It is quite surprising to know that many parents, who homeschool their kids, are of the view that audiobooks or listening to a book isn’t really beneficial for their kids, especially in comparison to silent reading. There is no evidence in support of this argument. As a matter of fact, audiobooks are considered beneficial for all listeners, especially for those kids who struggle with reading books. In this blog, our aim is to help parents understand that there is no harm in using audiobooks. They will only help your kid learn better. We have listed some benefits of audiobooks. Let’s take a look at them.
Continue reading The Value Of Using Audiobooks In Your Homeschool

Berean Builders Science courses offer a complete learning experience for your student.

We understand students learn differently. Visual students gain their information from reading our textbooks. Students who take in new ideas by hearing them enjoy the audiobooks of our courses. And our hands-on experiments help those kinetic learners solidify concepts.

We also understand the value of live instruction, which is why Berean Builders offers online course lessons as well.

Once per week in a 90-minute videoconference call, Dr. Wile covers material from our chemistry and physics courses, and Mrs. Lori McKeeman instructs students in general science, physical science, and biology.

Online science classes can provide several benefits for your homeschooled students. Let’s explore some of these.

Personalized Learning

Since students have unique learning styles and needs, participating in our online courses addresses individual needs and provides personalized instruction and immediate feedback. These live lessons are engaging and conversational.

“It has been encouraging for me to notice [my daughter] giggling during Physics sessions with you. She tries so hard to keep up with her studies in your class. From my vantage point, it is a blessing to see her enjoying your sense of humor within the rigorous study of Honors Physics. Thank you so much for making her learning experience a joy.”

Interactive learning

Speaking of engaging, our online course lessons allow students to ask their questions and get real-time answers from the instructors, taking the textbook information to a broader, yet more personal, level. The students can grasp concepts quicker and build on them as the course progresses.

“I really enjoyed class this year. Your instruction has been the highlight of my entire time in high school. I read several of your other texts throughout high school and loved them, but this class with the live teaching has been incredible.”

Flexibility

Online science classes can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making it easy for homeschool students to fit them into their schedule. This flexibility is particularly useful for homeschool families who have busy schedules or who travel frequently. Science on-the-go!

“I’m so sad that this class is almost over! You are one of the best teachers I’ve ever had! I’ll miss seeing you (even if it’s only over the Internet)!”

Access to quality instruction

Homeschool parents aren’t required to be experts in all the subjects. If the thought of teaching science gives you pause, our online classes are the solution. Dr. Wile and Mrs. McKeeman offer students access to high-quality instruction from educators who are passionate about science.

“My daughter is loving your Biology course this year. It’s the only day of the week she jumps out of bed excited for school. It has improved not only her science knowledge, but her work ethic, scheduling skills, and study skills. Please keep offering these!”

Preparation for college

If your student is college-bound, you understand the importance of high school preparation. Dr. Wile is a university professor and introduces students to college-level instruction through our online classes. Attendees get a first-hand look at how college classes can be structured, and our online courses prepare your students for university-level science. This can help students develop the skills they will need to transition and succeed in college.

“I wanted to thank you for being such an amazing Physics teacher to [my son] this school year. I rest easy knowing he is in phenomenal hands and is being thoroughly challenged in preparation for college. He thinks so highly of you and enjoys your classes very much. Thank you again!”

Access to a wider range of courses

Online science classes can provide homeschooling parents with access to a broader range of courses than they might be able to offer on their own. This can be especially helpful for parents who are not experts in science or who are unable to teach advanced courses.

“…my daughter, who did not want to take Chemistry, developed a strong appreciation for it because you made the concepts so understandable and the content so interesting.  So much so that she told her sister she had to take Chemistry from you because she now believes Chemistry is not a have to take class, but a must take class.   Every week she excitedly shared about some new concept she learned…Thanks for taking the subject she dreaded most and making it the subject she became the most excited about this year!”

Enriching

Science is just one facet of homeschool learning. At Berean Builders, we live by our name. We want your students to examine their world and ask deep questions. Through our live online classes, we offer opportunities for them to do just that.

“Your year-long Honors Physics class has been challenging, demanding, and wonderful.  I think the struggles and demands it placed on [my son] helped him grow in many good ways.  I particularly loved your invitation at the end of classes to discuss theological or other matters.  Students at this age (and especially right now) face deep, important questions about God and our culture, and to have a godly, intelligent, and wise teacher/mentor to safely ask questions has been a huge godsend.”

