Sonlight Homeschool Vs Abeka Vs Bju cost and reviews, which one to choose for your kid?
By: Mahmuda Afreen / Read more about us.
Choosing the best curriculum for your homeschooled kid is the most important and difficult collagens. After that, you just need to follow the curriculum and go with the flow. Mainly, people who thought of choosing a Christian-based education system face the most difficulty to choose.
Though there are many, it is always a comparative argument among Sonlight, Abeka, and BJU. However, three of them are best in their way of offering biblical education. But there is always something that makes one better than another.
Sonlight Homeschool Vs Abeka Vs Bju, to answer this query, I will choose BJU over them. Even if it is a little expensive but best for the future of your kids. Offering the best curriculum will ensure that the student is getting everything. To know more, have a look below.
Sonlight Homeschool Vs Abeka Vs Bju
The tradition of homeschooling has existed for quite a long time. Centuries ago, after the humanization of the human into productivity, they start the learning process. At that time, privileged and highly privileged families used to homeschool their kids.
However, at this time this practice becomes so common that many want that. Mainly, after the pandemic of 2020, the percentage of homeschooled reached its peak. Parents travel a lot because of their job, also families with special need child, have low incomes, and in many situations, they prefer this education system.
Many cults also prefer their kids to stay within the boundary of their traditions. They also do not like to send their children to mix up and get the cultures of others. They also prefer some specific education curriculum. One of the most common curricula is the Christian curriculum.
Many homeschooled programs are offering this curriculum such as Sonlight, Abeka, and Bju. In this article, I will discuss those from the root to the leaf. Below, you will find all the relevant information to know the overall scenario.
What is Homeschooling?
The concept of homeschooling is clear as a class. One can guess the definition by its name of it. Therefore, the term homeschooling means arranging the education of the kids from preliminary to high school at home without interruption by any educational institution.
Parents and students can choose their curriculum, major, and what they want to do and learn. Also, they can register themselves as a student at any school to participate in the final exams, and extracurricular activities, to take preparation for college.
Here, parents and students are responsible for taking care of education and arranging everything. Moreover, some parents hire a private tutor and assign them to any online schooling system to provide education to their children at home.
Which curriculum do Christian homeschoolers use?
Staying at home and studying is one of the biggest challenges when it is to choosing the curriculum for the students. though there are many options parents get confused always. The most popular homeschool curriculum are,
- Classical
- Charlotte Mason
- Montessori
- Unschooling
- School-at-Home
- Unit studies
- Eclectic education methods
Among all those, the Classic Homeschooling system is highly popular for the Christian curriculum. Religious people with a perspective to teach their kids the values of life mostly choose this one.
What is Christian Curriculum Homeschooling?
The Christian curriculum used in the homeschool program is a special type of curriculum based on the Christian religion. This method specifically focused on the religious perspective on every topic. This educational system will teach the values of religion and teach the kids how important to follow the rules and regulations of religion in every perspective of life.
Specifically designed by a Christian school or press, the books are for homeschooling. They specially made those so that kids can learn as much as others staying at home. Even if it is religious based the curriculum is almost like the general. It includes every subject such as math, literacy, science, and social studies. However, everything is approached from a religious perspective.
What is Sonlight Homeschool?
Sonlight is a Christian company that offers a homeschool program. Mainly, they are specialized in literature study and their curriculum is literature based. Specifically, they choose subject literature based and design their curriculum in that way. Usually, their syllabus has Bible, history, language arts, handwriting, math, science, and more.
What is Abeka Homeschool?
Abeka is one of the popular online-based homeschool for Christian people. They also offer recorded classes to their students. so that they can access the classes from anywhere anytime. Students living in different time zone also can access their courses anytime. They follow a curriculum that signifies Christianity.
What is Bju Homeschool?
BJU or BJU Press is a distance learning online homeschooling program. Their motto is all-in-one education. That means people getting an education from home will get every resource that will help them grow. Experts teachers will monitor the activity of the children. They will provide lessons, textbooks, and every other necessary course material. Also, one can access everything including materials, assignments, and quiz in their highly developed website.
Which one to choose for your kid?
If you are already asking for differences between Sonlight, Abeka, and BJU, we are considering that you are well knowledgeable about homeschooling and the Christian curriculum. Because the main similarities three of them have is that they designed their curriculum based on religious perspectives.
