Please Note: A Beka does not sell their materials to Exodus Books. The following overview is meant to help you evaluate A Beka as a curriculum, and give you some other options to consider as well.
With its seemingly endless array of series for different language-related topics, the A Beka curriculum can be intimidating. Fortunately, the editors have pulled these multiple strands together into a cohesive whole that is much more manageable and much less scary. For those who don't want to or can't create multiple lesson plans for multiple kids (if you're using A Beka across the board), the Language Arts program is like water in the desert.
How Do These Work?
The Language Arts curriculum/lesson plans for each grade level are exactly what they sound like. Components of the Reading program, Penmanship Mastery course, Writing & Grammar, and Spelling, Vocabulary & Poetry courses are woven together to create a complete language arts program. Lesson plans are clearly delineated (even down to how much time you need to spend on each subject), so you'll need virtually no time for planning.
These are not the coursework itself. These books are merely organizers, telling you how to present the material and when and for how long, how to grade students' work, etc. Basically it takes all pressure off you as the instructor to come up with lesson plans and frees you up for other things.
Our Honest Opinion:
If you're using all A Beka material to teach your kids, this is a good resource to have. If you're only using the Reading program, for instance, or only the Writing & Grammar course to teach them, finding other curricula and resources for other subjects, these curriculum/lesson plan books are pretty much useless. Even if you're using all A Beka, if you're an experienced home schooler or have experience teaching A Beka, you probably won't need them. However, for the first-time home schooler or the one with too many kids to keep track of, this could be an invaluable resource.
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Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur.Read more of his reviews here.
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