I'm always on a "mad hunt" for a good program online for my homeschoolers. Luckily, we were give the opportunity to check out "Time 4 Learning" for a month. When I was offered the chance, I jumped to it right away!
last year, for our homeschool group's Summer Bash picnic, I hired a clown..."Jen-Bo" is her name. While having much fun (with her kids as her assistants), I found out that she too was a homeschooling parent and of course we "got the yappin' " LOL. She had a 7th grader at the time, so I inquired about their curriculum....and can you guess what she told me?....YES! Time 4 Learning! Oh how excited she was talking about the program (I became excited too!). I'm not one to just spend my precious money on something just because "I heard it through the grapevine"....so I decided to see if I could review it. Take a look at what I found!
This is the Time 4 Learning home page. Here it prompts a very important question " Don't your children deserve the best?" Well let me tell you.....all of our children deserve the best and Time 4 Learning is ready to place it's best foot forward! Did you know that this program stretches all the way from Pre-k to 8th grade?....anyhow, on this page you can also log in to either Lower Level (Pre-K - 3rd), Upper Level (4th - 8th) or Parent Log In....Yes...You get a separate log in for taking a peek at your students progress (but we will get to that later).
I love how I was able to choose what grade level my child should begin on. My daughter is really in 1st grade but for some subjects, she is on either a 2nd or 3rd grade level. With Time 4 Learning I was able to tailor each major subject area to her needs and I can change my mind at any time...greatness! Now for the the subject areas. I'm sure you wondering how many subjects Time 4 Learning covers right? Well....it's so many that I can't even count, but if you click here
http://www.time4learning.com/education/curriculum_overview.shtml#overview
........ you will see what I mean! And your next question is probably, how much will this "best" program cost? Is it going to break the bank or will it fit my budget? To answer all your questions, it's only $19.95/month and $14.95 for each additional child; NO CONTRACTS! Whooooo-Hoooooo! So, NO...it will not break the bank and yes it will fit your budget. My husband and I have 3 children so the fees can seem to add up, so we came up with a great solution. Since there are no contracts involved we have decided to allow each child a Time 4 Learning account for 1 month (that's 4 months for each child per year). This way all is fair and we still get to enjoy Time 4 Learning. Eventually we will switch over to all 3 kids on the account, but for now, this option fits us perfectly.
So, you wanna hear more right? OK, my youngest is 4 and he has really gotten the hang of things now! This is how his lessons screen looks. I love how they have the lessons set up by picture for Pre-K. Even though my son can not read yet, this screen allows him to identify what lesson he will tackle next. Once he clicks the lesson that is on our lesson plan, there is a series of activities he must complete. So this time we clicked "At the Library" and this is what popped up!
Now, until he receives a "check mark" on each icon he has not completed the lesson. It takes my 4 year old about 15 minutes to complete two whole lessons and you know what that earns him? PLAYGROUND TIME! And you thought your homeschooler was not allowed recess! Well think again! They can do so many fun (and educational) things at the playground it's crazy! Alright, I've got another bomb to drop.....you (the parent) set the limit on playground time!!!!! You control how much time needs to be spent in lessons before any playground time is allowed AND you control the time they spend in the playground!!!! It looks like this
The progress report: This is a great tool for keeping tabs on your independent learner. While the students must complete lessons to earn playground privileges, they don't have to score well on the closing quiz. For instance, my daughter had completed all of her lessons for the day and had already went to the playground. She had no idea that I was on another computer checking her scores for that day
I quickly noticed that she did indeed finish all the lessons for the day, but if you look closely, I think she began rushing when it came to the comprehension (2nd line).....25% yeah right...she was flying through the lesson just to get to the playground (tisk-tisk). I was able to quickly confront her and insist that she go and repeat the lesson for a full understanding. She was able to increase her score and still had time left in the playground. Notice that you can also print the reports for daily, weekly or monthly assignments (place them in a binder and BAM....greatness).
When we first began, there were soooo many subjects to choose from...I didn't know where to begin. I found a tab that says "lesson plans" (sweet!) and I could not believe my eyes....it was love I tell you....love! check it out
For each grade level, Time 4 Learning has already mapped out a wonderful lesson plan for you! I absolutely adore this feature. It enables me to get all the benefits from the program as well as incorporate the lessons with our off-line studies. This feature is totally optional. You can create your own lesson plans if you wish to do so. You can also print out the lesson plan too! Check it out!
How cool is that! Can Time 4 Learning get any cooler that this?.....Why yes it can! Not only does this wonderful program offer the best online educational experience for the average student, but they also cater greatly to students with special needs. Programs are tailored to those with dyslexia, ADD/ ADHD, Visual learners, CAPD & gifted learners. But today, in light of "World Autism Awareness day" (April 2nd) I have chosen to highlight the Educating You Autism Spectrum Child page.
In conclusion, I can honestly say that my children have never been so eager to learn! Each day the first thing they want to do is Time 4 Learning. There is no turning back now. We have found a program that not only fits the students well, but fits the budget also. Thank you Time 4 Learning....Your name is good with me.
This review contain my personal opinion. No part of this review was written by those at Time 4 Learning, but I was compensated in exchange for my candid opinion.
