6 reasons we are going back to A.C.E. Curriculum.

I made a video a year ago with 3 reasons we were going to stay with ACE curriculum, but peer pressure and grass-is-greener syndrome took us in a different direction. After much stress and prayer, we have realized ACE Curriculum is the path for our family. I talk about many things that have led us to this conclusion.
#ACE #ACEhomeschool #ACEcurriculum #Paces #largefamily #largefamilyhomeschool #homeschool #selftaught #bible #worldview #biblicalworldview
Www.aceministries.com
Www.acediagnostictest.com
Www.thriftbooks.com
Www.curriculumexpress.com
Www.allinonehomeschool.com

[@sallyzielke6703]

This is wonderful! We homeschooled our thirteen children using A.C.E. I did try some other curriculums and have supplemented with others; but I went back to A.C.E. because it helps us to be consistent. The main reason I like it is because it is Bible based. Knowing the Bible is more important than any other book. Following Jesus is more important than education!

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Love this. Amen.❤️

[@ambermyers5257]

I did CM this last year, I only have one school age child and even I burned out so bad. I'm running to ACE, I felt like a failure but your video made me realize I am not alone and we didn't fail, prep heavy curriculums are just hard!

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Oh hugs! This makes me nervous... We are taking a break from ACE this coming year to do some family schooling together (Spanish and Ancient History). Makes me a little nervous, but we've done ACE the last 2 years so I've had a nice break from prepping and read alouds. I'm planning to have my 13&14yo help with the reading aloud, but not gonna lie... I'm nervous! Enjoy your break from CM. ACE has been such a HUGE blessing to our family when we've needed reliable school work and a break for me. ❤️❤️

[@bethgordon7386]

A video on introverted Christian homeschool moms would be wonderful! 🙂

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Well thank you! I will think hard about things to say.

[@TracyR4]

I'm sure this is an older video, but I've homeschooled for a long time ago. If I could go back , I would have used ACE from the get go. I spend many years trying other curricula, getting burnt out and going back to ACE. I'm down to my last child and that's what we're finishing up with, ACE. I work outside of the home so I need for her to be far more independent then her other sisters had to be in the past. Seeing my older children graduate and do great in life. I don't worry at all anymore. I used to , wondered if it was enough. Honestly, ACE was and is enough.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

I really appreciate you sharing this! I definitely feel like I should be more involved, but grading tests and assigning some extra reading seems to be all I'm capable of right now. It really is an excellent curriculum! I love your wonderful perspective, and I'm really glad my 2 oldest sons have chosen to stick with it this year, because I know they're getting a solid education.

[@eliseherring4461]

Thank you. I’ve done Charlotte Mason for three years but am feeling burnt out. I grew up with ACE at a private school and have been wanting to go to it. Thanks for the encouragement. I feel like we’re kindred spirits. May Christ protect our kids in Him.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Hugs! We have a very Charlotte Mason-esque home life, but all of us were so burned out with me having to monitor everything. ACE has given me freedom to do what CM calls "mother culture," and demonstrate a love of learning as I learn a ton of new things (canning food, making sourdough and kombucha, etc). It also gives my kids a ton of free time to pursue their interests uninterrupted for hours each day (after they knock out their book work). We occasionally stray back to CM for a subject or 2, and ACE is always there to fall back on. Love it!

[@amarachavis2880]

We love ACE. I have a 10grader who began it last year. This year I pulled my twins (5th) grade out of public. They are using ACE as well. In public school they were behind 2YEARS. Within weeks my boys are thriving and became independent. We don't do any online learning. I love the Biblical worldview in each subject. I am a single mother who works full-time. This curriculum is so great for us. If I can create a good learning experience any one can.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

What a great testimony! Thanks for sharing!🥰

[@ms.anonymousinformer242]

Can you tell me who watches the 5th grader while you work FT , and when you do homeschool around having a FT job? I know a single mom whos child wants to homeschool but she has no one to watch her during the day.

[@morethantheravens1593]

Love love love. I relate to everything you said so much! New subscriber here 🙂

[@shayj3373]

Your sharing here is such an amazing blessing & encouragement. Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of this...

[@chrisjoy2911]

Thank you so much for this video! I love ACE and I love that you are also questioning the narrative and seeking truth!! I've learned and researched a lot over the last several months as well and I know what you're talking about. Thank God for ACE!! We need to train our children in the way they should go. God bless you and your family. ❤️🙏

[@nancywaldner8817]

love your honesty!! God bless you.

