Monday, April 1, 2013

Time4Learning - An Online Educational Program - Review and Giveaway

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I love to teach my children.  I love to see them grow, learn, and understand new concepts.  With that said, teaching my children is tough work!  There are always multiple things going on at the same time, children that need individual attention, and concepts that I can't figure out how to teach in a way that my children will really understand.

When I got the chance to review Time4Learning (thank you, Time 4 Learning, for the opportunity to try your curriculum and for compensating me for my time to write this review), I was excited because I thought it would be a great help in many of these areas.  Boy was I right!

 

What is Time4Learning?


  • Homeschool or after school curriculum for grades preK-8th
  • Exciting, interactive lessons that children LOVE
  • Student-paced approach that makes your child feel good about learning

Time4Learning is great because it can be used in so many circumstances.  Are you a busy homeschool mom that is looking for a full computer based curriculum for your children?  Is your child struggling with a particular subject, whether in your homeschool or public school?  Are you looking for something to keep your children sharp during the summer months?  I seriously encourage you to take a look at Time4Learning because it could be just what you have been looking for!




My children LOVE using Time4Learning because the lessons are so fun!  Each concept is taught simply and then enforced by game-like lessons.  Both of my kids wake up asking to do their "computer school" and continue asking to do it until I (finally) tell them it is time!  I think they would do their lessons all day if I didn't stop them =)

Time4Learning can be completely student directed if you desire.  Even my (almost) 3 year old is able to sign herself in and navigate to the correct lesson. You can print out lesson plans if you would like, or you can simply have your child move from one lesson to the next within each subject.  Since we are using this as a supplement and not a complete curriculum, I let me children progress through the lessons as quickly or slowly as they needed and do whichever subjects they wanted each day.  They simply had to follow the arrow, which told them which icon to click on next.  The quizzes at the end of the sections do not let your child progress to quickly if they do not understand the concepts yet.


You can see that the no-nonsense screens make it easy for you child to see which lessons they have completed and which lesson they should click on next (the lesson the arrow is pointing to).  There are a series of these screens within each subject and topic within the subjects.

I wasn't sure which levels to put my children in, but I chose the preK 1 for my daughter and 1st grade for my son.  What is nice, is that you can alter their levels if you find that they are not being challenged enough or if you think they need more practice on easier levels.  My daughter blew through the preK levels, so I ended up switching her to kindergarten, which was a simple process and is just right for her!  My son is more advanced than the 1st grade reading level, but I am letting him stay there just because it is fun for him and helps to build his confidence in reading.  The math lessons, on the other hand, are quite challenging for him and he often has to re-do lessons before he understands the concepts enough to move on.


Why I Love Time4Learning


Like I started out with, teaching children is tough work!  Time4Learning helps with that.  Here are some reasons why:

  • I can work with one child alone while the other child does his Time4Learning lessons.
  • My children get understand concepts better by having them be explained to them in a way different from mine.
  • Some of the topics are inevitably taught differently than what we have already learned, thereby filling in some gaps in their learning.
  • The curriculum simply makes learning FUN!
  • School days don't have to be thrown to the wayside when mom is sick.  The learning never has to stop!
  • I can sign in as a parent and see my children's progression and how they have scored on the quizzes and tests.



Could Anything Be Wrong?


We are using Time4Learning as a supplement to our curriculum, so there really isn't anything that I do not enjoy about the program.  If you were using this as a complete curriculum, I would take care to make sure that you child gets lots of exposure to real books and has ample time with pencil and paper.  Obviously a child's entire life cannot be spent on the computer and I don't think their school day should be either.  I do like that they try to counter that potential problem by giving children ideas of relevant books to look for at the library, activities to supplement what was taught in the lessons, pages to print out to write a story on, etc.

Maybe I am a little bit of a Debby Downer, but I think that the fictional characters in the program are a little too 'encouraging.'  While I appreciate positive affirmation, I don't like telling children that they are awesome when they are not.  If my daughter had to try a hundred times to match two like items, the character would still say things like "You did a GREAT job!"  Well, no, she didn't.  I don't see what would be wrong with saying, "Nice try, keep practicing and you'll get it soon!" or something like that.  My son struggles with diligence and will often do his assignments halfheartedly, so I didn't think the 'encouragement' was helpful to him when he got problems wrong because of haste.  Perhaps encouragement along the lines of "Oops!  That's not it.  Maybe you should look over the lesson again and I bet you'll get it next time!" or something like that.  Once again, I don't mind it for a few minutes a day, but I wouldn't want my child potentially being fed that kind of false encouragement all day long.


Learn More


I've got to wrap this up because my kids just got up from their rest time and are asking to do their 'computer school' (I'm not joking!) but before I go I want to make sure you know how to find out more about this neat online educational program for you children! 


If this sounds like something that you and your children could benefit from (and I'm sure you could!) you have the chance to win a 14-day trial to use for yourself!  Time4Learning has graciously offered 10 trails to my readers!  Please enter the raffelcopter below for many chances to win!  You also have another chance to enter at Cornerstone Confessions.




Disclaimer: I received this product for free in order to write this review.  I was compensated for my time invested.  All opinions are honest and I was not required to write a positive review.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

18 comments:

  1. I forgot about this program. I used this when my son was younger and he loved it.

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  2. Would like to try this with my kids.

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  3. Would like to try this with my kids

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  4. My daughter really enjoys lessons on the computer. I would love to try Time 4 Learning! Thanks.

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  5. I'm there with Jaime! How quickly we forget! Also, I would love to share on your Trivium Tuesday, but I don't have that kind of post...:( You do a great service to other Moms!

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    1. Thanks, Jacqueline! I know, my link-up is very niche, but I am very thankful for EXACTLY what your blog IS, even if it doesn't often fit with my link-up! My kids have celery growing from store bought organic celery bottoms right now, just like you showed us how to do =)

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  6. Amy -- we reviewed T4L a couple of years ago and my kids really enjoyed it. It was a different type of learning for us, and a nice break for me. It was always a treat for them. Nice review :-)

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    1. Thanks Mary! I agree, it is different, but that is part of what I liked...a change for a few minutes each day from our normal routine =)

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  7. I would love to give this program a try! It looks like something my son would probably enjoy :)

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  8. laura4him@bellsouth.net
    thanks for the giveaway!

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  9. Looks like a great program for my son!

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  10. I appreciate the thorough review and would love to try this out with my children. Thanks for the chance........
    mruble38@gmail.com

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  11. I find it fascinating with the programs that are available for homeschooling. Looks great. I am following you today.
    Many blessings,
    Janis - Author of Tadeo Turtle

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  12. My grandkids would love this!

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  13. To give your child the best chances to succeed in life you have to get give them the best tools to succeed in school. It has been scientifically researched and proven that reading is the key to success in school, work and life.. http://teachyourchildtoread.blogspot.com

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  14. This would be great for my child's learning style!

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  15. Thanks to every for entering! I'll have the winners picked soon!

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