Considering online learning for your homeschool? Time4Learning is a popular choice, especially for families with multiple children spanning preschool to middle school. We spent a month exploring Time4Learning with our kids, and here’s our honest review to help you decide if it’s the right fit for your family’s educational journey.
Preschool Level: Engaging and Fun
Our youngest, a vibrant 4-year-old, absolutely thrived with Time4Learning’s preschool curriculum. Within just a month, she zoomed through almost the entire level, captivated by the variety of activities. From interactive stories and counting exercises to matching games, pattern recognition, and digital coloring pages, it offered a rich landscape of learning experiences perfectly tailored for preschoolers. While the graphics are simple, they didn’t deter her enjoyment at all. If we were to continue with Time4Learning, it would undoubtedly be for its preschool program, which genuinely sparked her enthusiasm for learning.
Elementary Grades: A Mixed Bag of Experiences
For our 6-year-old, the experience was less positive. He sampled various games but quickly lost interest, frequently switching activities without finding anything that truly engaged him. He ultimately gravitated back to his preferred educational iPad apps. During our exploration of his grade level content, we also encountered an error: the word “English” was not capitalized in a science quiz about Jane Goodall. Such mistakes raise concerns about the overall quality and attention to detail, making it challenging to fully trust the platform as a primary educational resource.
Our 8-year-old daughter also had a somewhat lukewarm reception to Time4Learning. However, the platform’s flexibility allowed us to customize her learning experience effectively. Recognizing that she is still developing her reading skills, we easily adjusted subject levels to focus on more explanatory and less reading-intensive activities. This customization was a definite plus, allowing us to tailor the curriculum to her specific needs and learning pace.
Upper Elementary: Navigating Content Concerns
Our 9-year-old initially explored the science section. It was immediately apparent that the science curriculum adopted an evolutionary perspective. While an introduction to different scientific viewpoints is acceptable, presenting evolution as unequivocal fact, particularly regarding timelines of millions of years and eras, felt inappropriate for our educational philosophy. Evolution, being a theory, should be presented as such. Consequently, we redirected her focus solely to the math section. She found some of the math games enjoyable, particularly those focused on money concepts. However, the game instructions were often unclear, requiring adult assistance to decipher the rules and objectives.
Overall Impression: Considerations for Homeschool Families
Overall, Time4Learning, while offering a broad curriculum and some engaging elements, didn’t quite align with our family’s needs and preferences. We’ve become accustomed to educational apps with higher production quality, both in terms of graphics and sound. Furthermore, the worldview presented in some areas and the occasional errors and confusing instructions were drawbacks.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that Time4Learning resonates positively with many homeschooling families. Numerous reviews from fellow homeschooling parents highlight their satisfaction with the program. Ultimately, the best way to determine if Time4Learning is suitable for your family is to try it firsthand. They offer free demos, allowing you to explore the curriculum. Time4Learning is available through affordable monthly subscriptions and provides a two-week money-back guarantee, giving you a risk-free opportunity to evaluate if it meets your homeschool requirements.