[@adventuresineducation2207]

I just found your channel and I’m so glad! I really enjoyed this video and it gave me a lot of food for thought as I am gearing up for a very literature based year! I’m definitely going to be checking out Ace.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Thank you! I'm so glad! ❤️

[@raisingpillars4427]

You're so right mama! Scary times! We know He is victorious ♡ Galatians 5.

[@Monster_Momma]

I just found your channel. Thank you for putting this out there. I've been using ACE for years and it has worked great but I see others gushing about how great the Charlotte Mason method is. So I have started looking into other curricula and am finding myself overwhelmed just thinking about the readalouds and family subjects. That is so not me, but I've been influenced by social media. I just needed someone to remind me why I have stuck with ACE all this time and I'm so glad I didn't switch to anything else. I would have absolutely regretted it.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Hey there and welcome to my channel! Thank you so much for reminding me of the reason I started making these videos! ❤️🥰 The CM method is pretty incredible and has many gems, but for some of us it's just a pipe dream. One of the biggest disagreements I have with Mason is her assertion that "to obtain any benefit, the method must be used in its entirety." We do one chapter of a read aloud almost every night, and that's about as much as I can handle! The longer we use ACE (and we haven't even been using it very long) the benefits of the system continue to shine. It's designed so well!

[@JoeMonicaLuke]

This video is awesome. Thank u so much!💜

[@therusticroad]

I'm a new subscriber and LOVE your sweet Christian spirit and content here on your channel. Please keep new videos coming. I use ACE for a few subjects, too and love them. Thank you so much for proclaiming truth and being an encouragement to so many homeschool moms! Thank you!!! :)

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Wow, thank you so much for such sweet encouragement. ❤️🥰 What a lovely thing to read this morning!

[@bethgordon7386]

I enjoyed your video and agree with much you have said. Literature based education is awesome but yes burnout happens. When I had one child it worked wonderfully; with 3, including 2 with learning differences, it was not pleasant. Retention was also an issue with one of my children; the exams after 12 weeks showed she did not remember much. It’s better to just add the literature as you/they have time and interest. A.C.E. Is for us because it works. It allows us to accelerate in the areas were they excel and slow down or repeat in the subjects they need more time. Thanks for sharing your reason for choosing ACE.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Thank you so much for sharing! This is also how we plan to incorporate reading aloud. Maybe lunchtime or bedtime, but if we don't get to it, Learning still happens individually.

[@jason-sonyafontenot4039]

This is our 1st with ACE. Thank you for posting this video. 😊

[@janetjohnson52]

Amen and God bless you! Thank you for sharing!

[@annriley9573]

Very helpful video. Thank you for sharing your experience. It's helping me make some decisions in our homeschool.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

I'm so glad it was helpful. We've had a very peaceful year. The other day, my oldest daughter said she felt like she's learning so much more this year than ever before.

[@reasonsforroots6958]

I love this! I too am introverted :) I have tried SO hard for family style learning, but I feel the same way! Thanks for sharing.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

It's so draining. 😢 Especially with preschoolers in the mix.

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

I appreciate your honesty so much! I feel the same way about needing a quiet space for school time or it's like sensory overload! I am very intrigued by the ACE curriculum! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[@mycupoverflows7811]

May God bless you and give you guidance! You're a wonderful mother for homeschooling, and ACE is a wonderful curriculum for overwhelmed mothers! Hugs! ❤️🥰

[@TheJohnsonCrew]

@@mycupoverflows7811 Thank you for that :) Right back at you!!

[@tammyjohnson9382]

Thank you for this video. I am an ACE graduate and have been using it for my children's homeschooling for over 15 years. I have tried other things but keep coming back. I really needed this encouragement to help me keep my eyes on the goal.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

That is so great to hear! I love hearing from ACE graduates who have chosen to use ACE with their children! I have 2 children who have chosen to use all ACE (except math) this year, and one who is using it for science and social studies. ACE is such a great solid core for our family! We use it to suit us and don't let it restrict us from trying other things, but it certainly helps fill in the gaps many years. And makes things so much easier for mom!

