Navigating Home Education Curriculum: A Comprehensive Guide

Homeschooling offers a unique opportunity to tailor education to a child's specific needs and interests. Choosing the right curriculum and support system is crucial for a successful and fulfilling home education journey. This article explores various aspects of home education curricula, focusing on comprehensive support systems, accreditation, and program customization.

Comprehensive Support Systems for Homeschooling Families

The Academy of Home Education (AHE) partners with parents to provide structure, support, and accountability in grading, credits, and academics. AHE aims to create a successful learning environment for homeschooling families. This includes guidance through the big ideas of homeschooling and demonstrating how AHE approaches the homeschool journey. For parents using BJU Press curriculum in grades 1-12, AHE offers comprehensive support through standard homeschool record keeping or regional accreditation. Enrollment provides professional verification of academic excellence with standardized testing, report cards, a diploma, graduation ceremony, and a transcript. Families benefit from personalized guidance, valuable resources, and a supportive community. AHE guarantees hands-on, compassionate, and responsive support for your entire homeschool journey.

Benefits of Structured Support

A structured support system offers numerous benefits for homeschooling families:

Accountability: Ensures consistent progress and adherence to academic standards.
Guidance: Provides expert advice on curriculum choices, teaching methods, and assessment strategies.
Resources: Offers access to a wealth of materials, including textbooks, online tools, and community forums.
Accreditation: Provides credibility and recognition for the homeschool program, facilitating college admissions and career opportunities.

Understanding Accreditation in Homeschooling

Accreditation is a process by which an educational institution or program is evaluated and recognized for meeting certain standards of quality. In homeschooling, accreditation can provide assurance that the curriculum and instruction meet rigorous academic standards.

The Value of Accreditation

Recognition: Accredited homeschool programs are recognized by colleges, universities, and employers.
Transferability: Credits earned through an accredited program are more likely to be accepted by other educational institutions.
Peace of Mind: Accreditation provides assurance that the homeschool program is providing a high-quality education.

Accreditation Options

Bridgeway Homeschool Academy offers a range of offerings to meet your needs, including accreditation, personalized support, curriculum, and live online classes. Customizable programs with add-ons and electives give you the freedom to create a one-of-a-kind educational experience that prepares your students for success.

Curriculum Choices and Customization

Choosing the right curriculum is a critical step in the homeschooling journey. A variety of options are available, ranging from all-in-one kits to customizable programs.

BJU Press Curriculum

BJU Press offers a comprehensive curriculum for grades K3-12, known for its high academic standards and integration of a biblical worldview. The curriculum is flexible and works wonderfully as a springboard for learning. It provides kids with a solid foundation in the basics yet leaves room for them to explore topics they’re excited about, allowing us to dive deeper when their curiosity is sparked. The video teachers teach from a studio, so each child feels like the teacher is speaking directly to them, making learning more engaging and personal. The Homeschool Hub has also been invaluable-it's user-friendly, with new, helpful features added regularly, truly supporting our homeschooling journey. It includes textbooks, teacher's editions, and video courses. The teacher’s edition is the essential guide that supports the parent by providing instructions, fun activities, additional explanation, and much more. AHE requires that BJU Press materials be used for every course that is available. For courses not available through BJU Press, parents may request approval to use alternative materials.

Key Features of BJU Press Curriculum

Biblical Worldview: Integrates biblical principles into all subjects.
Academic Rigor: Emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Engaging Content: Presents lessons in a format that children can relate to.
Teacher Support: Provides comprehensive resources for parents, including lesson plans, activities, and assessments.

Bridgeway Academy: Customizable Homeschool Programs

Bridgeway Academy offers customizable programs with add-ons and electives that give you the freedom to create a one-of-a-kind educational experience that prepares your students for success.

Program Options

Homeschool Academy: Parent-led, fully accredited program complete with a personalized curriculum, community events, parent and student learning dashboard, and advisor support.
Academy Plus: Includes everything in Academy, plus live teacher-led online classes, staff-led grading, and access to daily Homework Help group tutoring sessions for students who need that extra boost. If you want live interaction with teachers and less parent grading responsibility, Academy Plus is the ideal choice. If you prefer more parental control and flexibility, Homeschool Academy is a great fit.
Academy Nobilis (Neurodiverse Learners): A fully customized program designed for students with learning differences, advanced needs, or unique learning styles, offering individualized plans, dedicated consultant support, and optional live class access. Each student in Academy Nobilis receives a learning plan tailored to their individual strengths, needs, and academic goals. A dedicated educational consultant works with your family to develop this plan, regularly monitoring progress and making adjustments to ensure your child’s continued growth and success. The curriculum in Academy Nobilis is fully customizable, allowing for modifications in content, pacing, and learning tools to either support or challenge your student appropriately. We also incorporate specialized programs and resources that accommodate diverse learning styles and needs.
Dual Enrollment: An advanced homeschool program that allows eligible high school students to take college-level courses for both high school and college credit. This allows homeschooled students to earn up to an associate degree while still in high school.

