Time4Learning

All In One
Written By Manisha Snoyer (co-founder of Modulo)

Time4Learning was founded by John Edelson in 2004, with its origins deeply rooted in the founder's background in video game development and a passion for educational technology. Motivated by the desire to create learning tools that were both educational and engaging, Edelson transitioned from producing popular video games to developing an online educational platform. This shift was driven by his realization of the potential for interactive software to significantly enhance the educational process by making learning fun and accessible​ (citybiz)​.

Since its inception, Time4Learning has grown substantially, serving over 175,000 students as of 2021. The platform's recognition in the homeschooling community is reflected in its widespread usage across various states, particularly in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and South Carolina​ (Wikipedia)​. Time4Learning is also a part of Cambium Learning® Group, indicating its importance and stability in the educational technology landscape​ (Time4Learning)​.

Grades Covered :The curriculum serves students from PreK through 12th grade, offering a wide array of learning levels and subjects​ (Time4Learning)​.

Cost: Pricing is tiered based on educational levels:

  • PreK-5th Grade: $29.95 per month per student

  • 6th-12th Grade: $39.95 per month per student Discounts are available for additional students​ (Time4Learning)​.

Differentiation: What Makes Time4Learning Special

Time4Learning sets itself apart through its use of technology to create interactive, engaging educational experiences that mirror the interactivity of video games. This approach is designed to make learning enjoyable and to cater to the diverse needs of students. It offers a comprehensive PreK-12 curriculum that includes a wide range of subjects and electives, from core subjects like math and language arts to electives such as coding and art​ (Time4Learning)​.

How It Works

Time4Learning provides a subscription-based virtual school or online curriculum where students can access learning materials anytime. The curriculum is designed to be flexible, allowing students to progress at their own pace. It includes thousands of multimedia-based lessons, interactive activities, and printable worksheets, all designed to foster an engaging learning environment​ (Time4Learning)​.

How to Get Started

To begin with Time4Learning, parents can sign up through the platform's website, select the appropriate grade level for their children, and customize lesson plans to meet specific needs and interests. The service offers a 14-day money-back guarantee, providing an opportunity for families to try out the program risk-free​ (Time4Learning)​.

Educational Content

Time4Learning offers a diverse and comprehensive range of educational content that spans across multiple subjects and grade levels. Here is a robust bulleted list of the key components included in their curriculum:

  • Core Subjects for All Grades (PreK-12):

    • Mathematics: Concepts ranging from basic arithmetic to advanced calculus.

    • Language Arts: Includes reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary.

    • Science: Covers fundamental concepts in biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science.

    • Social Studies: Geography, history, economics, and civics.

  • Electives for Middle and High School:

    • Foreign Languages: Including Spanish, French, Chinese, and German.

    • Health: Basics of health, wellness, and physical education.

    • Art: Foundations of art and practical art projects.

    • Music: Introduction to music theory and appreciation.

    • Technology and Computer Skills: Basic computing, coding, and information technology.

  • Additional Learning Programs and Tools:

    • Time4MathFacts: A game-based program designed to help students master basic math facts.

    • Time4Writing: A supplementary program offering guided writing instruction.

    • Time4Languages: Online foreign language courses available as an add-on.

  • Interactive Features:

    • Multimedia Lessons: Engaging videos, interactive simulations, and activities.

    • Assessments and Quizzes: Regular testing to evaluate progress and understanding.

    • Printable Worksheets: For additional practice offline.

  • Parental Support Tools:

    • Automated Reporting: Tracks student progress and performance.

    • Lesson Planning Tools: Helps parents schedule and organize lessons.

    • Activity Planner: Customize and plan educational activities based on the child's pace.

  • Additional Educational Resources:

    • Educational Playground: Age-appropriate games and activities to enhance learning.

    • Blog and Community Access: Insights, tips, and community support for homeschooli

Online School v Curriculum

Time4Learning's online school and its homeschool curriculum serve different educational needs and preferences, catering to a diverse range of learners. The curriculum is primarily designed as a self-paced, comprehensive tool for homeschooling, offering interactive, multimedia lessons across various subjects from PreK through 12th grade. This flexible structure allows parents to tailor the educational experience to their child’s learning speed and style, making it ideal for homeschoolers seeking a complete, ready-to-use educational program.