[@elizabethjones7233]

As an introvert, I also need a quiet and orderly household. I have been homeschooling my 14 y/o dyslexic son with ACE for a few years and recently took in 4 new children aged from 12 months old to 9 years. I have been leaning towards a family style approach for next year but am so thankful that you shared your experience with how overwhelming it was. I seem to live in an overwhelmed state already with the extra responsibilities of 4 new little ones that need me. This helps me settle that in my heart.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

God bless you on your new journey with 4 new little ones! I would recommend doing whatever you can handle as a mama. We do evening prayers and I read my oldest kids a book every evening. It's not too much for me (hours and hours of reading while the dishes and laundry pile out of control) but it still gives us that sweet shared reading time.

[@trinh3949]

God bless, homeschool and faith strong! God and country, thank you for sharing! 🙏🇺🇲❤️

[@tatyana1324]

Thanks for sharing your heart 💙🙏 God bless you 🙏

[@fergiedoca557]

Thank you for sharing. I’m actually planning of doing ACE with my kids. God bless.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Wonderful! I hope you love it as much as we do. It has been my easiest year of homeschooling, and we are planning to stick with it and even switch to ACE math this coming year! ❤️

[@freetobe15]

I love how you said, "THESE are the kinds of things we need to be putting in our children's hearts!" YES. Such a good reminder and encouragement. They don't need more mindless inllentertainment, but hope and encouragement in Jesus!

[@ginamcgrew9955]

Yes, this resonated with me on many levels. Although this was filmed a year ago, it is encouraging to know I'm not alone in the feeling of urgency to lead my children to Christ bc things get stranger by the day in this world.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Amen!

[@crazychicken4063]

Thank you for talking about worldviews and the literature books that high schoolers are "expected" to read. I've had similar thoughts and questions. It's encouraging to hear your thoughts.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Thank you for your comment! The older I get and the longer I homeschool, the more I see the hand of God providing everything each child needs at just the right time, including HIS wisdom. 🥰

[@crazychicken4063]

@@mycupoverflows7811 do you still use the ACE curriculum?

[@crystalshew1261]

Good points and I agree!

[@colesonamission]

Thank you, sweet mama. I listened to the whole thing in chunks lol. I am a tired mama to 5, my youngest is 7months and I love love literature based curriculum as well but right now I just can't. 😔 I wish I had the energy to do all the things but I just need to accept where I'm at and be gentle w myself too. Seems like ace will work for us too. I was looking at sonlight and heart of dakota and even though they say it's q lot of independent work, I still have to do a lot with them even grades 6 and 8. Ugh

[@agamble1126]

I think many people don't really understand Charlotte Mason. They simplify her as lots of reading aloud, but there is so much more to her philosophy and to do it truly well it would be overwhelming. We used Notgrass From Adam to Us for 6th grade (not sure if that was the company you looked into) and they also taught History of the Christian church very well throughout the book. I learned so much while reading it to my daughter. I am a former public school teacher and one of the things I love about homeschooling is the ability to tailor learning to each child as needed. I love the concept of Aces and think it would actually be great to teach in a school that uses it. There is a school opening in our area that, like you mentioned, uses Abeka for the lower grades and Ace for the upper grades.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Yes I agree about Charlotte Mason. I have a couple of friends who very strictly follow her schedule/style/philosophy, and it just sounds like pure slavery to me. 😂🤦🏻‍♀️ I love and have adapted to include some things, like small chunks and living books, but to do it all would suck the life out of our homeschool. Our co-op used Notgrass Uncle Sam and You this year to study government. I like the information and the pictures and the Notgrass family.

[@catherineetter2576]

When you have done all you can..... Stand therefore

[@ninilovenana]

Can you please link these great books. I love this video and everything you say. Subbing and staying tuned.

[@mama_jamie_elaine]

Wow!! This has been my experience with family style learning. I am an introvert also. I have been so discouraged by this and felt like a failure.

[@nancyann1090]

I hope you and your family are doing well. I have tried in the past many times to do Charlotte Mason stuff and I burn out and feel like a failure and I just have two kids!! We use Sonlight but I can manage it with two kids. If I had more I would for sure consider ACE or something like that. Master Books seems very popular with people nowadays.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

We have tried Masterbooks and I didn't love it. Every time I look at Sonlight I just think it looks absolutely AMAZING! So glad it works well for you! Don't feel like a failure! You need to find out what works for ALL of you, including mom!

