Homeschool Curriculum Blog Online Learning for PreK-8th

The Time4Learning homeschool curriculum is a comprehensive program covering the core subjects of language arts, math, science, and social studies.  I thought it might be fun to look a little closer at two of the T4L subjects today, and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what makes learning science and social studies with Time4Learning so much fun.

Social Studies

Students who are signed up with Time4Learning will enjoy studying history, geography, and civics in second through seventh grades.  Here are some of the subjects covered by grade level:

• Second Grade – Wants vs Needs, Location, National Symbols, Jobs and Careers
• Third Grade – Early Americans, US Geography, Economics, Citizenship, Timelines
• Fourth Grade – Ancient Civilization, US Revolution, World Geography, Civics, Economics, Current Events
• Fifth Grade – Ancient History, Early American History, US and World Geography, Political Science, Great Inventors
• Sixth Grade – Early Civilizations, 19th and 20th century US History, State History, Maps and Globes, US Politics
• Seventh Grade – US History from the Age of Exploration through current times

The social studies curriculum is broken down into learning units, or chapters, each with its own learning activities, quizzes, and tests.  As with all the other subjects in Time4Learning, the material is presented in an online, interactive format, and much of it is aligned to state and national standards.

Science

Time4Learning presents a logical and sequential approach to teaching science in  first through sixth grades.  Grade levels are very flexible, however, so that students in any grade, K-8 can easily access the science lessons.  Here are just some of the subjects covered by grade level:

• First Grade – Living and Nonliving Things, Earth Science, Scientific Contributions
• Second Grade – Patterns in Nature, Force and Motion, Earth and Space
• Third Grade – Scientific Investigation, Nature of Matter, Ecology, Light and Sound, Astronomy
• Fourth Grade – Scientific Investigation, Matter and Energy, Sound, the Solar System, Living Things
• Fifth Grade – Changes in Matter, Electricity, Light, Life Cycle and Reproduction
• Sixth Grade – Scientific Process, Properties of Matter, Plants, Energy, Force, and Motion

Just as with social studies, the Time4Learning science curriculum is broken down into learning units composed of activities, quizzes, and tests.  The online learning materials take advantage of today’s technology. It’s a convenient, interactive homeschool resource for studying elementary and middle school earth science, life science and physical science.

If you would like to see demos of the social studies or science lessons, or any of the other subjects in Time4Learning click here. Children like using the computer to learn. Time4Learning’s homeschool curricula engages and challenges your children, letting them work at their own pace.

Posted under Online Learning, homeschool curriculum, science, social studies

Gifted learners need individualized learning.  This is often challenging, or nearly impossible in a traditional classroom setting, so many parents of gifted children have chosen to homeschool.  Homeschooling allows parents to create a curriculum individually tailored to their child’s academic needs and interests.

Gifted learners can become easily bored if they are not stimulated academically.  So how does a parent make sure their gifted learners stay engaged ?

• Provide high quality reading material.  Check with your childrens’ librarian for lists of great literature for advanced readers.
• Let them follow their interests.  Be flexible enough with your child to let them learn longer, farther, and more intensely on subjects that capture their fancy.  Gifted learners need to go below the surface of most subjects to really stay interested.
• Allow them to work at their own pace.  Don’t feel bound by grade levels.  Gifted students may need to work one, two, or even three grade levels ahead of the norm in certain subjects in order to remain challenged.
• Integrate technology into their learning.  Computers spark  excitement in many gifted children because information is always available to them and can come in many forms - - in writing, pictures, or sounds.

The Time4Learning homeschool curriculum has many features which can benefit a gifted learner.  It is educationally challenging, allows students to work at varying grade levels for each subject, can be completed as quickly or slowly as a student desires, and works with almost any learning style. The program can also be used as a standalone curriculum, or as a supplement to other materials.

To find out more about how Time4Learning can benefit your gifted child, click here for more information.

Posted under Gifted Learners, Homeschool, Online Learning, homeschool curriculum

One of the most common questions I see on homeschool forums is this one:  “I would love to homeschool my son/daughter, but I have to work to help support the family.  Is is possible to work and homeschool?”

Years ago, the answer to that question would have probably been a resounding “NO.”  Homeschool curriculums used to be preparation intensive, teaching intensive, and follow-up intensive.  Parents often felt that they were spending as much time lesson planning and teaching as a classroom teacher with 30 students! 