On the other hand, Time4Learning's online school, Brightspire, operates more like a traditional virtual school, providing structured learning paths with scheduled classes and more direct teacher involvement. This option is suitable for families looking for a more formal online education experience that includes regular assessments, progress tracking by certified teachers, and a structured learning environment similar to what one might find in a public or private school setting online. This differentiation addresses various educational requirements, from complete autonomy in learning to structured, guided education, ensuring that families can choose the option that best suits their educational goals and lifestyle.

What’s Good About It

Users appreciate Time4Learning for its comprehensive and flexible curriculum that caters to diverse learner needs. The platform's interactive format is particularly praised for keeping students engaged and motivated. Moreover, the addition of gamified elements and interactive assessments helps students master the material in an enjoyable way​ (Time4Learning)​.

What Could Be Improved

While Time4Learning offers many benefits, some users feel that there could be enhancements in areas such as the adaptability of the curriculum to various learning speeds and the depth of some subject materials. Additionally, more personalized feedback on student progress could enhance learning outcomes​ (Time4Learning)​.

Advice from Parents and caregivers

Many parents recommend setting a consistent daily schedule to ensure students get the most out of the curriculum. They also suggest integrating supplementary materials and activities to enrich the core content provided by Time4Learning​ (Time4Learning)​.

Ideal

Time4Learning is ideal for families looking for a comprehensive, flexible homeschooling solution that provides a broad range of subjects and caters to various educational needs.

Not ideal for

It may not be as suitable for families seeking highly specialized or advanced coursework, particularly at the high school level​ (Time4Learning)​.

Ways to Get It

Time4Learning can be accessed directly through their website, where parents can sign up and manage their subscriptions. The platform is designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for new homeschoolers to get started​ (Time4Learning)​.

Top Secular Alternatives for All-in-One Curriculum:

Here are our favorite other all-in-one options for different types of learners.

Book Lovers, Gifted and Profoundly Gifted Learners: Torchlight Curriculum
For Gifted, Workbook-Lovers: Critical Thinking Co
Nature-Based Curriculum for creative, Hands-On Learners: Blossom and Root
Adaptive learning app for kids who love video games : BrainPOP Homeschool
For Middle and High School Students: Build Your Library
For kids who love watching videos, here are highly Engaging Free YouTube videos for middle and high school: Crash Course
For Project-Based, Standards-Aligned Curriculum and Online School: Oak Meadow
For Free or Freemium online curriculum: Khan Academy Kids, Khan Academy or FishTank Learning

Explore More All-in-One Secular Homeschooling Programs

Featured
Blossom and Root Review
Blossom and Root Review

Dive into our comprehensive review of Blossom and Root, a secular, nature-based homeschool curriculum that combines flexibility with a rich integration of the arts and literature. Discover how it can transform your homeschooling experience.

WeTeachNYC
WeTeachNYC

Discover how WeTeachNYC offers an expansive array of free educational materials suitable for homeschooling and supplemental learning across all K-12 levels.

Time4Learning
Time4Learning

Explore our comprehensive review of Time4Learning, a leading interactive and online curriculum that offers flexible, engaging learning experiences for students from PreK to 12th grade.

Oak Meadow
Oak Meadow

Discover the creativity and flexibility of Oak Meadow's Waldorf-inspired curriculum, perfect for holistic homeschool education

Minecraft Education
Minecraft Education

Discover how Minecraft Education blends gaming with education to create a dynamic learning environment. This review explores its features, benefits, and ideal use in homeschooling.

IXL
IXL

Discover how IXL's adaptive learning platform can transform your homeschool experience with tailored educational paths for grades K-12. Read our in-depth review to see if IXL fits your educational needs.

Magic Forest Academy
Magic Forest Academy

Discover how Magic Forest Academy's nature-based approach can transform homeschooling with our comprehensive review by educational expert Manisha Snoyer.

Teachers Pay Teachers
Teachers Pay Teachers

Discover how Teachers Pay Teachers revolutionizes homeschooling with user-generated, customizable educational resources in our latest comprehensive review.

Brain Quest
Brain Quest

Discover Brain Quest’s unique approach to education with interactive card decks and workbooks designed to make learning fun and effective for children up to 7th grade.

Khan Academy Kids
Khan Academy Kids

Discover how Khan Academy Kids offers a unique blend of fun and learning through our in-depth review. See why it’s the preferred choice for early education.

Khan Academy
Khan Academy

Discover how Khan Academy can transform home learning with free, quality educational content. Our expert review delves into its features and usability.