[@dawnworley7369]

Thank you for the video! I am very curious about this curriculum. I have used Classical literature based curriculum for years. I also teach co-op science. I am burning out.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Oh my. I can imagine! I am trying a few new things this year. Some of my kids are sticking with ACE and others are branching into literature-based in some subjects. We have started heavily using audiobooks from the library which has helped. I'm honestly sortof terrified because last year was the smoothest year of homeschooling we've ever had. I would like to make a video about next year soon, but I'm still deciding on curriculum.😬 If you need a "break year" ACE is a safe choice. ❤️

[@dawnworley7369]

@@mycupoverflows7811 My upcoming 4th grader hates workbooks with passion! So it won't work with him. He wants to read and be read too. He learns from reading, discussion, and videos. But I think we will ease into ACE in a few subjects for other grades to take some pressure off. What subjects do you feel ACE covers best?

[@tirzahdrake5420]

Let God be true and every man a liar. Cling to the Rock sister 💐

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Amen!❤️

[@jessiemadanat5455]

Have you heard of Lifepac? We are doing that but I am intrigued by ACE I love the character study part

[@mycupoverflows7811]

I have heard of Lifepac! We actually began with Christian Light Education,which is similar to ACE and Lifepac. Lifepac is the only one of the 3 "workbook curricula" that I haven't personally used. 😊 Best to you on your homeschooling path!❤️

[@michellewei9139]

I read aloud taking turns with Literature and Creative Writing!

[@tiffanyhorner3967]

Hi! I just recently found your channel and I love it!! We are starting ACE homeschool this year for our 4th and 6th graders. What do you recommend if a child tests several grades behind in math on the ACE diagnostic test? Do you try and get them caught up to their grade level for that year?

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Thank you so much! We haven't used ACE math, but I would probably order the gap paces and get them started asap, then give them incentives for getting an extra pace (or 2 or 3) done every year/summer. I've also heard of crossing out every other problem if the child has demonstrated mastery and knowledge of that particular operation (for example, 2 digit multiplication). I'm still praying and thinking about whether we want to go with ACE math or keep variety in that area.

[@tiffanyhorner3967]

@@mycupoverflows7811 Thank you so much! I love your videos on ACE and all the wonderful advice! God bless!

[@Crochetedpossum]

I have wanted to use these, but am not religious… it seems there is nothing simple Like this out there for secular home schoolers. Very informative video! Thanks for the info!

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Melanie D, yes, these are very religious, and if you're not, I think it would be hard to get around that, but some still do. For sure, it is hard to find something simple like this that's secular. This year 2 of my kids are using Plain and Not So Plain curriculum. Maybe look into that and see what you think. She's a Christian, but the school books don't have anything Christian in them, that I've seen. They're extremely cheap/free, so the trade-off is that they need more parental involvement than the paces.

[@Crochetedpossum]

@@mycupoverflows7811 thanks for the reply/suggestion! :D

[@HomeGurl54]

You don’t have to be religious. It promotes good morals and values. Side note, Jesus isn’t a religion. He was actually anti religion

[@jessiemadanat5455]

You mentioned Christian Light Education to me and I'm impressed with it too. Can you please quickly tell me why you changed from Christian Light Education to ACE since they are similar formats thanks!

[@mycupoverflows7811]

CLE is an excellent program, but the amount of daily work was just too much for some of my kids. I felt like the 2nd grade language arts was way too advanced for a 7/8yo. We inevitably fell behind in some subjects, and it was very discouraging for my 5th grader to see a big "4" on her math book. That probably sounds silly, but I LOVE that the Paces have no grade levels written on them!

[@erinsnook8537]

Hi there. I think I may have commented on your post about shingles on the ACE fb page saying that I also had shingles. I hope you're feeling better. I am introverted homeschooling mom, too. What you said about needing calm and order resonates with me; I agree!

[@courtneysimon444]

Hi! Since you have good experience with ACE I’d thought I’d ask your opinion on something. I have a reluctant reader going into 4th grade. My idea was to have her use the social studies and science paces for reading and comprehension. Plus the added fact that it’s so hard to find a Christian Science program that’s not experiment heavy. However I still plan to read history stories to her as well as Christian Science devotionals.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

I think that sounds fabulous!!

[@michellewei7349]

Interesting that you mention Abeka for PreK-6 and ACE for 7-12. I was considering sending my son to a private Christian school. I've been talking with the Pastors wife who deals with admissions. Told her I do ACE with my son. In much conversation she said she did it from grades 7-12. Hmm....

[@jennythomas3985]

I'm doing a spelling program with another company but I am interested in the word builder can I use it for just a vocabulary program?

