OK, well maybe it was mentioned here and there that homeschool curriculum materials can get pricey, but I guess I never gave it much thought. Turns out that ZOWIE, there can be quite a pocket-book drain when choosing this lifestyle! Would I change anything? No way. Is it worth every penny? Absolutely.
UPDATE: *Please* read the comments because I have learned that I still have a lot to learn and there are many ways to be more frugal!
I'm not sure if we'll use all of this stuff at once, probably not actually, but from everything all of you have shared with me, these were what I could narrow my purchases down to so far. And this doesn't even include the expense for the enrichment classes the kids are enrolled in for fall. That came to over $3000. Ouch.
Anyone have good advice for not breaking the bank?
So I just thought I'd show you a few of the items I've been buying this summer as I've researched like crazy and made curriculum decisions…
Malissia Anderson says
Hi,
My name is Malissia Anderson. I live in Fairbanks, Alaska. I don’t spend out of pocket money on homeschooling. I am part of Raven Correspondence, through local school district. They give us $2000 per child to spend on their education, or there about, depending on what grade your student is in . We even can use the money for P. E. classes through private vendors like a karate classes. We can buy pencils, paper and erasers, then get reimbursed.
Julie Carns says
Have you updated your spending for home education recently? I am a new reader and new Facebook follower of yours. 🙂
I budget $10 a week for home education; we have 7 children and I invest in books that will last for all of them. Our first daughter graduated 18 months ago and our second daughter will graduate this spring. They each have their own businesses already and are finding many opportunities to serve in ministry.
Spending a lot of money on education is not essential; creating a desire i your children to learn independently, recognize opportunities, and apply themselves to challenges is optimal. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Thanks for your blog,
Julie
Ruth says
And I use Christian Light Education, which I’ve found to be quite affordable. Our homeschool co-op is quite affordable as well, only $30 membership fee for the year and $20 per family per semester for the classes.
Ruth says
In my case, homeschooling saves us a considerable amount of money, because if our kids weren’t homeschooled, they would go to private school at the cost of over 2K a year. Homeschool materials run us $300 or less per child.
Carrie says
Kelly, any chance all of the links and other resources mentioned here could be combined into lists, such as ‘free’ and ‘paid’? I know from reading these blogs you are a very busy momma. I understand if you don’t have the time, but it sure would a lot easier for newbies to have all these resources sorted out and at a glance.
Sarah says
I see education as very similar to the conventional food v. real food. A true real food diet costs twice as much at the grocery store, but much less in the long term at the doctor’s office. While I appreciate all that is free on the web, and know there are some real gems, many real quality materials won’t be free–because the people who made them did so by sacrificing their time and energy and love, just as farmers who farm pasture-raised chickens need to get paid for the service they provide.
When I shifted to real food I had to be creative with my budget to make it all work, but whenever I caught myself griping that “it’s so expensive,” I tried to change my attitude. Consider the highly nourishing, life-long enriching gifts you are giving your children through the quality materials you are finding a way to provide for them as possibly the greatest gift of their entire life.
“Real food” shouldn’t be cheap, we wouldn’t want that, because it would mean something was being done wrong in the full chain of sustainability, quality and nutrition. High fructose corn syrup, or pesticides, or cooped up animals eating their excrement.
Real education shouldn’t be cheap, either, for the same reason. Sometimes because there is public education “for free” we come to adopt an attitude that education “should” be free or low cost, and this causes us anger and resentment when the quality stuff isn’t. Instead, maybe give yourself a pat on the pack for “real education” commitment you are making for your family! 🙂
Maryah says
i haven’t convenced my hubby yet but i am working on him. i see so many blessing from hs and all he sees are the negtives or i should say the precived negtives. as far as free books and textbooks are concernied don’t forget https://www.gutenberg.org/ it has thousands of books including the mcguffy books in many formats. that would work well on a tablet, amazon has a few free as well, if you have not checked out google play there are free books there as well. may God guide you on your journey!!
Maryah
Maria says
I don’t think anyone has mentioned this website for purchasing used curriculum from individuals: https://groups.yahoo.com/group/cathswap. Your first few years of homeschooling will be more expensive as you find what works and doesn’t work. However, once purchased, books and even workbooks (write answers on paper instead of workbook) will be reused by your younger children.
