My question of the day is...lol On average what do you spend per year on curriculum per child? I'm thinking 1,000 give or take is what I'm doing....and I really need a cheaper option here.
OIY! that is outragous! I hunt ebay.. wayyyy in advance for what I need or want. I also buy my books at Sams Club at good prices. At the most I spend $200, now next year that will go wayyyy up, actually almost double because teaching textbooks is expensive, but I will use it for 3 children (4 if another comes along), and most of my other books too are either non consumable, or I make photo copies of. The only ones we write in is Math. All my other books I don't allow my oldest to write in so that I can use them all again when the little two are on that level.
Math U See and Wrap Ups Mindbenders and Word Ladders for logic Classic Literature selections for reading World Social Studies Yellow Pages for History (Middle Ages currently) Animals and Their Worlds from Winter Promise with some modifications for science Handwriting Without Tears Grammar and Spelling are not formally taught I think thats it. AM
This year I spent about $400 and that includes her acting classes. I'm guessing that next year it will probably be around $500 for both girls. I will have a 7th grader and a K student. I am actually considering starting Grace in K work in january when sh eturns 5 instead of waiting on the ps schedule.
We have been on a lazy/busy streak and have skimmed things down considerably lately. So for 1st grade we are doing Time 4 Learning and supplementing with Harcourt 1st grade curriculum. We are doing bible and science also, but those are off the cuff so to speak. I am excited to say, tho, that T4L has been great at teaching DD how to blend/read. The computer is so much more patient with her!
Jackie-- How is the teaching textbooks working for her? The geometry? dd is now moving along again in her ALgerbra 9 Life Pak, we use Horizon5 math Eagles Wings Science, for ds5th, and BJU Exploring American history plus Scholastics books that go with that... English 5 BJU and Spelling ACSI5 dd has Apologia Science, Life Pak Math 9, and Exploring World HIstory NOtgrass. ( that takes care of history, lang arts, and Bible) Also has Home Ec Life pak plus extra assignments via mom, Spanish is starting secnd semester because I have flaked!
I'll look on ebay. I cant affford to buy both boys books next year for 1,000 each. I need to have my oldest not write in his books....that world help. And we need to use the library for reading books. I keep buying them online.
We buy most of our reading books too.. but I try to buy them at the Salvation Army and yard sales.. under a buck a book! But I would rather have a book I own laying around with 2 toddlers!
I lean on the living books/classical style mostly, but I am also eclectic. My daughter is now doing some journaling on her own. I am very excited about this because that is really what I wanted to do so I am in the middle of switching gears. She is in the middle elementary levels. Math: Singapore, Miquon, and Quarter Mile Math Logic: Building Thinking Skills, MindBenders, Language Arts Infusion Lesson, and others. Language Arts - Language Lessons and Draw-Write-Now (also a prep for journaling). We should be starting Classical Writing and Elementary Diagramming Worktext after the holidays, perhaps. Spelling: After making up my own lists for some time, I decided to give Natural Speller a try. Handwriting: Italic Handwriting Reading Aloud: Great Illustrated Classics books and others. Music: piano lessons Art: my own (art's my thing) Languages: Powerglide's Junior French, Latin's Not So Tough, and Andrew, Teach Me Some Greek! History: Picturesque Tale of Progress (OOP living book series) Science: my own, pulling from various sources using the six days of creation as guideline. Geography: Daily Geography Practice soon to be replaced with journaling along side of history. Bible Study/Devotions: mornings - Young Folks Bible Library (OOP series) and afternoon - Explorer's Bible Study PE - stretching or yoga about three times a week with some weight training also. I buy mostly used curriculum books and I buy what I need way in advance also. I tend to over buy because I am not sure what I really want to use until my hands on on it and we need to use it, but I resell what we have finished or will not be using. I love living and quite old OOP (out of print) books though, like the first editions of the Book of Knowledge, an encyclopedia set that really wasn't set up like an encyclopedia at all. My grandfather had this set in his library and, although dated, it could be could be a "curriculum" of itself. It has lessons for everything, including projects. It even has a section called Graded Courses of Study for 4th to 8th grades. It is a real treasure. For those who might be interested, a good place to get information and reviews about these and other living books is http://www.valerieslivingbooks.com/livingbks.htm
DD7: First Language lessons Horizons math and spelling Real Science 4 Kids, Apologia, and what nots thrown together Reading Comp and Phonics book from the bookstore family bible time and Awana reveiw SOTW and what nots thrown together for social studies DD2 and DS3- Little Hands For His Glory (3-4 times a week) Before Five In A Row (in the afternoons when they don't sleep) Kumon books from bookstore We read alot througout the day and night also. So far I like all that I have. It's a bit getting use to doing something different for each subject. Last years we used Lifepacs for everything. It's nice not having the workbook for every subject. I also have Playhouse Disney for the year, thanks mom, and Time4Learning. Won't go no further since that place brings bad vibes from most around here. This is what works for us and we like it.
