WHICH IS BETTER? YOU DECIDE! LANGUAGE ARTS LEVEL 2 COMPARISON - ABEKA VS. THE GOOD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

[@homeschoolandme]

I need to add, not all curriculum will work with all kids, but also with all moms. I have adult adhd and if a curriculum has too many moving parts I need to be honest that I probably just… won’t. Having the GATB lay it all out in one spot works for my squirrelly brain. 😂

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Yea that’s so true! It has to work for mom too!

[@loveandcaresubscriber7048]

Absolutely agree. Its very hard to just from 1 book to another. Untill know I am struggling. Can not find good curriculum for grade 6. My daughter is about to finish 5G. Not sure what I am going to do next

[@PropheticSoakingwithSarahJER]

I can relate

[@jenniferoyler3781]

I have ADHD and found that GAnd Beautiful just has too much going on on one page! 😢

[@freelandtr]

We have used both in the early grades both are great! Just pick the one that appeals most to you and your child and fits your budget. 😀

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

🥰❤️

[@kayeanne9134]

I did a search for exactly this this morning and didnt find what I was looking for! Thank you for the video :)

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I hope you find it helpful 🤞

[@aviyahayirahsisterssquad2265]

This was the best review I have seen. I really appreciate how you took your time and went through each lesson. Very helpful and informative. Thank you.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

That’s so kind of you to say! Thank you so much! I’m glad you found it helpful ❤️❤️

[@brittanyolga]

I love these comparison videos 😍!!! You always do such a great job with them. You are so right traditional curriculum does get a bad rep in the homeschool community. However, I find myself leaning more towards traditional curriculum even though it is not as trendy and flashy and is just straight to the point. It took me a while to figure it out but that is the way my daughter likes to learn. I am so excited to see what style my other two daughters will like. 😊

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I like traditional too! I laughed off Abeka my first year (even though I used it my whole life) because I thought everything else was bigger and better…year 2 I realized it works just great for us!

[@brittanyolga]

@@thepracticalhomeschooler Same here ! I really love Abeka 😍

[@katrinalamphere5700]

Yes this is me too!!!

[@omne-trium-perfectum]

Same! I actually came here to say this. I tried not to go with traditional homeschool curriculum, I’m a former homeschooler myself, and that’s not how I liked to learn. But I’m realizing my 2nd grader loves to learn in the traditional way. I just switched from TGTB math and LA to Abeka and my son lovessss it. So we are sticking with it for the foreseeable future and doing more of a Charlotte Mason method for history and science. ❤️

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

@@omne-trium-perfectum good for you for listening to his needs! Awesome job! We prefer CM for science and math too! ❤️

[@audrichavez]

I like the abeka Language Arts, because it’s so simple and tonthe point, but I love The Good and the Beautiful because it incorporates so many other subjects, giving my child’s brain a chance to explore arts and other things in between the heavy grammar and spelling rule information lessons. It’s a great buffer especially for spiral review to come back and mean something another time.

[@Nikki-jt6uc]

This was great as usual! Thank you. I’ve tried both and Abeka works better for us. It took me a while to figure out that I have to use what will work for the child.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I think it takes everyone a while to figure it what’s going to work for them….but it’s so nice when you finally do!

[@livingfourmybirdies9121]

I’ve been looking for a new language arts curriculum because we are transitioning from the Good and the beautiful. Thank you for this video.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

You’re welcome! I hope you find a good fit out there!

[@FLMegan]

Abeka made me cry. Kids cried. It was torture. Its like 1980 in a workbook over and over. Miserable. The taught online version was a disaster and we lost our money. Lots of $. Tgtb is beyond exceptional and they could not be more different. A breath of fresh air. I could not be more grateful.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Sorry you didn’t have a great experience with Abeka…. I’m not sure I’d love the videos either. So glad you found something that works for you though!!

