I had the opportunity to review Time 4 Learning with my 3 boys(ages 6 and 10) for the last month. First I want to say that we have home schooled for the past 9 years and have never tried an online learning system. I found out about Time 4 Learning a few years ago when I was searching for some math help for my son with Autism. Since then, I have occasionally gone back to the site and have debated with myself about trying it. When I was given the opportunity to try it for free I couldn't pass it up.
This online
interactive curriculum is available for Pre-K through 8th grade and covers main
subject areas(math, language arts plus extensions, science and social studies).
The curriculum includes animated lessons, interactive activities, reviews and
quizzes and even printable worksheets. It has automated grading, lessons plans
and detailed reports that tract the students progress (this makes it ideal for
homeschooling). It could be used as a total curriculum, or as a supplement.
We actually tried it
for grades 1 and 2. I loved the fact that we could still access one grade below
and above the target grade. For example: if you are using grade 2 you can still
access grade 1 and grade 3 activities. This is perfect for those who need more
review or can move ahead in one area. We had no trouble accessing the site. We
were able to access it 24/7 with no delays or problems.
The animated lessons
themselves were idea for visual learners. I have 2 with special needs and they
are visual and kinesthetic learners(hands on); so personally I would choose to
use it as a supplement curriculum. Although the lessons were animated my 2
special needs children seemed to gaze off during some of the lessons; which made
it difficult to complete some activities and questions. I actually used my base
curriculum and then let them get on certain activies that related to what they
were learning that day. The activities are so engaging that most children could
go it alone. If it is the child's first time or you have children with learning
difficulties it would be wise to sit with them for guidance. The activities
correlated perfectly to what we were learning.
My kids favorite
thing about Time 4 Learning was
definitely the playground. A parent or teacher could set the timer for the child
to complete activites for a certain amount of time before the playground
would open up to them. The playground is full of fun and educational interactive
games and activities. A playground timer can also be set so they don't go
overboard.
We have decided to
continue this program with one of my boys, because of his math struggles. This
program has already benefited him in a continual review of his base learning and
he actually enjoys doing math with Time
4 Learning .
I recommend this
product as a total curriculum or supplement to any homeschooling, after school
or school classroom. It is only $19.99 a month with no contract of any kind.
You can cancel at anytime and you have full 24/7 access to the program; not to
mention 24 hour email help and phone call support from their customer service.
It's worth trying at least for a month. If you have a child who is struggling
especially in math or language arts, want to continue education through the
summer months or want a stress free no hassle homeschooling education this
program is perfect for you. I only wished we would have tried it sooner.
*I was given a free month of Time 4 Learning in exchange for my honest review of their program.
