Am I making it too hard?

[joyfulhomeschooler]

I met a friend and the local Abeka material fair today. I don't use Abeka but she swears by it. As you can see from my signature we piece meal everything lol. I looked through the materials for Abeka while there and I started feeling a little nervous. The Abeka books have it all layed out and seem pretty rigorous. Am I making it too hard by using different curriculum for everything? Are there going to be gaps. Is a gentle approach really best. Just when I think I have my mind made up... and the worst thing I can do is be wishy washy about it. My friend says Abeka works because she can just open up the workbooks and go. She is able to care for her other younger kiddos while the older does his seatwork. I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed by our choices and feel like it is showing with my outbursts at my children. The reason I chose the choices for curriculum I did was because I wanted to be able to sit with my kids and have fun learning. I didn't just want to send them off with a workbook. I am starting to wonder if that may fit into our life better though. :( I already bought all our curriculum for next year too.

 

We are planning on using:

 

2nd grader:

Doorposts

SL 1+2 for history, read alouds, and readers

AAS

Writing strands

PLL 2nd half (maybe finish up LLATL Yellow too)

Horizons math

Cheerful cursive

Complete book of spanish

 

1st grader:

Doorposts

SL 1+2 for history, read alouds, and readers

AAS

OPG

Explode the Code

Finishing up MFW 1st

Singapore 1B (maybe some RS level B too???)

Complete book of spanish

 

What do you all think? Am I going about it the wrong way?

[Molly]

I have found over the past three years of schooling that I have developed the way I want to school the children. I think it is all trial and error. Why don't you go with what you have for next year, and then if you still have doubts in what you are doing, think about changing for the year after. It is not going to be a disadvantage to your children.

 

BTW, I am not convinced that Abeka would provide a complete total education. I would imagine there are many holes in the curriculum. I think there are holes in most ways of educating, but I think there are ways to provide a darn good education especially if your main aim is to teach your children how to learn and how to seek information. That way they will always be able to fill the gaps should they need too.

[johnandtinagilbert]

I met a friend and the local Abeka material fair today. I don't use Abeka but she swears by it. As you can see from my signature we piece meal everything lol. I looked through the materials for Abeka while there and I started feeling a little nervous. The Abeka books have it all layed out and seem pretty rigorous. Am I making it too hard by using different curriculum for everything? Are there going to be gaps. Is a gentle approach really best. Just when I think I have my mind made up... and the worst thing I can do is be wishy washy about it. My friend says Abeka works because she can just open up the workbooks and go. She is able to care for her other younger kiddos while the older does his seatwork. I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed by our choices and feel like it is showing with my outbursts at my children. The reason I chose the choices for curriculum I did was because I wanted to be able to sit with my kids and have fun learning. I didn't just want to send them off with a workbook. I am starting to wonder if that may fit into our life better though. :( I already bought all our curriculum for next year too.

 

What do you all think? Am I going about it the wrong way?

It is all workbook. It will work on educating your children just fine, but it is not a lot of fun and was designed for classroom settings, so it is not intended to be enjoyed by sitting with your kids.

 

We used a wee bit of Abeka in our early years....my son cried regularly and was BORED to tears. *I* was bored to tears.

 

If the highlights are really true, then I'd skip Abeka...your choices sound much more enjoyable to me...but mileage varies amongst home schoolers.

 

When you feel the need to lash out, just walk away for a minute. We all have those times. :grouphug: Some days the 3Rs are the only important things. It's okay.

[MyLittleBears]

I think you plan looks great. I also piece my curriculum together and this year I bought boxed based on someone else's recommendation. Well, it was my worst year as a teacher. I felt so "restricted" when I was supposed to feel liberated from the planning. With that said, I'm also glad I explored that option because now I know that it is not for me. Mamma was not happy and my dc began to see it. If you are a christian, there is a really good chapter in the Mike Farris book The Spiritual Power of a Mother, that really sheds light on this topic. I found very helpful.

 

Hth!

[skueppers]

There will be "gaps" in your child's education as compared with a child who used Abeka. There will also be "gaps" in the education of a child who is raised with Abeka, compared with the education you provide.

 

Of course you need to make sure that you're not missing something you think is important, but you'll make yourself crazy if you spend too much time comparing.

 

Know what your own educational priorities are, and make sure the methods you choose are in line with that. You cannot do everything.

