Monday, November 2, 2009

Homeschool Crew Review: ABC Teach






Perhaps you've spent time searching the internet for a free worksheet on bird anatomy to print before, and you've found one of the  5000+ free worksheets available at ABC Teach's website.  I have.  But I hadn't ever really looked at what was available with membership in ABC Teach until we were given a chance to review it for the TOS Homeschool Crew.

ABC Teach has over 35,000 worksheets that members can access, as well as worksheet generators for crossword puzzles, word searches, and handwriting worksheets.  When we were reviewing the Sue Patrick Workbox System, I found myself searching ABC Teach's subscription database for logic puzzles, sudoku puzzles, grammar worksheets, and sentence-structure worksheets to place in their workboxes.  I printed out worksheets that went along with our history studies, as well.  When I wanted to give my daughters some math practice from a different perspective, I printed worksheets on fractions, multiplication, and algebra.  They do have worksheets on just about everything, for pre-K through 8th grade!

The worksheets I printed from ABC Teach looked great.  They printed clearly and had cute graphics.  Their search engine worked well, and found all the Autumn worksheets for me when I was looking for another workbox activity.  I printed Autumn acrostic worksheets for my children, to get them thinking and writing creatively.

Although we had a good experience with our ABC Teach review membership, it's not something I'm likely to purchase.  To be honest, in our homeschool, I just don't look for worksheets to print often enough to justify the expense.  We use curricula that includes its own worksheets, and we do lots of things via discussion instead of worksheets.   I prefer having my children actively involved in something, or reading, and it isn't often that I need a worksheet to help them understand a concept.  To make use of an ABC Teach membership in my home, I'd be assigning worksheets as busy work, and that isn't a direction I want to go.  I'd rather spend the $40 on buying more curriculum or supplemental curriculum for my kids.

However, for those who are designing their own curriculum, filling workboxes, leading co-ops, teaching classes, or needing to complete portfolios of their children's work to show to school boards or skeptical family members, a membership in ABC Teach would save them a lot of time.  They wouldn't have to search the internet for just the right free worksheet, and they wouldn't have to try to create their own worksheets each week. 

ABC Teach's membership costs $40.00 per year, or $70.00 for a 2 year subscription.   But you can purchase it for 50% off through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op, now through November 30, 2009.  If you're intrigued by what ABC Teach has to offer, you can see a video tour, and a list of their worksheet categories HERE.  

We received a free one-month trial membership in ABC Teach in order to write this review.  Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.

Trusting in Him,
April