If you could use BJU dvd option what would you add or take away....

[Jeana]

If you had the option to use BJU DVD what would you add or switch for the 5th and 7th grade options. If you would drop and add something else, why? Thanks guys, Jeana

[Stacie]

We've used the curriculum and have recently added in the DVD classes for K, 3, and 5. We're adding Latina Christiana, and will add in a foreign language when they are a bit older. We do lots of reading outside of the curriculum, also.

[mom2abcd]

We've used the curriculum and have recently added in the DVD classes for K, 3, and 5. We're adding Latina Christiana, and will add in a foreign language when they are a bit older. We do lots of reading outside of the curriculum, also.

Stacie, how much time does your older child spend with this? I'm thinking about it for dd in 8th next year. But I don't want her stuck watching 6 hours of dvd and then having homework plus reading and extras...

What do you like about the program?

[Wee Pip]

I've been thinking about this lately. I have a 3rd & 1st (almost 2nd) grader, and am expecting a baby, so I think it would be so nice sometimes to have someone else do the teaching! We use BJU for math/LA, but have never tried the DVDs. Here is what I would use, in order of preference:

1. Math (if I could only choose 1 subject, Math would be the top choice)
2. English (comes in a close 2nd place)
3. Spelling (would be nice to have someone else dictating the lists & teaching the spelling patterns)
4. Reading

I generally like to use my own history/science, but I think these would come next in order of preference:

5. Science
6. History

Handwriting and Bible - I would be tempted to skip altogether. We use AWANA as our Bible, but if we did use BJU's Bible, then that would be subject number 7 in order of preference. Handwriting, I'd be tempted to skip the DVD lessons because it just seems like extra screen time, maybe not necessary.

7. Bible
8. Handwriting

[Catwoman]

I generally like to use my own history/science, but I think these would come next in order of preference:

5. Science
6. History


We have used the BJU DVDs for the past few years, and Science and History were our favorite subjects!

I also think BJU English is very well-done.

We've found the Reading program to be ok, but quite easy. The Spelling is hit and miss for us, depending on the teacher. I'm not excited about BJU's Spelling in general, though.

BJU 4th grade math was such a bust for us that we're considering something new for next year. The DVD teacher had a way of complicating the simplest of tasks, and I ended up teaching ds on my own. Hopefully, the 5th grade teacher is better. (I haven't checked to see who it is.)

Cat

[Stacie]

Stacie, how much time does your older child spend with this? I'm thinking about it for dd in 8th next year. But I don't want her stuck watching 6 hours of dvd and then having homework plus reading and extras...

What do you like about the program?


My oldest spends about 4.5 hours between the videos and the written desk work. I spend about an hour each morning preparing for the day, and that cuts down a lot of the kids' prep time. Two days a week they take outside classes so I try keeping the home assignments lighter on those days. We double a class here and there during the other days, which can sometimes make it five hours depending on which class gets doubled. More than that and we're on borrowed time! ;)

I haven't been using it all year though, so we're still working on our groove. I started it thinking I'd let them fast forward through the review portions but they seem to enjoy the entire class. It will probably change down the line, but for now it's a break from and for me!

[momto4greatkids]

I'm so glad you asked this question. I am considering this for my upcoming 7th grader. For many reasons, this "traditional" schooling may meet her needs.
I would probably up her to pre-algebra/8th grade.
We would add Latin.

[mom2abcd]

My oldest spends about 4.5 hours between the videos and the written desk work. I spend about an hour each morning preparing for the day, and that cuts down a lot of the kids' prep time. Two days a week they take outside classes so I try keeping the home assignments lighter on those days. We double a class here and there during the other days, which can sometimes make it five hours depending on which class gets doubled. More than that and we're on borrowed time! ;)

I haven't been using it all year though, so we're still working on our groove. I started it thinking I'd let them fast forward through the review portions but they seem to enjoy the entire class. It will probably change down the line, but for now it's a break from and for me!

Thanks for the info. Dd has trouble staying on task without me being constantly there with her. Plus we have to count hours here and that would be an easy way to get lots of hours:o) (Though reading, etc. is so much more fun!)

Has anyone used the BJU dvds for 8th grade? Can you choose the level of the various subjects at all?

[Catwoman]

Dd has trouble staying on task without me being constantly there with her.

The DVDs might be an excellent option for you, because the video teachers speak directly to the camera, and many of them are so good at it, so it really seems like they're talking with your child. There are a few duds, of course, but most of the teachers are quite good, and may be able to hold your dd's attention better than if she were working on her own from a textbook or worktext.

