Abeka: Bible-Based Homeschool Curriculum
Beginning with a private Christian school in 1954, Abeka grew out of the need for appropriate, faith-based textbooks. The founders of the school wrote and published their own materials, and from this start, their road led to the formation of a publishing company and finally to the creation of a homeschooling program. Today, Abeka still retains the Christian values and traditional academic approach of its founders, proclaiming as its mission the development of every student not only intellectually, but also morally and spiritually.
Abeka offers two paths to its students: the accredited program and independent study. Both options provide books, video lessons, and testing materials, but the accredited program gives additional advantages, such as the grading of high school tests, the tracking of academic progress, free standardized testing, an academic program oriented toward college, and above all, a diploma. However, should parents desire to use only parts of the homeschool program, they have the option to select and pursue single courses or groups of courses.
One of Abeka’s assets is its video lessons. For each course, from K4 through 12th grade, a series of recorded, professionally taught classes is available. Parents can use these videos for the entire span of their children’s study, or they have the ability to select more limited options for video use. Whatever the choice, they gain access to Abeka’s materials and instruction at rates far below those common to school tuition or even private tutoring.
Time 4 Learning: Online Curriculum Provider
Time 4 Learning is an online curriculum provider serving all grades, from preschool through high school. Recognized by Homeschool.com in its Top 100 Educational Websites since 2009, it takes a very personalized approach to education, easily accommodating not only the average student, but also those with learning weaknesses or with special talent.
Its unique program is suitable for use on its own as well as for supplementary use, whether for homeschooling or for remedial or advanced after-school work.
Contracts are not part of the Time 4 Learning system. Rather, enrollment and payment are on a month-to-month basis. In the lower grades, from Pre-K through 8th grade, the fee is $19.95 per month for the first student and $14.95 per month for every student after that. Enrolling in the high school courses costs $30 per month per student and covers four courses.
This program gives parents control of their children’s curricula and allows them easy access to overviews of progress, grade reports, and transcripts. In addition to these advantages, Time 4 Learning offers detailed lesson plans involving the use of a variety of media, including both online, offline, and printable work, and in the case of the online work, grading is automatic.
BJU Homeschooling: Online Christian Education
Originating with a publishing company established by the faculty of Bob Jones University, BJU Homeschooling offers a thoughtful, well-organized education to its students. With a Bible-based point of view, it attempts to remove drudgery and complexity from homeschooling while still providing a quality Christian education.
BJU Homeschooling prides itself on its organizational features. Parents have access to a detailed online dashboard which allows them to track and control their children’s grades and assignments. Tests and quizzes receive automatic grades, and for the rest of a child’s work, parents can easily utilize the answer keys found in the same online location as the pertinent assignments. The program lays out these assignments in clear daily lesson plans which make independent work simple for students.
The program is flexible, allowing movement among three different grades for remedial or advanced work. It also uses online video classes and physical textbooks, but enrollment includes eBook editions of these texts for those who prefer a non-physical medium. What is more, families can purchase kits to teach an entire grade or a single subject, making BJU Homeschooling a good option even for those who are looking only to supplement their current curricula.
IXL Learning: Homeschooling K thru 12
The education offered by IXL Learning centers around technology. With a curriculum designed to accommodate kindergarten through 12th grade students, it focuses on facilitating learning by using increasingly better and more advanced technology. IXL uses this technology to provide its students with a thoroughly immersive education.
IXL offers the spectrum of core subjects: math, language arts, science, social studies, and Spanish. These are available individually, in combination packages, or as a complete curriculum; and families pay by the month to gain access to their content. Rates are pleasantly low, ranging from $9.95 per month to $19.95 per month, depending on the course load chosen.
This program is very adaptable, conforming to each student’s learning level. In fact, it is designed to evaluate progress constantly and adjusts a student’s learning path accordingly. IXL also provides analysis to enable parents to maintain an awareness of their children’s strengths and weakness, thereby facilitating a sharply focused, extremely personalized education.
Sonlight: Literature-Based Curriculum
Sonlight defines itself as a “literature-based” curriculum. Instead of textbooks, it uses what it calls “readers” and “read-alouds” with the idea of teaching students the love of learning rather than pursuing a mere fact-based method of education. It proclaims as part of its mission the goal of cultivating the art of genuine scholarship in its students, seeing this art not only as honest inquiry, but also as empathetic understanding of a variety of perspectives for the sake of seeing and proclaiming the truth.
