Why I Chose BJU Press for My Kindergartener’s Reading—And How It’s Actually Going
My daughter plopped into my lap one day with full toddler confidence and declared, "I’m going to read you a book, Mum." I had to stifle a giggle because—bless her heart—she's five and had only just graduated from preschool alphabet land. Her attempt at reading a Dr. Seuss classic was a glorious combo of dramatic guessing and made-up words, but honestly? It was pure gold. That’s when I knew: she was ready.
Ready for a real learn-to-read program.
Enter BJU Press K5 Reading—which, by the way, I know backwards and forwards because I’ve now used it with two kids. The first time (with my now 8-year-old), I tried to juggle all the teacher's manuals myself (hello, exhaustion!), and we eventually defaulted to just the reading books and workbooks.
This time around? I wised up.
We’re doing the full teacher-led video lessons, and I’m diving into every component like a seasoned pro.
This article is a full, honest review—complete with stories, laughs, and the real scoop on what’s actually worth your time.
Heads up: If you decide to try BJU Press K5 Reading, you can snag it through my affiliate links. That means you get the same great program, and I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Big thank you in advance!
What’s in the BJU Press K5 Reading Package? 📦
I use BJU Press for all my basic subjects, so when a new box lands on our porch, the kids react like it’s Christmas morning—cue excited squeals and me whisper-shushing them because the baby’s usually napping.
When this reading box arrived, Penny tore into it and immediately started flipping through the fun stuff—the colorful readers and phonics practice books.
Meanwhile, I was doing damage control, begging her not to dump all the flashcards onto the floor where they’d inevitably become a snack for the baby or end up soaked in mystery goo.
But the whole box comes with these goodies inside (visuals in pictures above):
📝 Phonics Practice Book – daily phonics work with lots of variety, and when simple reading starts
🎯 K5 Worktext – main worktext where kids learn to write the alphabet and simple words
📚 Reading Books – 34 adorable little readers that build confidence fast
🃏 Phonics & Review Cards – handy visuals so kids can get kinesthetic with learning!
📎 Student Handouts for the Video Course – mostly for reinforcing key ideas from the videos. This includes video course notes which tells you what to get out for which lessons.
You can buy this reading course with the Math course to get a little discount, or purchase them separately.
Penny’s not quite ready for math yet, so we’ve held off.
Keep in mind, you only get 18 months of access, so don’t start too early unless your child is a speedy learner.
Waiting can be a good idea—it lets you slow down if your kid needs a break.
My son had a few false starts because reading came slower for him, while my daughter is the exact opposite—I can’t hold her back with her ABCs!
Be aware that BJU Press is a fairly robust curriculum.
It isn’t as hard as Abeka, but it’s definitely above your average homeschool kindergarten reading curriculum course!
Public school would probably be on the easier side of things, while BJU Press and Abeka sit on the moderate to more robust side of things meaning your kids will get a great education!
🎥 2. The Video Lessons: Mrs. R to the Rescue
You might think having a homeschool program would be more work for mama, but I’ve found it’s actually the opposite.
Some mornings, I’m at a loss for what to do with my gorgeous little Penny, so it’s a relief to let her engage with the video lessons led by Mrs. Rebekah Rulapaugh.
(BTW, the video lessons are easy to run. You just need to log in to their online platform, the Homeschool Hub, assign the course to your student, and then click into the course…really easy to set up.)
Homeschool Hub setup instructions for streaming video lessons. It’s really easy to setup!
But back to Mrs. R.
I’ve actually met Mrs. R in real life when I visited her kindergarten class. She has such a genuine love for kids and a wonderfully gentle spirit.
Her videos are great because she is continually switching from workbook to fun lessons on interesting topics (firemen, bugs, gingerbread houses).
Penny just starting out using the program.
This keeps Penny’s attention without feeling like a boring lecture.
It’s like having a calm, encouraging teacher right in our living room!
Check out this video [embedded below] to see my son’s sweet little message he sent her while doing the BJU K5 math program (also taught by Mrs. R). Thanks to her, Luke now counts math as his favorite subject!
📖 3. The Readers: Watching Her Light Up
The first time she read a whole sentence without guessing—I nearly spilled my coffee and had to bite my tongue to stop myself from calling my husband right then and there to shout, “She just read ‘it’ all by herself!”
