To learn more about their offerings for homeschoolers, as understood from their website and downloads, continue reading this Bob Jones review article.
Philosophy
Bob Jones University Press, the provider of homeschooling materials and services affiliated with Bob Jones University, has a goal of providing “educational, evangelistic, and edifying materials worldwide. The materials have always had these two non-negotiable aims:
- To encourage users to become more Christ-like in their thinking and grow in service to God
- To help users represent Christ well before the world
- This means that Bob Jones products and services will primarily be of interest and use to evangelical Protestant homeschooling families.
Subjects
Bob Jones University Press finds issues with secular textbooks, and therefore aim to provide Christian substitutes wherever possible. They do, however, have special product lines for what they call “conventional schools” on the one hand and “home schools” on the other. Subjects for which they offer materials and supplies include:
- Art
- Bible study
- English (Writing and Grammar)
- French
- Family Life skills
- Handwriting
- Heritage Studies (History/Social Studies)
- Speech and Drama
- Health
- Latin
- Literature
- Math
- Music and Drama
- Reading
- Science
- Spanish
- Spelling
- Vocabulary
They offer instruction, through both print and video, testing, record keeping, and other resources.
Coverage
Besides textbooks, Bob Jones review found they also offer books for educators, Christian resources, general interest books, and books for children and young adults, including some in Spanish. They have instructional DVDs in most instructional areas, and some of these may be incorporated into their distance learning program, which can be accessed in three different ways.
First, it is possible to order a Bob Jones University Press hard drive, which contains an entire grade’s distance learning material for you to connect to your computer. This gives you portable access: anywhere you can take and operate your computer, you can hold class. Second, you can arrange for an online distance learning option which connects you to video and assessment content, again, through your computer. Third, you can have a choice of technology if you choose distance learning DVD’s, which can be played in DVD ready computers or a DVD player attached to a television.
Samples
I see a demo CD of a product called “Testbuilder” listed on the Grade 12 British Literature HS (home school, not high school) page, but otherwise, samples are provided by a “look inside” feature for each book.
Qualifications of Curriculum Writers
Bob Jones University Press claims that, unlike secular textbook publisher, which may carry the name of an author who had little or nothing to do with the contents on the cover, their textbooks are really written by the authors whose names you see. They claim that these people are competent and that while they are assisted by others, they are responsible for the content. I looked up the two writers of the 12th grade Physics book but couldn’t find any information other than that they are authors for Bob Jones University Press. They do not list in any standard place their author’s academic credentials. Because the copyright page of the 12th grade British Literature anthology is shown, I see that the author has a Ph.D., but again, I find no more information.
The BJU Press Academy of Home Schooling is recognized as an approved homeschool association by the South Carolina Department of Education. With this recognition, they provide academic validation, record keeping, and a high school diploma and transcript. You will need to check with your state department of education to make sure that they will recognize this academy.
Costacc
Full grades of distance learning 1-12 are $849/grade. Individual courses are available at grades 6-12. The homeschool textbook materials are a bit less expensive than secular offerings and require purchase of teacher and student editions. Other related resources, such as an answer key, tests, and a DVD, are extra.
Sources
bjupress.com
christianvssecular.com
