Homeschool and Time4Learning

Okay, so I've been out of touch with the blogosphere since Jonny started Kindergarten.  I'd thought I'd be less busy once my youngest started school, but no.  Anyway, since then we decided to make the move to homeschooling.  This was a tough call for us, but in the end, the right call for our family, at least for now.  Jonny is dyslexic and has ADHD.  Anna struggles with math but is YEARS ahead in language arts.  Because of this, a traditional classroom just wasn't working for either of them.  And then there was Ellie.  She was doing great.  As long as you consider being sexually harassed and spending 3-4 hours a night on homework in the 6th grade great.  She had good grades, but wasn't happy and didn't have time to pursue things that interested her.  Add to all of that the discipline problems that were prevalent at the school and it created a perfect storm that convinced us to do what we swore we would never do.  Homeschool.

When we started this adventure, I wanted to go with the option that would be easiest for me.  Selfish, I know.  But I didn't have any idea how to homeschool and didn't want to screw up my kids.  So we chose to use K-12.  It was the Individual Learning Plan that sold me.  Every child was supposed to be able to learn at their own pace.  Turned out to be not true at all.  So, this wasn't working great for us.  And it was NOT easy for me.  But I won't get into that.  In the midst of our first semester, Ellie and I were in a car accident that turned our lives upside down.  I'm not going to go into detail about that either, except to say that it's hard to help your kids when you have constant back and neck pain, horrible headaches and difficulty concentrating and understanding things.  About a month after the accident, Jonathan suggested that we might have to put the kids back in school.  I was heartbroken.  I loved having them at home and really wanted to make things work.

At this point, I got back in touch with an old friend who homeschooled.  Her kids had used Time4Learning for years and her oldest had just been accepted into a very competitive college.  My curiosity was piqued, so I looked into it and was thrilled with what I found.

First, and most importantly for right now, Time4Learning allowed us the flexibility we needed.  Jonny could take the classes at his own pace.  Anna could work on 4th grade math and 7th grade language arts because they allow you access to lessons one grade above and one grade below the level you choose.  And Ellie now had time to spend on things she loved, like art.  And with the back pain that she was suffering from, the ability to do lessons any time, any place, to work around physical therapy appointments was priceless!  And she was even able to work on her tablet from the couch when pain prevented her from sitting in a chair any longer.  The flexibility made homeschool totally doable for us.  Add to that great customer service any time I call with questions, and a low monthly price, and we were happy.  And still are!  We are doing it again this year and I'm so glad that we have found a way to make homeschooling work for our family.

As a member of Time4Learning, I have been asked to review their online education program and share my experiences. While I was compensated, this review was not written or edited by Time4Learning and my opinion is entirely my own. Write your own curriculum review or learn how to use their curriculum for homeschool, after school study or summer learning.