[Poke Salad Annie]

I've been to an Abeka book fair, so I know the look of the materials. I've bought a few things at thrift shops too, and I agree, they are designed for classroom use, not fun.

 

If you've already bought for next year, why worry or compare? You have chosen what works for you and your children. Don't spend valuable time going there (with the Abeka or other program thoughts).

[TheCoffeeChick]

We only have so many years to teach our children the information we deem important. For me, it is not neccessarily the facts that I teach them that I find valuable, but the process on how to find those facts. The old saying, "You can give a man a fish and he eats for a day, or you can teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime," applies here perfectly. I don't want to just give my kids fish and then send them out into the world not knowing how to fish.

 

So, yes, your dc will have gaps in their education, but hopefully you will have fostered a love for learning and taught them how to find the information they need, so that when they are adults and on their own they will be able to be successful.

 

ETA: I don't want it to sound like you can't foster a love of learning in children taught with Abeka (or any other boxed curriculum, for that matter), I think it's possible to teach your dc with just about anything you have on hand. You know your dc best and if a workbook-based curriculum would work, then so be it. If a more eclectic collection of materials would work best, then so be it. There's no reason to feel trapped in any method - I'm pretty sure you could find a well educated person taught with just about everything available on the market.

Edited April 1, 2011 by BramFam

[LittleHouseHomeschool]

I started out with ABeka many years ago. But like you I wanted to have fun learning with the kids so we began using unit studies, and piece-meal curriculum. We did have fun at first, but I became a very stressed out mother trying to pull together all the logistics. It was not the right plan for the season of life I was in at the time. (a 7 year old, a 5 year old, and a new baby)

 

Fast forward - I am now a mom to a college student, a junior in high school, a 7th grader and a precious 7 year old girl. Over the years, I have learned that you don't have to do either a textbook OR a piece-meal type plan (literature based learning, hands on, unit studies...whatever.) We use ABeka in certain seasons, with a bit of what our family perceives to be fun, added in. We thrive on literature and hands on projects, but what has worked for us in busy seasons of life, is to use ABeka as a spine and then add in fun read alouds, projects, experiments, etc...

 

I don't have my children do every chapter, nor each question in an ABeka book. Rather, I go through the book and mark the pages that I want my children to cover. Then I plan in the fun. This way, they get some independent learning experience along with family learning experience.

 

Remember, curriculum is a tool. You are the contractor/master foreman. You get to decide how and when the tools are best used.

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

:bigear:

[teachmejoy]

I taught Abeka in private schools for a few years and never liked it. It is dry and I really don't like the reading past 1st grade at all. I think Abeka misses a lot of things that piecing your own allows you to have. The neat thing about putting together your own curriculum is that you get to pick and choose what you think is best for your dc. Don't second guess yourself!

 

If Abeka works for some, great! But I promise, it's not the AWESOME curriculum that some think...especially when that's all they've used.

[robsiew]

There are "boxed curriculum" people and there are "break out of the box" people. Curriculum like Abeka works for some people. For some, it's the only way they feel comfortable homeschooling and so they project that on others and think that's the only way **anyone** can feel most comfortable homeschooling.

 

I would wilt with a box curriculum, no matter how good. I'm a bit of a rebel and want to decide for myself what my children learn. I don't want anyone telling me what my children will learn when.

 

I think you just have to decide (but it seems you have since you bought your curriculum already! :D) what kind of person you are. Once you decide that stand firm in your convictions and homeschool your children the way you've been wired to do so!

 

In the end, it's not the curriculum that's the most important. It is the journey with your children and the development of their God-given ability to learn that matters. Your children won't turn back years from now and thank Abeka... they will thank you! ;)

[TheCoffeeChick]

In the end, it's not the curriculum that's the most important. It is the journey with your children and the development of their God-given ability to learn that matters. Your children won't turn back years from now and thank Abeka... they will thank you! ;)

 

:iagree: Well said!

[boscopup]

You can have a balance... If teacher-intensive curricula are killing you, pick a few subjects that are less teacher-intensive, yet still more interesting than a "made for schools" curriculum like Abeka. Some of the teacher-intensive curricula can be done faster too. For example, I use FLL1 right now. An oral lesson literally takes less than 5 minutes. We've actually been combining multiple lessons together and going to about 10 minutes (we're speeding through it). I'm sure an Abeka grammar lesson in a workbook would take my son much longer. So yes, FLL requires ME to sit there with my son, but it's so quick and easy, that it's not really taking up enough of my time to worry about it.