Melina says
Congratulations and welcome to the journey of homeschooling! One benefit I have found from homeschooling that far outweighs the curriculum & the “stuff” the kids learn, is the skill of teaching themselves. This is something they don’t learn in grade school or in high school, but something they need for post secondary and just for the joy of learning! The way we’ve succeeded in doing this at home is (whenever possible) to get the kids to read their own lesson as set forth in their book (Math is great for this!), do the work for the lesson, take the correcting book and correct their own lesson. I’m there to help with those lessons they don’t understand and to keep them accountable! I go over the lessons they’ve done to make sure they are doing the work properly (you can do this only once a week even). It takes some stress off of us, but it teaches them so much more!
Another quick tip – when starting a new Math book, you can orally review lessons for days until you get to a point that the kids are learning something new! I also do very little with my kids until they can do independent work (reading, very basic oral math – adding, subtracting, mult., div. -, religion). The rest is unschooled. Usually halfway through grade 3 I add in Saxon Math 54 and a language arts book so that by grade 4 they are up to par with their schooling peers and ready to be fairly independent! I also try to finish all of our schooling in the morning so the rest of the day is free.
Melissa @ Dyno-mom says
Wow, that is a lot. I don’t think I have ever spent that much. This year I have seven children using Catholic Heritage Curricula and I just spent about $700. But, the good news is that non-consumable materials can be passed down to younger children so some of the expense is hidden by the fact that I have passed down so much stuff. I was going to ask if you found a good support network yet? There are good conferences for Catholic home schoolers and there is one coming up in the UP. It is in Marquette, I was just there for two weeks and saw it in a bulletin. So, really far from you but it should be good! And the one in Lansing just passed. Anyway, get some local support, you cannot over-estimate the value of it!
Elise says
If you’re interested in buying cheaper used homeschool books there are a ton of sites out there BESIDES the mainstream Amazon.com, eBay, etc. One of my favorites continues to be usedhomeschoolbooks.com. Their url kind of says it all lol. They sell a lot of ABeka, Bob Jones, and other curriculum, but also, what I think is great, they have a really great miscellaneous readers section full of books to supplement what education your kids are already getting with the set curriculum! And they’re really cheap too. Most of the ones I’ve looked at haven’t been over $2! I hope this helps! I know the amount of information out there can be so overwhelming. But stick with it! Homeschooling is SO worth it!
Kelly says
I like what Shawna has to say. I think as homeschoolers we have a tendancy to want everyone to do it our way because we enjoy it so much. However, the beauty of homeschooling is the ability to do what’s best for your family.
Having said all of that, I just came from my state’s annual homeschool convention and curriculum fair. I spent $22 for a book to use with my son, and that’s all I really need. I spent another $40 on books that I want and that eventually will be used to teach him stuff. My son is almost 7 and is NOT the kind of kid that’s going to sit down with a planned curriculum and do the work.
I suggest you get involved with a local group (if you haven’t already) and glean the experience of others. I LOVE going to the convention here because the speakers present such wonderful, helpful information and I’m reminded of WHY we hs, and get re-energized.
I didn’t read all of the comments and haven’t read any of your other posts regarding hs’ing, so I may be stating something you already know, but it’s worth repeating. Remember that homeschooling isn’t “doing school at home” (unless that works for your family!) but igniting a fire in your kids to WANT to learn.
Also, laws vary by state and some states may require more precise planning, etc, and in that case, buying the books to get the work done is about the only option.
One site that I have been blessed by is https://www.homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com. I’ve been a subscriber for at least two years now and am seeing repeat stuff, but I save it to folders to keep it organized and refer to when I need it.
May God bless your homeschool journey!
Shawna says
Just wanted to encourage you that your choices sound great! I have been homeschooling our 2 daughters for almost 10 years and I find a definite time/money trade-off in curriculum. I can save money shopping around for the absolute lowest price on each book I need, or save time by buying them all at once from the same place. I can save money using free ideas on the Internet and building my own curriculum, or save time by buying detailed curriculum that lessens my planning time. If we have the money available, my vote is to save time whenever possible. Don’t be ashamed to spend what you need to accomplish your goals with your sanity intact. While I look for ways to save money and buy used, I am also glad to be able to support companies who develop great homeschooling materials by buying new when I need to. This past year we added some enrichment courses from a local coop and feel like it is worth the investment. Wishing you the best on your homeschooling journey!
Shawna says
I second what others have said about things becoming less expensive the longer you homeschool. As you find what works for you and your kids, it gets easier to make choices. Plus you build your network of places to buy from and people for advice, giving you more options. I have lots of respect for my friends who always seem to find amazing bargains on what they need and who are flexible, putting things together as they go. It’s not me, unfortunately. While I do spend more money than some, I’ve learned that what works for us are materials that I can open up and teach from without hours of preparation. My kids are independent learners, so we also like curriculum geared toward the student with me answering questions as needed. As Kelly said below, the beauty of homeschooling is the ability to do what’s best for your family!
