Abeka

Abeka is a Christian curriculum publisher for homeschooling families, Christian schools and preschools. Its home page describes a "Comprehensive, biblically-based curriculum, textbooks, teaching aids and more for Preschool–Grade 12, with a proven spiral learning approach," and its tagline reads "Excellence in Education from a Christian Perspective Since 1972." The copyright line on the site names Pensacola Christian College. For a homeschooling parent, Abeka offers two broad routes: a parent-led program built from books, kits and lesson plans, and Abeka Academy, a video homeschool in which recorded master teachers lead the lessons. Christian schools buy the same curriculum along with video instruction and teacher training.

How the curriculum is built

Two ideas run through everything Abeka sells. The first is faith: "Every tool, resource, and textbook within our curriculum is based on our Christian beliefs," the home page says, and the homeschool page invites parents to choose a curriculum built on a biblical foundation. The second is method. Abeka uses what it calls a spiral learning approach, in which, according to the homeschool page, "Our proven spiral learning approach helps kids retain more of what they learn." The company also says its "original curriculum textbooks are researched and written by veteran educators, then tested in the real world."

The catalog runs from the earliest years to graduation. Products are sorted by grade, starting with materials for 18-24 months, 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds, then K4 and K5 and every grade from 1st to 12th. Subjects are arithmetic and math, Bible, electives, history and geography, language arts, and science and health. For parents who want to know exactly what they will teach, Abeka publishes a scope and sequence, which it describes as "a detailed outline for every grade."

Parent-led homeschooling

The parent-led route is for families who want to teach the lessons themselves. The homeschool page puts the idea simply: whether you want to "do it yourself" or "do it with help," you can "mix and match lesson plans, textbooks, kits, and video lessons to create the perfect plan for each child." Kits are the easiest way in. Full-grade child kits "have everything your student needs for the year," full-grade parent kits "include everything you need to teach," Complete Parent Kits add bonus aids that are used across multiple grades, and Subject Kits give a family everything needed to teach one particular subject.

Parents who prefer to build a year from scratch can follow Abeka's scope and sequence, or their own, and order individual items: the child's books, teacher editions, curriculum lesson plans, teaching aids, readers, single-subject videos, quiz and test books, and answer keys. The site lists what that mix delivers: content built on the foundation of God's Word, "Lesson plans that guide you step by step, every day," visually stimulating textbooks and visual aids for preschool to 12th grade, and digital products to add variety. A family can lean on Abeka for one subject and use other materials for the rest.

Abeka Academy video homeschool

Abeka Academy is the option for parents who do not want to lead every lesson. The homeschool page says it lets families "Ensure your children get an exceptional education without having to lead all the lessons" and calls it "homeschooling at the push of a button." It covers K4 to Grade 12 and provides full-grade video options on DVD or streaming video, with lessons led by master teachers. Families choose between a video and books package or video only, buying the books separately. The page also lists "Accredited and Video Instruction options" among the features of the Academy.

Around the core program, Abeka sells single-subject videos and on-demand video lessons, posts sample video lessons and teacher bios so parents can judge the teaching before they buy, and publishes a program comparison and a flexible video pricing page. Students log in to watch their video lessons, and parents work from a dashboard. For older students, Abeka Academy offers a high school plan of study, dual enrollment, an international program and a graduation track, so a family can stay with one curriculum through the final year. Video use is governed by a separate Video Homeschool Agreement.

Testing, records and resources

Abeka also runs standardized testing, described as "Simple Standardized Testing from Your Home or Classroom," which matters for homeschooling families who need an outside measure of progress. Progress report downloads help parents keep records, and curriculum enrichment downloads add extra material. A getting-started guide covers the first steps of homeschooling, and the company publishes its catalog, order forms and brochures, and parents can request materials from the company.

For Christian schools and preschools

The same publisher serves schools. Christian schools can buy the K-12 curriculum, preschool materials, student and teacher materials, kits and digital products. ProTeach offers "Affordable Prerecorded Video Instruction (K4–12)" for classrooms, alongside a supplemental video program and a master video program. Schools also find dual enrollment, an international program, a guide to starting a Christian school, and local representatives. Teacher training is part of the offer: professional development includes online learning, an in-service training schedule, a principals clinic, a teachers clinic and a summer seminar.

Ordering, discounts and support

Ordering happens online, through the shop or a quick order form, and account holders can pay bills from their account. The site advertises homeschool discounts and seasonal online offers under the line "Save Money. Save Time.", and a pop-up asks "Want to get 10% off? See if you qualify!" alongside a link for schools to check whether they qualify. The homeschool overview publishes no prices; Abeka keeps those in its shop and on its flexible video pricing page. Support runs through customer service, an FAQ and a phone line, 1-877-223-5226, and the site carries a reviews page and a newsletter for events, news and special offers.

Who it suits

Abeka suits Christian families who want a complete, traditional curriculum with a biblical worldview and clear daily structure. A parent new to homeschooling can start with a full-grade kit and the lesson plans and teach from day one, while a parent who is short on time, or uneasy teaching high school subjects, can hand the lessons to Abeka Academy's video teachers. The range from toddler materials to 12th grade, with a high school plan of study, dual enrollment and graduation, means one publisher can cover a child's whole education. Christian schools get a single source for textbooks, prerecorded instruction and teacher training.

It is a narrower fit for families who want secular materials, since every resource is built on Christian beliefs. Parents who want live online classes with a teacher in real time should note that the Academy's lessons are delivered on DVD or by streaming video, so the teaching is recorded. And families who like to mix publishers freely can still do so, but will get the most from Abeka's spiral approach by staying with it across grades.