Cat

[Jeana]

WOW! I live in New Zealand so I just got up to this thread this morning. Thank you guys for your answers. I am almost convinced that I will do all of it except for history and lit. which I will prob. use TOG. Thanks guys, Jeana

[Shari]

We will be using BJU dvd's next year, splitting about half and half with TOG. It will be dvd's for Math, Science, Handwriting, English, and (?) Reading. That's two hours per day of TV time, plus doing the actual work. We're using TOG for History, Literature, Bible/Church History, and Geography. Also, there is BJU Spelling for our oldest, but with me rather than the dvd teacher.

[Rebecca77]

I'll be using grade3 dvds or hardrive for my dd, coming home from CS. We'll use every subject except history, science, and maybe Bible, which will be using Sonlight Core 2 for. An expensive year, but so worth it!

[sunflowerlady]

If I were considering doing BJU DVD's, and could afford to do so, I would use all subjects.

[Melissa in CA]

Jeana,

I would go online to the BJU site and look at their book samples, that might give you an idea of which classes you might want to go up or down a grade in, or if your dc are right on target with BJU grade/ability wise. Look at the math especially, and the reading if you are thinking of using it. Those seem to be two areas where children really vary. Spelling too. I would probably stick with BJU's English at grade level (or below) mainly because they seem to really ramp things up beginning in 7th grade. My older boys jumped into BJUs English at the 9th grade level and bombed it...it was far too difficult for them coming in from a different grammar program. I notice a big difference just in my son's current 6th grade text vs his 7th for next year. I definitely see the beginning ramp! ;)

[mom2abcd]

The DVDs might be an excellent option for you, because the video teachers speak directly to the camera, and many of them are so good at it, so it really seems like they're talking with your child. There are a few duds, of course, but most of the teachers are quite good, and may be able to hold your dd's attention better than if she were working on her own from a textbook or worktext.

Cat

Thanks! Dd is worried that it would be bad/hard for her eyes to watch dvds for 5 hours. (Can you tell we've taught them that possibility?:o)

[Cindyg]

If you had the option to use BJU DVD what would you add or switch for the 5th and 7th grade options. If you would drop and add something else, why? Thanks guys, Jeana


I can answer that because we're using HomeSat for 5th grade right now. We like HomeSat and have used it for 5 years now. Here's what we do:

Bible -- we watch entirely, don't do the worksheet. We especially like learning the hymns.

Math -- we just do the worksheet, don't watch the DVD, don't take tests. We also do MUS (just the DVD, not the worksheets), LOF, and Hands On Equations (pre-algebra). And we have our own system of reviewing math facts every day.

Science -- we watch portions of each DVD. We read the textbook, don't do the worksheets. DS goes to an enrichment program where he does some (not enough!) of the labs. We enrich this with United Streaming videos

English -- We watch portions of each DVD. We do all the worksheets and all the writing assignments. Don't do tests

Reading -- We watch portions of each DVD. We do all the worksheets. We don't do the booklinks (no time! They're very good!)

Heritage Studies -- We watch very little of the DVDs. We read the textbook, don't do the worksheets, no tests, and we don't the projects. (Some of the HomeSat H.S. teachers think of really interesting projects, and we do them; but this teacher's projects are just busywork IMO, and can be skipped.) This is the class we most enrich. We spend A LOT of time with SOTW and United Streaming, but we follow the topics laid out in the H.S. textbook.

Handwriting -- don't use at all -- not because it's no good, but because my son can't keep up. I make up our own worksheets.

Spelling -- don't do at all. We use Sequential Spelling. The daily spelling test works for us. Some of the spelling classes are worth watching, and some are not. (4th grade spelling was worth watching.)

We add in:

Latin Prep
Spanish -- United Streaming's Elementary Spanish
Vocab -- EFTRU
Logic -- a fun thinking skills book
Piano
Read Alouds -- one chapter a day from a real book
Computer -- an online class from Texas Tech
PE, Music, and Art -- via enrichment class one day a week.

School usually runs from about 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

[Cindyg]

WOW! I live in New Zealand so I just got up to this thread this morning. Thank you guys for your answers. I am almost convinced that I will do all of it except for history and lit. which I will prob. use TOG. Thanks guys, Jeana

Oh. You don't want to skip 5th Grade Reading. It's really good. It's not exactly "literature." You can still do literature. Even if you don't take time to watch the entire 30 mins a day, let your kids watch the skits and read the reader. My son loves this class.

[Jeana]

Thanks again guys. If anyone else has comments then that would be great. I think I am going to go in on grade level on all subjects for both kids. I think that my daughter could go up a grade in reading but I will enrich with whole books. Have a good day. Jeana