Does anyone here know if Abeka can be fairly self-teaching?

[HappyGrace]

I may need to veer from my plans this year due to not feeling well. I am trying to consider options that are fairly independent. Dd10 actually prefers this anyway-she is very motivated and likes to control her own schedule, etc.

 

I looked at BJU and it looks like you need to do either the video or the TM for best results. What about Abeka, can they get what they need from the student materials? Thanks!

[G5052]

A Beka is still like BJUP though, in that it was designed for Christian schools and has been sold to the homeschool market with a parent's guide oriented towards teaching one. The homeschool lesson plans still include a fair amount of interaction if you do it as they recommend: https://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/ViewSample.aspx?sbn=143634.

 

If you want something truly student-centered where the parent only helps and grades, you might want to look at Alpha Omega and Christian Light (http://www.clp.org). Switched-On Schoolhouse would be another option.

[HappyGrace]

Thanks! We use CLE for math for both dc, and I'm starting 2nd grader on CLE LA this yr.

 

How is the rigor with Alpha Omega? I don't think we would do SOS due to too much computer time-dh doesn't like that.

[thowell]

:iagree: my dd9 was using Abeka math4 and there is no way she could have done this on her won. I can tell you in the math there is a small explanation of each new concept introduced but in my opinion at this age not near enough. Now if you dd10 is advanced and can operate on small brief instructions it may not be to bad. The history is very doable as independent but very boring. Those are the only subjects I have first hand experience with but I would have to agree that CLE would probably be a much better fit for something independent.

[vmsurbat]

I certainly think that Abeka History and Science can be used in a self-teaching manner. The books are colorful and reasonably engaging--much more so than CLE and/or SOS in those subjects.

 

You might want to pick and choose: CLE for math/English, Abeka for History/Science. I loved Rod and Staff for Bible beginning in 5th grade--it is a 4 year sequence that covers the main points of the whole Bible with doable exercises and memory work. The questions/learning expectations grow with the child so the 8th grader is learning at a deeper level than the 5th grader.

 

Also, there is a yahoo group run by Joanne Calderwood who is a big advocate of self-learning (past 3rd grade or so) and she used Abeka texts almost exclusively (minus math--she used Saxon 54 and up). The children also read 1+ hours a day from good book lists. Her kids have done very well (one with a perfect SAT score). Very inspirational. Google search her name and you'll come up with several encouraging articles concerning independent learners.

 

Also, while she used mainly Abeka, she credits her children's excellence with the self-learning model, not the particular curriculum.

 

HTH,

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I can't speak for other subjects, but the Language books are pretty self driven. The grammar and punctuation is explained for the student, then their are exercises on that topic.

 

If I were doing it again, I would more emphatic about doing the paragraph writing. I let that slide more than I should have and I'm having to pick up the pace on writing now.

 

The other parts of the Language Arts curriculum might require more interaction, like Spelling.

[dcurry]

We've been using ABeka math, and my kids were using just the workbooks & were self-teaching. I just realized this year, though, that while they were able to get the problems right, they were not grasping the concepts. I really think you need to at least cover the concepts in math each day no matter what curriculum you use (unless you use videos or a self-teaching curriculum like Apologia science).

 

I am now switching to another curriculum where the concepts are explained more completely. I hate that it took so long for me to realize that they had no idea what they were doing or why it worked. I feel like I now have to re-teach all the basic concepts... (place value, averaging, etc). But I am glad I caught it now.

 

As for my older kids- I think I'll have them work with the younger kids on the concepts to re-inforce the ideas w/o making them go back very far.

 

In other words, no, ABeka is not really self-teaching. It's written for a teacher & a classroom.

[Time for Chocolate]

Google Joanne Calderwood! She has lots of info. on her website about Abeka and self-teaching.