I thought i would have more left over from taxes but after paying back bills, planning three birthdays in less than three weeks and getting everyone calves covered (kids were walking around in puddle jumpers!) looks like $250 is my budget for next years curriculum. We are currently using R&S for all 3 with Horizons added for math. Kids will be in 4th, 2nd and 1st grade. We have completely skipped history/geography this year so i need to make that up nest year. Since I have no printer free web activities are out :cry: So what would you do with the grand sum of $250?
I don't know your kid's needs so it is hard to say what to do with it. I would get some core curriculum for basics like math and language arts and then maybe utilize the library for reading books and living books for history and science. This past school year I had a budget of $0 since my dh was out of work for 5 months. I spent about 6 weeks selling on Craiglist and earned what I needed to get most of the curriculum. If you have some things lying around you may want to try that.
#1 buy a printer, lots of paper and ink. You would be surprised how much free is out there you could download for history and geography. Also combine your history and geography for all the kids, cheaper and easier. #2 buy used, go over to the WTM and browse the boards. by doing both of these you should be able to get everything you need on $250.
I would probably buy R&S history/geography for the 4th grader, and "wing it" for the first and second grader with reading library books and watching educational tv. OR, I might get the 4th grader the R&S history/geography, and get the 2nd grade R&S world geography for the 2nd grader and the first grader can listen in. (It doesn't have to be "made up" because anything you didn't cover can be covered in higher-level courses later. The third grade social studies is all about communities, and you can teach that by field trips on your own in your own town! What the post office does, the police station, the fire station, the grocery store, the feed store, the lumber yard, the water company, garbage pickup, etc.) You can search the web for used. The books hold up well, so used isn't such an issue. Then all you'll need to get new is maybe the test booklet. If you have the fourth grader do the tests on paper, you can save the whole thing and reuse it with the other two when they get there. Try the R&S group at yahoogroups. You'll likely have to buy most of the first grader's stuff new, though, because it's consumable. BUT sometimes you can find partial sets - even just the TMs - for a good price in brand-new condition because someone bought and didn't use it. Then you only have to buy part of it new. R&S is having a spring sale right now, so call 'em! See what they have, and how far you can stretch a buck.
Are you set on using R&S for history and Geography? If not have you considered using using Story of the World 1? You can get the text and one activity book then copy for each kid. This way all are getting history and geography and it makes it easier on you. Also it would not cost too much for the whole set either new or used.
Wow! You get $250???!!! That's fantastic!!! :lol: I have never had that kind of budget to work with, and we manage to get some great curriculum for two kids. At those ages, we did multi-age curriculum like Mystery of History and for science Considering God's Creation. I used Explode the Code for the ones learning phonics because they are relatively inexpensive. I use Math-U-See since that is one subject I didn't want to skimp on. But after you purchase the TM, you have it to use with all the rest of the kids. I have loaned mine to friends before, so that might be an option for you as well. Someone mentioned buying used on Well Trained Mind forums. I did that and saved a ton of money this year and found "used" that had never been opened. For the ages of your kids, you could focus your funds on reading/phonics and math and use real books and videos for history and science.
Well I just realized I could get a set of consumables for ds which is $75 and he'd be all done For the older ones the complete sets are over 200 each. Now my kids do well with workbooks styles for the simple reason that when they're done they're done KWIM? With 2 littles underfoot I'm stretched a tad thin so they need to work somewhat independently. We had a used Sonlight Core 1 so I used some of that reading for history this year for all three older kids but nothing consistent. They all love the time traveler book. We read all kinds of books though (except dinosaur books which have been temporarily banned from my house) so hopefully they are learning somethings unofficially. This week we are doubling up on science and social studies which we stopped doing for a awhile since I really don't like these from R & S so ideas on those subjects for next year would be helpful too.
So, you need workbook style for cheap...what part of the R&S were you not too please with? If there is something there then there is wiggle room. Like you stated you add in Horizons, is this because you are not too please with the math? Then eliminate the math. There all kinds of workbook type things out there. I still think buying used might really be best. As for your history, I don't see a problem with that. Many many kids learn more from reading books and being read books about history than they do by a workbook. I would say continue with this. Maybe add in a few crafts with it.
Christian Liberty Press is definitely cheap. I went that route this year when my first curriculum didn't work out and I only had about $300 to buy for all 3 kids. I didn't buy the kits and only bought what I needed.
Sorry forgot to add try used curriculum sales. www.vegsource.com If you know another family who may be willing to swap. Post message here and see what you come up with.
here is a few things I have found, maybe you could check them out. Great prices http://www.vegsource.com/homeschool/fsp2/messages/58930.html http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157795&highlight=rod+staff http://www.vegsource.com/homeschool/fsp2/messages/58934.html there are many more. Just do a search. Also check out homeschoolclassifieds. good luck I am off to bed
We did not have much money left with our refund. Most of it went to car repairs, our new washer/dryer and clothing and shoes for the boys. I bought enough materials last Fall that we can use until next year. I have used this site for getting used curriculum for a fair price. http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/default.aspx
I have a couple of ideas for you. 1) Get a printer and use www.lessonpathways.com it's a k-5 resource, and then with the money left from a printer, ink, and paper you can purchase anything you feel lesson pathways is missing 2) Write a letter to The Book Samaritan (see other thread for info), wait and see what they send you and then buy only what you didn't get. 3) Search homeschoolclassifieds.com, vegsource.com, WTM boards, and other used curriculum sites to find good deals on used curriculum (also craigslist has some good stuff once in a while) 4) Just buy a math curriculum, make up your own Spelling/Grammar/Phonics and such, use living books from the library for history and science (use the book lists for sonlight as your guide if you need to), and do lots of fun projects which you can find online. Hope that helps.
I second trying CLE -- we are going with them for a few things next year. I also 4th or 5th an inexpensive printer. Your library card is invaluable, as well.
You know - we actually LIKED the workbooks from Walmart (or Sam's Club) which were "Complete Curriculum for XX grade"..... I think they were like $8 or something small. I second Story of The World volume 1..... we actually got a copy at the library! But either that one or Mystery of History is awesome for combining. CLP.org for math..... inexpensive and excellent. You shouldn't need the teacher manuals for the lower grades -and take the placement test for free from their site Alexis is in the 400 series and taking it very slow. I would use R&S for LA.....I love it (we now use clp.org stuff which is very similar but in workbook form)... You SHOULD be able to get a cheap enough printer - so I third or fourth that one! Even just simple B&W would be good..... $250 can be a HUGE amount if you use it wisely!!!
OK OK OK ..... I'm off to buy a printer :lol:Thanks for all the great sites. I must admit i was feeling sorry for my itty bitty budget since it's not really just for homeschooling it is actually all that's left for any "extra" around here for the year and the thought of spending it all in one shot is kinda depressing But I think I may be able to spend alot less now especially if i find a good deal on printer. Maybe I'll even have enough left to get myself some cute shoes