[@TacklingTheGiants]

Lol yes abeka is extensive and just too much

[@ddog162]

You have been a God sent for me! I'm planning/ordering our 3rd homeschooling year for my kindergartener & 3rd grader! Thank you so much for doing these comparison videos! :)

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thank you so much for your kind words 😭 so glad it’s been helpful

[@jennystice2858]

Actually the good and beautiful are doing a complete overhaul of their language arts program! So it's not just little tweaks like you said.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

It looks like they’re replacing the phonics cards with phonics booster books (which look awesome!) and adding a cool app! But as far as the actual course books go, they look to be laid out very similarly with just some updates (still having the picture studies and a classical/Charlotte Mason approach, etc), which completely makes sense that that they wouldn’t really make huge changes to the course books since it has been working so well for them.

[@HerDailyJourney]

You did an awesome comparison. Great job explaining the 2 curriculums.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thanks Emily!

[@kimberlygoudzwaard2811]

I bought the 50% off TGTB levels 1 and 2 for next year. My daughter is currently doing their K and it works well for her, and my son seems ok with LA 1 right now. But sometimes I miss how thorough Abeka is. I might end up getting abeka’s phonics/lang 2 book for him for extra practice next year…I don’t know lol. There’s a lot of good things about both curriculums- so hard to choose! I kind of hope the new TGTB levels have a little more grammar review. Just a little bit.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

It definitely is hard to choose! Can’t wait to see what the new levels look like though 😄

[@lyssabarnes-burnside1680]

Yes, I have loved TGATB (I have a 1st grader), but I would like a little more Grammer and I may add some additional spelling practice. That seems to be where my son isn’t picking it up as quickly as I would hope. I absolutely love art being included in the lessons. It is usually a jumping off point for my son to explore that artist or to go create on his own after class.

[@heatherenger1632]

This was so very helpful! Thank you for sharing.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I’m glad you found it helpful!!

[@heatherenger1632]

@@thepracticalhomeschooler I've been thinking about this more.. I'm looking to get TGAB for my daughter next year who has done Abeka Kindergarten and 1st Grade.. would you say the levels between curriculums are pretty equal? Like if we switch to level 2 TGAB, will she be relearning a lot of what was taught in Abeka 1st Grade? Not that that is a bad thing.. I just don't want her to be board. But I think TGAB will fit us better from here on out although she has done amazing with Abeka. And if you're not sure, that's okay! I'm just curious your opinion, thank you!!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

@@heatherenger1632 no she definitely won’t be bored as far as learning the same things. In fact, TGTB is actually a little more advanced when it comes to their LA. So when we went from Abeka 1st grade to TGTB level 2, I had to go back to level one and print out a few lessons to teach my daughter certain grammar principles that Abeka didn’t cover in 1st grade. I made a video on switching between the two and how to transition from one to the other (it should be in both the Abeka and the good and the beautiful playlist). And that will give more detail

[@acornfur]

Thank you for this video! Very well done! Thank you so much Lauren! ❤️🤗

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thank you! ❤️❤️

[@katrinalamphere5700]

Wow I love the layout of Abeka! I need the hand holding! Thank you for this video! I also appreciate your comments about traditional style homeschooling. I feel like I sway more towards the traditional method and it’s nice to know I am not alone. 😍

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Absolutely nothing wrong with it at all! To each their own and you have to do what you like and feel comfortable with.

[@melindajohnson9726]

wow! I have seen a LOT of people talk about TGTB on our community pages and no one talks about Abeka anymore. I grew up with Abeka (homeschooled in the 90's) and have used their language arts program with my children, but use other programs with other subjects. We've homeschooled now for 15 years. I've never used TGTB but I wanted to know what it was all about since so many people have talked about it. I'm very familiar with the different approaches to homeschooling and many different curriculums overall and volunteer on our state wide organization and help other new homeschoolers. This review was FANTASTIC! Thank you so much for sharing the positives about Abeka and sharing the same for TGTB. I really felt you did a great job explaining both as well as showing the pages and if I hadn't already determined what we are doing with our youngest, you just sealed the deal. He's a 1st grader now going into 2nd grade for 2022-2023. Perfect timing. Thank you SO MUCH!!! Well done!!!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thank you so much for your kind words ❤️❤️❤️ I truly appreciate it! I used Abeka growing up too (Christian school) and never thought I’d use it for homeschooling, but here were are! Lol

[@deniseleonhardt9780]

I have a 1st grader as well, 2nd in the fall. I'm overwhelmed trying to decide on a curriculum. I'm curious, which program did you chose for your youngest?