Today, that doesn’t have to be the case at all.  Many homeschool programs are designed to be parent-friendly, and require very little preparation time or actual hands-on instruction.  In fact, some programs let you pick and choose just how much you want to be involved in the learning process.

When your children are in the early elementary years, active participation in their studies is most important.  Even if they are using a homeschool program that allows for a lot of independent work, it is important to be nearby while they are working, so that you are available for guidance or any questions they may have.  But an independent homeschool program also allows you options.  You might be able to have your child work on some subjects while a spouse or family member is present, giving you time to work. 

An online homeschool curriculum is an excellent option if you are working.  If you have your own business, and need to take your children with you to work, they could take care of their studies on a portable laptop.  Or if they will be spending part of their days with a babysitter, or family member while you work, their schoolwork is always as close as the nearest computer. 

Another option for working parents is finding another working/homeschooling family to coop with.  If you and they can coordinate your schedules, it might be that each of you could trade off time watching each others children while the other one gets some work done.  And I have read about homeschooling families who have turned their entire nights and days around so that they could make homeschooling and working fit for them.

The ability to make working and homeschooling balance out for you will totally depend on your commitment to making it work.  There are options, support, and programs that can make it very possible, but there will still have to be sacrifices and changes that might be difficult - - especially at first.  But if you are passionate about teaching your child at home, there is no obstacle too difficult to overcome.

Posted under Homeschool, Online Learning, homeschool curriculum, working moms

Homeschooling a child with special needs can sometimes feel like a crash course in special education.  Each of my boys has special needs.  My oldest son has Tourette Syndrome, and my youngest has OCD, Anxiety, and Dyslexia.  So from the first year of homeschooling, I did my research - - figuring out what methods, materials, and tools would help them (and me) the most.

After what seemed like months of study and investigation, I found out several things that all good programs for homeschooling special needs kids have in common. 

• Allows the child to work at his or her own pace. Some of our worst curriculum experiences involved programs that either expected too much too soon, or bored them with unnecessary drill and review.
• Allows for different skill levels on different subjects. Nearly every special needs child has unique strengths and weaknesses.  Standardized subject and grade levels simply do not apply.  A child who is excelling in math, may need remedial instruction in reading, or visa versa. 
• Presents materials in different modalities and by varying methods. Learners with special needs often need new information presented to them in more than one way and involving more than one of their senses.  The best special needs curriculums for these children will me multimodal and multisensory.
• Creates a supportive learning environment and sets each child up for success.  Nothing is more detrimental to the learning process than a feeling of failure.  But a curriculum that is well organized, goal oriented, and flexible can encourage a true love of learning in a child.
• Balances learning and fun.  The content of any homeschool curriculum for special needs kids should not only stimulate their brain, but get them excited about the learning process.  By including games, activities, and interactive elements, a homeschool program will successfully keep special learners engaged with their learning.

The Time4Learning homeschool curriculum successfully fulfills all of these requirements.  It provides a comprehensive curriculum that allows children to easily get comfortable with the system. The levels for language arts and math programs are independently set for each child. This helps children who perform or progress at vastly different levels in these major subjects. Children progress at their own rates using multisensory learning that helps each learning style. The computer is very engaging. Some children, when faced with text books or non-interactive environments, exhibit ADD/ADHD-like behavior, but, when faced with an interactive system, they are often successful in focusing and learning. The computer is impersonal so children on the Autism spectrum(specifically children with Aspergers Syndrome and high-functioning Autism) learn without the distraction of interpersonal relations.

If you have been searching for a homeschool curriculum that will work well with your special needs child, why not give Time4Learning a try?  To find out more about how T4L works for specific special needs, click on the applicable link on the special needs page. Or, to check out demos of some of the lessons, head over to the lesson demos page.  My son has used Time4Learning successfully for three years now - - I hope it will be helpful for your child too!

Posted under Online Learning, Special Needs Learning, homeschool curriculum, learning styles

The internet is full of websites aimed at the littlest learners. But many of them are either heavy on ads or low on quality content.  When parents hand over the reins of the computer to their preschooler, they want to know that he or she is going to be protected, entertained, and educated.

Not too many sites can claim to do all three things.  Time4Learning.com has a unique approach to online learning for preschoolers.  Their goal is to create a quality, ad-free learning environment that is fun and easy to use.  Preschoolers love that it is multimedia and interactive.  Parents love that it is the perfect blend of fun and learning.

