ACT Mom Online Class Review

I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew. 

ACT Prep can be stressful for families, but I truly believe that most (if not all homeschoolers) should include test prep as part of a rigorous high school and college readiness education. While I have tried many ACT prep products in the past, the ACT Mom Online Class is unique. Read on to see why we find the self-paced option from ACT Mom to be one of the more valuable solutions on the market.

What is ACT Mom Online Class?

Designed by homeschool mom Kati Johnson and her husband, the course is an online, self-paced version of the in-person workshops she's been doing for years. The course can be completed in your own time, through 18 hours of videos and exercises delivered in bite-sized chunks of information and encouragement. We also received a book in the mail with actual ACT test samples to help us study and put the skills we learned to work. (We received year access to the program for our review.)

The course is broken up into four mini-courses, one for each subject on the ACT test. You can start them in any order, but I recommend getting through all of them as soon as possible, then returning to the subject matter as you need to. 

Each video is followed by a comprehension question (or more) to see that the student picked up one of the major themes or lessons from the preceding video course. 

How is the ACT Mom Online Class different?

Johnson explains in the beginning of the course that she has poured over years and years of tests to find the patterns and the mechanics behind the questions. Nothing is really to chance. The course is made to give your child actionable tips for reading and answering questions, and she even includes unique tips about what to eat and the order of how you should tackle each section. She uses real-life examples from her own children, as well as what she's seen on the tests from over the year. She shares that other test prep products may not be based on actual ACT tests; she only uses ACT tests to form her approach.

Johnson is warm but direct about what kids need to do to excel. I feel like I'm getting actual coaching, and she sets herself apart from other programs by being intentional with every video. No time is wasted, and the 18 hours of coursework is packed with tips and information from actual tests and testing experiences. 

This course doesn't incorporate games, drills, or gimmicks to help kids prepare. It's seriously all about using old tests and sample tests from the official ACT website to form a plan of attack. Her approach of reverse-engineering to prep for specific ACT themes and knowledge topics is impressive and had me excited to start this process with our son.

Finally, Johnson developed her approach through actual evidence-based testing and experience with her own kids. She didn't just come up with something based on what she thought; her methods were formed after what she did and saw. The proof is in the pudding here, and I loved that she was honest about how many points each of her children were able to raise their score. While not every child in her family increased equally, she was able to get each kid to their own aptitude with impressive scores that I would have been pleased to see from my own kids. 

ACT Mom Online Class Review Summary

I'll be honest. We have used many test prep solutions over the years. My oldest daughter was able to raise her score 3 points just by taking the test more than once and becoming more comfortable with the process. This is something that Johnson acknowledges, and part of the strategy is to retake the test 3, 4, or even 7 times until you get a much higher score. If you aren't willing to put in the work, study and practice at least weekly, and invest in the cost of retaking the ACT, this course likely won't do much for you.

Howevever, if you watch the very first video, she explains why she put together this program. I'm not one for fluffy words of encouragement, but she gets very real about how ACT tests are a part of college and one of the best ways to get money for college. She explains that standardized tests aren't something most of us as homeschoolers really align with, but it's something we must accept. She gets right to the nitty-gritty on how this program should be used and what's at stake if it's done consistently.

As a mom who loves to tackle problems systematically, this course felt so good to use. We have a long way to go, only having just started it with our son. But, I've previewed almost all of the lessons, and I feel like I finally have a strategy to helping my son. She is very honest that, if your child can learn, this is something that can happen -- it's not just for genius kids! 

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this for anyone wanting to either familiarize their child with the nuts and bolts of ACT testing or who needs to raise scores to be able to pay for school. Your mileage will vary, and you must be willing to put in the work. Armed with this plan, however, I do truly believe that the ACT Mom's approach is one of the best around. 

(Note: With COVID making it difficult in some areas to test for the ACT, colleges have been making some test scores optional. I still highly recommend you have your kids study and prep for the ACT, with the goal of finding a testing avenue for during or after COVID. Even if schools do away with the ACT, I'm of the personal opinion that those kids who DO test will stand out in their initiative and commitment to overcoming what has been a really awful situation for our kids. 

The ACT Mom Online class can be a powerful tool in your toolkit for helping your kid earn scholarships and fight their way into schools that may have otherwise been closed to you due to financial reasons. Keep at it!)

Learn more:

You can read about the course on the ACT Mom website or see her on Facebook!

Read other parent reviews here.