Home Schooling with Abeka Curriculum
Abeka curriculum is used by many people and is found in home schools and traditional, private schools. They offer academically challenging, Christian resources covering Nursery through high school levels.
Some of the many Abeka homeschool resources include books in phonics, science, math, and reading. Abeka also has a college called Pensacola Christian College.
Abeka books and resources offer traditional instruction in a very challenging format. Many families enjoy using these Christian materials and are confident their children are learning.
Abeka Homeschool Curriculum
Are you currently using the Abeka curriculum? Do you use it "just as it is?" Or, do you have to modify it for your children? Do they find it enjoyable and love using it? Are you still excited about teaching with the Abeka homeschool curriculum?
Now, that you are thinking about my questions, here is one more…Have you ever heard of "Abeka burn-out?"
A dear friend of mine named Angie, first shared this term with me over fifteen years ago. She used it to refer to what can happen when a person uses a traditional and very intense program such as Abeka's to home educate their children.
Abeka burnout is that unfortunate condition that happens when essentially all the life has been sucked out of learning for a child. Oftentimes, the parent-teacher also loses her excitement she once had for teaching her children!
What's Wrong with the Abeka Curriculum?
Ideally, there is nothing really wrong with using this program. It has been designed and tested within schools for decades. But, your home is not a traditional classroom. Perhaps, therein lies the problem!
Home Schooling with Abeka
Frequently, there is a need to modify this program to avoid the stress of trying to get it all done. Seatwork, writing assignments, book reports, Bible work, quizzes, tests, and more. Whew! That's a lot to try to accomplish on a daily basis in each subject!
Remember, a typical instructional day for a homeschooler can be as brief as four hours according to homeschooling requirements from certain umbrella schools.
Don't try to duplicate a physical, brick and mortar classroom in your home. I heard a speaker caution that, "You are a Mom, not a teacher. That's your child, not a student!"
Our Experience
I have used the Abeka curriculum several times throughout the years and think it is a very intense and thorough resource. At times, it felt a little overwhelming and seemed as though we were doing seatwork all the time, so I modified accordingly.
Below is an idea of when/how I have had to adjust their home school program if it seemed too advanced or repetitive.
| Advanced nature of program | When I felt that cursive writing was introduced too early in their program, I saved that book and used it later |
| Required Testing | Rather than purchasing and managing separate test and answer keys, I made use of their chapter checkups, comprehension, and review questions |
| Lengthy Reading Selections | We often read selections orally as a group and questions were answered aloud as well |
| Math Lessons | We did timed speed drills, then lesson, and I assigned several problems from suggested seatwork to determine IF they needed to complete entire page of problems |
| Quantity of Work | I always decided what was essential in the book and divided that amount of work over our school term |
| Most Important of All | When we needed a break from workbooks, tests, drills, and more drills, I scheduled a break! We would read library or Usborne books, do fun home school activities, go on a field trip, invite someone over or whatever we felt like doing |
Summary
The Abeka curriculum is a really intensive and advanced program compared to many others. Their lessons are very challenging and sequential in their approach, increasing in difficulty along the way.
Many people use them as suggested but others find it difficult to complete their complete packages "as is" and require some degree of modification.
I have attempted to share some of the ways I adjusted their books for our family or suggested these ideas to others. Hopefully you will find them useful, too.
Please feel free to share any questions or comments you may have about using the Abeka curriculum.
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