IXL for Homeschool: Is It a Good Idea?

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Wondering if IXL for homeschool is the path you want to take? Read all about it, including whether IXL can be your full curriculum, a supplemental tool, or even just a diagnostic tool, in our complete guide.

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As a homeschool parent, you are constantly looking for the best resources to support your homeschool student and their learning process. One of the more popular resources out there is IXL. 

IXL is an online learning platform that is used in both public school settings as well as homeschool classrooms. It uses state and national standards to design curriculum and activities by grade level. IXL also helps with standardized test preparation as well. We have taken a closer look at the platform to help you make an informed choice on whether IXL is a good fit for your homeschool curriculum. 

How Does IXL Work

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IXL

IXL is a digital learning platform that provides a K-12 curriculum across multiple subjects including math, English language arts, science, and social studies, and more. Its standout feature is its diagnostic tool that works in real time to assess students' proficiency levels, providing an individualized learning experience. 

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IXL takes current grade level standards and curriculum and designs activities and lessons for each age level. It is intended to be a flexible and supplemental resource to your current curriculum. While IXL can be used in a variety of ways, it is often used as a tool to reinforce skills already taught as well as a checkpoint to see how students are doing with specific content. 

One of the key benefits of IXL is that it takes the data from your student and analyzes it for feedback and goals. In other words, it shows your student the areas in which they need improvement and it also shows their areas of strength. It then updates itself accordingly to meet them where they are in the learning process and creates a personalized action plan that is specific to where your student is in the learning process. 

Give it a try here.

How Students Feel About IXL

Every student learns differently and many students thrive with programs such as IXL. Since IXL utilizes online worksheets and practice, some students enjoy the fact that they can complete their work efficiently and receive immediate feedback on their progress. IXL gives students a sense of independence and accountability. 

Other students have a hard time staying engaged with the program as it is not as interactive as in-person lessons. However, if it is used as a supplementary resource and for shorter periods of time many students report back positively as they enjoy knowing what they need to work on and appreciate being able to see the progress they are making. 

Benefits of Using IXL for Homeschool Families

IXL comes with many perks, including mini-lessons to teach new topics and webinars to help parents with teaching skills. You can search by state to ensure your standards align with the lessons your kids are completing. Many families love how easily accessible IXL is for both parents and students and that it takes the guesswork out of lesson planning. 

Parents also enjoy the fact that kids can work independently by using the recommendations wall in the program that shows students exactly what they need to be working on during their time using the resource. 

For older students, IXL can help with test preparation and has sections specifically designed for tests such as the SAT and the ACT. Students report feeling more prepared for these tests when they use IXL as a resource to practice and reinforce skills. 

IXL Helps With Differentiation

As a homeschool family, you know that differentiation is imperative for learning. Not all children learn at the same pace and IXL recognizes that as well. IXL is a great resource, especially for families that have multiple ages they are teaching at home. 

Since IXL is constantly assessing where students are in the curriculum, it naturally differentiates and either slows down the content or provides more challenging material if a student needs it. IXL does recommend that each week students answer at least 10 of the diagnostic questions so the program can keep up consistently with the student’s progress. This allows the student to receive content and material that meets them exactly where they are in the learning process. 

Final Thoughts on IXL

IXL is a great resource for reviewing material and providing additional support to your curriculum. Because it aligns with your curriculum, it is a great resource to use to assess how your student is doing with their current grade level content. 

It has a high success rate and can be beneficial for the right students. Whether you choose to use IXL daily or a few times a week, students can benefit from the additional practice which will improve their overall skills in the different content areas. 

Learn more about IXL here.