Summary of feedback about homeschool packages

Sept 2022

I've collected together feedback about different Aussie homeschool packages from comments in the group over the past couple of years. I'll keep adding to this list from time to time, plus add other products as they come up.

SIMPLY HOMESCHOOL

PRO

• Not online
• Structured, but not too structured
• They provide the lessons, which the parent needs to print, parent has to buy the books and supplies
• Fairly cheap
• Allows you to choose what interests the kids, follow those 'cores', delve deeper into interests
• Kids complete work before lunch
• Organises homeschool camps
• Interesting
• Easy to use and understand, lessons and activities are easy to follow
• Hands-on activities
• Focus on books, discussion and activities relating to those, doesn't use textbooks or workbooks
• Aligns with Australian curriculum, includes outcome codes
• Relatively inexpensive way to homeschool multiple children
• Younger kids enjoyed the cores
• Impressed by quality of the core activities
• Prompt customer service with inquiries and questions, support group
• New cores added frequently
• Up to year 10 level
• More of a resource rather than a curriculum as it offers choices rather than prescribe set learning

 

CON

• Considerable immediate additional cost for materials needed
• No refunds if the parent changes their mind without using the materials
• Confusing, difficult to navigate website
• Disappointing customer service
• Not online
• Many families supplement Simply Homeschool with other programs such as Reading Eggs or Maths Online, therefore it isn't a complete curriculum for them
• Kids didn't like the lessons (no reason supplied)
• Pay a monthly or yearly subscription
• Can't just buy one core
• Tweens and teens didn't like the cores
• A lot of work for the child and parent
• Lots of prepping for lessons by the parent needed
• Trial was too limited to get a feel for what it was about

 

EUKA

PRO

• Online platform
• Very school-like, highly structured, basically school-at-home
• Organised, super easy to follow, great for first year, basic but good starting point
• Flexible, adaptable to suit family requirements, able to be tweaked
• "You grade the work and tick it off online when it is done. They give you an entire info and planning booklet on lessons, what to keep as examples of work, etc. Lessons are divided weekly for easy planning."
• "If you want to do one full subject only each day you can or if you want to do a lesson from week 9 then you can. You decide which lessons to do and when."
• Older kids can use without supervision, work and revise at own pace
• Access to year 12 certificate
• Will personalise learning plans
• Kids finish homeschool work quickly, usually in a couple of hours
• Simple lessons, engaging and exciting, fun
• Easy to follow, work at your own pace
• Hands-on and crafty, fun activities for lower year levels
• Helpful with support and extras available
• $199 per term
• Free trial
• Makes registration application process easier
• Uses Swirk for maths, Literacy Planet for English (both are available separately to Euka)
• Need to add music and language other than English
• Worth it for the peace of mind to get through registration

CON

• Basically school-at-home, highly structured
• Requires parent supervision, one-on-one with the kids
• Considerable set up for lessons/activities
• Online platform, need good online access
• Confusing mix of different learning platforms
• A lot of lessons linked to YouTube videos
• Resource more than a curriculum, had to supplement with other resources
• A lot of printing is required, worksheet based
• Poor quality, non-existent customer support
• 'every lesson for every subject every day in every learning style' promise didn't match children's learning styles
• Required 'on the fly' gathering of resources to make lessons work, including some hard to find at home materials
• Repetitious, boring, dull
• Used less than half of the content
• Not in-depth enough
• Inappropriate and inaccurate content
• Expensive, over-priced
• Too many games for maths
• Lollies feature in many of the games and activities
• Less logically structured in the upper year levels
• Need to supplement with other resources/programs for maths
• A lot of silly busy work, pointless busy work, dead-end work
• Children found boring
• Oriented around group learning so not appropriate for single children living rural
• Increasing resistance to engage with materials
• Full of spelling and maths errors, mis-named files, missing information, broken links,
• Poor quality and inappropriate resources
• Poor quality material
• Long delays when seeking support
• Missing documents, insufficient information in parent pages, inaccurate information provided on the phone
• Not suitable for different aged kids in a family
• Too hands-on with craft activities, doesn't suit all children
• Many families supplement with other Math and English resources/programs other than those provided in the package
• Have to pay a fee if you cancel
• Only get access to purchased courses for 18 months before content disappears, can't use for younger children
• Didn't end up using the plan they wrote
• $199 per term
• Regretted purchase as proved to be unnecessary after a few weeks of homeschooling
• Doesn't include evaluating or recording of children's progress: parents have to fill out the paperwork

 

Education Perfect
*** no longer providing access to its platform for home educating families

 

My Homeschool

Pro

• 5-16 years old
• Rich, well-rounded 'classical' complete curriculum, 'relaxed' Charlotte Mason approach
• Christian worldview
• Covers requirements of Australian Curriculum
• Easy for the parent to use, flexible, not overly prescriptive
• Older students can use independently
• Students submit work which is assessed and responded to by My School
• Help with registration, good customer support
• Good to build confidence before creating own curriculum plan

Con

• Can get expensive, need to purchase books used in the program as well as term fees
• Stopped using after a month
• Don't use it for everything, supplements needed

 

Homeschool in a Box

Pro

• Doesn't rely on the internet, not screen based
• Children love receiving the parcel
• Can select subjects, works well for children who are working at different levels in different subjects
• Easy to use
• Everything included
• Weekly guide included
• Price includes delivery
• Provided a structure, helpful when getting started
• Uses a lot of Australian resources
• Follows a Charlotte Mason approach

Con

• need to supplement or replace parts of their curriculum to meet family's needs