Highly religious families adopting Christianity sometimes choose homeschooling and a Christian curriculum for their kids. They want them to grow with high morality and love for god and human beings. That is why they choose this the whole process.
However, choosing one curriculum among so many best options is quite hard. Since it is a matter of the education and the upbringing of their kids.
As I said, three of them follow the Christian curriculum. They organized, designed, and published all their books in such a way that first to last there is all about morality and religious values. Let’s see what differentiates them to choose any of the ones.
Features to consider while choosing between Sonlight Vs Abeka Vs BJU
| Sonlight | Abeka | BJU |
| 1. Literature-based learning 2. Bible-based curriculum 3. Instructors guides 4. Activity sheets 5. Family-oriented 6. Global outlook 7. Academic excellence | 1. Provides the freedom to homeschool moms 2. Offers full accreditation and college preparatory enrollment 3. Features live help 4. Affordable pricing and payment plans allow your family financial freedom 5. Complete curriculum options 6. Easy grading system | 1. Courses teach biblical worldview foundations. 2. Lessons encourage critical thinking skills. 3. Activities and lessons support multisensory learning. 4. Courses are structured on educational best practices. 5. All-in-one K3–12 core curriculum fits all your needs. 6. Buying options are flexible. 7. Online and parent-led formats fit your lifestyle. |
Before going to any judgment have a look at the table above and match the features with your desire. If I demonstrate, with Sonlight, one will get a literature-based study curriculum. They also have storybooks based on religious views in their curriculum. Also, they are extremely family oriented while planning their education. They try to connect the whole family with the kids when they study.
With experienced instructors and activity sheets, both the instructor and the parents can track the performance of the student. Following the biblical educational system, they are more printing and paper-based than online.
On the other hand, Abeka provides flexible timing and prefers the comments of the parents on that. Specifically, their motto is designing a routine that will be flexible for the mom. So that she can take care of the family and give some quality time to her children’s education.
With affordable pricing and flexible plans of paying the fee in installments, one with a tight income also can go for that program. Also, they are known for its distinct educational program that offers a recorded class on DVD from all over the world of Christian families. However, their curriculum and way of teaching are quite old but effective.
Lastly, BJU is like Abeka, with more online base and less paper. Also, they have a highly maintained and responsive website. Students can access all the classes, and course materials online. Also, they can participate in quizzes and submit assignments online in their user profile.
Overall, using the system of BJU is easier with flexible timing which will match the timing of the family. The best thing about them is they focus on practical knowledge than theoretical or literature which is best for the future of the kid.
Syllabus and Subject patterns
Three of the homeschool follow the bible educational system but they offer every necessary subject as the general. It is just they add more religious values and views in every subject. The main syllabus of theirs are,
- Math
- Literature
- English
- Science
- Social Science
- Religion, and so on
Mostly in homeschooling parents can choose the major of the education of their kids. Abeka and BJU follow that independent selection of the subjects. However, with Sonlight, education is mathematically based. Sometimes, the kids find it difficult to cope with their complicated pattern of education and get demotivated.
Pricing (Cost)
| Sonlight | Abeka | BJU |
| $160 per year per child | 1. $1074 for Grades 1-6 2. $1365 for Grades 7-12. | 1. Grades 1–5 — $135 per class (10 months) 2. Grades 6–8 — $145 per class (10 months) 3. Grades 9–12 4. $170 for each 1-credit per class (10 months) 5. $205 for each 2-credit per year class (10 months) 6. Six-week summer session (grades 9–12) — $990 per session 7. Other fees 8. Commitment fee—$200 per student per year (cap of $400) |
Overall
Long story short, after researching and reading reviews of parents and students having their service, the thing I can say is that most of them prefer BJU over Sonlight and Abeka. I think I support their thought. They think that Sonlight is literature based which does not justify the modern world. Also, they said their kids faced difficulties with their curriculum.
As of the Abeka, most of the parents showed positive responses. However, they think this school follows backdated education system/ overall, they preferred BJU and mentioned this school updated their way of teaching, they are flexible in teaching, to parents, and they are best in every way.
Related post: Homeschooling Cost
Why did I choose BJU over Sonlight and Abeka?
The main reason I choose this schooling is because of the flexible, student and parents friendly design of the curriculum. Also, one can track every activity of the kids in the user dashboard. One can get every single course material including the textbook. There are so many exciting features on the website which make it easier for parents to plan their education.
Such as parents can get daily lessons to view from the websites. Also, they will get a notification if there is an unfished or new assignment.