[@melindajohnson9726]

@@deniseleonhardt9780 I’ve always used Abeka. I’ve never used TGTB. I think they both have their merits. I’m a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” kind of person. I like the way Abeka integrates the phonics into all the workbooks. I also have all the readers and such. TGTB would be great it looks like if you’re leaning towards a Charlotte Mason approach. Shorter lessons, less exercises. That’s my opinion based on this one review. I think you’ll get the same results though.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

@@deniseleonhardt9780 Abeka 😊

[@goingtheextramile0]

Thanks for this! I’m just researching new curriculum for my littles ❤️

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

You’re welcome! Best of luck on the research journey ☺️☺️

[@lifewithginab]

I love watching your comparison videos! ❤

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thanks lady ☺️

[@creativeprofessional5248]

I used Abeka for my son. He is ADHD, but a year ahead in his homeschool. He has excelled with Abeka. I watched a video you did after this one where you seem to question TGTB as your daughter didn't do as well on her assessment, so maybe an update in the links on this video to that one could help people on the fence as to which to choose. Thank you.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Great idea! I’ll add that ☺️

[@babybellalovesbeagle]

My son has autism and adhd. He prefers Abeka than Simply Good and Beautiful.

[@aubreyodom468]

My son has autism/add/adhd and ocd diagnosis. Right now he is doing ok with Abeka but it’s a lot and he gets easily overwhelmed and over stimulated with the work. Thinking of making the switch to TGTB for us since it’s more streamlined but this makes me iffy reading other kids on the spectrum Abeka is better for. I guess we won’t know until we try it though.

[@bananaana04]

I feel like abeka is great if have only one child but I have multiple children and seems like a lot to do this with each one.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I’ve done the LA with multiple kids and was fine but not sure how it would be with multiple subjects for multiple kids…that might be a lot!

[@samiam777]

Most helpful review so far as I have been struggling about which of these two curriculum s to buy. I think I will get abeka for my kindergartner and the good and beautiful for my second grader

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I’m so glad it was helpful!!

[@SevenInAll]

Thanks for showing them in comparison!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

It’s always nice to see things side by side!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes! Every child is so different, so not one curriculum will work for all littles. I have had to switch curriculums twice so far because what works for one child, may be a stumbling block to the next. Absolutely loved watching this comparison, it was so thorough! ❤🙂

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

A stumbling block…yes! That’s the perfect way to put it!

[@falconcrosthwaite5863]

So helpful! Thank you!!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

So glad to hear that!

[@angelicarmts]

Hi! Thank you so much for your video! I wanted to ask a question regarding going from Abeka to TGTB. My daughter is currently doing 2nd grade with Abeka and it’s doing excellent. She’s done Abeka from K5. I absolutely love the way they teach phonics. But she is also 5 and 2 years ahead so I thinking of giving her a little bit of a break and have her do TGTB 3 and then start Abeka 3rd Grade after she finishes TGTB. With that being said my question is did either of your children struggle at all or get confused by the different verbiage? For example Abeka has a subject and a predicate where TGTB call is subject and verb. Or a declarative sentence and an interrogative sentence where as TGTB calls it a sentence or question. Also I know TGTB teaches phonics with word families and sight word but Abeka uses special sounds and blends. Did either of your children struggle with the change in phonics instruction? I appreciate your time. 🤍

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Whenever that came up I would just use both words. So if it said predicate I would say “or verb” etc. for the phonics, I just always called them special sounds because that’s what my girls were familiar with

[@lyssabarnes-burnside1680]

Thanks for this video! I will have a second grader next year and we currently use TGATB and it has been great for us. I have been curious though if other programs would be good for him. Thank you so comparing them it was really helpful :)

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I’m so glad you found it helpful!