High School Curriculum Considerations

Planning a high school curriculum requires careful attention to graduation requirements, college preparation, and student interests. A high school credit represents the amount of coursework a student has completed, reflecting both instructional time and mastery of the subject. Most schools, including AHE, use standardized credits to track progress toward graduation because they ensure students meet graduation requirements, help colleges evaluate transcripts, and allow parents and schools to monitor academic progress.

Core Subjects and Electives

The course of study outlined for students in The Academy of Home Education is designed to fulfill the general requirements nationwide for a secondary education and a high school diploma. However, since specific state requirements may vary from the prescribed course under this program, it is the responsibility of the parent/educator to see that his own state’s legal requirements are also satisfied. AHE requires that BJU Press materials be used for every course that is available. For courses not available through BJU Press, parents may request approval to use alternative materials.

Read also: Explore Haas Hall Academy

Core Subjects: Math, science, English, and history are typically required for graduation.
Electives: Electives are courses chosen by the student outside of the core subjects. Electives may also fulfill credits required in areas such as health, physical education, keyboarding, computer science, Bible, or foreign language. AHE maintains a list of elective suggestions that includes courses approved in the past.

Science Labs

Students must “physically” complete at least 8 labs per year-viewing the DVD lab does not meet the requirements.

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities cannot be recorded on academic transcripts. These experiences are valuable and reflect character, but they are not academic credits.

Financial Compensation

Credit cannot be granted for courses where the student receives financial compensation.

Elective Examples: Technology and the Arts

Keyboarding and Computer Applications: Students develop computer input skills in a keyboarding class that emphasizes keystroke accuracy and speed. Students apply their keyboarding skills to essential software used in education and business, including word processing, databases, spreadsheets, and digital presentations. These courses are available from various publishers that include the Microsoft Office suite, which is considered the current industry standard in education and business. Students who have already mastered keyboarding and computer applications may earn the required credit by studying computer science fields such as programming, web design, graphic design, and CAD.
Physical Education: Keep in mind, there is a difference between physical activity and physical education. Walking the dog may be great physical activity, but it is not typically considered physical education worthy of credit on a transcript. Teaching: Instruction and drills for practice and game play. Evaluation: In addition to meeting the required instructional hours, the final grade is determined by student performance against predetermined criteria.
Foreign Language: BJU Press offers one year of ASL, and we will assist you in finding an appropriate option for the second year.
Music: AHE does not typically award high school credit for private music lessons unless structured music theory is included and the instructor provides an objective grade. Students participating in musical groups with a director may earn elective credit if the class meets at least three hours per week and includes tests that allow the director to assign an objective grade.

Additional Resources and Benefits

Cash4College

Cash4College is an exclusive benefit for AHE members, offering $1 in tuition credit for every $2 spent on eligible BJU Press products. The credit is valid for use at Bob Jones University (BJU) only. Purchases must be made through BJU Press or the Educators Marketplace in Greenville, SC, and credits are tracked under the purchaser’s name. Credits can be used by the purchaser’s children for dual credit after 10th grade or for full-time enrollment in fall and spring semesters at BJU. Even if you’re no longer an AHE member, you can still use your balance. Juniors and seniors may take up to two dual-credit classes each regular semester, with the option to take extra BJU courses during the summer. Courses teach biblical worldview foundations. Lessons encourage critical thinking skills. Activities and lessons support multisensory learning. Courses are structured on educational best practices.

Trove

Trove is the premier learning platform for teachers and students using BJU Press materials. Trove makes it easier than ever to find resources, build lesson plans, create assessments, and interact with students-all in an online format.

The Exchange Conference

The Exchange Conference exists to help educators make the best use of BJU Press materials. This annual event features numerous opportunities for both new and veteran teachers to examine and explore the various academic resources that BJU Press provides.

Professional Development

Being able to grow as an educator is important. Our updated BJU Press Professional Development site has been designed with you in mind.

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