Bob Jones University Press vs. Calvert

Question:
We are considering Bob Jones University Press Cirriculum for next year. A couple of things which we have heard still have not been fully answered. We have heard that it takes three hours a night for lesson preparation, does anyone have any experience which would verify or contradict this? Also we have checked into Calvert. We were told that Calvert is so structured in their program that it is difficult to follow and keep the pace. Any Calvert users have anything to say? We have been at this for three years but recently we have decided that our home school needs a major change of direction

Answer:
-We use neither Bob Jones nor Calvert, but thought that a few questions and ideas might help you clarify the decision process you're in.

Obviously, if you have been homeschooling for three years and feel a need for a major change, there must be some significant reasons. We've seen that when children reach the junior high and senior high levels, many parents that felt comfortable with a more casual approach begin to panic about graduation requirements, etc. Or, perhaps, you're not seeing the kind of progress you'd like to in your children with the approach you've been using. (It would help a lot to know more specific details of how old your children are and what kind of approach you've been using.)

Both Bob Jones and Calvert are very structured, very textbook-oriented in their approach. We have met parents who've used both of these programs successfully, but they generally adapt to their families situation (for instance, not doing every problem in the book!)

Have you examined your children's learning styles, as well as your own? That is a very helpful area to consider when deciding the type of curriculum best suited to your family. There are helpful books in the library on learning styles, as well as many titles that homeschool providers carry. (One that is easy to read is Cynthia Tobias' "The Way They Learn"). A quick overview, in case you're not familiar with the four learning styles is: Thinker - the orderly, structured, black & white view, textbook oriented, charts, diagrams, routine-loving person Feeler - the "people" person, the one who wants to know "how does this affect me, you or others?", the child who must have a good relationship with his/her teacher before learning can take place (relationships are it!) Sensor - the hands-on, project oriented person. Instead of a textbook for biology, they want dirt, pots and plant seeds! Do not do well sitting for long periods of time!! Intuitor - the idea person... the one who always has another way to do things... the daydreamer, what if, and why not kind of person

Obviously, if you have a child who is a thinker learning style and you have an intuitor learning style... you're going to have to do some adjusting!!!!

Sometimes just understanding our differences can make all the difference in the world in our homeschools and in the types of curriculum we use!

- couple of things which we have heard still have not been fully answered. We have heard that it takes three hours a night for lesson preparation, does anyone have any experience which would verify or contradict this? Also we have checked into Calvert. We were told that Calvert is so structured in their program that it is difficult to follow and keep the pace. Any Calvert users have anything to say? We have been at this for three years but recently we have decided that our home school needs a major change of direction. Any thoughts on these matters would be greatly appreciated.<<<

I have used some BJ curriculum and am presently using their Kindergarten materials. Bob Jones is very teacher-directed, meaning that you definitely have to do some preparation for the next day. However, I never spent three hours doing so while teaching 5th grade to my other son. I also think that their materials are excellent for that style of teaching/learning. The teacher's manuals are extremly helpful and I recommend them if you use BJ's curriculum. You might want to call their 800 number and talk with them personally. They have a website also.