Homeschool Update (26 Weeks In)

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We are officially 26 weeks into our homeschool year, and I can honestly say this has been one of our most growth filled seasons yet.

Twenty-six weeks feels long enough to see what is really working and what needs adjusting. The honeymoon phase of the new curriculum is long gone, and now we are living in the real rhythm of it all. The daily logins. The different teachers. The occasional frustrations. The lightbulb moments. The independence. The growth.

If you are new around here, we use BJU Press Homeschool Online as our primary curriculum for Kindergarten, 5th grade, and 6th grade. We purchase full grade-level kits for each child, which include all physical textbooks, workbooks, and access to the Homeschool Hub online platform.

Today, I’m sharing what is working beautifully, how I’m enhancing our curriculum without replacing it, and how my classroom teaching experience has shaped how I homeschool my own children.

Let’s dive in.

Our Primary Curriculum: BJU Press Homeschool Online

Let me start here. We are still very happy with BJU Press Homeschool Online.

Each of my children has a different teacher for each of the eight subjects they take. That means they are exposed to multiple teaching styles, different explanations, and different personalities throughout their school day. I love it. It mirrors what they would experience in a traditional classroom setting while still giving us the flexibility of homeschooling.

The Homeschool Hub continues to be one of my favorite features. Everything is organized. Lessons are clearly laid out. I can monitor progress, see grades, and track completion. It gives us structure without me having to create every lesson from scratch.

On an average day, the kids watch their video lesson, pause when needed, complete workbook pages, and then we review together. That structure works for us.

But here is what I have learned 26 weeks in.

No curriculum is perfect for every child, every concept, every day. And that is where enhancement comes in.

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Why I Don’t Replace Curriculum When There’s a Struggle

When one of my children struggles with a concept, in the same way I would not immediately blame a teacher, I do not immediately blame the curriculum.

I ask a different question: What does this child need right now?

• Sometimes they need repetition.
• Sometimes they need it explained differently.
• Sometimes they need more hands-on practice
• Sometimes they simply need it broken down into smaller pieces.

So, instead of abandoning BJU Press, I pull in outside tools to reinforce and review. To that end, we also use The Good and The Beautiful Math and Language Arts.

Bringing Small Groups Into Our Homeschool

Before I homeschooled my own children, for many years, I was a classroom teacher. One of the most effective strategies we used in the classroom was running small groups.

We would assess student performance on a specific skill, then pull students into small groups based on where they were struggling. During those sessions, we would run what we called “skill drills” — a focused, targeted review of one objective.

I have carried that exact strategy into our homeschool. If two of my children are struggling with fractions, I pull them together for a small group session. If one child needs extra phonics reinforcement, we isolate that skill.

This approach has been a game-changer.

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Why I Love The Good and The Beautiful for Reinforcement

What makes The Good and The Beautiful such a great supplement is that it is incredibly plug and play. As a parent, sometimes you know your child needs extra practice, but you do not want to sit and create an entirely new lesson plan. TGTB makes it easy to open the book, follow the script, practice the skill, and close it up.

It is structured but flexible.

And because BJU Press is our main spine, TGTB becomes our enhancement tool.

We use it to:

• Reinforce math concepts that need more practice
• Review grammar and writing skills
• Slow down when necessary
• Shake up the rhythm when things feel monotonous

It’s amazing how simply switching books changes the energy in the room. And energy matters.

Shaking Up the Rhythm

Twenty-six weeks into any curriculum, things can start to feel predictable.

Log in. Watch video. Complete workbook. Repeat.

While that consistency is powerful, I also know my kids benefit from variation.

So some weeks, instead of just doing the BJU lesson and moving on, I intentionally build in:

• Small group review
• Extra math practice from TGTB
• Writing reinforcement
• Skill drills
• Hands on problem solving

It keeps the momentum fresh without sacrificing structure.

That balance between structure and flexibility is exactly why we homeschool.

What’s Working at Week 26

Here’s what I can confidently say halfway through our year:

• BJU Press Homeschool Online gives us:
• Structure
• Clear expectations
• Academic rigor
• Independent learning skills
• Organized tracking
• The Good and The Beautiful gives us:
• Reinforcement
• Clear parent scripting
• Quick plug and play review
• Flexibility
• Small group opportunities
• Together, they create a system that works.
• Not perfect.
• Not flawless.
• But functional.
• And that is what I care about.

What I’ve Learned About My Kids

At 26 weeks in, I can clearly see growth. My Kindergartener is building independence faster than I expected. My 5th grader is thriving with subject separation and accountability. My 6th grader is thinking more critically and asking deeper questions.

And I am learning alongside them.

I am learning that flexibility does not mean chaos.

I am learning that reinforcement is not failure.

I am learning that adjusting does not mean quitting.

It means teaching.

The Power of Being the Parent Teacher

One of the biggest benefits of homeschooling is this: When my child struggles, I am not waiting for a parent teacher conference. I see it immediately and can pivot immediately. There is something so empowering about being able to pull a resource off the shelf and say, “Let’s work on this together.”

That kind of responsiveness is powerful. And it is something I do not take for granted.

Looking Ahead

As we head into the final stretch of our homeschool year, I plan to:

• Continue using BJU Press as our core

• Maintain small group skill drills

• Pull in TGTB for reinforcement

• Keep evaluating what each child needs individually

Homeschooling is not about locking into one tool and refusing to adapt. It is about building a system that serves your children well.

Twenty-six weeks in, I feel grateful. Grateful for structure. Grateful for flexibility. Grateful for growth. And grateful that we have built a homeschool rhythm that allows us to adjust without unraveling.

If you are in the thick of your homeschool year and wondering if what you are doing is enough, let me encourage you. It does not have to be perfect. It just has to be intentional.

Gervase Ware is a homeschool mom of six, educator, and motherhood and lifestyle creator who shares real-life homeschool routines, curriculum reviews, family systems, and trusted resources for intentional living at GervaseWare.com.