 

On the other hand, I can't imagine using a program like RightStart math with multiple kids, where the teacher must be there at all times and the lesson might take 30 minutes. So for math, I'm using a "workbook" designed for homeschoolers (Math Mammoth), where I can help my son, then go tend to the toddler, then help my son, then reboot the laundry, etc. He's mathy and doesn't need me to sit there and explain it to him the whole time, so I'm not using a curriculum that requires that.

 

I think there are plenty of ways to educate your children with a good balance of "interesting" (sometimes fun, but at least not boring) and independence from Mom. I don't think you have to use Abeka in order to have a functioning homeschool.

 

And gaps? Ha! There is no such thing as a gapless education. You can't possibly learn everything! I would make sure there aren't MAJOR gaps, such as skipping multiplication in math. That would be bad. :lol: But most curricula have a fairly complete scope and sequence, as long as you stick with it. The biggest gaps will occur if you're changing curriculum every year (especially in something like math if you're changing between curricula that have widely varying scope and sequence). There are lists out there of things that children typically learn in school. You can compare your children's education to those, and see if there's anything you feel is important that is missing. Even those lists don't necessarily reflect what a child really NEEDS to know, and you may hit some things in a different grade than what they suggest. That's ok! It just gives you an idea.

 

I'm using a good mix of curricula, it's not killing me to do so (granted, I'm only schooling one right now, but I think adding the others will be ok, since the youngest won't be less than 2 at that point :D). I am not at all tempted to go with Abeka. I've tried some "made for schools" curricula and found them to have a lot of busywork and be quite boring for ME. I switched those things and have been much happier.

[TXMary2]

I think almost every year we've been homeschooling I have used something from Abeka. It serves a purpose for some things, but I can't picture using it across the board. I have always loved their Health programs. We've used the science and it was fun because I bought the experiment kit from Home Science Tools and supplemented with DVD's. We used History and again supplemented with DVD's. If you have a textbook learner, they are probably great.

 

This year, 14 yo ds uses Abeka High School Health and my 7 yo ds uses the math. We will use the math until it is time for Pre-Algebra and then we'll switch to TT.

 

No matter what we use, there WILL be gaps. It is unavoidable. The main thing is to have fun learning with your kids. Whatever you do, do not compare what you are using to what someone else uses, and don't compare your kids to other kids either. We will always compare our weaknesses to other's strengths - which means we will always come up short. Just swim in your own lane!:grouphug::D

[joyfulhomeschooler]

Thanks everyone for your encouragement. I especially love the comment about my kids not thanking abeka when they are grown, but thanking me.

I am just a little overwhelmed lately is all.

[happyhomemaker25]

This happens to me all the time. I make up my mind and then something shiny distracts me. :)

I will be honest and say that's part of the reason I am now looking at kids who are way behind where they should be. Mama kept getting distracted by the new, shiny, this will be it, curriculum.

I was very anti box through it all though. Then a few months ago a mom on here said she used CLE for Math and Language Arts. It stopped me. It's hard to make those subjects fun and if I used the boxed workbook method for Math and LA it would free me up for more fun in History, Science, and Literature.

It was the best move I've ever made.

My two olders are working through CLE for a few hours in the morning while I work with the younger kids. Then we have time for science, literature, history, and Latin in the afternoon.

I don't know if you could do this with ABEKA, but it might take some of the pressure off of you.

I think you should go ahead with what you have planned for next year and then the following year re-evaluate.

[aliya]

There are "boxed curriculum" people and there are "break out of the box" people. Curriculum like Abeka works for some people. For some, it's the only way they feel comfortable homeschooling and so they project that on others and think that's the only way **anyone** can feel most comfortable homeschooling.

 

I would wilt with a box curriculum, no matter how good. I'm a bit of a rebel and want to decide for myself what my children learn. I don't want anyone telling me what my children will learn when.

 

I think you just have to decide (but it seems you have since you bought your curriculum already! :D) what kind of person you are. Once you decide that stand firm in your convictions and homeschool your children the way you've been wired to do so!

 

In the end, it's not the curriculum that's the most important. It is the journey with your children and the development of their God-given ability to learn that matters. Your children won't turn back years from now and thank Abeka... they will thank you! ;)

 

Totally, 100% agree.