[@rachel0130]

This was super helpful thank you

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I’m so glad! 😄😄

[@RockSimmer-gal4God]

I believe TGTB are bringing out an app for language arts!!! We personally aren’t keen on traditional curriculum as it’s too school like for us. Idk how my youngest daughter will do tho as she’s not going to school. Abecca looks overwhelming.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Nice! An app would be awesome! As far as Abeka, I get that, but it can work really really well if you want something straightforward.

[@saraarnett2557]

We switched from abeka to tgtb for 3rd grade LA. Abeka was too much paper, too much repetition and I hated the huge teacher guides. I love how compact tgtb is and how short the lessons are. Still learning a ton but so much less stress and mess.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Great points!

[@SummerMeyers]

Just ordered our 50% off stuff. 😅 I'm excited to see what they are going to shake up, but my kids are already needing the next levels so we are going ahead.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Good for you! I think the current levels are great so may as well take advantage of a great sale! Can’t wait to see what the new stuff holds too ☺️

[@homeschoolandme]

I agree 100%, every child is so different and not every curriculum will work with every child. My eight year old son is finishing up GATB level 2 LA, we used level one last year as well, we absolutely love this program for him. We tried level K with my five, now six year old, and it is just not a good fit. I am curious to see how the new editions will work with him. But I did go ahead and buy some Abeka curriculum, because sometimes you just have to try something different✨

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Totally agree! Try something different and see if it clicks! You just never know…

[@catgarcia24]

Thank you!! I appreciate this video so much. This past year has been our first year to home school and my 2nd grader and 5th grader are almost finished with their TGATB curriculum. My thoughts and opinions: PROS TGATB is definitely the cheaper option The morals and teachings of reading good and beautiful books is AMAZING The lessons are short and 120 lessons in math and ela It’s good for a first year homeschooler. CONS: My 2nd grader got bored a lot. I feel like he needs more and yes the lessons being short are nice but in reality, he needs as much learning that he can get. My 5th grader has gotten really frustrated with math. He loves the teacher, but I feel like he needs more teaching and sometimes it’s hard for me to go back and forth teaching them. Overall, TGATB is great, but this next coming school year we are going to try Abeka!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thanks for the summary! Best of luck with Abeka this year ☺️☺️

[@elizabeth0265]

How did Abeka go this year?

[@melissatokar2797]

Helpful video!! So for language arts do you also include the “reading” from Abeka? Or just stick to language and phonics book? Thanks!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

In Kinder and 1st grade but once they start reading pretty well on their own, I let them choose the books they read. None of my girls have been big fans of the readers from Abeka

[@carinaamaral4662]

I had to stop with the Abeka! Was to advanced for my daughter! I ordered the good and the … but this is my child . Also if your not doing it from the beginning with Abeka it’s not easy for the child

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I’m glad you found something that works well for your child! It’s always a blessing. I’m not sure I’d say that you have to use Abeka from the beginning to be successful. Kids from all different levels and ages have began it and had success (and some have not). It’s truly a matter of personal preference ❤️

[@puddingstonefarm1675]

Thank you for this comparison. It's just what I needed! Can you tell us please how much time each of these lessons would take ?

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Glad you found it helpful! The teaching parts for both will be relatively similar - it depends on the lesson, but generally around 10 minutes (sometimes longer sometimes shorter). The worksheets will probably be longer for Abeka but that’s only because there are two sheets…but again, you can adjust the amount of work you actually have the child do.

[@puddingstonefarm1675]

Thank you so much!

