Math for Christian Schools

Bob Jones University Press

BJUP’s math program is designed to be taught from the Teacher’s Editions using the manipulatives and activities. The student worktext is used for practice and reinforcement. Since much learning occurs through activity and discussion, workbook learning is a minimal part of each lesson. However, workbooks are colorful and appealingly illustrated. Review activities and reduced pictures of the worktext pages with overprinted answers are also found in the Teacher’s Edition.

In addition to the student worktext, there are separate student activity books for additional practice that are not included in the Home School Kits. A Reviews Activity Book is available for each of grades 1 through 6. These provide cumulative review of both concepts and math facts. In addition, there are supplemental activity books for three different skill ability levels at each level for grades 1 through 6--Spread Your Wings is for the remedial student, Spring into Action is for the average student, and Stretch Your Mind challenges the advanced student. Each activity book has its own answer key. I think the remedial and advanced workbooks might be of interest, while the average student will have plenty of activity with the Reviews Activity Book. It is not necessary to purchase any activity books or to complete all pages in all of these resources.

A set of tests (for one student) plus a companion answer key are also available for each of grades 1 through 6.

Although correlating and using all of the program components is more time consuming than for some other programs, the curriculum does an excellent job of presenting concepts in a variety of ways to reach different learning styles.

K5 home school kit - second edition

BJUP’s K5 math program comes with a Home School Teacher’s Edition which streamlines the program for home use. It is designed to build a foundation for understanding math concepts. The kindergarten theme centers around a farm, featuring Farmer Brown, Mrs. Brown, and their mouse Cheddar. Manipulatives (e.g., Unifix Cubes and counters) play an important role in introducing new concepts at this level. The Student Materials Packet provides manipulatives for the student, although the Teacher’s Edition offers suggestions for substitutes and make-it-yourself manipulatives.

The Home Teacher Packet contains essential teaching aids and worksheets used in the lessons. The Teaching Charts Flip Chart contains teaching charts. In addition to the student worktext, an optional activity book offers enrichment activities. The Math K5 Home School Kit includes all of the essential components. (Third edition is now available.)

Math 1 for Christian Schools, second edition

Home School Kit - $52, Unifix Cubes with instructions - $12.95

The Home School Kit for Math 1 includes a streamlined home school teacher’s edition, student text, student materials packet, and home teacher packet. Unifix Cubes are extra.

The first grade theme centers around the community and features Digit the Clown and his seal Cecilia. The Home Teacher Packet contains essential teaching aids and worksheets used in the lessons. Manipulatives such as Unifix Cubes and counters play an important part in introducing new concepts. The Teacher’s Edition offers suggestions for substitute and make-it-yourself manipulatives. The student materials packet is used by the student in conjunction with the worktext.

Math 2 for Christian Schools, second edition

Home School Kit - $52, Unifix Cubes with instructions - $12.95

The second grade level theme is “Homes Around the World,” featuring Matt, the builder, and his companion, Paddy Beaver. The second grade student book is a softbound workbook that will definitely NOT work without the instruction from the Teacher’s Edition. There are two pages per daily lesson in the workbook. One is done along with the lesson presentation, and the other is done as seatwork. Work with manipulatives is foundational to the lessons. Quite a few different items are required if you want to follow the Teacher’s Edition’s lesson presentation; many of these come in the Home Teacher Packet. Still, lesson preparation time is substantial, making this a challenging curriculum to use if you are teaching numerous children at different levels.

The scope and sequence is about average (neither advanced nor slow), covering addition and subtraction up through three-digit numbers, and introducing division readiness and multiplication by one-digit multipliers. Review activities are presented in the Teacher’s Edition and Math 2 Review Activity Book.

Math 3 for Christian Schools, second edition

home school kit - $52

The Math 3 Home School Kit includes the student worktext, Home Teacher’s Edition, Student Materials Packet, and Home Teacher Packet. The Teaching Charts Flip Chart, activity books, and tests are optional.

The theme centers around national parks and features the photographer Hal and his squirrel Horatio. The format is very similar to the second grade course.

Math 3 covers multiplication by single-digit multipliers and division with single-digit divisors. Students master their multiplication/division facts this year. Unlike many other programs at this level, Math 3 does quite a bit of work with fractions and decimals. Lots of word problems help develop application skills. Review practice is found in the teacher’s edition.

Math 4 for Christian Schools, second edition

home school kit - $67

The price is higher for this level since the tests and answer key are included in the kit.

Students continue to use manipulatives throughout this course as they study multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, and even positive and negative numbers. Mental math activities add yet another dimension. Review is presented from the Teacher’s Edition.

Math 5 for Christian Schools, second edition

home school kit - $77

The student text for this level is a hardbound, non-consumable book. Tests and answer key are included in the home school kit.

Centered around an aviation theme, this revised edition is designed with a balance of activity, practice, review, and thinking skills, focusing heavily on multiplication and division of fractions and decimals. It also includes an optional pre-algebra chapter. Strong points are excellent word problems and skills application. Students continue to do hands-on work with manipulatives from the student materials packet.

Whereas most other math programs for this grade level that are popular among homeschoolers (e.g., Saxon’s Math 65 or A Beka’s Arithmetic 5) are designed for students to do much of their work independently, this course still requires teacher presentation.

Math 6 for Christian Schools, second edition

home school kit - $77

Centered around the theme “Courage in Crisis,” this revised edition covers fractions, decimals, percent, ratio, probability, measurement, negative numbers, statistics, and use of both calculators and computers. Students continue to use manipulatives from the student materials packet that comes with the kit.