Sonlight is an evangelical Christian program with a curriculum informed by Biblical study and a Christian worldview. It seeks to cultivate students who grow to be strong adults living the Christian life and proclaiming the Christian message through whatever vocation or career they pursue. At the same time, the program endeavors to ensure that each student is familiar with and understands a broad range of cultures and viewpoints.
An advantage of Sonlight’s literature-based curriculum is that it is especially suitable for families with multiple children. Children can conjointly study certain subjects, such as literature and history, while individually studying others, such as math and language arts. Parental involvement is crucial in Sonlight’s program, although a comprehensive guide to all the daily work and discussions simplifies the labor. Some courses do, however, include access to online or DVD instruction.
Monarch Online: Christian Homeschooling Program
Another Christian homeschooling program is Monarch Online. It offers 50 courses for students in the 3rd through 12th grades, with the standard subjects being Bible, history, geography, math, science, and language arts. In addition to these subjects, however, there are a number of electives available to encourage specialization and enrichment.
One of the distinctive characteristics of Monarch Online is its complete adaptability. Parents have access to their children’s assignments and schedules and are able to tailor both to individual needs. Even placement itself is flexible, as parents have the ability to customize the grade level of each course.
The program involves no textbooks. Instead, it uses only online material, which it keeps current by routinely updating as necessary. Additional benefits of this online work are automatic grading and organized record-keeping, allowing for creation of grade reports and transcripts. It is an efficient, well-structured system which makes homeschooling simple for anyone.
Easy Peasy : Preschool Homeschooling thru High School
Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool operates with the mission of making homeschooling accessible to every family. Catering to Pre-K through high school, it allows parents complete freedom to direct their children’s use of the program. Easy Peasy arranges its curriculum into levels which correspond to grades, but from subject to subject, parents can vary each child’s specific level. No planning is necessary, and to facilitate grading, most answers are available. The program also provides daily lesson plans and direction, enabling independent work.
The Christian-based Easy Peasy program is divided into two sites, one for Pre-K through 8th grade and one for high school. It offers the full spectrum of subjects for elementary school and middle school and a wide variety of college-oriented high school courses. Besides a computer, a student requires no supplies but the standard pencil and paper, all resources and material being available through the site. However, it is possible to purchase printables of the material so as to convert the program to offline use.
Offered as a free program, Easy Peasy seeks to accommodate all families who wish to homeschool. With no fees, the risk in trying it is non-existent, making it an accessible option for those who wish to make a first attempt at homeschooling or who wish to test whether the curriculum suits them. The site also offers external links to courses available for purchase or free from other providers.
All the different approaches to online homeschooling mean that every family should be able to find a program suited to its ideals and preferences. Whether traditional or progressive, Christian or secular, there are options available for any family. What these programs have in common, however, is that they simplify homeschooling and make it readily accessible to everyone. Online schooling may be the solution to the concerns which prevent many people from pursuing the education they want for their children, whether it’s safety, environment, worldview, bullying, or other reasons. If you are considering changing the way you teach your children, perhaps an online program will work for you.
FAQs
Can Khan Academy be used as a full curriculum? ›
Yes, Khan Academy can be used as a complete curriculum. It can also be used as a supplement to learn just certain math topics.
What is the most used curriculum? ›The British curriculum is the most successful and widely used in the world.
What state is hardest to homeschool? ›Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont have the most restrictive home school laws. Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Texas have the least amount of regulations regarding homeschooling.
What percentage of homeschoolers are successful? ›Peer-reviewed studies indicate that 69% of homeschooled students succeed in college and adulthood.
Is Time4Learning enough for homeschool? ›Time4Learning is intended to be used as a homeschool curriculum, afterschool alternative to tutoring, and/or for summer learning to make up for learning losses. If you are looking for an online curriculum for classroom use, please contact Edgenuity for information.
Is Easy peasy homeschool enough? ›After reading through many Easy Peasy homeschool reviews on this program, I've concluded that it is enough. Parents don't have to supplement it with other material. One of the mothers in the reviews forum said, 'It has everything you could need. '
What is the easiest way to homeschool? ›- Create a designated learning space. ...
- Follow a daily schedule. ...
- Map out the school year ahead of time. ...
- Set learning goals together. ...
- Take learning beyond the classroom. ...
- Make learning a family activity. ...
- Collaborate with other homeschoolers. ...
- Ease into school.
We have compiled a list of solutions that reviewers voted as the best overall alternatives and competitors to Khan Academy, including Pluralsight Skills, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and Codecademy.
