Curriculum Reviews
from an independent fundamental Baptist homeschooling mom

1. ACE School of Tomorrow

This is an easily administered curriculum that is used in many smaller Christian schools. The good thing about this curriculum is that kids really enjoy it and can usually do their work independently. Many curriculum companies claim that the work is "student-driven", but ACE truly is. There are even DVDs available to help explain the advanced math courses. I especially like the computer program that drills math facts and teaches typing. ACE has fun comic strips and colorful illustrations which the kids love. Although ACE School of Tomorrow uses the King James Bible and originates from a fundamental Baptist background, it is marketed as non-denominational and cuts up Bible verses by inserting dots in the middle of key phrases. This problem with the verses is only in the early elementary grade "PACES". You may also notice that in the comic strips, the characters apparently attend a non-denominational church since the word Baptist is never in the title. I was in ACE for 8 years of my Christian schooling as a kid, and I did very well in college courses later on.

I feel that the Social Studies “PACES” in some of the grades lack academic content. For example, ACE Social Studies dedicates a lot of time to things like career choices and the lives of Protestant leaders. I would rather my kids be immersed in traditional history and geography repeatedly during their school years, since these subjects take a while to master.

The ACE math progresses slowly in the elementary grades, but is fine if you make sure to buy the latest editions. Repitition of the fundamentals is ACE's strong suit. I have found outdated information as well as obvious errors in the junior high Math PACES (workbooks), which can be frustrating. It is often better to buy your PACES new to ensure that they are the latest editions and that the answer keys correspond with the workbooks.

Did I mention how expensive it is to buy ACE materials new? Be sure to keep the answer keys for your younger children to use later. Again, make sure you purchase the right editions so they match up with the keys.

To ensure that my kids are pronouncing new words and names correctly, I require them to read the objective page of each new PACE (workbook) to me aloud. For grades 6-7, I recommend that another curriculum be used instead of ACE for History and Geography.

I recommend ACE for new or overwhelmed homeschooling parents or large families. I especially recommend it for the higher grades when kids enjoy working independently. 

2. A beka books

Also marketed as non-denominational, A beka is King James only and independent Baptist in doctrine. It can be quite expensive (if you purchase it in its entirety). The exception is its Kindergarten curriculum which is surprisingly affordable. The workbooks are colorful which helps hold the interest of young children. I like the textbooks for History and Science that I have used so far which were fourth and fifth grade level. This company specializes in teacher guided curriculum that takes a lot of work on the parent’s part, but can be fun and includes lots of activities. They even offer DVD courses for high school students which are quite expensive, but may be helpful for a parent that has trouble teaching advanced subjects.

I recommend this curriculum to any parent that has the time and money to use it. If not, I recommend it as a great source of supplementary books. I will be using the A beka K-5 curriculum this year for my four and a half year old daughter and will be using A beka next year for my son for 6th grade world history.

3. Landmark Freedom Baptist
 
Landmark Freedom Baptist Curriculum is an independent fundamental Baptist curriculum. It is the most affordable curriculum of those that I have purchased. I like the fact that the reader for kindergarteners is in black and white with no pictures and even contains Bible verses. Even if you choose a more colorful curriculum, I recommend that you supplement it with the Champion Baptist Reader from Landmark. There's nothing more frustrating than when a child guesses what a book says based on the pictures.

The answer keys come as loose papers with three holes and I recommend purchasing several three ring binders and maybe some subject dividers to make it quicker to check your child's work. For older students, I would keep the daily work answer keys in separate binders from the quiz and test keys. This would enable them to check their own daily work if desired. English and spelling are conveniently combined as one subject, and the curriculum can be student driven.

Landmark may move too fast for younger students, especially in math, if they did not start out using it. The fifth grade math, in particular, does not have enough examples and explanation, so the parent will have to spend a lot of time teaching the many new concepts covered in that grade. Other subjects are challenging, but encourage logical thinking and emphasize writing skills. One drawback with Landmark is that the spiral "study guides" (workbooks) tend to fall apart easily. Another potential problem is that the workbooks and worksheets are not colorful and may be boring for very young children. The most glaring error with Landmark is that they define repentance in their glossary as turning from sin, which could lead to some doctrinal problems. God repented in the Bible, so repentance does not mean turning from sin. I also noticed that Landmark condones Focus on the Family which is an extremely liberal publication that is anti-fundamental Baptist. At least ACE and A beka stick to the basics and leave the controversial subjects to the parents and the local church. Parental guidance is advised with any curriculum, since none is perfect.

Overall, I would recommend Landmark for a very independent learner in an experienced homeschooling family that is on a tight budget.

I am using Landmark this year for my fifth grader, but plan to use ACE and A beka for him next year for sixth grade. I also plan to use the Champion Baptist Reader that Landmark sells as part of my daughter's Kindergarten curriculum.

Notes about other curriculum and subjects not fully discussed here:

I teach Bible from the Bible with the emphasis on memorization. In addition to attending church three times a week plus soul-winning, my kids listen to sermon CDs and mp3s in their leisure.

Occasionally, I hand pick books for the subject of reading/literature and require book reports, but the Bible is our main textbook for reading. I do use some secular materials such as store-bought workbooks and atlases. I use one book from Christian Liberty Press called The Land of Fairplay to satisfy the Texas requirement for "a course in good citizenship". I teach electives such as art, Spanish, and typing using books from stores, the internet, or the companies aforementioned.

There are some brands of curriculum that I do not approve of, but if I do not mention your favorite brand here, it may just be because I have not tried it yet. Another curriculum that I've heard of that may be in the same genre, if you will, is Bob Jones Press. I do not endorse any Bible college, but BJU Press at least uses the right Bible. NEW!!!Click here for more homeschooling reviews of BJU Press, A beka, Landmark Freedom Baptist, and more from another trusted homeschooling mom.

For more of my thoughts on homeschooling and curriculum, check out my blog! Be sure to bookmark this website to your favorites and come again, since it is frequently updated. One of the aims of BaptistHomeschooling.com is to pass on what I learn through trial and error. I hope this information will save you some time and effort.