[@kamillebonnett3408]

I'm grateful for this comparison; however, I found the background music incredibly distracting and busy, and too close in volume to the speaking.

[@muchlismuin7217]

Thanks a lot of ...👍😍

[@anitabea4906]

This is great

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thank you so very much! ❤️

[@audrichavez]

Is it possible to do abeka without having to buy the entire teachers manual by using the small paw print areas to review the subjects that they need to know?

[@MM-yt2hq]

I would be worried that my son wouldn't get all the teaching he would need with TGATB. I love abeka. It works for us:)

[@tumaestra8458]

That was great

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thank you!

[@babybellalovesbeagle]

I love the Simply Good and Beautiful but unfortuntely my son did not like it. He prefers Abeka because it is a straight forward curriculum.

[@kayking3313]

Out of curiosity, could the student workbooks (Spelling, Reading, Phonics and Language) be completed without purchasing the Teacher Guide? I noticed you said there were little tips/tricks/review sections included in the student workbooks. Could those be used to guide the lessons along or would I absolutely need to purchase the TG?

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

It really depends! Some say yes, others say absolutely not! I think it’s how comfortable you feel teaching that subject, as well as your child’s needs. I never used the lesson plans for spelling or reading, just the grammar aspect of it. I found them helpful and they were great for introducing and reviewing concepts but I know many people never use the lesson plans and are just fine!

[@stephnewilder]

We just started our first year of homeschool at the beginning of this month. We are currently using TGATB for every subject, and I just don't know if we will continue with it next year, especially for language arts and history. Trying to figure out what options might be a better choice for us next year.

[@lailawalton5454]

I like Abeka and it seems to work for my kindergartener but I’ve heard great things about TGTB and wanted to try it. Would you suggest sticking with what we’ve been doing or try TGTB?

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Hi Laila! Unfortunately I can’t answer that for you…only you can. But if you’re wanting to try TGTB the current levels 1-5 are available for free to download and when the new levels come out, level K-8 (I believe it’s up to level 8) will be available for free to download. If you’re curious but now sure, print out a few lessons and see how it goes. That way you’re not wasting money if it doesn’t work out.

[@evalinemama]

I am the kind of person who will drop a curriculum halfway through the year and try something new. I am halfway through Masterbooks, and while my child can do it just fine, I feel like it is not teaching enough skills that I want her to learn. So I did just decide to order TGATB. If it is not too hard on your budget, don't be afraid to try new things. You can even see if you can find it used on Ebay. People who didn't like it will try to sell their curriculum. It might just have a few pages that were written in.

[@annam-k1868]

I didn't find "the good and the beautiful" phone number, How responsive are they, do they respond quickly and are they credited curriculum???

[@JaniceCrowell]

I did find it helpful. So is level TGTB the same as second grade? I have a first grader with severe ADHD using ABeka since K4, but now struggling to do things she was able to do a year or two ago. I was thinking of switching to the new TGTB Language. But not sure if I should do level 1 or 2.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

TGTB offers assessments on their website to see where your child should be placed. If you’re wanting to use the new LA, I would wait until they come out with the assessment and then go from there.

[@kayeanne9134]

Do you find content wise they are similar? Do they both cover pretty much the same topics/skills?

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Overall, yes. They’re both covering nouns, verbs, end punctuation, commas, adjectives, sentence diagramming. But TGTB adds prepositions and a few other minor things, and Abeka does dictionary and glossary skills. The main difference is style.

[@annacbrown1986]

I have only done TGTB 1 and abeka grade 1 and yes the WHAT they teach is pretty much the same. The how is different.

[@thegoldenfarmhouse4553]

How old is your child? I'm just wondering because some ppl say tgatb is advanced and they use level 2 for 3rd grade and so on. We are currently using level 1 for 2nd grade and it seems perfect for language arts but math level 1 isn't challenging them enough so we have already order level 2 for math. I just don't want them behind. But not overwhelmed either.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

My 2nd grader is 8. Their current levels of LA are advanced but their math is on grade level. However their new LA is supposed to be on grade level so I’m not sure how it’s going to overlap 🤷🏻‍♀️ Just go at a pace that feels right for your kids. If they’re getting it quickly, then move faster. But if they seem to be content in the pace, just keep going as is.