Is Khan Academy good enough homeschool? ›Khan Academy is a fantastic homeschool resource. This free website offers an impressive number of options for students. Find out how to use Khan Academy for homeschool. My family began using Khan Academy when the program was only a few years old.
Does Khan Academy actually teach you? ›Khan Academy is a reliable and highly useful source of academic learning. While it caters specifically to students in primary school through the college prep phase, anyone with a hunger to learn can benefit from Khan.
What is the hardest curriculum in the world? ›
It is believed that a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or BSN is the toughest course in the world as per the Guinness Book of World Records along with courses like MBBS, BCom, IAS, IPS and Engineering, etc.
What is the strongest curriculum in the world? ›Finland. Finland has one of the best educational systems in the world. In areas like mathematics, science, and literacy, Finland has outperformed many well-known countries worldwide. Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences are the two types of colleges.
Do homeschoolers do better in life? ›The clear majority of peer-reviewed studies show that homeschoolers often have better parent-child relationships and friendships than conventionally schooled children. Homeschoolers are happy, satisfied, and civically engaged.
Are homeschoolers happier? ›Homeschoolers are happier than most kids for 10 reasons you might not have thought of. Homeschooling can provide a mentally, physically, and socially helpful environment for a happier child.
Which state Homeschools the most? ›States with the most homeschoolers are North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. North Carolina has the highest homeschooling rate of 10.6% out of all students, followed by Virginia with 4.8%, Florida and Georgia with 4.6%.
What do psychologists say about homeschooling? ›87% of peer-reviewed studies on social, emotional, and psychological development show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in conventional schools (Ray, 2017).
What age do most homeschoolers graduate? ›While it is sometimes even younger, a fair number of homeschoolers graduate at 16; more commonly, they are on track to graduate at 18 like their schooled peers. At the same time, many homeschoolers take an extra year for high school, finishing at 19, again, like many peers in school.
Is homeschooling better for mental health? ›Homeschooling is also believed to help minimize depression that many students experience due to traditional schooling. Bullying, challenging coursework, and awkward social interactions are primary factors in the depressive tendencies of students who attend brick-and-mortar schools.
How many hours should I homeschool per day? ›“We recommend that true home schoolers, spend about an hour to two hours a day for those elementary years, two to three hours a day for middle school, and three to four hours a day for high school,” Jessica Parnell, the CEO of Edovate Learning Corp and homeschooling program Bridgeway Academy, told SheKnows.
Is Time4Learning a complete curriculum? ›Time4Learning is a completely online curriculum. This may be a good option for families who like to homeschool on the go, don't have a lot of space for extra school supplies, or need a program that's easily accessible with a login rather than a downloaded program specific to an individual computer.
How do you get answers on Time4Learning? ›
All answer keys to Worksheets and quizzes can be found under the heading of Answer key and are denoted by a magnifying glass All Answer Keys for chapter tests are located at the top of each chapter, they are also denoted by a magnifying glass .
Is simply good and beautiful math enough? ›If you are looking for an engaging, hands-on and thorough K-8 math curriculum with short and interesting lessons that can fit most budgets, Simply Good and Beautiful Math should be at the top of your list.
What is the biggest challenge of homeschooling? ›Perhaps the most common problem with homeschooling is the lack of motivation to do their work. Sometimes homeschoolers find it difficult to motivate themselves at home, especially if they have too much busywork in their curriculum or the curriculum doesn't suit them for other reasons.
Is Easy peasy full curriculum? ›Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool – A complete, free online Christian homeschool curriculum for your family and mine.
What do homeschoolers miss out on? ›' They miss out on homework and busy work. On the flip side, they miss out on the dynamics of working with a group on class projects. They might also miss out on prom and band and team sports. They will miss out on receiving instruction from another teacher if solely schooled at home.
How long does it take to prepare for homeschooling? ›You can start your homeschool year in 1–2 months with proper planning. With a bit of determination and decisiveness, it's possible to start your first homeschool year in one week—the time it takes for textbooks to ship to your house. Just make sure you've fulfilled all your state's requirements.
What is Unschool homeschool? ›Unschooling is a style of home education that allows the student's interests and curiosities to drive the path of learning. Rather than using a defined curriculum, unschoolers trust children to gain knowledge organically.
Who competes with Khan Academy? ›Competitors of Khan Academy include BYJU'S, The Minerva Project, Course Hero, Outschool, Coursera and 8 more.