[krwsmum]

This was our first year, and although we had many bumps in the road-we are *MUCH* happier without Abeka. My oldest girls used Abeka in the private Christian school they went to and I thought it was wonderful. It taught them a strong phonetic foundation, and in turn they are both very strong readers. I personally also like that they encourage cursive early-that also benefited my girls. Doing Abeka at home was a nightmare-much too much busy work-I felt all I was doing was handing them a stack of papers and saying 'have at it'. We were all bored to tears like many of the pp. Now that we're "branching" out, we are all happier, and I feel we are truly LEARNING. I am far from an expert, but from the looks of things you have some great stuff pulled together.

[YarnAddict]

I have a friend at church who uses Abeka and she says it like this, "I'm traditional and nerdy, and I like the curriculum because it's a traditional classroom curriculum." She finds comfort in that and it works for them.

 

It would bore me to death and I think my kids would mutiny. However, I have decided to use CLE for reading, math and LA because I *do* like the comfort in a "regular": curriculum that is open and go for some of our subjects. For history and science, I wanted something that would teach them well, but be enjoyable. I HATED the way history was taught in school, and I vow to never make it like that for my kids. And, my DD's LOVE science, so I wanted something that looked fun, and allowed for lots of experiments... as well as being a topic they were really interested in. :)

 

Try what you have for next year and you can always switch things out. I've seen the PS curriculum and I am now fully confident in my ability to provide an education that is just as good as PS--well probably much better, honestly. LOL

[JulieJ]

We use ABeka in certain seasons, with a bit of what our family perceives to be fun, added in. We thrive on literature and hands on projects, but what has worked for us in busy seasons of life, is to use ABeka as a spine and then add in fun read alouds, projects, experiments, etc...

 

I don't have my children do every chapter, nor each question in an ABeka book. Rather, I go through the book and mark the pages that I want my children to cover. Then I plan in the fun. This way, they get some independent learning experience along with family learning experience.

 

Remember, curriculum is a tool. You are the contractor/master foreman. You get to decide how and when the tools are best used.

 

:iagree:

[RoxanneB]

I think there are ways to provide a darn good education especially if your main aim is to teach your children how to learn and how to seek information. That way they will always be able to fill the gaps should they need too.

 

THIS. My philosphy exactly.

 

Having the freedom to slow down, speed up, or even throw something out is why I like to customize my curriculum.

 

It's a perfect fit for my personality AND that of my son.

 

I *THINK* I'd do the same, in some sort of modified way, if I had more than one child.

 

I taught 7th - 12th grades in a private school and had between 5 and 25 in my classes. That's where I began to veer from Abeka and "beef up" what I was teaching. Because of that, I vowed I would do the same if I ever got a chance to homeschool.

[amyrjoy]

I like to piece things together and feel sometimes like you do. I do use Abeka for one thing but I supplement it! Lol! I've learned recently that what is taught in its 2nd grade math curriculum does not meet all the standards for our state....their are some definite holes. So, that said, don't worry and trust what you are doing! :)

[misidawnrn]

I think I am the black sheep of this thread because I am using most of ABeka this year. We have been homeschooling for a year come April 4th and I started out piecemealing it together and using a lot of WTM/Peace Hill Press stuff and it just wasn't a good fit. DD likes workbooky stuff and does well with it but not the classical discussing of stuff like grammar. I also started back to school this year taking 19 credits this semester, 18 next semester, have an active 2 year old, work 24 hours a week and help my DH on the farm from seeding to harvest. I really needed something planned out step by step that I can just open and teach and go.

 

Also, as much as I think of myself as a planner...I am not! It was hard for me to plan lessons, make sure I am covering everything and not go crazy. I have 3 years of school left and that will be just in time for little DD to start K so maybe by then, I will have more confidence in HSing and planning for for our life right now ABeka is what works for us. The only thing I am going to do different next year is add MOH (I think!) I have the book but haven't started it yet. This year we just do read a louds and interesting stuff like field trips to friend's farms for science and are skipping history the rest of the year unless she reads a history book.

[leeannpal]

I taught Abeka in private schools for a few years and never liked it. It is dry and I really don't like the reading past 1st grade at all. I think Abeka misses a lot of things that piecing your own allows you to have. The neat thing about putting together your own curriculum is that you get to pick and choose what you think is best for your dc. Don't second guess yourself!

