Abeka Review - Is this Homeschool Curriculum Right For Me?

Here's my Abeka review..

Abeka Curriculum is probably the most popular homeschool curriculum available so I thought some people might want a veteran homeschool Mom's review of Abeka curriculum.

I'll try not to let my bias show too much in this Abeka review. In my 12 years of homeschooling I have seen many books, resources and curriculum. Some are very user friendly and some are not. Some are easy for children to use and some are not. Some lay out the lesson plans for you and some leave the door open for you to insert your personality and ideas and children's learning styles.

No curriculum is right or wrong for anyone. If you know yourself and your children and can make an accurate assessment of the curriculum you are looking at, then you will be able to decide whether a certain curriculum or book is right for your family.

Some of the pros and cons for Abeka would be:

Pros:

1. Lesson plans - They tell you exactly what to say to your child when you are teaching him. Everything is scheduled and laid out in the teacher manuals.

2. Christian material - They use Bible verses and Biblical principles in all of their curriculum weaving it throughout every subject. You won't find any evolutionary content here.

3. Easy to Resell - If you like to get some money back from your curriculum after you are done using it, Abeka curriculum is pretty easy to resell since many people are looking at it and are willing to buy it used.

4. Advanced Material - Abeka's first grade material is equal to second grade public school material. If you and your child want a challenging, accelerated curriculum, then Abeka will give you that.

Cons:

1. Expense - Abeka curriculum is one of the more expensive packages you can buy.

2. Textbook and Workbook Approach - Some students don't enjoy reading textbooks and answering workbook questions. Some parents want their students to learn like the public schools. If you want your children to learn material using a textbook, then Abeka will do that for you.

3. High Burn Out Rate - Since Abeka uses an accelerated approach and covers a lot of material in a year, some parents and students get overwhelmed and burned out on homeschooling. If you choose Abeka, be aware that although you might be guided along by lesson plans, those lesson plans might be more than you can handle.

4. Workbook Pages in Textbooks - If you want to resell your Abeka curriculum, you might want to have your children do their work on a separate piece of paper. That way your book is still clean to resell. If your children would rather write in the book, then you might not be able to resell the book or will have to take a greater loss in resale value.

In this Abeka review or any review of curriculum, being aware of the pros and cons of a curriculum can help you make an informed choice. You know your children better than anyone else. Hopefully you know what the Abeka curriculum has to offer and can now make a more informed decision as to whether this matches up with your child's and your learning style.

Feel free to email me with any questions. I hope this Abeka review has been helpful to you.

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