Can any homeschooling parents give me opinion on Accelerated Christian Education curriculum versus Abeka?

Question

Can any homeschooling parents give me opinion on Accelerated Christian Education curriculum versus Abeka?

Answer 1

Hi; ACE is very easy at early ages...  Helping a child learn their basics.  HOWEVER at about 5th grade their english program becomes VERY difficult; my daughter has been in their materials including chemistry (on & off) up through 12th grade.  Chemistry is not easy.

They do explain very well; comprehension deepens with level...  Calling ACE easy overall is inaccurate; however I do agree that it feels like it could use more comprehension at early ages; it seems pretty clear that it's a learning style, I believe they're teaching by fact and memory...  Comprehension develops later with the child's brain...  It seems to go hand in hand quite well.  I know a LOT of kids who have used ACE it is GOOD.

Answer 2

I have been involved with homeschooling for the last 25 years.  First as a homeschool parent/teacher, ( who used A-beka for primary), then as an assistant admin for a supervisory umbrella.

Of the two I would prefer the ACE to A-beka simply for the ease with which it is administered.  Many Christian academies use the ACE curriculum.  Ace even offers diagnostics to help place your child where they need to be.

Do not overlook Alpha Omega publishing also.  Their life pacs, (workbook format),  and switched on school-house, ( software based) are fantastic

Answer 3

I've never used either, but I have seen them and/or had various parts and pieces of both.

ACE is *very* easy and not challenging at all.  It would also get very boring very quickly for a child with a different learning style than just doing workbooks.

Abeka is much more advanced and has a broader scope and sequence.  It probably costs more than ACE but it would be worth it.

My DS's learning style does not match work/textbook work, so we haven't chosen either curriculum.

Answer 4

Abeka is a traditional textbook publishing company. They carry materials from nursery school through grade 12. In the elementary grades especially, they use consumable worktexts. They are high academic and run 1/2 grade to a full grade above the typical grading scope and sequences of most textbooks. They are heavy into drill. I mostly enjoy their science texts because of the Christian perspective. Their history texts are extremely heavy into American patriotism, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but as homeschooling parents, we wish for our children to have a little broader worldview of people and cultures.

ACE uses a self-paced packet approach. They tend to have a very average scope and sequence and are designed to be used mostly by students without direct instruction from a teacher (albeit the primary grades require teacher directed instruction). While I know homeschoolers and Christian school teachers who love ACE materials, I personally have found them to be less rigorous than I want for my children and to be an approach that does not fit my children who are very verbal and curious about the world around them.

Alpha Omega Lifepacs are quite similar to ACE materials. While I still don't prefer the packet approach to teaching, students who have used both have said they find the lifepacs more interesting to read and complete. They seem to have more interesting illustrations when I've previewed them.

While we are quite eclectic in our homeschool, I have found myself gearing more and more way from Abeka and using ACSI (for math), Christian Liberty Press (for history and science), Bob Jones (for history), and Apologia (for science) materials because of thinking skills, writing style, and world view. We use a living book approach to literature and I like Spectrum Language Arts (which is actually a tried and true language program that used to be called Language Roundup).

There are so many materials out there, it is really best if you look at your childrens' learning styles, what structure best fits your family, and what materials fit best with the overall philosophy of what and how you want to teach. Your question about comparing and contrasting ACE to Abeka is a great starter question. You may want to look at Elijah company's resource guide, which has a very nice outline of the major approaches to homeschooling and which curricular materials are designed from those approaches. If you can't find them, it is OK to email me.