Switched-On Schoolhouse (Alpha Omega Publications)

Switched-On Schoolhouse (SOS) was Alpha Omega Publications' computer-based curriculum on CD-ROM, as AOP's 2015 shop page and 2022 notice describe it. AOP's archived 2022 notice says SOS has been discontinued and that technical support is no longer available, and encourages SOS users to try Monarch, which it calls the next generation of SOS. As of October 2026, aop.com has no Switched-On Schoolhouse page and lists no SOS course.

Last updated: 2026-10-08 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Computer-based curriculum; AOP's 2015 shop page describes it as textbook-style learning in a computer-based format
Worldview	Christian: AOP's 2015 shop page describes SOS as a Christian homeschool curriculum, and AOP publishes a Statement of Faith
Grades	3-12
Formats	CD-ROM; AOP's 2015 shop page lists the Windows operating system, and its support page archived in December 2020 lists Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
Cost tier	Not sold by AOP today (its home page lists no SOS brand), so AOP lists no current price
Parent intensity	2
ESA-common	No. AOP no longer sells SOS, and its ClassWallet page lists Monarch, LIFEPAC, and Horizons as the curriculum families can buy
Accredited	Not applicable. SOS is a curriculum; AOP's accredited online school is Ignite Christian Academy, formerly Alpha Omega Academy per AOP's Privacy Policy
Established	1997: AOP's archived 2022 notice says SOS was released as an interactive CD-ROM curriculum in 1997, and AOP's archived 2001 history page says AOP created it in 1997
Website	AOP's archived SOS support page

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	3	Our assessment of AOP's archived course listings, which show five main subjects and 95 electives for grades 3-12
Ease of teaching	4	AOP's 2015 shop page lists automatic grading among the SOS highlights
Content quality	3	In our assessment, textbook-style content in a computer-based format, which is how AOP's 2015 shop page describes it
Flexibility	3	AOP sold five-subject grade sets and single-subject courses
Value for money	3	AOP lists no current price because it no longer sells SOS
Worldview scope	3	AOP describes SOS as a Christian homeschool curriculum with Bible as one of its five core subjects
Visual/design	2	Our assessment of a CD-ROM-era product; AOP's September 2015 shop page describes a CD-ROM for the Windows operating system
Support resources	2	AOP's archived notice says technical support is no longer available

Who the publisher is

Alpha Omega Publications says on its About page that it was founded in 1977 and describes itself as a provider of PreK-12 Christian curriculum, educational resources, and services to Christian schools and homeschool families. The same page publishes a six-point Statement of Faith. AOP's archived 2001 history page says AOP started its home-school mission with LIFEPAC, later added Horizons and The Weaver Curriculum, and created the Switched-On Schoolhouse, an interactive CD-ROM curriculum, in 1997. Its archived 2008 history page says AOP started in 1977 with a single product, LIFEPAC, and then expanded its curriculum brands by creating Horizons and Switched-On Schoolhouse and purchasing the Weaver Curriculum.

AOP's home page today lists four brands: Ignite Christian Academy, Monarch, LIFEPAC, and Horizons. Switched-On Schoolhouse is not among them. AOP's archived September 2015 shop page listed Monarch (online, grades 3-12), Switched-On Schoolhouse (digital, grades 3-12), LIFEPAC (student-paced, grades K-12), Horizons (teacher-led, grades PreK-12), and Weaver (unit studies, grades PreK-12) as its curriculum lines.

On that 2015 page, AOP described SOS as a Christian homeschool curriculum with computer-based learning for grades 3-12. Its highlights were CD-ROM delivery, grades 3-12, the Windows operating system, five main subjects, 95 electives, and automatic grading. The five-subject sets covered Bible, Language Arts, History & Geography, Science, and Math for a whole year. The page's 3rd Grade set description says SOS provides the structure of textbook learning in a computer-based format with multimedia-rich lessons, and several individual course descriptions on the same page mention learning games and video clips and say the course includes quizzes and tests.

