I have used Abeka 4 years and my son has never wanted to use anything else. He is one who likes to be tested on what he’s learned. So we like having the tests. I cut out the seatwork and sometimes only have him do half the questions on a page. It’s too much if you do all the teacher books recommend. My son works independently and I just ask him the questions. So he basically teaches himself using the workbooks explanations and examples. If you are a traditional homeschooler then I highly recommend Abeka!
We use Abeka and love it! We use Christian Liberty for the first couple years, then Abeka for the rest. I don't like their Bible program (expensive, and I don't like the format). All the rest is super thorough! It reviews every day, or every week and does a great job at drilling the information home, which my kids seem to need. It is heavy on paperwork, but I like that to a point, and once the child has mastered something, I often skip sections of that, like a review in math. The history, in particular, can be dry. When the kids' eyes start to glaze over, I read from the book while the kiddos act out the battles or whatever, or play it out with army men...whatever works. They retain the info so much better that way.