Meg says
I homeschool 5 and have never spent more than $500/yr, usually far less.
Meg says
I’m really afraid that this post will scare people away from homeschooling 🙁 I hope those people read the comments.
KitchenKop says
Meg, you freaked me out with that comment, I certainly wouldn’t want anyone to be scared away from something as awesome as homeschooling! So I added an “UPDATE” into the post above. Thanks for that nudge!
I can see from all of these comments how much I have to learn and yes, I am very curious how my thinking will evolve after we get cooking into this school year, and one year down the road.
Kel
Jeanmarie says
Those books look awesome, but I don’t see why you have to rely so much on books specifically designed as homeschooling materials. You can find all kinds of books on writing, grammar, history, math, whatever, at a used bookstore or thrift store. They won’t all be the latest, but they’re not all *old* old, either. I think as you gain more confidence in your skills as a home educator, you’ll be more confident in adapting existing books you have and free or low-cost books to your curriculum. At the thrift store I work at, we throw away all sorts of textbooks all the time because they don’t sell, but if someone came to us looking for them, I wouldn’t mind setting aside some for somebody if they would come pick them up regularly. And, of course, pay a little something. We’re always short on storage space, time, and money, and I assume most thrift and used book stores are, so the easier you make it for the store to help you, the better chance you’ll find one willing to work with you. Good luck!
Rebecca In Michigan says
Another thing I highly suggest is planning your menu. I usually use the crockpot a lot during the school year because it takes the pressure off of me on needing to cook dinner at the end of the day. If you don’t want to plan menus, then make sure you have 10-15#s of ground beef cookedd and divided. Then however poundage you need of cooked cubed chicken, etc. That way you can throw a meal together in no time.
KitchenKop says
I need to get better about this!!!
One thing I am doing, though, and I started this summer, is having the kids taking turns cooking. It’s sort of a pain right now, since I’m teaching them the basics, but eventually I hope it takes one more thing off my to-do list!
Kelly
Rebecca in Michigan says
It is a pain but worth it. Keep up the good work.
Kymberly says
In the future, you might be able to do some of that “enrichment” at home for much cheaper, or even for free. Be honest with yourself when you evaluate how much your kids get out of these classes, whatever they are. Maybe they love them, maybe they don’t.
If you haven’t already, try to hook up with a homeschooling support group in your area. These are usually free, or low cost to join, and most of the time they offer many minimally priced or free opportunities for kids to participate in activities/classes/field trips organized by the parents. The benefits of networking with other local homeschool parents are infinite. Also, support groups usually offer a “park day,” or some kind of get together day, at least once a week. These groups even throw pot luck holiday parties, which my kids are always eager to attend.
Take it slow. When it comes to “doing” and “going,” your family may find that less is more.
KitchenKop says
Yes, you’re probably right, but the biggest reason I wanted them in these classes was so they could make some new homeschooling friends. I love that it’s not far from where we live, and besides this one day away from home, we’re not doing any other running around all week where they could meet new friends because I don’t want to burn out from trying to do too much. Plus they were offering some *really* cool classes that I was excited about for them. Nothing heavy, just interesting and good to expand their thinking. Worth $3000? I don’t know, I’ll get back to you on that. 🙂
Kelly
Shannon S says
Kelly, you did an awesome job choosing your childrens curriculum! Dont forget to do some fun stuff too 😉
KitchenKop says
Thanks, yes, I’m trying to build that into each week, and often combine it with fun exercise – good for all of us! 🙂
Wendi Niccole says
*
cmh says
Everyone has given lots of good tips and I don’t have any advice to add other than to tell you it get easier to spend less after a few yrs of doing it. As you become more aware of what you can realistically accomplish in a yr. and as you get to know better what will and will not work for your children you are better able to make the best choices in curriculum rather than being wooed by all the fascinating and beautiful curriculum choices out there. I can’t tell you how many curriculum’s I have bought and used for a month or less only to realize that no matter how much I liked them they were not right for my kids or our family for one reason or another. Thankfully there are home-school used curriculum sales where I have been able to recover a good amount of the money I’ve spent on “wrong” materials (and where I’ve spent equally as much buying even more bc I really think it can be an addiction and its just so hard to stop buying all that interesting stuff!!!) I think spent enough on curriculum when my oldest was three to have have supplied his entire education (even buying books I didn’t intend to use until he was in high-school bc they were just too interesting to pass up). I might be exaggerating a bit but there is SOOO much good stuff available to