The core pedagogy

AOP's archived 2015 descriptions present SOS as textbook-style instruction on a computer. Several grade sets are described as mastery-based, and several course descriptions say the course includes quizzes and tests.

Signature mechanics, as AOP's archived pages state them:

1. Automatic grading. AOP lists it among the SOS highlights.
2. CD-ROM delivery for Windows. The same highlights list CD-ROM and the Windows operating system. AOP's 2022 notice says it was released on CD-ROM in 1997. AOP's support page archived in December 2020 lists Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 and says Windows RT, Windows XP, and Windows 10 in S Mode are not supported.
3. Five-subject grade sets and single courses. The 2015 page listed five-subject sets for grades 3 through 12 and single-subject courses such as 3rd Grade Bible, 3rd Grade Math, and 3rd Grade Science.
4. Electives and placement tests. The 2015 shop page listed 95 electives. Its visible listings also included Elementary French and Spanish for grades 3-6, a Health Quest course for grades 4-7 that it described as biblically based, and an SOS Placement Tests product covering grades 3-12.

What they do exceptionally well

Automatic grading. AOP listed automatic grading as an SOS highlight, and several course descriptions say the course includes quizzes and tests. In our assessment, this was the feature that reduced the parent's grading work.

Course choices. AOP sold the curriculum as five-subject grade sets or as single-subject courses, with 95 electives listed. In our assessment, this let a family use SOS for one subject or for a whole grade.

Placement tests. AOP listed SOS placement tests for grades 3-12 on the same page.

What they do poorly

Discontinued, with no technical support. AOP's archived 2022 notice says Switched-On Schoolhouse has been discontinued and that technical support is no longer available. The notice gives no month for the end of support.

Not sold on aop.com. As of October 2026, aop.com has no Switched-On Schoolhouse page and lists no SOS course, and its brand list does not include the product. In its 2022 notice, AOP encourages SOS users to try Monarch.

Windows requirements. AOP's September 2015 shop page lists CD-ROM and the Windows operating system, and its support page archived in December 2020 lists Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 as supported and Windows RT, Windows XP, and Windows 10 in S Mode as not supported.

Who it fits / who it doesn't

• Pick Switched-On Schoolhouse if: you already own SOS and want to keep using it for a student, understanding that AOP says technical support is no longer available.

• Skip Switched-On Schoolhouse if: you are starting a new curriculum, since AOP no longer sells SOS and encourages SOS users to try Monarch; you need technical support from the publisher; you want to buy from AOP, whose current brands are Monarch, LIFEPAC, Horizons, and Ignite Christian Academy.

Cost honest assessment

AOP no longer sells SOS and lists no current price.

For reference, within AOP's current catalog (retrieved October 2026), Monarch lists Full Access at $439.95 per year per student or $43.95 per month, and a Single Course at $109.95 per year or $10.95 per month, with a 30-day free trial. AOP lists its LIFEPAC 2nd Grade Math Box Set at $108.00.

ESA eligibility notes

AOP no longer sells SOS. AOP's ClassWallet page says families using ClassWallet can buy Monarch, LIFEPAC, and Horizons, and its Monarch page says ESAs are accepted. AOP's state education funding page lists 23 states with a check mark for AOP Homeschool, says state funding legislation and practices continually evolve, and tells families to check their state's department of education website for current information, so confirm with your program before buying any AOP product.

Alternatives

• Monarch by AOP, a family would choose Monarch over SOS because AOP's archived notice calls it the next generation of SOS and encourages SOS users to try it. AOP lists 50 core courses and 60 elective and career courses for grades 3-12, and says Monarch works in most modern browsers on Windows and Mac and functions well on Chromebooks and iPads.
• LIFEPAC by AOP, a family would choose LIFEPAC over SOS for a print workbook curriculum that AOP describes as mastery-based and self-paced, for grades K-12.