[@thegoldenfarmhouse4553]

@@thepracticalhomeschooler thank you. My 2nd graders are 8 as well. They were in public school (kindergarten) when the pandemic started and I feel like that set them back in the reading department so now that we homeschool we are playing catch up. I absolutely love your videos. Thank you for all your knowledge. ❤

[@marygibson2518]

I’m curious to know if both children still prefer what they originally preferred. My girls are all very different and have different learning styles. My first THRIVES with TGAB and my second doesn’t. We used a mix of explode the code, abeka, and all about reading for her. I have two boys coming up after them 😳 Part of me feels like abeka is “easier” for some, but then they can easily move over to the GATB.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

You know, they ended up swapping lol. By level 4 TGTB is 99% independent and my oldest loves how it’s laid out. My other liked TGTB for level 2, but wanted to go back to Abeka for 3rd grade lol. Like yours, they are both very different too!

[@victoriaswitzer6184]

We've done abeka k and 1 language arts. Considering switching to TGATB for 2nd grade. Do you see any issues as far as there being gaps in switching? I do believe the main learning to read and phonic for abeka is K- 2nd. So if I switch to TGATB for 2nd will he have gaps?

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

The only thing is TGTB teaches grammar in k and level 1 and Abeka doesn’t. So I’d make sure they have at least a general sense of noun and verb (you also should have your child take the assessment on TGTB website to see what else is covered).

[@elizabethbrown2687]

Charlotte Mason art study is simpler. It works on the skill of mental visualization which is foundational to strong reading comprehension. the child also does fewer works of art-6 per 12 week trimester. Youngest really dislikes the "art study" in TGTB and I find it doesn't have the benefit that art study has in either Charlotte Mason or Classical methods. It's just using art as a way to reinforce the language arts.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Yes the CM study looks great too! I don’t mind it in TGTB though. I have one who loves it and one who doesn’t…just depends on the child

[@aleshiarodriguez6138]

When we used Abeka I found it hard to use without also buying their spelling and poetry depending on grade level. I did love it though, we decided to get away from Abeka after a few years for a few reason based on each child. It's a very good traditional option. I think we are going to try TGTB this year for my younger 2 who are 5 and 7 yrs old.

[@aleshiarodriguez6138]

Also, I'm so thankful for your full detail videos. 💖

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thanks for watching ❤️ glad it was helpful!

[@marisabullock3065]

which one did you decide on using with your children ?

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

One used Abeka and one used TGTB

[@marisabullock3065]

@@thepracticalhomeschooler thanks for getting back to me. Is there one you found you prefer over the other or will your children continue to use the different curriculums?

[@trainupachildhomeschooling6493]

what flash cards are necessary to teach grade 2 language arts?

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I believe it’s just the basic phonics charts that review the special sounds. I think they recommend more, and use more, but that’s all we used as it was the majority of the phonics instruction/review. (Trying to remember from 2 years ago lol)

[@christinachirichello2930]

Do you think the good and the beautiful is lacking compared to Abeka?

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I just think they’re different, and focus on different things. Abeka is very phonics heavy in k5, 1st and even 2nd. They don’t even introduce grammar until 2nd grade. TGTB has a broader area of focus (grammar, geography, poetry, art, etc) as well as phonics.

[@karivanhorn1765]

Have you ever tried BJU ?

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Not their LA. But I know it’s a good one!

[@karivanhorn1765]

@@thepracticalhomeschooler we switched from Masterbooks to BJU .. In most of our curriculum and we are loving it ! I am noticing there arent many new BJU videos 🤷‍♀️ makes me question myself and want to buy all the curriculum 🤦🏼‍♀️🤣