Time 4 Learning Curriculum

Time 4 Learning home page

As you may recall, we've been using Time 4 Learning (T4L) as part of our homeschool curriculum this year. Mostly we use it for math, as the lessons and quizzes work really well for Bear, she hates worksheets and workbooks, and on the tiny, sliver of an off-chance that the state of Kentucky was to be all, "Show us yer works!", I can print off records of her participation and scores. It's the only graded work we do, and only because Time 4 Learning does it for me.

We've also been using it for some social studies/history work. I had planned to do some U.S. History as part of our year, and they have a really nice chapter on the Revolutionary period in the social studies section. Every day Bear logs in and does the next little segment, which usually consists of some reading (anywhere from 4-20ish short pages of text), some simple in-text questions, and a short lesson quiz at the end. We don't put a ton of emphasis on the quizzes, but if she does REALLY poorly then I know she didn't read carefully and we should probably go over it together.

T4L has a program where users can review the curriculum on their blogs and receive a $25 credit, and because I'm a fan and we've been using it for about five months now, I figured I'd give my thoughts and enjoy a free month of service. 


Here's what a I like about Time 4 Learning: 

• Even when I'm rusty on something, I can read or watch videos along with Bear and catch right back up, so not only am I better able to help her, but I re-learn some things, too.
• At almost ten years old, she is perfectly capable of logging in and doing her work autonomously. If she needs me she asks, but most days she does this work alone.
• The price for one child is only about twenty dollars per month. This is completely worth it to me, as my child is learning her math (and other subjects when we use them) and arguing/resistance is minimal. 
• I can log in from any computer under my parent account and see what she's currently doing and what she's done. I can print off customized reports, answer keys, and other useful tools. 
• There is a parent forum where you can ask questions and seek out advice. I haven't really used it, but I like that it's there. 
• Tests, quizzes, and activities can be done and redone as many times as you like.
• You can work one grade level above and below your selected grade level.
• Bear likes it. 

What I don't like:

• Some days the website is very, very slow to load. We've never been incapable of logging on and doing our lessons, but it's frustrating now and then.
• Some of the math lesson videos are pretty lame. Bear despises the JT & Rita Show in the math chapters. She finds it incredibly annoying and a bit insulting to her intelligence. It does a pretty good job at teaching the lessons, but it's not fun to watch. 
• It might be my technical ineptitude, but when Bear does poorly on a test and we retake it, the grade report still shows all the scores. I'd love to be able to consolidate it to only the highest scores on each test.
• There are occasional errors in the quizzes. However, T4L is very fast to correct these if you contact them, and the errors have been few so far.

Overall we're extremely satisfied with Time 4 Learning. I have plans to use one of the science chapters in a few weeks, and we intend to continue using it for our math at least through next year.

Feel free to ask me questions if you're thinking about using T4L for your homeschool or as a learning supplement!


Disclaimer (as copied from the T4L review submission page):

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.