Monarch vs Time4Learning
The main differences
Both are online curricula with most work graded by the program and the parent watching a dashboard. Monarch starts at 3rd grade, teaches mostly through text-based lessons read on screen, and one Full Access subscription opens more than 100 core and elective courses for $439.95 a year. Time4Learning starts at pre-K, leans more on recorded video and interactive activities, and sells a membership by grade level at $39.95 a month or about $335 a year.
| Monarch | Time4Learning | |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects | All subjects: math, language arts, science and history and geography | All subjects: math, reading and phonics, language arts, science and history and geography |
| Grades | 3rd to 12th grade | Pre-K to 12th grade |
| Method | Mastery | Traditional |
| Format | On screen | On screen |
| Faith label | Faith-based | Secular |
| Cost a year | $439.95. Full Access for one student: $439.95 a year, or $43.95 a month, which is $527.40 for 12 months. A single course is $109.95 a year or $10.95 a month. | $335.52. 3rd grade membership (four courses) for one student: $39.95 a month, which is $479.40 for 12 months. The annual plan is shown as $27.96 a month (30% off), about $335.52 for the year. A second student is 10% off. |
| Placement | None on the publisher's site | How to choose a grade level (FAQ) ↗ |
| Parent time | Not stated by the publisher | The publisher says parents may spend 1 to 2 hours a day guiding kindergarten to 2nd grade, 30 minutes to 1 hour a day for 3rd to 8th grade, and 15 to 30 minutes a day in high school. |
| It fits | A family with a child in 3rd grade or up who can read lessons on screen and work at their own pace, and a parent who wants scheduling and most grading handled for them. | A family that wants the child to learn mostly on screen at their own pace, with grading and progress reports handled by the program. |
| It doesn't fit | A family with young children, one that wants to keep screen time low, or one that needs an accredited school with teachers. | A family that wants to keep screen time low, or that needs an accredited school with teachers, grades on a transcript and a diploma. |
Monarch
Monarch is an online curriculum for 3rd to 12th grade. The parent schedules the year, assigns courses and checks progress in the platform, while the student works through mostly text-based interactive lessons with short videos, audio clips and games, and most of the work is graded automatically. A Full Access subscription opens more than 100 core and elective courses for one student, and single courses are sold too.
Does well: One Full Access subscription covers language arts, math, science, history and more than 60 electives for one student.
Watch for: It starts at 3rd grade, so younger children need a different program.
Time4Learning
Time4Learning is an online curriculum for pre-K to 12th grade that the child works through on a computer at their own pace. Lessons mix recorded video instruction, interactive activities, quizzes and printable worksheets, and the program grades the work and keeps progress reports for the parent. A monthly membership for one student includes four core courses in elementary (language arts, math, and science and social studies for most grades) and four core courses plus three electives from 6th grade.
Does well: One monthly price covers the core subjects for a grade, with lessons, quizzes and grading all done in the program.
Watch for: Most of the teaching happens on screen, and it needs a PC or Mac with a steady internet connection; Android is not supported for K to 5th grade.
Lists with both
- Homeschool all-in-one curricula 22
- Homeschool curricula for middle school 51
- Homeschool curricula for high school 38
- Online homeschool curricula 8
- Homeschool curricula for $300 to $600 a year 7
- Homeschool all-in-one curricula for middle school 21
- Homeschool all-in-one curricula for high school 20
- Online homeschool all-in-one curricula 4
How we label
Every fact on a card was read on the publisher's own website on the date shown, and the page it came from is linked. A fact we could not confirm there is left out. Costs are for one child and one year of the main package, as the publisher's page showed them that day; prices and sales change. Method and format are the publisher's own description where it gives one. The only thing we say about religion is one label, secular or faith-based, given by the rule above; where the publisher's pages don't settle it, the card has no label.
Something wrong or out of date? Send a correction; publishers can send corrections, never money. Every program compared