The Critical Thinking Co
The Critical Thinking Co

Critical Thinking do is an ideal choice for families who value a rigorous academic approach and are dedicated to actively participating in their children's education, particularly those who prioritize the development of critical thinking skills

Evan Moor Review
Evan Moor Review

Dive into our detailed review of Evan-Moor's homeschool curriculum, tailored for those seeking a thorough educational approach covering a wide range of subjects, ideal for structured learning enthusiasts.

Build Your Library Review
Build Your Library Review

Discover the benefits and unique features of Build Your Library, a secular, literature-based homeschool curriculum designed for deep, interconnected learning. Find out if it's the right choice for your family's educational journey.

National Geographic Education
National Geographic Education

Discover how National Geographic’s homeschool curriculum brings the world to your home classroom. Engage with high-quality resources designed to inspire young explorers and foster a deep love for learning about our planet. This review delves into the unique benefits and practical applications for homeschoolers.

Torchlight Curriculum
Torchlight Curriculum

Dive into our detailed review of Torchlight Curriculum, a top choice for families seeking a creative and secular approach to homeschooling. Learn about its innovative methods and how it stands out in promoting critical thinking and independent learning.

BrainPOP Jr.
BrainPOP Jr.

Discover why BrainPOP Jr. is a top choice for homeschooling young learners: engaging videos, interactive quizzes, and tailored learning paths enhance foundational education.

BrainPOP Homeschool
BrainPOP Homeschool

Discover how BrainPOP Homeschool transforms home education with interactive, multimedia content that covers a wide range of subjects, making learning both fun and effective. Ideal for K-8 students looking for a dynamic educational experience.

Crash Course YouTube Channel Review
Crash Course YouTube Channel Review

Discover the effectiveness of Crash Course for homeschooling in our in-depth review covering its courses, unique teaching approach, and integration tips. Ideal for families exploring educational resources.

Fishtank Learning: Curriculum to develop critical thinking
Fishtank Learning: Curriculum to develop critical thinking

Fishtank Learning is one of our top choices for Literature and Reading Comprehension. It was created by Claire Kaplan (Executive Director). Fishtank Learning provides a comprehensive language arts curriculum to develop the critical thinking skills of students grades K-12. Fishtank Learning was created to develop high quality instructional materials for teachers. They wanted to ensure that all teachers had access to materials to give their students the educational experience they deserved.

Moving Beyond the Page
Moving Beyond the Page

Moving Beyond the Page is a comprehensive mastery-based curriculum for families teaching their children from home for levels PreK through 8th grade. It is primarily geared towards gifted children and includes extensive hands-on and experiential learning inspired by Montessori, Waldorf and Unschooling philosophy. The Moving Beyond the Page program consists of daily lesson plans that outline big ideas, skills to master, include questions and project-based activities to reinforce concepts.

Blossom and Root
Blossom and Root

Blossom and Root is one of our top choices for Core Curriculum. It was created by Kristina Garner. Kristina, a former kindergarten teacher, has used her experience of raising her daughters with fun, lively, nature-infused teaching methods, and shares these with other like-minded parents to enjoy. The creator took the experience she had raising her two daughters in a home-schooled setting and shared it by creating this curriculum. The family thrives in their love of nature, literature, and the arts, and brings this out in the fun activities.

Is Khan Academy Kids a good fit for Your Child? An In-depth, No-Nonsense Review
Is Khan Academy Kids a good fit for Your Child? An In-depth, No-Nonsense Review

Explore our comprehensive review of Khan Academy Kids, the interactive educational app transforming learning for PreK-2nd grade children. Find out how it can enrich your child's educational journey

Oak Meadow
Oak Meadow

Oak Meadow is one of our top choices for Core Curriculum. It was created by Lawrence and Bonnie Williams. For an engaging but rigorous curriculum for home school children, we recommend Oak Meadow curriculum. "Founded in 1975, Oak Meadow provides a flexible, progressive education for independent learners in kindergarten to grade 12."

Teachers Pay Teachers
Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Pay Teachers is one of our top choices for Complete Curriculum. It was created by Paul Edelman. This website is where teachers sell resources that assist in teaching various subjects and grade levels which is incredible useful now since the website has resources for distance learning. It was created by Paul Edelman who saw the benefits of incorporating ideas from other educators so he created this website so that educators could share the resources they use.

Time4Learning: Standards-based grade-appropriate curriculum
Time4Learning: Standards-based grade-appropriate curriculum

Time4Learning is one of our top choices for Core Curriculum. It was created by John Edelson. Register, login, and start downloading the content you desire to use! The site offers all subjects for all grade levels. John Edelson has an interest in education for a long time and is very welle educated; his many years of experience inspired him to find a way to make homeschooling accessible to all while still being rigorous and well thought out.

