Online curriculum · Updated September 4, 2026

Kindy vs Time4Learning

Time4Learning is a browser-based homeschool curriculum from PreK to 12th grade, owned by Cambium Learning Group, that costs $39.95 a month per student and delivers animated lessons with automated grading and printable reports. Its preschool level has two sub-levels covering language arts, math, science and thematic units, about 30 to 60 minutes a day on a screen. Kindy is a $9.99 a month parent-led preschool curriculum: the child is never on a screen, a free readiness check places the child by ability, and the parent gets one 10 to 15 minute activity a day. Choose Time4Learning for a full online school with records. Choose Kindy to teach your preschooler yourself in a fraction of the time and cost.

Choose Kindy if

  • Your child is 3 to 5 and you want to teach them yourself, screen-free
  • 10 to 15 minutes a day is realistic for your family; an hour is not
  • You want placement by what your child can do rather than a level you choose
  • $9.99 a month fits better than $39.95

Choose Time4Learning if

  • You are homeschooling formally and need lesson records, grading and portfolio reports
  • You want one platform that continues from preschool through high school
  • You want your child to work through lessons independently on a computer
  • You have several children and can use the sibling discounts

At a glance

Kindy and Time4Learning at a glance. Facts checked September 4, 2026; sources at the end of the page.
KindyTime4Learning
Price$9.99 per month, $4.99 per month for each additional child, cancel anytime in the app$39.95/month per student; about 30% off annual; sibling discounts
Free option or trialFree readiness assessment with full results kept in the account; no card needed; subscribe only if you want the daily curriculum14-day money-back guarantee (monthly plans only; excludes annual plans per third-party report)
Ages3-5 (the two to three years before kindergarten); placement is by ability, not agePreK-12 (Preschool level: PreK 1 and PreK 2, typically 3-4 year olds per customer reviews on the preschool product page)
Who is on the screenThe parent onlyThe child
Formatweb app for the parent (installable on a phone); activities are done hands-on, off screenweb
Time per dayOne 10 to 15 minute activity a day; the app offers more on energetic daysAbout 30 minutes to 1 hour daily for early learners, per the official preschool curriculum page
How it adapts to the childEvery activity ends with one tap on how it went (Nailed it, Almost, Not yet). Three Nailed it ratings mark a skill mastered and it leaves the rotation; mastered letters and skills circle back for quick reviews so they stick. The next day's activity is chosen from the child's current level across all areas.Automated grading and progress tracking let a student work at their own pace within lessons; official site does not describe algorithmic adaptivity or placement testing for the Preschool level
How the child is placedBy a readiness assessmentBy level chosen in the product
Skills coveredliteracy (letters, sounds, print awareness), early math (counting, number sense, shapes), language (vocabulary, storytelling, listening), thinking (problem solving, memory), social-emotional (sharing, manners, separation, feelings), fine motor (pencil grip, scissors, self-help), focus and self-controllanguage arts (phonics, letter recognition, vocabulary), math (counting, shapes), science, social studies/thematic units (weather, farm animals, zoo animals, seasons, space, ocean life), self-awareness / healthy habits
Secular or faith-basedsecularsecular (no religious content found on official Preschool or FAQ pages; not explicitly labeled 'secular' by the company in the pages checked)
What the parent doesThe parent reads today's activity on their phone and does it with the child using things at home; the app tells them what to do and what to say. The child never uses the app.Lessons are described by the company as 'designed for independent use,' though the official Preschool page notes younger children 'often benefit from parental guidance, especially when navigating the platform or working on new concepts.' Parents track progress and manage cancellation via a Parent Dashboard.

What each one actually is

Time4Learning launched its online platform in 2004 and was acquired by Cambium Learning Group in 2018; its lessons are provided by Edgenuity. It is a month-to-month subscription at $39.95 per student for PreK to 5th grade, with sibling discounts of 10 to 25%, about 30% off annual plans, and a 14-day money-back guarantee on monthly plans. The preschool level is split into PreK 1 with 17 units and PreK 2 with 12 units, covering language arts, math, science and thematic units such as weather and farm animals, plus healthy habits. The company suggests 30 minutes to an hour a day and says lessons are designed for independent use, while noting that younger children often benefit from a parent nearby. It needs a screen of at least 10 inches and a stable connection.

