Christianbook.comDescription
The BJU Press English Grade 4 Teacher’s Edition (3rd Edition) serves as your comprehensive guide to building strong communication skills in your fourth-grade homeschooler while integrating biblical principles throughout the learning process. This two-volume, spiral-bound resource provides 672 pages of detailed lesson plans, teaching strategies, and assessment tools designed specifically to help homeschooling parents navigate the complexities of teaching both grammar and writing with confidence.
This teacher’s edition employs BJU Press’s proven four-step teaching cycle that makes instruction manageable for busy homeschool families. You’ll begin each lesson by engaging your student through visual analysis of full-page illustrations and biblical worldview discussions that help children understand why good communication matters. The instructional phase provides clear teaching strategies, discussion guides, and collaborative learning opportunities that work beautifully in one-on-one or small family group settings. Your student then applies new concepts through guided and independent practice, followed by thorough assessment opportunities to gauge understanding.
The curriculum masterfully alternates between grammar instruction and writing practice, ensuring students immediately apply newly learned conventions to their own compositions. Your fourth grader will work through six major writing projects that follow the complete five-step writing process: planning, drafting, revising, proofreading, and publishing. These projects include personal narratives, friendly letters, compare and contrast essays, book reviews, tall tales, and research reports, providing diverse opportunities for creative and expository writing that will serve them throughout their educational journey.
Grammar instruction covers essential fourth-grade concepts including sentence structure, parts of speech (nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs), and more complex elements like phrases and clauses. The spiral learning approach ensures concepts are reviewed and reinforced throughout the year, accommodating different learning styles and helping students build confidence gradually. Study and reference skills are woven throughout, teaching students how to conduct research and cite sources appropriately.
For homeschooling families with varying educational philosophies, this curriculum adapts beautifully to different approaches. Charlotte Mason families will appreciate the mentor texts and literature connections, while classical educators will value the systematic grammar instruction and emphasis on excellent writing. Unit study families can easily integrate the writing projects with history, science, or other subjects, while traditional homeschoolers will find the structured daily lessons provide clear direction and measurable progress.
The teacher’s edition includes valuable differentiation strategies for struggling learners, advanced students, and English language learners, making it suitable for multi-level homeschool families. Entrance and exit tickets provide quick informal assessments that help you gauge understanding without overwhelming your student, while peer conferencing activities can be easily adapted for siblings or homeschool co-op settings.
Special features include reproducible materials, writing rubrics that take the guesswork out of grading, and a comprehensive spelling and study skills handbook. The integrated biblical worldview helps students understand that God is the source of language, truth, goodness, and excellence, making this an ideal choice for Christian homeschooling families seeking curriculum that aligns with their values while maintaining academic rigor.
Access to BJU’s HomeschoolHub.com provides additional digital resources including lesson planning tools, grade tracking, and scheduling assistance that streamline your homeschool management. Whether you’re a new homeschooling parent or an experienced educator, this teacher’s edition provides the support and confidence you need to help your fourth grader develop into a skilled communicator who can express ideas clearly, think critically, and write with purpose.
Educational Attributes:
- Grade Level: 4
- Subject: English Language Arts (Grammar and Writing)
- Skill Level: Intermediate elementary
- Learning Style: Visual, auditory, kinesthetic (accommodates multiple learning styles)
- Educational Approach: Traditional with biblical integration
- Curriculum Type: Complete structured program
Practical Attributes:
- Page Count: 672 pages (2 volumes)
- Lesson Count: Full year curriculum
- Estimated Completion Time: One academic year
- Answer Key Included: Yes
Content/Scope Attributes:
- Topics Covered: Grammar, mechanics, usage, writing process, research skills, biblical worldview
- Real-world Applications: Letter writing, research skills, communication strategies
Format/Usability Attributes:
- Format: Spiral-bound teacher’s edition
- Reproducible: Yes (includes reproducible materials)
Special Features:
- Access to BJU HomeschoolHub.com digital resources, biblical worldview integration, differentiated instruction strategies, writing rubrics, mentor texts
Aop.com
The Homeschool Shopper –
The BJU Press English Grade 4 Teacher’s Edition represents a substantial investment in traditional, academically rigorous language arts instruction. This comprehensive two-volume resource delivers exactly what serious homeschooling families expect from BJU Press: thorough content, Biblical integration, and college-preparatory academic standards.
What We Liked
Comprehensive Teaching Support: The Teacher’s Edition truly shines in its instructional design. With over 500 pages per volume, it provides detailed lesson overviews, discussion questions, and student activities that make even complex grammar concepts accessible. The spiral-bound format makes it practical for daily use, and the reduced student pages help parents stay organized.
Academic Excellence: Parents consistently report that this curriculum delivers genuine college-prep instruction. The grammar lessons build systematically from basic concepts to advanced skills, and the integrated approach helps students see connections between grammar rules and practical writing applications.
Biblical Worldview Integration: Rather than treating faith as a separate subject, this curriculum weaves Biblical principles naturally throughout language instruction. Students regularly connect their grammar learning to scriptural examples and Christian worldview themes, making their education truly holistic.
Built-in Review System: The curriculum includes excellent scaffolding with chapter reviews preceding every test, practice lessons that review previous concepts, and cumulative reviews that reinforce long-term retention. This structured approach helps students master concepts before moving forward.
Professional Quality: The production values are impressive, with clear layouts, engaging visuals, and well-organized content that makes teaching more efficient and learning more enjoyable.
Areas for Improvement
Essential but Expensive Teacher Resources: The Teacher’s Edition isn’t optional – it contains critical content and instructions not found in the student text. While this ensures comprehensive instruction, it significantly increases the total investment, and families may feel locked into purchasing the complete set.
High Parent Involvement Required: Despite video lesson options, this curriculum demands substantial parent engagement. You’ll need to understand the methodology, guide discussions, and provide ongoing support. Families hoping for truly independent learning may find this challenging.
Classroom-Designed Complexity: Originally created for trained teachers in traditional classrooms, some concepts and activities can feel overwhelming for homeschool parents managing multiple children or grade levels. The sheer volume of material can be intimidating for newer homeschoolers.
Rigorous Assessment Standards: The tests maintain high academic standards, which some families find too challenging. While paper alternatives are available, the assessment expectations may exceed what some fourth-graders can handle comfortably.
Bottom Line
BJU Press English Grade 4 Teacher’s Edition excels at delivering thorough, academically challenging language arts instruction within a strong Christian framework. Families who prioritize academic rigor, Biblical integration, and systematic skill development will find this curriculum highly effective. However, success requires significant parent preparation time and ongoing involvement. This works best for committed homeschooling families who value traditional educational approaches and have the time to implement the curriculum properly.
Recommended for: Families seeking rigorous academics, parents comfortable with traditional teaching methods, households prioritizing Biblical worldview education, experienced homeschoolers
Consider alternatives if: You prefer low-prep curricula, need extensive independent learning options, want primarily writing-focused instruction, or have limited teaching time available