
Wondering if you do the ultra block schedule with the younger grades. We have a 1st and 2nd grader this year. Would that still work?? Or what was your schedule?
Thanks so much for watching! I’m glad this helped take some pressure off of you!! We started the ultra-block approach a couple years ago (I can’t remember the exact timeframe right now), and my youngest now is 8 yo in 3rd grade. So I think we began this approach when he was in 1st or 2nd. It has worked mostly well; my biggest pitfall there is that he needs me to oversee more and help keep him on task. The other kids are much more independent, and while he acts like he is, he gets off-track easily if I’m distracted and don’t keep redirecting him from getting a drink, getting a snack, taking a break because his brother who just worked 45 minutes is on a break, etc. 😂
Our schedule is a a bit loose (that fits my personality/preferences better). I typically have the kids work 45 minutes then get a 10- or 15-minute break. We cycle thru that way until they’ve done a reasonable amount of work for the day.
To your specific question, I’m not sure if ultra-block would be as suitable for a 1st grader, since they’re still learning so many of the basics in Math and Phonics. I could see a block schedule working, though, perhaps focusing on Math & Handwriting one day and Language Arts the next day. Maybe do a little Spelling every day? Just tossing around ideas. 😊
Feel free to toss some other ones back! I’d love to hear what you’re thinking. Thanks again!