Kindy is $9.99 a month and is not a screen for the child. The parent takes a free readiness check, Kindy places the child by ability and builds a plan across literacy, early math, language, thinking, social-emotional and fine motor skills, and each day gives the parent one 10 to 15 minute hands-on activity with what to do and say. A tap on how it went adjusts tomorrow. Cancel in one tap.

Price, and the price history

Time4Learning's price has risen several times in recent years. Third-party reviews in 2026 report roughly $15 a month per student in 2021, an increase of about 60% in 2024, around $30 in 2025 and $39.95 today; the two official pages we checked on September 4, 2026 both showed $39.95. Reviews remain generally positive on engagement, with an increasing number of complaints about price rises. Kindy has one published price, $9.99 a month, with $4.99 for a second child.

For a preschooler specifically, the cost difference is four to one and the time difference is similar: Time4Learning suggests 30 to 60 minutes a day on a screen, Kindy asks for 10 to 15 minutes with you.

School at home versus learning at home

Time4Learning is school-shaped: units, lessons, automated grades, printable reports that homeschool families can put in a portfolio. That structure is a real benefit for families who need to show a record. Kindy is home-shaped: a readiness check, a daily activity in the kitchen or the garden, and a progress picture built from your own rating of how it went.

Kindy also covers what an online lesson cannot practise: separating from you, waiting a turn, holding scissors, following a two-step direction. Time4Learning's preschool level lists self-awareness and healthy habits as content; Kindy practises the social and self-help skills with you.

Where Time4Learning is the better choice

Records and continuity. Automated grading, printable reports for a homeschool portfolio, and one platform from preschool through 12th grade. If you homeschool formally and want a paper trail, Time4Learning provides it and Kindy does not.

Independence. Lessons are designed for the child to work through alone in a browser, which frees the parent. Kindy needs the parent every day.

Where Kindy is the better choice

Fit for a preschooler. Ten to fifteen minutes, hands-on, with you, chosen from a readiness check rather than a level you pick. No 10-inch screen required, no hour a day.

Price and clarity. $9.99 a month against $39.95, one published price, and cancellation in one tap with your child's results kept free.

Questions parents ask

How much does Time4Learning cost in 2026?

$39.95 a month per student for PreK through 5th grade, and the same for 6th through 12th, with sibling discounts of 10 to 25%, about 30% off annual plans, and a 14-day money-back guarantee on monthly plans. Checked September 4, 2026 on two official pages.

Has Time4Learning raised its prices?

Third-party reviews in 2026 report several increases: about $15 a month in 2021, a roughly 60% rise in 2024, around $30 in 2025, and $39.95 in 2026. These figures come from reviews, not from Time4Learning.

Is Time4Learning secular?

No religious content appears on its preschool or FAQ pages and it is generally described as secular, though the company does not label it that way on the pages we checked. Kindy is secular.

Can Kindy replace a homeschool preschool curriculum?

Yes for the learning; no for the paperwork. Kindy gives you a daily plan across every readiness area and tracks progress from your ratings. It does not produce graded reports for a portfolio.

Which is better for a 4 year old?

For a 4 year old whose parent has 15 minutes a day and does not want more screen time, Kindy. For a homeschooling family that wants a full online curriculum with records the child works through alone, Time4Learning.

Sources

Facts about Time4Learning:

Facts about Kindy:

Note: Pricing shown by different tools/sources varied ($24.95-$34.95 in some search-engine summaries of possibly stale cached third-party pages) but the two live official pages fetched directly (time4learning.com FAQ and homepage, both accessed 2026-09-04) both independently show $39.95/month for PreK-5 and for 6-12, so that figure is used as current. No official Time4Learning page found in this research explicitly states the word 'secular'; classification here is inferred from the absence of any religious content on the pages reviewed. Annual price in USD was not disclosed as a fixed number on any page found -- only the 30% discount rate off the monthly price. Exact Preschool-level lesson/activity count was not found on official pages; only a sitewide '3,500+ lessons and activities' figure (PreK-12) was found via search-indexed marketing copy, not directly fetched from a primary page in this session.

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