Honest IXL Homeschool Curriculum Review (2025)

This is a sponsored post. I have received complimentary access to this product and have been compensated for my time reviewing the product and producing this review. This resource may contain affiliate links for said product. I have not been influenced in any way and my opinions on this product are my own.

When it comes to personalizing your child’s education, and selecting a homeschool curriculum, the right tools matter. This IXL homeschool curriculum review will focus on our experience using IXL as a homeschool curriculum, what it does well, and where it may fall short, so you can decide if it’s the right fit for your family.

What is IXL?

Believe it or not, but IXL and I go back…way back! When I was a teacher, I distinctly remember filling out paperwork to get a classroom IXL account approved for my students. My students used IXL as a supplement to their daily lessons and really looked forward to “computer time” when they could learn on the coveted classroom desktops.

The IXL program has changed a bit in the past *cough, cough* fifteen years (eek!), but the IXL goal of providing a digital, personalized learning for students has remained the same. So, what exactly is IXL?

At it’s core, IXL is a comprehensive, online K-12 curriculum used in classrooms & homes by more than 17 million students. Currently, the IXL program includes lessons in the following subjects:

• Math: Pre-K through Calculus
• Language Arts: Pre-K through 12th grade
• Science: Kindergarten through Chemistry
• Social Studies: Kindergarten through Civics & Government
• Spanish: all ages

With the exception of a number of optional printables such as BINGO cards, scavenger hunts, goal posters, coloring sheets, and certificates, IXL provides a completely immersive online learning experience. Both parents & benefit from real-time analytics, educational recommendations, diagnostics, and (a favorite in my family) awards.

Adaptive Learning Technology

One of the perks of homeschooling is being able to provide a completely customized education for our children – I’m sure you’ve either heard me say this before or have read it in my other articles…it means that much to me! An education with IXL is no different. When kids answer problems, IXL adjusts to their skill level, offering more practice when needed and moving on when they show mastery. This isn’t top secret information available only to parents, either – when the kids finish a lesson, they receive instant feedback so they’re able to see right away their level of mastery.

Grade Levels & Personalization

You know how a child’s age doesn’t necessarily always correlate to their grade level? Like, an 11-year-old could be the right age for being a sixth grade student, but they may read on an 8th grade level or have a mastery of math at a 5th grade level. There’s nothing wrong with that – all kids learn at different a different pace! IXL has taken these variables into consideration!

IXL has programs running from Pre-K all the way through grade 12. That means parents can customize their online IXL education by grade level at any time. I love this so much! Way to be inclusive, right?!

Curriculum Supplementation

While IXL can totally be used as a stand-alone homeschool curriculum for all the kids in your family, it can also serve as supplement to a number of other curriculum programs like Mystery Science, Eureka Math, Saxon Math, TCI curriculums, and more. In this case, IXL has Textbook Skill Plans set up to supplement the activities covered in such curriculum.

Whether you’re using IXL as a complete curriculum or are using it as a supplement to a hard-copy textbook, I love that IXL offers options to fit a variety of learning styles and methods.

Our Experience Using the IXL Homeschool Curriculum

Our opportunity to try out IXL and provide this review honestly couldn’t have come at a better time. We’re in between moving from one state to another, most of our curriculum is packed up, and things are just beyond chaotic. While I may not have a stable level of stress/calm, I do have…laptops.

I mean, traveling with a tween & teenage boys, being sure to pack the technology is just a given, right? Not only have the laptops been a source of entertainment for my kids & I, but they’ve also proven (no surprise) to be super beneficial when it comes to online learning opportunities.

How has our experience with the IXL homeschool curriculum been going this summer? What are we loving about this online program? What are we not so fond about? Let’s chat a bit!

What We Love about IXL

As a former teacher turned homeschooling mom, I certainly appreciate that IXL offers educational opportunities for kids on all levels. For the past few months, I’ve had both my boys trying out the curriculum for their age grade level. They’ve both done well with that, but, I like that I have the option to change levels. I also love that IXL adapts to their abilities, allowing them to breeze through content they have a solid understanding in or providing them extra practice through videos or question/answer exercises.

In addition, I love that IXL is fairly low on the “frills.” Through the immersive learning experience, my kids were able to stay focused on the content being taught/measured instead of being distracted by keeping up with a ranking against other platform users or taking care of virtual pets for example. I understand such features can be beneficial for some kids, but it was refreshing to have my kids use a program that focused more on quality of education vs. quality of incentives, you know?

I also love that the IXL curriculum is perfect for on-the-go families, allowing the kids to easily complete their lessons when they’re able to. Because the platform doesn’t keep the kids held to a “complete work every day” standard (Have you read the horror stories of kids that have broken an online learning streak because they took a day off for whatever reason? They don’t need that stress!), kids are able to work at their own pace & when their schedules allow…on whichever device they choose!

One more! The information my kids learned has actually stuck with them! Recently, we were spending a day at the beach. My youngest was playing in the sand & ended up building a pyramid. He said it looked just like the pyramid that would’ve been built during a certain time period (I confess – I don’t remember the time period he mentioned). I was amazed he said that and asked him “where did you learn about that?!” He said he learned about it on IXL. Win!

What We Would Change About IXL

Granted, we certainly don’t have the ability to actually change anything about IXL, but, if we could make some changes, we would:

• change the log-in process: a very minor inconvenience, but I figured this was worth mentioning. With the IXL membership, the accounts for my kids are “attached” to my parent account. In order to log-in to their accounts, my kids have to first input my username and password. From there, they click on their name and type in their “secret word.” Sometimes their computers remembered my username and password, sometimes they didn’t. It could certainly (read: probably) be a user-error, but it did require some extra effort on my part.
• include printables: I know there are varying feelings on the use of printables in the homeschool community, but I find them to be helpful. While it’s not a deal-breaker feature, I would’ve liked to see some math printables, for example, that could be printed to offer some extra paper-pencil practice.
• include an optional social aspect: my kids have enjoyed socializing with kids through other online platforms, so, when I asked my kids what they would change about IXL, they both suggested adding some opportunities to socialize. As a parent, I would feel comfortable with this if it was monitored in some way.

Give the IXL Homeschool Curriculum a Try

With all that IXL has to offer, it’s certainly worth considering including it in your homeschool days. Should you be reading this article soon after publishing, you’ll be happy to know IXL has a special offer for my community! Enjoy 25% off an IXL Yearly Family Membership when you sign up through this link. After the membership starts, you’ll have immediate access to the educational content and your kids can start learning through their online platform!

Just in case you sign up and find IXL isn’t a great fit for your family, they do offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. I love when curriculum companies believe in their platform enough to offer a great guarantee!

So, will you be including IXL in your homeschool days this year? Have your kids used IXL before? Share your experiences below – you may help another homeschool family in their decision!

Until next time, stay safe and enjoy quality time with your family,