Time 4 Learning is a technology-based online educational program designed for preschool to eighth grade. It uses a combination of animated lessons and interactive lessons to reinforce concepts.
We reviewed the Time4Learning Preschool, which has two learning levels, based on difficulty. Level one includes fewer and easier commands and options and was very easy for my 3 year old to navigate on her own. Level two was a little more advanced and intended for learners who can understand and follow multiple commands with a greater number of options - perfect for my son who just turned 5.
The only skills required by the child is the use a computer mouse and to be able to understand and follow simple auditory directions, such as “Choose . . .," "Which one . . . " and “Match . . ."
Together, my children completed Level 1 in 4 hours (in one sitting - they loved it that much). They sat at the table while I worked in the kitchen and it was fun to hear them interacting and having fun while they worked through the lessons. Malachi then completed Level 2 on his own during our one month membership and Eliana played in level 1 (she loved the "Paint It" the most) during this time.
It was really easy for them to navigate through the theme based lessons. A check mark told them that they had completed a lesson. So, it was nice to be able to see at a glance how much work they had completed. There is also a way for parents to access a record that includes the lessons and the date they were completed
Many lessons also had an Idea book, which had supplemental hands on ideas to use. One idea was to make a life sized drawing of your child and have them color it to learn about himself. I thought this was a great idea, but sadly, Malachi was more interested in being on the computer than doing the activity. He did the minimal amount to please me and then wanted back on the computer.
The themed based lessons focused on story time, story recall, memory match, match it, patterns, ordering and much more. Lesson plans are available and give you an idea of the scope and sequence of each unit. There is also a playground with safe sites and games for your child to play for fun.Price: Currently a membership is $19.95 for the first child and $14.95 for each additional child per month
To learn more see the FAQ's, screenshots from the upper levels, hints and helps, or try the free lesson demos. There is also a Parent Community and Forum to connect with other users and ask questions.
What I liked:
- Little kid user friendly - even my littlest (age 3) was able to play along without my help
- Auditory instructions
- Colorful graphics and interactive animations kept my children engaged
- Self paced lessons that my kids enjoyed
- Hands on ideas/suggestions in the Idea Books
What I did not like:
- The price. (A little too steep for us to consider a monthly membership.)
- That the kids became addicted to computer time - we had lots of tears over me saying enough is enough. I would rather them be engaged in more time off the computer than on. (However, a little of this from time to time was a nice break for me).
- The Calender section begins the first day of the week on Monday instead of Sunday and this was confusing to my 5 year old. I ended up having him skip this section.
My little ones have really enjoyed their time with Time 4 Learning and I think this is a great online tool, especially for those of you who like including the computer in your school time. While it was a nice break for me, I would still rather spend that time engaging and interacting with my child on a personal basis.
Be sure to read my Crew mates reviews to see what they think.
I obtained one one-month membership for the purpose of this review and no further compensation was received. In exchange, I offer my honest opinion and review. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
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