This will be our first year homeschooling and our first time going to conventions this summer. I am wondering do most of you wait and buy your supplies and curriculum at the conventions or do you order them online? I have some ideas of what I want to use but I also want to see what else is out there and look at some stuff in person.
It depends on what I'm planning to use and whether they'll be at the convention or not. I wait until April to order my stuff from Veritas Press because 1) they're not at the convention I go to, and 2) that's when they run free shipping. I go ahead and order my son's math as he finishes. I wait for the convention for my daughter's math because, since she's a visual-spatial learner, I like to see what is out that might work better for her in that regard. I'm also waiting to look at vocabulary there this year as I'd like to see what else is out there besides Wordly Wise. For any subjects I can get at the convention, I try to wait, though. I do that because our convention will run special deals, and I can get free shipping on everything that way.
I've never been to a convention and we are in our third year of homeschooling. Maybe I'll get to one in the next year or two.
I usually go into a convention having a pretty good idea of what I'm going to use. If I buy it at the convention, it's usually ONLY because I've looked for it elsewhere and can't buy it cheaper. A lot of companies offer a discount and free shipping at conventions, too. Not always, but some too. The convention near me has an gigantic used book sale. GIGANTIC. I usually spend a good portion of my time looking through there and spend very little time in the vendor halls! LOL I would say if you don't know what direction you're going for curricula, leave your checkbook at home!!! Go in with the opportunity to LOOK and see and get ideas for what you might want to use. Also, if your kids are old enough, allow them into the process as well. My kids helped pick some of their curricula for this past year and it's been a blessing. If they loved it, they were thinking "I made a good choice". If they hated it, they couldn't blame me! LOL JUST KIDDING!!!! For example. Last year my oldest wanted to change her Math curricula. So, before the convention, I had her take the placement tests for all the curricula I could find online. AT the convention, I let her look at everything and make the decision herself. She chose Teaching Textbooks (which is what I would have chosen) and she LOVES it. I'm so glad I let her be part of that process. It's made a world of idfference in her attitude regarding it. Hope that you have a GREAT time. Take advantage of the speakers, and encouragement you can get there too. I always leave the convention feeling PUMPED UP, and ready to face the challenges ahead. They also, almost always, have speakers that talk about just starting out.
This is also my first year going to a covention. I went to www.donnayoung.org site she has a form there book fair strategy. On the form you can write the subjects you plan to teach and the vendors you would like to visit. And there is a spot on the form to mark the price. Then you can come home review and then go back and make your purchase if your convention is in town more than one day. I have already purchased the majority of my curriculm because it was on sale and they were not at the convention. I plan to purchase one to two things there and get a look for next year. This year I was so overwhlemed with the choices so I closed my eyes made a choice and we are just going to jump in. Then next year I will know for certain what worked and did not work. I just have to keep reminding myself it's not about the curriculum, not about the cost, or my education level. Homeschooling works because its set up like a one on one tutoring format. Good luck and happy shopping I hope you enjoy your convention and the classess offered.
I would like to go to a convention-but there don't seem to be any that are convenient around me. How do you find them? (I googled and only found 2....I live in SoCal and find it hard to believe there are 2.....at the end of the year. That seems ridiculous....) Also, after being at teaching conventions-I am extremely worried it would be overwhelming or turn into I want EVERYTHING!!!! (HEE HEE).
Yes, your first convention can be VERY overwhelming! CHEO runs Friday and Saturday, but the Vendor Hall is open on Thursday night. I walked in on Thursday night, my mouth dropped open, and I wandered aimlessly for about an hour, when I got myself together to actually LOOK at stuff, lol! Now I have a list of EXACTLY what I'm looking for, and I have a good idea of where to get it.
If you get from a company like Rainbow that has a catalog of over 1,000 pages, they can't bring their entire inventory with them. They do bring a good selection, especially the most popular stuff, but there's always a chance you'll want something they don't have with them, or they're sold out of it. Usually what they do is have you order it there, and will give you free shipping.
It depends on the vendor. Abeka, for example, ships the order. I will say, though, that the shipping is free and ultra fast. Really, I've noticed it tends to be the all-in-one curricula sellers who tend to do the shipping thing. We get our science, spelling, etc. there rather than it being shipped.
After all the research and anxiety I want to walk out of the covention with my items. LOL I am looking to purchase only Spanish this year at the convention. I have purchased everything else.
It really does vary by vendor. There are usually some used curriculum sellers at our convention too. I also like to stock up on writting paper and construction paper while there. The Rainbow Resources booth is always dangerous though. I think I usually end up buying something there each day (sometimes 2 x in a day if we poke and find something we like :lol: )
