BJU PRESS VIDEO COURSES HONEST REVIEW | VIDEO-BASED HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM

Hi friends! Today I'm sharing with you our honest thoughts on the BJU Press Online Video Courses - their distance learning homeschool curriculum! I'll share my pros and cons, walk you through the student portal, show you the lesson plans, and explain how we use the curriculum!
Thanks for hanging out with me today! I hope this video helps you decide if this curriculum is for you and your family or not!
BJU Press Online Video Courses
www.bjupresshomeschooling.com...
You can see my unboxing of this whole kit here:
• Homeschool Curriculum ...
You can do the whole kit for all their subjects or just choose 1 or 2! Don't be afraid to mix & match your homeschool curriculum!
Curriculum Choices & Reviews for Preschool-5th Grade Playlist:
• Homeschool Curriculum ...

[@karenmarie296]

Thank you so much for your video! I just ordered the online program for both of my children. I am really excited! 😊

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Thanks for your message! Woohoo! That's so exciting! What are their ages?

[@clairetillman]

Thank you for this video! you touched on all of the things I have been thinking about with utilizing BJU. We are new to homeschooling this year. My girls are coming off of public school and so am I. We are all excited and nervous about the change. Prayers please!!

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

That's amazing!! I think just coming out of public school, you'll likely feel most comfortable with something like BJU because the structure will feel familiar! As you get more comfortable with homeschooling, you may lean towards less structured ways of learning and really flourish in that! It really takes an unlearning of the way public school does education in order to find a freer way of learning! It's a process and can be really really fascinating!

[@meganquinn7646]

We are starting with BJU courses next year with my second grader. This is such a great review! We aren’t using video courses this next year, but are definitely looking into it for the following year for Science.

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Thank you so much! That's great! My daughter really liked the science video course! There were activities & experiments throughout the year - they were all pretty easy to do and I usually had the items on hand that were needed!

[@FamilyValuesTV]

Thank you! This makes me wanna cry I think this is perfect for my 3rd and 8th graders!

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Aw wow I love to hear that!! I'm so excited for you!

[@JoyfulNoiseLiving]

Agreed! Combining Reading, grammar, and spelling would be so helpful.

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Right?! I still like the combining better, but she really enjoyed those videos actually!

[@sarahlong3129]

We love BJU! We use a mix of DVD and parent led. We also use their payment plan and shop during their online Facebook party in April and it saves us a lot of money!

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

That's awesome! Excellent ideas! I forgot about their payment plan - we used that too! Big help! I haven't heard about their Facebook party! I'll have to look that up! Thanks for sharing!

[@celestejohansen]

I just ordered for the first time through the Fb party through a consultant. I took advantage of financing since I was buying grade kits for all 3 kids.

[@shonniebeenatural]

Just in time I have a 2nd grader starting BJU in a week and our first time homeschooling so this was super helpful video...only thing is we have the DVD 📀 thanks so much ❤️

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Aw perfect!! That's awesome! I hope y'all love it and have a great first year! It's not all rainbows and sunshine, but it's SO worth it!! 😅

[@smcat87]

I appreciate your review. My son’s school uses the BJU curriculum so we’re familiar and excited there’s a homeschool curriculum. It is pricey, but agree with you that private school is a lot more expensive. I work from home and have a newborn so will be trying DLO out next school year. I’m hoping I’m doing the right thing by taking him out, but feeling led by God to do so.

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

That's exciting! I think a curriculum like this is great for your first year especially because it takes all the guess work and planning out of it! As you move into future years of homeschooling, you may find you want to have more freedom to learn things they're interested in and to have your day be less structured, and then this type of curriculum might not be the best fit any longer. Just food for thought! You can always change things up if you think that's best for your kids and for you! I truly hope y'all all benefit from the extra time together with your newborn! 💕

[@laceyhenry4617]

We had 4 of our boys signed up for a private school and they completely changed the curriculum 12 days before school started 😱 So here I am. 🙏 Thank you for this review!!

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Oh goodness! What a crazy ride! Well this is a great choice! Thank you!!

[@catiegrimes8645]

My son is starting kindergarten with BJU press DLO this fall and I’m hoping he loves it!

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

That's awesome!! I'm sure he will!!

[@JoyfulNoiseLiving]

I didn't realize you used BJU online video courses! This was great, Sarah! :) I love that you don't have to teach all the things when you use video courses.

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Yes, that's such a nice feature! My daughter used several courses through them last year, and this year I only signed her up for history, but she keeps asking to go back to their reading/spelling/english courses! 😅

[@aimeejohannes6713]

Would love to hear your thoughts on BJU Science vs Science Shepherd!

[@HerDailyJourney]

We did the abeka language arts video this past year and it was amazing. Now with expecting a newborn this summer, we will be doing the same for next year. My son really likes it. Having a a subject taught for me has helped so much in me juggling things.