Here’s all that you get with a subscription to Time4Learning Preschool:

• Thematic curriculum with monthly and seasonal activities
• Learning activities that build skills in shapes, colors, counting, weather, creative art, and much, much more
• Playable e-books to complement each theme of study
• Interactive art activities for each month and theme
• Specialized guides for parents with each unit that include extension ideas and away-from-the-computer projects
• Record-keeping system that lets parents track what activities their child has completed
• A fully stocked playground with incredible games from sites such as PBS Kids, Starfall, Earobics, Brainpop Jr, and Pauly’s Playhouse

If you would like to learn more about all that Time4Learning has to offer your preschooler, head over to the website and check out the demos, sign up for the newsletter, or explore more about the online preschool program.

Posted under Online Learning, preschool games, preschool online

One thing about homeschoolers that always stays the same is that they never stay the same!  The very nature of homeschooling is flexibility.  We like to tweak, freelance, imagine, improvise, and discover new and better ways of learning.  Call it fickle, if you like, but one of the most rewarding parts of homeschooling is its variability.

If one method isn’t working for a child, we use our creativity to find another solution.  If one child has a different learning style, we adapt our teaching and materials to match their best mode of learning.  If one curriculum isn’t meeting our needs, we try out other programs.

Many homeschoolers would, in fact, categorize their homeschooling style as “eclectic.”  By that, they usually mean that they pick and choose from a variety of materials, styles, and programs to create a mix-and-match approach that works for their family.  Eclectic homeschoolers might combine classical materials with unit studies, faith based curriculum with secular curriculum, Charlotte Mason with traditional boxed curriculum. 

Many homeschoolers also see the need to emphasize some sort of technology into their home education.  In a world where most future jobs, college experiences, and daily life will be seamlessly intertwined with technology, parents want to prepare their kids for the digital age.  That is one reason why Time4Learning is becoming such a popular homeschool curriculum. 

Besides providing kids with valuable computer skills, it is also flexible enough to  be used as a core curriculum or as a supplement to other programs.  Many Time4Learning subscribers combine T4L with programs such as: Charlotte Mason, Singapore Math, Saxon Math, Abeka, Five in a Row, Sonlight, and BJU Press in order to find just the right combination of materials for their children.

If you are one of those eclectic homeschoolers who has been looking for a fun, interactive, web-based curriculum to supplement the other programs you have been using, why not try out our demo lessons to see if Time4Learning would be  a good fit with your homeschool. 

After all, it is a homeschoolers prerogative to change his or her mind!!

Posted under Online Learning, eclectic homeschooling, homeschool curriculum, learning styles

I’ve obviously been using the Time4Learning curriculum too long.  It has made me a Time4Learning snob, I’m afraid.  I was talking to a friend whose child is in public school the other day, and we were discussing some troubles her son was having in his fourth grade class.

My friend’s son has always been very good in math.  His teacher is even giving him accelerated work because he has mastered his daily work so easily.  But in language arts, he is really struggling.  Reading comprehension is especially difficult for him.

In hopes of being helpful to my friend, I blurted it out before I even thought it through: "Can’t your son just take third grade language arts until he catches up?"

My friend looked at me like I had really lost it this time.  I had to backtrack for a good five minutes and explain how the homeschool curriculum we use allows for flexibility in levels of learning.  I explained that in the homeschool world, grade level isn’t as important as individual achievement. 

I’m so thankful that there is a curriculum that allows for the strengths and weaknesses of each child, and doesn’t punish for working at different rates and levels, but instead supports them in mastering subjects at their own pace. 

If you have a child who is working at different academic grade levels in different subjects, you might find that the Time4Learning homeschool curriculum is a perfect fit for him or her.  No one child is alike.  Fortunately, there is a curriculum that doesn’t expect them to be. 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if EVERY school were like that??

Posted under grade levels, homeschool curriculum, problems at school

One question that a lot of potential Time4Learning users ask is…

"What if I have more than one child? How can I use Time4Learning?"

Well, the answer is easy if each child has access to their own computer.  If you have enough computers to go around, then each child can work at Time4Learning according to their own pace and schedule.

If, however, your children need to share a computer, as is often the case, there are still very workable solutions.  For one thing, no homeschool program should be based entirely on the computer. So naturally, your homeschool day with Time4Learning will include both on-computer and off-computer activities. 

The Time4Learning lesson plans include worksheets that are to be completed by hand, as well as many integrated subject ideas that can enrich the curriculum by including off-computer activities. There are also many subjects that you will probably be supplementing on your own, that don’t require a computer - - subjects such as penmanship, the arts, physical education, and others.

