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Two all-in-one homeschool curricula, compared on what actually decides the fit: subjects and math included, faith content, teaching style and how much you'll teach.
Updated September 2026 · based on parent reviews and publisher information
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Compare for my child| Abeka | BJU Press Homeschool | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | PreK–12th | PreK–12th |
| Subjects | Bible, math, language arts/grammar, spelling, reading, history, science/health (art, video academy sold separately) | Bible, language arts, spelling, reading, handwriting, heritage studies (history), science, math — all included by grade level |
| Math | Included | Included |
| Faith | Christian worldview throughout | Christian worldview throughout |
| Approach | Traditional: textbooks/worktexts, drill and memorization, conservative Christian worldview | Traditional textbooks/worktexts with explicit Christian worldview integration |
| Who teaches | The parent teaches from a scripted guide | The parent teaches from a scripted guide |
| Parent prep | Low (scripted teacher editions) but active daily teaching, esp. in early grades | High (teacher's editions script every lesson, but parent must actively teach) |
| Screen time | Mostly offline (books and paper) | A mix of screen and paper |
| Video lessons | None: this profile covers the books-only parent-led kit; Abeka Academy video is a separate accredited product | Available: video courses available for many subjects but books/kits work without them |
| Cost | $569: Grade 3 Homeschool Child Full-Grade Kit, all subjects incl. math | $1,044.60: BJU Press Complete Grade 4 homeschool kit, all subjects incl. math (25% off Christianbook.com list price; a Grade 3 kit was not listed at time of research, so nearest verified grade shown) |
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Parents who want structure like that Abeka spells out exactly what to do every day and covers every subject thoroughly, with especially strong phonics, arithmetic drill, and high-school science texts. The most common criticism is that it's worktext- and quiz-heavy, feeling dry and rote rather than exploratory, and that its history and science content pushes a strongly conservative, young-earth Christian viewpoint that some reviewers say oversimplifies or mischaracterizes topics like slavery.
Parents generally praise BJU Press for covering every subject with strong academics and a clear Christian worldview built into each lesson, and many like the optional video courses that essentially do the teaching for them. The most common complaint is the sheer size and density of the teacher's editions -- families teaching multiple grade levels say it's hard to get through all the material, and some end up skipping parts of the teacher's guide, which undercuts the program. A few reviewers also flag the price and the amount of active daily parent instruction it demands, especially for math and science.
Neither is better for every child. Abeka is the stronger fit for mostly offline; some. BJU Press Homeschool is the stronger fit for hands-on unit studies; video lessons a big plus; plenty.
Abeka: included. BJU Press Homeschool: included.
Abeka: $569: Grade 3 Homeschool Child Full-Grade Kit, all subjects incl. math. BJU Press Homeschool: $1,044.60: BJU Press Complete Grade 4 homeschool kit, all subjects incl. math (25% off Christianbook.com list price; a Grade 3 kit was not listed at time of research, so nearest verified grade shown).
Summaries are in our own words.