Jennifer Lee is from Taiwan. Her husband, Anton, grew up in Indonesia. Neither had experienced homeschooling because it was not really an option in their respective countries. So when the decision arose as to how they would educate their daughter, Olivia, the notion of homeschooling was met with resistance by their parents.

“In the beginning, they didn’t understand why I’d want to homeschool,” Jennifer said. “But now, as they see how well Olivia is doing, getting to learn about both eastern and western cultures, they are all for it.”

Choosing Abeka

Jennifer and Anton met at Pensacola Christian College. That’s where they first heard about Abeka. In fact, the couple still resides in Pensacola, Florida, though being PCC alums is not the sole reason they chose Abeka for their daughter. Instead, they use Abeka knowing that Olivia will not be behind if she one day decides to attend a private Christian school.

“If she were to go back,” Jennifer said, “we would send her to Pensacola Christian Academy, a school that’s on the Abeka curriculum. So I feel like if she were to do that down the road, homeschooling with Abeka would make the transfer very smooth because she wouldn’t have to play catch up.”

In fact, Jennifer’s daughter is already ahead in math, a subject at which she excels. She’s working through the Grade 3 curriculum as a second-grader.

“We don’t have a rigid schedule, so Abeka allows her to get ahead,” Jennifer said. “The flexibility is very important to us.”  

Homeschool Anywhere

The Lee family enjoys traveling to see family. They also appreciate not having to plan trips around summer and Christmas vacation, when airplane tickets and hotels are especially expensive. If a trip to Indonesia is most economical in March, then they go in March. Olivia can do her lessons just no matter where they are in the world. Or, like Jennifer said, if Olivia is flying through her lessons, she can take a short break that wouldn’t otherwise be permitted if she were in a public school. After their trips, they pick right back up where they left off upon their return home without worry.

Side Work

Jennifer is also a fantastic photographer. It’s something she does on the side, in the afternoons, after school lessons are completed. She sees her clients as more than just subjects; they are relationships that she truly loves building.

“Taking Olivia with me on photoshoots is a great way to reinforce some of the things she’s studying in school,” Jennifer said. “She learns how to meet and socialize with new people, sees how I interact with clients. I feel like it’s just as important for her as it is for me.”

Abeka is Easy to Understand

Learning a second language is never easy. Teaching in a second language can be downright frustrating. For Jennifer, using Abeka as their homeschool curriculum has made teaching easy.

“One of the most attractive aspects about Abeka is that it’s so easy to understand,” Jennifer said. “It walks me step by step through every single thing I need to do to make sure my daughter is getting the best education possible.”

Though she may try Abeka Academy in the coming years, Jennifer is taking advantage of Abeka’s FlexTeach approach by leading the lessons herself. It’s what works for her family.

“If we want to sleep in a bit, we can,” she said. “My daughter is doing really well and that’s what matters the most to us!”