What I love about BJU Press is they give you real reading books—so the kids actually feel like they’re reading real stories.
And really, as parents, we sometimes forget just how amazing it is when they finally get there!
The BJU Press kindergarten reading books are bright, fun, and wonderfully varied.
They move from Bible stories to charming, kid-friendly topics like taking a walk with Grandpa or catching a ball game with Grandma.
There are 34 books in total (pictured in their entirety below).
The numbers at the bottom of the books indicate the difficulty, with 1 being so easy there aren’t any words in it to 34 being hard enough to get you into Grade 1 reading!
📝 4. The Workbooks: Just Enough Practice (Without Tears)
Penny loves writing her name on the front of each book once she’s mastered it—it gives her such a proud sense of accomplishment!
The Workbooks and Phonics Practice books are bright, engaging, and full of variety—just like the video lessons.
They gently guide kids to practice clean handwriting and phonics skills without it feeling dry or repetitive.
And there’s always a strong biblical thread woven through.
We’re on lesson 34 right now with Penny, and she’s learning to read words like “sin”—a concept you’re not likely to find in your average secular curriculum!
We keep all of Penny’s workbooks, flashcards, and handouts tucked neatly into a folder, so—aside from needing help with the laptop—she can get everything out and set up by herself.
It’s a small thing, but it’s been a big step toward building her independence with learning and growing her confidence day by day.
✝️ 5. A Deeply Biblical Worldview Woven Through Everything
If you're looking for a reading program that truly teaches the gospel—not just moral fluff—BJU Press is your baby.
I love how this organization has a laser focus on teaching a biblical worldview to kids from preschool all the way through high school.
Teaching the gospel is just as important, no, I’d say way more important, than just teaching the three Rs.
And that’s exactly how it should be—because Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Shouldn’t we be encouraging our kids to fall in love with the gospel?
👧👦 6. Comparing My Two Kids’ Experiences
Hook: I used the same BJU reading program with both my kids—and you’d think I handed them two completely different curriculums.
Total opposite vibes!
With my firstborn, Luke, I made the rookie move of trying to follow the teacher’s manuals.
Bless me.
Unless you’ve got six extra hours in your day (and a degree in mind-reading), those manuals are just not made for homeschool mums.
Eventually, I gave up and just had him do the workbooks.
But without the video lessons?
We missed so much.
He didn’t grow a real love for reading like I’d hoped.
Later, we switched to video lessons for math and—boom—it clicked. Luke loved it.
I wasn’t hovering, we weren’t butting heads, and he actually started enjoying the lessons.
So with Penny? I didn’t mess around.
We went straight to the video lessons, and she’s been loving every minute.
I only do “schoolwork” when she’s keen—she’s barely five, so I’m rolling with interest-led learning.
The day will come when I need to insist on more formal stuff, but right now, whatever makes her happy works for me.
Honestly, I count the BJU Press reading videos as part of my babysitting budget. 😂
💡 6. What I’d Tell a New Homeschool Mom About This Program
If I could go back and high-five myself three years ago, here’s what I’d say…
Well done—you picked the right program! But next time? Skip the teacher’s manuals. They’re not made for busy homeschool moms.
You’re getting such solid gospel teaching baked in, and that’s priceless.
I love how open-and-go this program is—no overwhelm, just smooth sailing.
My kids are getting a robust education that’ll set them up for success anywhere.
And hey, you’re saving a fortune on babysitting fees—because those video lessons? Total lifesavers!
🤔 7. Final Thoughts: Would I Use It Again?
If baby #3 ever makes their grand entrance to the homeschool world and hits kindergarten, you better believe Mrs. R will still be our go-to teacher.
This program has made such a difference for us — and honestly, those video lessons have become my official “homeschool babysitter.” 😂
If you’re thinking about giving BJU Press K5 Reading a go, I’d say go for it!
And if you want to help out this homeschool mama (that’s me!), you can grab the program through my affiliate link here (at no extra cost to you!): BJU Press Kindergarten Reading Course.
Thanks for supporting the blog and my YouTube channel and helping me keep making great homeschool content just for you!