I don't spend anywhere NEAR that for all three of my kids combined! Let's see...almost $150 for Teaching Textbooks (that's the expensive one, but I figure it's an investment for all three of my kids!), Horizons Math Workbooks for Phillip run about $25, Rachael is taking a speech class that costs us another $100. History was new this year...that ran about $100, but I got the Student Reader, the Teacher's Manual, and three student workbooks. Phillip's Language workbook ran me another $20, and the girls' language together I spent maybe $50 on. Science I have from last year (didn't get to it!), English from the Roots Up I also had from before. OH!!! Apologia Science! I got that used for about $60, including the CD that goes with it! I purchased a French workbook for Rachael for $1 at a Library Sale. Faythe is using Rachael's old Saxon book for math. That pretty much covers it! So I would guess I spent about $600 total. Most of that is spent on Rachael's stuff, but again, I can re-use it with my younger kids. I spend a lot of time looking for used stuff to buy. You can really cut costs that way. There are several on-line sites. I am blessed that there are also several Used Curriculum Sales in my area. Selling your old books also gives you money you can apply toward new ones. If you have to buy new, Rainbow Resources usually have the cheapest prices. I also go to the Homeschool Conference, knowing what I want. Buying it there is often cheaper, because you save in shipping and handling. Often they will give you a good price at the conference, too.
T'mom, Teaching Textbook Geometry is going well for us!!! Rachael seems to like it, and is doing it almost entirely on her own.
Did you find that used? I could only find 2 that were selling on ebay. When the price got up to $159 or so, PLUS shipping, I decided I'd rather pay the $185 for NEW and free shipping! Never found any for cheaper.
Deena I plan on just buying mine new on their site.. that way I know the disks aren't scratched, and can be used on more than one computer in my ownership. Unless someone I trust wants to sell me theirs as they are done with them
I was able to find the CD's used, but they didn't have the book. I bought the book at the Conference, which I will NOT do again!!! I was so irritated! I'm use to vendors giving discounts for buying at the conference. Not only were the books NOT discounted at all, they didn't bother bringing any of their product to buy, only to look at. So I had to order it AND pay S&H. I'm use to Rainbow, where you get free shipping if they don't have it with them. Maybe I better start looking NOW for a used Algebra II set!
I have a K'er *Handwriting Without Tears Letters and Numbers for Me *Rightstart Math Level A *Five in a Row, Unit Studies from Homeschool Share, and (mostly homemade) Lapbooks *for phonics my ds is reading Henry and Mudge books, reading a few pages in the Handbook for Reading (Abeka) to me each day, and learning the Abeka charts (no workbooks here) We also use Charlotte Mason's ideas (nature journals...and starting picture/composer studies next semester). We love what we do! First grade will look a lot the same: Readers of Choice FIAR/Unit Studies/Lapbooks HWOT and Draw Write Now Rightstart Math Charlotte Mason - nature journal & picture/composer studies Our math is expensive, but everything else is cheap. I think my RR order last year was around $300, but I got a LOT of fun stuff (ant farm, butterfly house, pirate coloring book, cowboy tatoos!, shape books for story writing, etc.). I could probably get by with $200 this spring to order what I need for next school year.
ds4/ds3 - Little Hands to Heaven and Starfall dd8 - My Father's World (Adventures) for reading, history, music, science, Bible, and writing. Abeka math A reason for Writing and A reason for Spelling Apologia (Zoology 1) - enriched science Primary Language Lessons Using Color in your Art & God and the History of Art - taught by dh Gymnastics through community ed. Awana Girl Scouts