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

That's awesome! I didn't know they had videos! It's such a huge help! Praying you have a smooth delivery and transition into schooling with a newborn!! 💕💕

[@HerDailyJourney]

@@TheJohnsonCrew yea I definitely love the videos from abeka. They have it where you can get all subjects as a package and then they have the individual subject options. It has been a game changer....Thank you so much for your prayers! Super nervous about homeschooling with a newborn but I know God will sustain us.

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

@@HerDailyJourney Just give yourself lots of grace and plenty of time to feel human again before even starting back up!

[@HerDailyJourney]

@@TheJohnsonCrew yes absolutely! Thank you ❤️

[@stefanielynn84]

This video was so helpful! Feel like I'm being pulled toward this curriculum. Thank you!

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

So glad you found it helpful! Hope y'all enjoy whichever curriculum you land on!

[@thegoodlyclassroom]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoLSip-qgNuZa7M

[@laurabeth7755]

We have used BJU Press video courses off and on over the last five years. Did you know that the online portal is being revamped! It may have already rolled out into the new HUB. Also, they are now giving the online videos for 20 months from the time you purchase. So If you started in September you could possibly get two years out of it if you have children that are back to back in grade. My kids are all 5 years apart so that doesn't help me, but I think its super generous of BJU. Thanks for the video!

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

That's awesome! Thanks for the tips! Yes that is generous of BJU!

[@bethart1985]

Oh myyyyy! You weren't kidding about the price! Wowza!

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

😬yeahhhhhh... there's a bit of sticker shock there! But I totally get why the cost is so high! It's all really well done, high quality and super organized! Plus the great customer service they have on hand!

[@OurSmallTownLife]

We are starting BJU this year and so far I'm loving what I see but, like you, I was a little overwhelmed by the Lang, Reading and Spelling being 3 separate subjects. The amount of Worktext and videos and time seems like alot for those 3 subjects. I wish they were combined. Obviously I don't know for sure yet but it just seems like alot of time. We may have to adjust to make those work for us. Overall I so excited about the curriculum!

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Awesome! That's so exciting! Yeah, it was a bit of a transition period for us. Thumb through each of the workbooks for the whole year and that will help you decide if there are units or just single lessons that you feel like your kid(s) can skip and that will help you lighten the workload some days throughout the year! Hope y'all love it!

[@JoyfulNoiseLiving]

I'm looking at using them for Science and Math next year. Both for those reasons you mentioned... I'm NOT a math teacher! And Science just takes a lot of time from me.

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Yes we've been doing video courses for both of those subjects for the last several years and it's been such a relief for me!

[@joyheck7761]

Hi there! I found your channel while looking for reviews of My Fathers World. Why did you move away from MFW? BJU (non-online) is a 2nd favorite for now. Love your videos!!

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Hi Joy! So glad you're here! I felt like MFW was a bit more parent-heavy than I wanted, but also I was just really curious about other curriculums, so we've tried several since then 🤪 I do remember thinking that their Bible lessons were a bit over my kids' heads, but other than that, MFW had a lot of great content!

[@annthomas2107]

Hi Sarah! Thank you for this video. This was so helpful!! We are new to homeschooling and about to jump in with BJU distance learning for my 2nd grader. When you ordered your full kit did you have the teachers edition with it? Or did you have to buy that extra? Wondering if it’s worth the extra investment or if it is needed.

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Hi Ann! I'm so glad this video was helpful!! 💕 Thank you! The teacher's edition doesn't come with the video courses and I don't see it as an optional add-on either. I'm assuming that's because you don't have to teach any of it. It comes with answer keys for the tests, but not for the worksheets (that I could find at least). I didn't feel like I needed a teacher's manual, but an answer key for the worksheets would've made the checking much faster, but in 2nd grade, it's not hard to check the work without it 😜

[@christinamiranda6109]

How long did the homeschooling day take?

[@absolutemalmaute9592]

Do you do the Bible study with the school year? Does the video include that as well or is that seperate?

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

We didn't use their Bible course. We have done a few different things, but we really enjoy this devotion book: www.amazon.com/Our-Daily-Bread-Kids-Meaningful/dp/1627073329/ref=sr_1_4?crid=5AKD14OY8X0G&keywords=bible+devotion+for+kids&qid=1679251575&sprefix=bible+devotion+for+kid%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-4. The 2nd grade kit does not include the Bible course.

[@_jessci]

Thank you! First year for me and I’m half way through TGTB but wowza I feel like a crazy angry momma. I definitely need something Ike this for my second grader. I wonder if it’s hard to start mid year.

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Oh no I'm so sorry! Funny enough, we're using TGTB this year! BJU Press separates English, spelling and reading into 3 different courses so I felt like it was taking longer for her to accomplish those 3 than it would to do a TGTB lesson together - BUT the benefit of BJU Press Online is that I didn't have to teach it, so that may help you feel less crazy! I'm not sure if they cover topics in the same order, so to switch mid year may cause you some extra work in comparing the 2 programs' list of topics and having to figure out which lessons she still needs to watch on BJU :/ how old are your other kids?