This blend of on and off-computer time makes it very manageable to homeschool  more than one child with the Time4Learning homeschool curriculum.  Some families have shared with us their strategies for making it work for them, such as buying noise canceling headphones when their children needed to work together in the same room.  Other moms have worked on off-computer activities with one or two children while another child worked independently on their online lessons.  For more information on how T4L users creatively schedule their days, check out this thread on the Parent’s Forum, or do a forum search.

One of the greatest features of the Time4Learning curriculum is its flexibility.  It is designed to work with your schedule, and not the other way around.  For more information on the Time4Learning online homeschool curriculum, click here.

Posted under Online Learning, homeschool curriculum

Every child is born with a preferred learning style.  Although most people can learn with different modalities, they have a specific way that they most easily process new information.  Researchers have pinpointed many different styles of learning, but they usually still fall into three main categories: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

Visual Learners

Visual learners tend to learn best by having information presented visually.  They benefit from having charts, pictures, graphs, and other visual aids.  Visual learners often think in pictures, as well.  Color can be very important to a visual learner.  They naturally gravitate to visual mediums such as television and computers.

Auditory Learners

Auditory learners grasp concepts more easily by hearing.  Things that they might miss out on by reading, can be taken in more efficiently by listening to a lecture or a book on CD.  They can often pick up on even subtle differences in tone or pitch in someone’s voice.  Auditory learners follow spoken directions very well, and in turn, are good direction givers, and explain ideas well.

Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners

Sometimes tactile learners and kinesthetic learners are separated into two different learning styles, and other times they are lumped together.  Generally, a tactile/kinesthetic learner learns by touch or movement.  They are hands-on learners.  They don’t often enjoy sitting still for long periods of time, and would rather be experiencing things for themselves.  Tactile/Kinesthetic learners also do well in subjects that allow a lot of movement, such as drama, dance, and physical education.

One benefit of homeschooling with technology is that it often incorporates all three styles in one platform. Time4Learning has unique features that allow it to work with almost any style of learning.  Visual learners enjoy T4L because it is an online curriculum full of visual stimulation.  Auditory learners can benefit from Time4Learning because many of the lessons are presented in both text and voice.  Even the non-animated lessons can be read by the computer with T4L’s built-in text-to-speech engine.  Tactile/Kinesthetic learners enjoy learning on the computer because the multimedia format can simulate physical demonstrations.

To see how the Time4Learning curriculum can fit into your child’s learning style, why not try out the lesson demos?

Kids like using the computer to learn. Time4Learning is proven effective for kids of all learning styles and all levels of achievement from learning disabled to gifted. It also has a low monthly price, and provides a money-back guarantee so you can make sure that it works for your kids, risk free!

Posted under Online Learning, homeschool curriculum, learning styles

I’ve been watching an interesting thread in the Time4Learning Parent’s Forum this week.  The thread is called "Accidental Homeschooler," and the parents involved in the thread have been venting about the dilemma they are faced with.

It seems that the school system their children have been enrolled in has failed them in one way or another.  Either their child wasn’t learning enough, had special needs that the school system wasn’t adequately addressing, or had grades so low it was affecting the child’s self esteem.

As a parent whose hard-earned tax-dollars are funding the schools, this can be an incredibly frustrating experience.  No one expects perfection out of the public school system, but they do expect that their child will be adequately prepared and educated.  They expect teachers and resource workers to be adaptive to children’s particular learning needs.  And they expect that when a child is failing, that every effort will be made to bring him or her back up to grade level.

When these expectations aren’t met, some parents consider a whole other alternative - - homeschooling.  These "accidental homeschoolers" had not started out with a plan to homeschool, but because of the failures of the school system,  decided to see if homeschooling would be a better choice for their child.

The parents in the forum thread I’ve been following have decided to try out the Time4learning online homeschool curriculum for their child because it better meets their child’s learning needs.  Time4Learning is:

• Standards-based
• Engaging and Interactive
• Affordable
• Easy-To-Use (especially for first time homeschoolers)
• Adaptable for use with both special needs and gifted learners

If your child’s school system is not meeting his or her needs, and you are thinking of schooling your child at home, then click here to download our free Welcome to Homeschooling guide for new homeschoolers. Who knows…maybe YOU will be the next person to join the forum thread to tell the story of how you became an "accidental homeschooler."

Posted under Homeschool, Special Needs Learning, homeschool curriculum, homeschooling manual, new homeschoolers, problems at school