THIS Homeschooling Momma's Review - Abeka Curriculum

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I have been told by a few homeschooling mommas that they would love to see more posts about the curriculum I have used.   They would like to hear my pros and cons about each one. This has been suggested NOT because I am some expert,  but because as a homeschool community it is great to hear from other homeschooling mommas who have used the curriculum first hand. I can completely understand that as I, too, look for posts and opinions of OTHER homeschooling mommas and the curriculum they love or hate. 

My first post in this series will be about the FIRST curriculum I ever used:

Abeka

I pulled my daughter out of public school in the middle of 3rd grade - just before they started doing multiplication tables.  She was struggling in math.  ONE of the reasons I wanted to pull her was to be able to work with her at her own pace instead of her being PUSHED through with her class.

I was brand new to homeschooling - a complete NEWBIE.  I didn't even really know anyone else who homeschooled at that time.  I knew I wanted a curriculum that would intertwine God in all the subjects and someone from my church suggested Abeka. 

This is what I liked about Abeka:

God is woven in all subjects. - I didn't have to worry about my child being taught anything that didn't line up Biblically.

It is VERY user friendly for the elementary ages. - Being very new to homeschooling, I felt I would fail miserably at it.  How much had I retained from my years in public school?  What if I didn't remember it ALL?  How could I teach what I didn't remember?   But each subject we did, the teacher manuals (TM) TOLD ME WHAT TO SAY!   I loved it.

(reading from the TM) "Let's open our books and read together page 5."

read...read...read...

(reading from the TM - ask these questions) "So what do you think was the main problem the Separatists had?" 

answer...answer...answer

(checking the answers with the TM) "Good job!  You are right!"

I learned, through the TMs:great questions to ask and appropriate homework assignments. I didn't have to feel nervous if I didn't know the answer, which made me feel so much more confident.

This is what I didn't like about Abeka:

I felt that there was no wiggle room. - I stopped using Abeka because as my confidence grew, I wanted to step outside of the box.   I looked at this curriculum as giving me 4 sturdy walls in which to homeschool.  At first that was great!  I needed that structure.  I  needed that guidance.  I needed the tools it taught me.   But then, it got confining.  I wanted to be able to do more hands on activities.  I felt that our days were so full of texts and workbooks that there was very little time for different styles of learning.  This is where I started to learn about what kind of learners I had. This curriculum stopped working for THEM.  I needed to break down a wall or two.   (You can find out what kind of learners YOU have in my post- "What Type of Learner Do You Have?")  

Every momma that has asked me what curriculum to use, I always suggest Abeka first.  What they taught me has carried on and if I had tried a  less structured curriculum, I probably would not be homeschooling today. 

And that is just - THIS Homeschooling Momma's Review