[@absolutemalmaute9592]

Are you doing BJU for other subjects this year with TGTB. I’m doing TGTB with my kinder :)

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

@@absolutemalmaute9592 My now 3rd grader was my only child I tried BJU Press with (which was last year). For this past school year ('22-'23), I switched her science to Science Shepherd (kzbin.info/www/bejne/moe5koR_mLaSo8k). I started her with BJU's history this past school year, but then I decided that I wanted us to all do history together with me reading aloud the Tuttle Twins' new history book (tuttletwins.com/product/americas-history-a-series-of-tuttle-twins-stories/ref/thejohnsoncrew/?campaign=History+Book+Vol+1) - and it's been so good to discuss all together!!

[@amandab.6815]

Do they include the solutions for the worktext and handouts when you buy the video course package? Or do you need to purchase the teachers manual to have those?

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

When I purchased there was no answer key (at least that I found). We haven't used this program since 2 yrs ago so I'm not sure if that has changed!

[@moniquehickman7521]

Question: I have a 10 year old that’s 5th grade this coming August 2022.. you mentioned For English, Spelling Reading I mean I am going to order the 5th grade complete set, but do I have to use it all? I will be doing the accredited with the academy of home education.

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

That's awesome! You will still want to do all 3 subjects, because there are no reading assignments or spelling lists in the English course. If you don't want to do BJU's reading & spelling courses, you could certainly supplement those areas with something else. But since you're using the academy of home education for accreditation- that would be a question for them!

[@f3nw1ckfamily]

Thank you for this! I haven't really looked into video/online courses until recently. They're quite interesting. The clip you shared shows just the teacher. Is that true for all the classes? I've seen clips of Abeka Academy showing a whole classroom of students, which I think is weird. I like the idea of just the teacher talking to my child (and me).

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

He is teaching a classroom and you can quietly hear the students answer his questions, but they never show them on camera. I like how it's done!

[@f3nw1ckfamily]

@@TheJohnsonCrew Yeah, I think that's a lot better.

[@rjscrimo2627]

Have you ever done Abeka? Just curious your feedback/comparison

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

My mom used that when we were kids (I was homeschooled K-2nd grade) and she said it was very bookworm heavy and felt like a lot more than necessary. I haven't tried it with my own kids though, and I don't really remember it from being a kid 🤪 are you currently using it?

[@kristiehardt8388]

Great review! Is the video course accredited?

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Thank you! It's not accredited, but BJU offers enrollment with The Academy of Home Education, which is an accredited option! I found that info on their blog: blog.bjupress.com/blog/2021/05/24/homeschool-accreditation/

[@rebekahhurlburt9389]

I paid the initial $250 for the membership for my 1st grader, do I have to purchase courses separately? It’s not user friendly to me

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Hrm, I wonder if they've changed things. When we signed up last year, I picked "Grade 2 Online with Books" (under the "Video Courses" tab) and it was a one time large fee. I would give them a call, because I'm not exactly sure. Sorry I can't be more help!

[@laceyhenry4617]

Do you print all the sheets you have in the binder?

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

No, thankfully they came loose-leaf and whole-Punched with the whole set, then I put them into a binder. 🙌🏻

[@samiam777]

That was my question as well

[@libbyploof]

What's the difference between their DVD option and online option? Is it all the same thing just on the DVD? And if I chose the DVD option would I still get the dash board?

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

I'm not actually sure. We only did the online option. Sorry I'm not more helpful!

[@mirthacacho2630]

Do you have to order the videos separate? Thanks

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Do you mean separate from the curriculum or separate from each subject?

[@mirthacacho2630]

@@TheJohnsonCrew each subject

[@SamanthaH]

I’m assuming the parent still has to grade the work?

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

Yes mam! The test booklets come with answer keys.

[@lilaandtaylor2503]

​@@TheJohnsonCrew how long does it take to grade their work each day with this program? I have kids in 4th, 6th, 9th, and 10th and need something simple for the youngest two.

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

@@lilaandtaylor2503 For 2nd grade, it only took a few minutes per subject, but I'd imagine in the older grades it may take a little longer. I'm curious if they have answer keys for the older grades!

[@lilaandtaylor2503]

@@TheJohnsonCrew that's a good question! Did you only have answer keys for the tests and quizzes?

[@shakirade1794]

How long is each school day

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

2-3hrs depending on their focus level and how many breaks they need in between subjects.

[@robertvangorder1983]

My husband is battling brain cancer, and this seems like it would be helpful for our homeschool (3 kiddos). - Michelle, sister in Christ ❤

[@robertvangorder1983]

I meant to say thank you too!! This really helped. - Michelle

[@Vicky-pg8nc]

@@robertvangorder1983Praying for healing for your husband, Michelle. And strength, comfort, and peace for the whole family. May God bless your homeschool and household this school year and beyond. 🙏🏽❤️🙏🏽