A2 Homeschool Curriculum: Pros and Cons of This Curriculum

As a homeschooling mom with more than 18 years of experience, I have seen, tried, thrown away or continued to use a variety of curriculum. There are so many options available to us now, and many times the curriculum fairs leave our minds spinning. Homeschooling families are inundated today with articles and ideas from many differing perspectives, and the choices can in fact be overwhelming. Because our choice to home school is based on varying reasons, many times, our curriculum choices are as well.

Personally, I am schooling 7 different grades this year. My span of ages is wide, from high school down to preschool. Therefore, my time and energy are stretched to the limit. Looking for the curriculum that best meets my needs became a quest of huge importance this past summer. I've learned over the many years of homeschooling that different personalities do well with different curriculum. I'm willing to use a variety if it helps my children. What I discovered in my quest this past summer was the A2 curriculum. This is a computer disc based curriculum. All 12 grades are included on the one disc which costs a mere $99. I purchased this disc with the idea that surely for $99 I could find something helpful.

What I have discovered is that this was indeed a bargain! For most home schoolers the organization of the school year when you have a wide range of grades is half the battle. With this curriculum everything is spelled out for us. The subjects are broken down, with suggestions for each one. The reading material is suggested as well as made available on the disc itself. (You also have the option of checking the books out in the library). Because of the standards of the A2 publishers, you need not worry about the quality of the reading material. The book lists alone are worth the $99 in my opinion.

For those who are seeking to provide character education as well as academically high standards, the A2 program is a wonderful asset. The copy work, which is used for handwriting practice is a wonderful tool for this. The quotes used in this section are of great quality. Writing copy work daily ingrains in our students' minds concepts and morals that we want them to consider.

The grammar/English section of the curriculum is also quality, though I do choose to add some ideas of my own to this part of our schooling. Math is one subject that is not covered in it's entirety, though drills and practice work are provided. The reading and time periods suggested for history study provides enough information for me to expand on and the spelling lists allow us to work together and build our vocabulary as well as spelling. For the younger children the combination of phonics and reading from McGuffy's readers is excellent.

When you purchase this program you are invited to join an online support group where you are able to ask questions of other participating families as well as give each other ideas on online helps,etc. What an excellent benefit this has been.

The bottom line on the A2 curriculum is that it is well-worth the $99 purchase price! I will be using this homeschooling aid for many years to come. Many of the hurdles that I have faced in the past, such as quality reading material, spelling lists for each level, quality handwriting materials, and just the organization of my school year, are addressed for me with this program. I highly recommend it to veteran as well as beginning homeschooling parents! The complete name and purchasing information for this program are as follows:

Accelerated Achievement LLC
2401 SW 316th Street
Federal Way, WA 98023
Or visit the web at: http://www.accelerated-achievement.com
This curriculum includes:
Library of 800 books
Many Great Classics
America's Founding Documents
Numerous Biographies
One Syllable Books
Math Worksheet Generator
Classical Education
More than 1500 Copy Work Forms
And much more!