 

If Abeka works for some, great! But I promise, it's not the AWESOME curriculum that some think...especially when that's all they've used.

 

I agree with this. I did like the history and science for middle school, but the reading was really boring.

 

You do have a curriculum; it just doesn't come from a box.

[MrsMe]

I think Abeka is very rote/memory oriented from all the samples I've seen. I can't pull off eclectic because I feel everything is disconnected and nothing works with each other. On the other hand I don't like all one thing either. I also find complete eclectic is a long, long day.

 

I like to use all one type for lets say, grammar, writing, spelling for example. Then use something else that would encompass history/science/bible. So I tend to sort it that way. I get more flow, less gaps and less time.

 

But in answer to your question, I think we all make it too hard. :tongue_smilie:

[RootAnn]

I met a friend and the local Abeka material fair today. I don't use Abeka but she swears by it. .... My friend says Abeka works because she can just open up the workbooks and go. She is able to care for her other younger kiddos while the older does his seatwork.

 

I had to laugh when I read this. When I was at the material's display the other day to cash in on the free shipping of our math stuff for next year, I met a mom who was having all sorts of doubts about her "all Abeka" route that she's been doing for years. Her oldest is going into 7th & she has three other kids. She said she really needs something "more independent." So, while you might be able to open the workbooks & go, there are definitely teacher-intensive subjects in Abeka. I think it depends on your kids. Some kids can do their "seatwork" alone. Mine need me at their elbow until the age of 8 at all times or their pencil doesn't work and they fall off their chair and get sucked in by ... anything or anybody else nearby.

 

You're doing fine, Momma! Keep up the good work. :chillpill:

[joyfulhomeschooler]

I think it depends on your kids. Some kids can do their "seatwork" alone. Mine need me at their elbow until the age of 8 at all times or their pencil doesn't work and they fall off their chair and get sucked in by ... anything or anybody else nearby.

 

You're doing fine, Momma! Keep up the good work. :chillpill:

 

:lol: This is SO my kids

[Love2teach0307]

I taught Abeka in private schools for a few years and never liked it. It is dry and I really don't like the reading past 1st grade at all. I think Abeka misses a lot of things that piecing your own allows you to have. The neat thing about putting together your own curriculum is that you get to pick and choose what you think is best for your dc. Don't second guess yourself!

 

If Abeka works for some, great! But I promise, it's not the AWESOME curriculum that some think...especially when that's all they've used.

 

:iagree:My whole education was ABeka from K to 12th in a good Christian school, and I also wound up teaching it for two years, too. I piecemeal my own curriculum and will not use ABeka it at all. For some visual learners, it will get the job done, but it won't teach them to think for themselves, and I really miss those critical thinking skills. I use the phonics to teach how to read and that's about it. Your children will have a much more engaging education by not using Abeka.

[Ellie]

Well, it looks to me as if you have quite a bit of overlap, especially in English-related areas (reading, writing, spelling, etc.).

 

But really and truly, ABeka is infamous for causing burn-out. I never recommend ABeka, especially not all subjects, especially not to a newbie.

 

And frankly, I prefer to be more personally involved with my dc's education than just telling them to open a workbook and do the assignments. That takes all the joy out of the concept of homeschooling, IMHO.

[happyWImom]

I have a friend that only uses all Abeka also, and she wanted me to come to the materials fair. I was going to, because she showed me all of her stuff, how it tied together, etc...

 

I thought it would be good, because in addition to the complexity & stress of piecing stuff together, we sometimes get a good amount of "attitude" here. I thought by doing Abeka, they would do a lot of independent work, and that might help.

 

The one thing I didn't take into consideration was my ds, who is a wiggler, daydreamer, you name it-unless he's actively engaged. And, my dd informed me that she hates workbooks. And, I want to be actively engaged in the teaching, also.

 

So, one thing you should consider is how your dc would do with an all workbook type curriculum. I do like Abeka's readers, and we use them, and I do like CLE's LightUnits, and I have quite a few that we use when we don't have a lot of time, or need to do travel school.

 

I think your current plan looks great.:001_smile:

[mcconnellboys]

I'm sorry, but I don't like Abeka's history or science At.All. If you must use a big name publisher, then I think BJU's history and science are more sound than Abeka.... And I don't like either of them for math....