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Just saw this comment! I think word building would be an excellent stand alone choice for vocabulary.

[@joycemegan62609]

I graduated from an ACE private school and now have children of my own. Im scrabbling around to get started on homeschooling for the first time. I'm wanting to use the ACE pace curriculum with him as I'm very familiar with it and have experience with getting God's word written on my heart. That's truly the most important thing I want my kids to learn. The Bible. I'm not sure where to start though. I'm in Michigan so I'm sure my states laws are different. But im not sure if I qualify as a nonpublic and have to fill out the form for religious objection to teacher certification...any info is greatly appreciated

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Joyce Megan I would call HSLDA to see what your state's laws are regarding your status and what your requirements are as a homeschooler. Here in Texas we're fortunate to not have to report anything to anyone. Perhaps a Michigan homeschoolers group on Facebook could help you as well. You're going to do great! ACE is really easy for parents to administer. There are also a couple of really supportive and helpful ACE homeschool groups on Facebook. Hugs!🥰

[@catherineetter2576]

Hey there, Michigan Mama here. You don't need to report anything. You have a lot of freedom here as long as you cover key things. I agree though. If you can afford to take advantage of HSLDA, do it.

[@mannyaldava9464]

I like having my kids on ACE from 2nd grade, to now at 4th. We've become worried how it feels they are so behind. When compared to other Christian curriculum or public school standards. This has been stressful and weighs on me.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Do you plan to put them in another school soon? If not, don't worry about this. ACE is designed like this on purpose. It builds confidence and independence. Trust me, grades 5-8 REALLY step it up in difficulty. But by then the student is trained in how the curriculum works (self checking, tests, planning their week) and they love the characters, so they're ready. It's extremely unfortunate that mainstream schooling has increased in difficulty in the lower grades, because that's when kids actually like school. The consequence of that is that kids are completely burned out at 10 or 11 years old. Did you know that the math from ages 5-10 can be learned in just a few weeks? So if you did no schooling in math until age 10, your child could catch up to 5th grade math in a matter of weeks. Don't sweat lower and middle elementary. Make sure you take lots of field trips and do lots of messy projects together. It will get harder and more rigorous soon enough. Enjoy the younger years as much as possible because you won't get them back. Hugs! You're doing a great job!

[@mrbadmeanie8281]

agree with the other response beleive me they will learn this and retain it, not just to pass a state test for the moment. when my daughter finished the program years ago she was ahead in all subjects and out scored her public school friends on college intrance exams. now her son is being homeschooled with this program we removed him from public school 2 years ago he is now actually ahead of the public school now.

[@WatkinsFamilyFarm]

I have a 7 and 10 year old. We are currently in our first year of homeschooling. We haven’t dove into science or history too extensively yet. We enjoy doing Bible, Science and History as family style learning. Do you feel that any of these subjects through ACE could be taught that way?

[@mycupoverflows7811]

I personally would not recommend using ACE family style. It's written at the child's level, for them to practice reading and writing skills. For family style learning, there are lots and LOTS of other curriculum, including just following your children's interests and checking out books from the library. My choice for history would be Beautiful Feet Books. And for science, not sure... maybe some nature studies Charlotte Mason style or just picking a topic (insects or electricity, for example) and checking out lots of books, watching videos, and making projects.

[@tiffanymaleport]

I can’t remember if you did this for level 1, but maybe you can help me! I did Abeka for kindergarten so my son can read and I’m switching to ace for level 1! Do you think it’s necessary that I get the manuals? It sounds like they are primarily to help the child read? I’d love to hear your thoughts ❤️ thank you

[@mycupoverflows7811]

I would have him do the test online. I've never done level one and I think you do need the manuals, but if your son can read, he might be able to start in level 2. If you're on the FB group, maybe ask on there. There are a lot of mamas who've switched from abeka to ACE.

[@tiffanymaleport]

@@mycupoverflows7811 good to know thank you! I’m not really on Facebook anymore just messenger! Thank you for your help tho! I appreciate it!