For science this year, take a look at our online classes to see if Berean Builders Online is a good fit for your student. With all these benefits, we believe online science is a winner.

If you follow a traditional school year, right about now, you’re getting into the swing of lessons and activities.

Most homeschooling families will include reading and language arts, handwriting and composition, and mathematics in their everyday lesson plans.

Of course, we want to give our children a well-rounded education, so we include history, science, perhaps a foreign language, and maybe art and music.

For some, science is an exciting and interesting topic, and making time for the subject is easy. Often, our children will be excited and interested in science simply because we are.

But what if you as a home educator shy away from science? How can you include this important subject while keeping your kids interested and also your sanity?

Let’s explore ways to make science an anticipated part of your homeschool adventure, all while taking out the stress and angst that can come from including a topic that may not be your favorite.

Elementary Homeschool Science

Our science courses are designed to create critical thinkers, no matter what level.

This means you aren’t literally teaching science, but instead are introducing concepts and allowing your student to make observations, form opinions, and reach conclusions.

The comprehension questions at the end of each chapter will show you how well they absorbed the information.

With our Science Through HIStory courses, you can present information as slowly or rapidly as your student desires.

Each course includes enough lessons for you to schedule science every other day or twice per week and cover the entire course in a standard school year.

If you have a science fan in your family, you can go even faster!

IMPORTANT: We encourage you to provide a notebook for each student each year to record observations, questions, answers, and to draw, paint, color, or otherwise illustrate the ideas they learn.

For an every-other-day science schedule, let’s say you plan a science lesson on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The elementary lessons should only take a few minutes. You’ll introduce the topic and the hands-on experiment, then allow your student to make observations.

Encourage your homeschooler to add what they’ve learned in their notebook.

The review questions will uncover any areas you may need to explain.

And that’s it! You’ve covered science for the day.

Of course, if your student enjoys the topic and wants to explore more, let them! Offer library books or science videos on the topic, head out for a related field trip, or just sit back and see what activity they design on their own.

Elementary homeschool science can be enjoyable for the whole family when you keep lessons light and spend plenty of time allowing pure observation to build enthusiasm.

Junior High Homeschool Science

As your homeschooler moves into junior high, you can move forward with confidence using our courses designed for them.

One thing you’ll need to stress is good math skills as they progress into more difficult topics. This will prepare your student for higher level science, which of course, requires higher level math.

Typically, you’ll cover one course per year unless your student needs to go at a slower or faster pace. You’ll also provide a clean notebook for each course as a repository for concepts and observations throughout the year.

Since junior high science lessons are a bit more in-depth than earlier courses, you may need to schedule time for science every day, including hands-on experiments.

Experiments can become the highlight of the science lesson since your homeschooler will have an opportunity to see the concept as a concrete activity.

Help your student maintain their enthusiasm for science by allowing them to think critically and make their own observations and connections, building on what they learned in earlier years.

Fun topical books, videos, and activities will make science enjoyable for the whole family.

We also offer online classes and self-paced recorded classes for a customizable science experience.

The review and comprehension questions at the end of each chapter will help you and them know what they’ve grasped and what may still need to be investigated.

High School Homeschool Science

Some homeschool parents get nervous when their student reaches high school and is ready for higher level sciences.

We’re here to help with that!

Continue to stress higher math skills. These are crucial to understanding the concepts taught in biology, chemistry, and physics.

Notebooks will also be quite useful to help your student corral all the information they are receiving during their science lessons.

To cover a high school science course in a year, you may need daily science lessons unless your student grasps a concept quickly and wants to move on.

We provide a thorough science education using labs to prepare your student for college. Many of the materials you’ll have on hand at home. The rest we make available to you in our lab kits.

Chapter review and comprehension questions are critical to helping both you and your high schooler understand what material is clear and what is not.

For students who learn better by listening, we offer audio courses. In addition, we have online courses for those who prefer an in-person science experience.

In your school year, also plan to include additional books, documentaries, field trips, or other learning experiences to help your student make the most of their homeschool science adventure.

Homeschool Science With Berean Builders

We’re confident you and your student will enjoy our science courses. With Dr. Wile’s conversational manner of introducing a topic, the straight-forward experiments offered, and the gentle review questions at the end of each chapter, Berean Builders will help your student become a critical thinker in science, and in life.

And as always, if you have questions or need resources or reassurance, we are more than happy to assist as you and your student explore God’s creation with Berean Builders.