Teachers Pay Teachers: For families excited about customizing their child’s learning
Teachers Pay Teachers: For families excited about customizing their child’s learning

Teachers Pay Teachers is one of our top choices for a complete Core Curriculum. Paul Edelman, a NYC public school teacher is the founder. The creators and authors are educators around the globe. It is a place for educators to find more than 3 million free and paid resources, knowledge, and inspiration for teachers to teach at their best, created by educators who understand what works in the classroom. A NYC public school teacher realized his students benefited most from incorporating ideas from multiple teachers, so he created a place for teachers to share ideas and materials.

Brain Quest: Fun, curriculum-based learning
Brain Quest: Fun, curriculum-based learning

Brain Quest is one of our top choices for Core Curriculum. Brain Quest decks and Brain Quest workbooks are designed to educate kids on a multitude of topics by utilizing fun activities, exercises, games, and more. Brain Quest was created by a French company called Play Bac to make learning a fun and enjoyable process for kids.

Torchlight: An outstanding secular, literature-based curriculum
Torchlight: An outstanding secular, literature-based curriculum

Torchlight is one of our top choices for Core Curriculum. Torchlight was created by Tiffany Petty. Torchlight is a literature-based, eclectic, secular curriculum with diversity and character at its core.

The Critical Thinking Co.: Infuses critical analysis into curriculum
The Critical Thinking Co.: Infuses critical analysis into curriculum

The Critical Thinking Co. is one of our top choices for a complete homeschool curriculum for grades K-12th grades. The Critical Thinking Co. was created by John Baker to expand logical reasoning and critical thinking skills to all learners. It is primarily workbook-based.

Manisha Snoyer (co-founder of Modulo)

For the last 20 years, I’ve taught over 2000 children in 3 countries (of all socio-economic backgrounds). I pioneered an English language program in a conflict region in the Middle East. I’ve worked as a bilingual public school teacher at some of the highest and lowest performing public schools and in all five boroughs of NYC. I’ve tutored 18 subjects in three languages to some of the wealthiest families in NYC, San Francisco and Paris to make up for shortcomings in private schools they were paying up to $60,000 a year to attend.

Since 2015, I’ve helped hundreds of parents start microschools (way before this was a household buzzword). I founded CottageClass, the first marketplace for microschools and learning pods that was part of the Techstars 2018 class. In 2019, I created a virtual learning program to help families through the pandemic, a free online math tutoring program (masteryhour.org), and schoolclosures.org, a hotline developed in collaboration with Twilio and 80 other partners including Khan Academy, Revolution Foods and the Crisis Text Line, that served 100,000 families impacted by school closures.

I’ve climbed trees with children in forest schools in San Francisco, and tested new digital apps with kids in seven countries.

I’ve also coached dozens of families at different stages in their homeschooling journey. Most recently, I founded Modulo with homeschooling dad, best-selling author and tech entrepreneur Eric Ries, to help families curate their children’s education, social and childcare experiences drawing from a diverse array of in-person and online resources.


During the last three years, I’ve devoted much of my time to reviewing and testing secular homeschooling curriculum and other resource. I’ve spent the last three years talking to thousands of secular homeschooling families, and poring over tens of thousands of secular curriculum reviews and testing physical curriculum and digital apps for with hundreds of students to find the highest quality, most engaging, personalized learning materials for every type of learner.

I’ve spoken about homeschooling and modular learning at multiple venues including SXSW EDU, NY Tech Meetup, and on the LiberatedEd podcast.

In 2022, Modulo was one of 8 organizations who were awarded the Bridge Grant from the Vela Education Fund to expand access to homeschooling and modular learning to under-resourced communities.

My experience in education and homeschooling has led me to believe that there is no perfect education for every child, but families have an extraordinary amount of wisdom they can apply to building the perfect education for their individual child.

My goal with Modulo is to make it possible for any family to easily build a customized education that their child will love, and that will empower the whole family to thrive, taking into account, social, emotional and academic needs.

I love to answer questions from parents and receive feedback on how we can improve Modulo, so feel free to reach out anytime! I personally answer all the questions and comments readers leave on my blogs.

In my free time, I like hiking, traveling the world, tasting ceremonial grade matcha, enjoying dark chocolate.

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brandeis University with highest honors, with a double degree in French Literature and American Studies and minors in Environmental Studies and Peace & Conflict Studies.

And I love to learn!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/manisha-snoyer-5042298/
Previous

WeTeachNYC
Next

Oak Meadow