Why does Khan Academy work so well? ›Khan Academy provides on-demand hints and feedback on whether or not an answer is correct and why. We can provide instructional material at just the right moment when students are working on practice, so they can apply new learnings to immediately solve their problem.
Is IXL or Khan Academy better? ›Yes, IXL has deeper analytics, more adaptive questions and can create a more personalized learning path for kids, but it is a paid solution. Ultimately, though, Khan Academy is accessible for free, while IXL is a subscription service.
Can Khan Academy be trusted? ›
Khan Academy is the leading online learning resource used and trusted by US teachers and students. of teachers and students who have used Khan Academy report it is an effective learning resource, more than any other core curriculum online learning resource.
Is Khan Academy an accredited homeschool? ›Khan Academy is not an accredited school and work done on the site does not count towards a diploma or degree program. Khan Academy is best used as a supplement to your normal schooling, whether that is homeschooling or a traditional school.
Can Khan Academy replace school? ›Thanks to its flexibility, Khan Academy can be used in virtually any learning environment, from out-of-school time programs to summer camps to correctional facilities. Students can use Khan Academy to fill in gaps in their education, get extra practice on skills learned in school, or accelerate their studies.
Is Khan Academy struggling? ›As a non-profit, Khan Academy was already struggling to manage their costs. Now, with COVID-19, the struggle has become worse. Luckily, the Bank of America has stepped up to support the global learning service and combat the financial problems which Khan Academy has been facing.
Is Khan Academy enough? ›Yes, Khan Academy is good for learning math. But a student shouldn't just use Khan Academy on its own. There's more to learning math that a student won't find on Khan Academy. Learning math, being truly proficient in it, takes five major components, according to the Adding it up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics.
What are the pros and cons of Khan Academy? ›| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Courses are high-quality and created by experts knowledgeable on the subjects. There are videos, quizzes, and readings. | Not the best interactivity, classes are not very in-depth |
A Homeschool Day Is Just Like Your Family's Day, Without School. The truth is, we probably just do what your family does on holidays and weekends, only more of it. They play a lot, inside, and outside, often with the neighbours' children. We go to playgrounds and we go to homeschool group to play some more.
What should a homeschool schedule look like? ›- 9:00 am | Bible.
- 9:30 am | Math.
- 10:30 am | Social Studies.
- 11:30 am | Science.
- 12:30 pm | Lunch.
- 1:00 pm | Language Arts.
- 2:00 pm | Reading/Projects/Electives.
The hardest degree subjects are Chemistry, Medicine, Architecture, Physics, Biomedical Science, Law, Neuroscience, Fine Arts, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Economics, Education, Computer Science and Philosophy. Let's dive right in, and look at why these subjects are the hardest degree subjects.
Which country has the easiest education system? ›
According to the OECD, students in Finland have the least amount of outside work and homework than any other student in the world.
What is the number 1 education in the world? ›| State | Overall Rank | Higher Education |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 1 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | 27 |
| Florida | 3 | 1 |
| Washington | 4 | 2 |
- Consider your child's learning style. ...
- Know your child's grade level in different subjects. ...
- Evaluate your teaching capacity. ...
- Understand your state's requirements. ...
- Set your priorities.
The home-educated typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests. (The public school average is roughly the 50th percentile; scores range from 1 to 99.)
What is the best achievement test for homeschoolers? ›The Stanford 10 is a nationally normed test and should be accepted by most states and school districts for homeschool testing purposes. However, you should always verify with your state or school district that a test is accepted before selecting it.
Is Time4Learning legit? ›Due to Time4Learning only offering 4 core subjects, homeschooling parents may feel that their student needs to study more topics and perhaps need to research and add a supplemental curriculum. No Accreditation. Time4Learning is not a school, but rather a curriculum provider, and its coursework is not accredited.
Which country is #1 in education? ›Which Country is #1 in Education? Canada is the most educated country in the world, with 56.27 percent of its residents having earned a higher education.
What is the hardest schooling system? ›The United Kingdom, The United States of America, etc are the countries having one of the best education systems. But when it comes to having the hardest math, China and South Korea top the list.
Is 2 hours homeschooling enough? ›
Most home school parents find that they can effectively homeschool their children in around 2-3 hours each day for 3-5 days each week.
What every mom needs to homeschool? ›- An awesome planner to organize your homeschool and your life. Having a planner is essential as a homeschool mom! ...
- Erasable pens. So, I'll be honest. ...
- A Laminator. ...
- A good printer. ...
- Good pencils. ...
- A good pencil sharpener. ...
- Encouraging books. ...
- Binding machine.