[@crazychicken4063]

I used the ACE totally for one year with my children. They didn't get a thing out of it. It was just get the pace done so we can start another. My son who was in high school level described it as mind numbing. They had previously been using a literature based history etc., where they read books in their own. I did not do it with them. I was schooled in an ACE school and I don't remember much from it. I had a hard time getting the paces finished within the three weeks timeframe. It was a push to get finished in time to graduate. So, while the ACE curriculum was familiar to me, when it came to using it in our homeschool I have been kind of turned off because of my own experience and it didn't fly well for my children. It was simple and in some ways easier for me when they used it, but they weren't getting much from it. They hated it when there word wasn't the exact answer the score key said, things like that. But once again, I'm tempted to try to use the ACE for certain subjects because what we're using isn't getting done and it seems simpler. But usually it ends up not so simple and the child struggles 🥺

[@mycupoverflows7811]

I totally understand what you're saying! I have 6 kids and 3 of them are using parts of it, but I'm always flexible on what is currently working. I just switched up my 7th grader's LA curriculum (she was using Learning Language Arts through Literature, and just hated it. She requested a Funschooling journal, so we got that instead). I find that when the child is invested in their learning and really enjoying it, it makes everything SO much easier on everyone! My high schooler has only used ACE biology. For everything else, I've pieced together several different things. I was just not happy with the idea of ACE for her high school experience. My 8th grader loves ACE and if he wants to continue with it through high school, I'll absolutely let him. ☺️

[@crazychicken4063]

@@mycupoverflows7811 I have one child left to homeschool. She's in high school and I have been considering using the Biology and the Health. I also have always been flexible and using what works for each child. It has been a hodge podge of various curriculum for sure 😅

[@Janderra]

Do you have the link for the diagnostic tests I didn't see them in the description?

[@mycupoverflows7811]

www.acediagnostictest.com

[@Janderra]

@@mycupoverflows7811 thank you 🥰

[@TracyR4]

Ace is an amazing curriculum,. I have used it on and off throughout homeschooling my children. I wish at times I never succumbed to homeschool pressure on using others. In the end ACE always won out in the ease of use for the parent and child. AS for books like 1984 , Brave New World. I have found that books like that helped my children recognize when these things were happening. Many of these concepts are communism and it helps them recognize it when it's happening rather then to fall prey to it's evil (which is very easy to do these days). Those types of books aren't even allowed in schools and if you've noticed, children aren't realizing now that they are falling prey to communist ideology because they aren't reading books like this. I have graduated three of my daughters that I've homeschooled and we have many conversations about the things that are happening now to what we've read in those books. Not that it's making these things happen but to be aware of the things that actually are happening. None of my children have fallen prey to the communist and evil ideas because of being aware of what is going on by people who have wrote stories about these things.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Thank you for a great comment! 🥰

[@danahall1282]

I heard on one of your videos you tried Christian light ed. Also. Why did you switch?

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Dana, thanks so much for the question! CLE is spiral and ACE is mastery-based. I find that there are advantages and disadvantages to both methods, and that different children do better with different methods, and even different subjects are better taught with different methods. I still use CLE for K&1st because I've used it for 4 kids and not going to switch for the last 2. However in 2nd grade, CLE language arts has children writing essays, and it was just too much. My 3rd child would be doing reading, LA and math with CLE for 4-5 hours, and life was miserable. We played around with a lot of different curriculum (not going to lie... we still do!) and after an amazing but exhausting year of literature based curriculum while dealing with a 1&2yo on the side, I put my 3 oldest into ACE. When we tried to go back into CLE, the joy was sucked out of our lives again. I'm sad to say that, but CLE over 2nd grade has just not worked for us. ACE was a breath of fresh air. Even now, we can step away for a year, and then step back in. Or I can have one child do several subjects and one or two with ACE (my 9th grader used ACE biology and different everything else this year). I'm sorry, this was probably more info than you wanted. I reevaluate EVERYTHING every year, and I'm currently in the process right now again. :)

[@giax2031]

Is it difficult to have each child at a different level for all of their classes instead of family style for history and science?

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Both have their challenges, but I find family style a lot more challenging. We are doing family style learning his year for Spanish and history. I'm in charge of the pace and the homework, and I have to determine how much work each child/age can handle. Using the Paces felt SO much easier to me, and my kids really LIKE being independent. However I really wanted to have a year or 2 of family style before my big kids get too big.

[@your1olney995]

Does ACE offer lab kits with the science subject?

[@mycupoverflows7811]

No. I think for high school they have lab DVDs. But for the younger grades, all projects have involved items easily available around the house.

[@giax2031]

What made you choose ACE over Masterbooks?

