Do the words “time for school” bring groans from your technologically savvy children? With Time 4 Learning, you’ll never hear “I wish I could do my schoolwork on the computer” again. Time 4 Learning brings core curriculum straight to your computer for grades Preschool–8 with no software to install.
How it works: Your children each get their own login with daily, new, multimedia lessons, interactive exercises, assessments, and printable worksheets. The snapshot reports provide an ongoing record of activities and progress. Parents can use Time 4 Learning for enrichment, as core curriculum for homeschooled students, or as part of an overall homeschool program. The lessons and assessments are self-paced and national standards based. The curriculum is based on CompassLearning Odyssey.
Pros: It’s interactive. It can be a complete curriculum or a supplement. It comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Kids can work at their own pace and be on different levels in different subjects; the computer tracks kids’ progress and generates reports for parents. It covers math, language arts, social studies and science and it’s based on national standards. Parents can have full control in assigning which lessons kids work on each day. It has a fun playground area with games as a reward for finishing schoolwork. A new Christian parent-discussion forum has been added.
Cons: There were some instances of what our family considers crude humor. If you’re looking for a Christian program, this is not it—it is clearly secular. The science curriculum promotes evolution. I found the parent/teacher area and lesson plans hard to navigate. It didn’t hold my fifth grader’s attention.
Cost: $19.95/month for the first child; the second child is an additional $14.95/month. Time 4 Learning could be a cost-effective way to cover the basics if that’s all you’re using. If you’re using it as a supplement, the monthly fees could really add up.
Bethany LaShell 