[mathewsgang]

You need to do what you feel is best for you. If you have the time, it's great to sit and do the learning with your children, but that may not always be possible, especially if you have a few other little ones to take care of, so your homeschool choices may change over the years. What works for you at one point may not at another, and it doesn't mean what you are choosing is right or wrong. My best advice is don't compare yourself and your homeschool with anyone else's. Embrace what you've chosen for now with joy, and if you see at some point that you need to make changes, go forward with confidence. Your children are sponges, and will learn no matter what materials you choose to use.

[elegantlion]

We used Abeka for 1st-3rd for several reasons. It was what he used in private school for prek and K, we planned to homeschool for 3 years and then put him back into private school. It was what all my friends were using. I had read about all these other methods of homeschooling and I was overwhelmed. Abeka really was the path of least resistance for us.

 

My the middle of the 3rd I was burnt out with Abeka. There are so many guides. Answer key, teacher's book, curriculum guide, test answer key, etc, etc, ad nauseum.

 

I kept wondering when we'd start to read real books for school. :lol::lol::001_huh:

 

We discovered ds had some recall issues with phonics. Abeka phonics was the only program he had ever used. To this day he still has trouble remembering blends. I'm not sure if it was the Abeka phonics, a learning issue, or a combination of both. We've since covered phonics using several different programs.

 

Abeka updates their materials on a regular basis. We were one year behind the updates. The materials I bought NEW and used for one year were already outdated and had little resale value. With one child I needed to be able to recoup some of the cost.

 

Abeka is pretty. It's colorful. As a student I always loved new workbooks and that part appealed to me. Ds would have been happy to fill the in blanks forever, but I feel like we lost some of the engagement in those first years.

 

By 4th grade we had made the decision to continue homeschooling, we went eclectic that year. The next year we switched the classical, and are happily finishing up our 3rd year.

 

Abeka can be a safe choice for those who prefer a traditional school model. I recommended that all new homeschoolers read about the methods of homeschooling again AFTER a year of teaching. I failed to do that and probably would have switched if I had.

[joyfulhomeschooler]

Well, it looks to me as if you have quite a bit of overlap, especially in English-related areas (reading, writing, spelling, etc.).

 

But really and truly, ABeka is infamous for causing burn-out. I never recommend ABeka, especially not all subjects, especially not to a newbie.

 

And frankly, I prefer to be more personally involved with my dc's education takes all the joy out of the concept of homeschooling, IMHO.

 

Your advice is much appreciated. Can you tell me what you would change in my english-related plan? I do tend to over do it in this area :)

[DarlaS]

I met a friend and the local Abeka material fair today. I don't use Abeka but she swears by it. As you can see from my signature we piece meal everything lol. I looked through the materials for Abeka while there and I started feeling a little nervous. The Abeka books have it all layed out and seem pretty rigorous. Am I making it too hard by using different curriculum for everything? Are there going to be gaps. Is a gentle approach really best. Just when I think I have my mind made up... and the worst thing I can do is be wishy washy about it. My friend says Abeka works because she can just open up the workbooks and go. She is able to care for her other younger kiddos while the older does his seatwork. I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed by our choices and feel like it is showing with my outbursts at my children. The reason I chose the choices for curriculum I did was because I wanted to be able to sit with my kids and have fun learning. I didn't just want to send them off with a workbook. I am starting to wonder if that may fit into our life better though. :( I already bought all our curriculum for next year too.

 

We are planning on using:

 

2nd grader:

Doorposts

SL 1+2 for history, read alouds, and readers

AAS

Writing strands

PLL 2nd half (maybe finish up LLATL Yellow too)

Horizons math

Cheerful cursive

Complete book of spanish

 

1st grader:

Doorposts

SL 1+2 for history, read alouds, and readers

AAS

OPG

Explode the Code

Finishing up MFW 1st

Singapore 1B (maybe some RS level B too???)

Complete book of spanish

 

What do you all think? Am I going about it the wrong way?

 

What you have planned looks great. You're combining them in several subjects and it looks like a good mix of working with you and independent work.

 

Abeka would NOT save time or be easier. I did two grade levels a couple years back and there was so much STUFF.

 

You get a pile of teacher's manuals, answer keys and there are all kinds of supplemental extras needed (readers, flashcards of various types etc). There are also 170 lessons in every book. It's not easier or simpler than Sonlight. No way.

Edited April 2, 2011 by darlasowders
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