[@mycupoverflows7811]

The 2 curricula are not similar at all, imho. However, here are the reasons 1) Longevity. ACE has been around for over 50 years. When I began ACE, Masterbooks was extremely new. ACE has thousands of successful graduates all over the globe. 2) There is plenty of criticism of ACE, and they don't let it bother them. On Masterbooks' Facebook page I noticed the admin would shut down and delete any questions or problems people had about the curriculum, even among people who were currently sold on it and wholeheartedly using it. It felt disingenuous to me. 3) We used their science curriculum. The texts were beautiful and affordable, but we found the curriculum itself was poorly written and asked obscure questions that even I couldn't find in the text. My kids have refused to even look at the textbooks again. Wasted money. I do own both Answers series (the one for kids and the one for youth), but I will not spend money on their curriculum again. ACE has the child learning 12 memory verses and 12 character qualities per subject per year, built in to their regular subjects. The curriculum is straightforward and easy to understand. The work in the younger ages is intentionally easier to build confidence, and jumps in difficulty at the appropriate times. It's just extremely well put together imho. That said, most of my children are doing other curriculum this year (beautiful feet books, one year adventure novel, guest hollow, ctcmath, good and beautiful, Christian Light education, sabbath mood). I only have one doing ACE this school year. However I will likely never ever use Masterbooks again. Not a fan at all.

[@daysevarao664]

Hello, my name is Dayse, im from Brasil, we are a missionary family... we have been working in Angola for 12 years... and i was realy struggling with my kids in the angola´s schools sistem, so God opened a door for us and we are now in South Africa, we came here to learn english and hopefuly to come back to Angola next year and homeschool them, my oldest is in a school with a ACE program ( 2 grade now) and the youngest is going to kindergarten next year , unfortunately in Brasil homeschooling is illegal so we dont have choice but go for a English curriculum, but i need to confess that im realy lost and i felt in my heart to ask you a advice, with curriculum you in your experience think is the best for our case, as you can see my english is not the best....hahaha... and im realy afraid to teach my kids, especially in english, as is not my first language, i have been praying that God you lead me and will help us true all this .... i have been thinking about ABEKA becouse they have DVD class, so my kids can learn a correct english, but in other point i can see my oldest already enjoying ACE curriculum......

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Oh hugs! I hope you're able to find what works best for your family! ❤️🥰

[@jessiemadanat5455]

Does the curriculum have diversity? I am a born again Bible believing Christian is their Bible curriculum ultra conservative like fundamentalist?

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Yes, there is racial diversity in this curriculum,more so than many other curricula I've used. I would say yes, it is extremely conservative and fundamentalist, which is something a lot of people are seeking at the moment, myself included. Fundamentalist has seemed to become a bad word, however, I certainly appreciate it in regards to how the Scripture and education are approached. ❤️ Hope this helps!

[@mycupoverflows7811]

I would also like to share that a friend who started using ACE a couple weeks ago messaged me to tell me how much she loves it. Her 2nd graders vocabulary word was "blood" illustrated by Jesus' hand with a nail. This began a conversation about Jesus' sacrifice and death,which meant so much more to her than any amount of education. 😍😍

[@jessiemadanat5455]

@@mycupoverflows7811 beautiful ❤️

[@dawnworley7369]

You mentioned Story of the World. I HATE Story of the World! I feel like it's the most used homeschool history. But it does have such a Pagan feel to it.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Haha oh my goodness I still have year one and I was looking at using it with my 3rd grader next year for an easy year (just play the audiobook and give him a coloring sheet). Your comment is so convicting lol. Every time I flip through it I remember why we never finished it lol.😘

[@dawnworley7369]

@@mycupoverflows7811 I LOVE LOVE Mystery of History. My son absolutely loves it too. No Story of the World for me. Haha.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

@@dawnworley7369 well now, you're the 3rd person in as many days that has mentioned that to me, and I've been praying HARD about what to use for History, so I'm going to check out MOH!

[@dawnworley7369]

@@mycupoverflows7811 We use it at our homeschool co-op, or I would not have purchased it. It turns out that my kids (especially my 9 year old) absolutely loves it. I love it too. It's very conversational. It's written from a Christian perspective. The companion guide is alittle expensive but it has numerous enrichment assignments for all ages. Our co-op teacher does the enrichment activities and tests in class. We do the reading at home. I am on the co-op board. We have decided to use MOH for a long time to come. That way we can keep reusing the books too. There are 4 volumns. I HIGHLY recommend it, especially if you want something you can do with a wide variety of ages.