homeschooling families and there is so much I’d love to cover and do with my kids but thankfully God gives us only so much time and as my kids have grown I like to think (and my budget seems to indicate) that I’ve gotten better about prayerfully choosing a much more realistic amount of supplies for each yr. and have the experience to know what things will simply not work no matter how much I want them to. For our family now (I have five school age kids and two younger than school age) I spend around $500 a yr not including basic supplies like paper, pen ink etc… I have never tried tracking those expenses). For the past four years we have used the Classical Conversations Foundations guide as our frame, I adapt it to what works best for our family and use the library and internet to expand from there. Our largest expense is the kids Math programs. I am HORRID at math and bc of this feel much safety and relief in using the Teaching Textbooks math curriculum that both teaches and corrects the kids math assignments as they do them on the computer. It has worked fabulously for us but the downside is that it is more costly than other programs. If It weren’t for Teaching Textbooks it would be very easy for us to spend next to nothing each yr, by simply using the Classical Conversations Foundations guide for memory work and supplementing that with living books form the library and nature studies. We choose not to be part of a CC community for various reasons though we have in past but I really do love the foundations curriculum. It has simplified homeschooling for our family and helped me to rest assured that the kids are receiving a very well rounded education. My oldest is entering 7th grade this coming fall so we have spent more on some new things for him this yr and I’m sure there will be more trial and error while we figure out what homeschooling through Jr and Sr high will look like but over all I have no doubt that if we needed to we could home-school and give our kids an excellent education for free. I’m grateful God has provided enough for us to indulge in some tools that make it easier on me though.
Brittany Thomas says
Homeschooling definitely does NOT have to be expensive. I am spending only $200 for my 2 kids (2 in school anyway). We buy used when we can (homeschoolclassifieds.com) and we use core curriculums (like Sonlight or Heart of Dakota) My kids are only 1 grade apart (but I think even 2 grades apart could do this) and so we combine them for the core stuff (history, science, bible, etc) and then they get their proper grade levels for the specifics (math, reading, etc) Saves money and I don’t have to spend even more time reading aloud. 🙂 (they are only in 1st and K…obviously older kids could read on their own)
There’s also free stuff. I don’t feel comfortable using everything free (like Math, I feel you need a proper curriculum for that) but Bible could easily be free. Our phonics is free (progressivephonics.com and it’s great). You can borrow your reading books from the library (although I’ve found I”m too lazy for that approach).
Homeschooling definitely does not have to be expensive. You learn as you go and you get more frugal as you go…kind of like eating real food. 🙂
julie says
You should take a look at Ambleside Online. It uses a lot of beautifully written public domain books. It is a rich, rigorous, and free curriculum. (I am in love with that curriculum!)
Cherie B says
I am already subscribed to the newsletter. I love following your Homeschool adventure! As far as what I would buy at Amazon, I have a whole wish list waiting to be purchased! Some of it even includes things for homeschooling. My big one though is an OXO foodmill that I still have not gotten.
Peggy says
Back in the day when we used to get tax refunds, we’d set that aside for school. Most years it was about $500, which (minus consumable school supplies) was about right for six kids. But, I wrote a lot of unit studies that cost nothing, used the library as my primary bookstore and bought what I couldn’t borrow as used books. If you take exceptional care of your books, you can resell them and recoup some of that cost. And it’s true, you’ll probably end up not using about one-third of what you buy. It’s one of the “Homeschooling Rules of Three”.
Erin says
The first year is always the most expensive, but Oh Mi Gatos! $3000 is a lot! My first year at home I had 3 kids to teach and thought I would choke on the $600! The Primary Language lessons you bought is great, lasts for 2 years (2nd and 3rd grade is what MFW states). We then used Secondary Language Lessons for the next 3 years. It’s always the most expensive for our oldest, then the texts are reused by the next one down and if it has a workbook (spelling & grammar) it is usually inexpensive. Books like Writing Strands are good as well because they are non-consumable.
Looking back, I wish I had known about the McGuffy’s series on CD-Rom, can’t even provide the link b/c I don’t remember where I saw it. Same curriculum that was used in the one room schoolhouses (History, English, Math, and even scientific laws don’t change over time!) and the K-12 cost was less than $300 per family! Just print what you need as you need it. It seems to me that standards for memorization, writing and speaking were much higher 150 years ago than they are for students today. I just can’t toss out our entire system (now familiar to my children) and start over again.
I have a friend who saves money by creating her own curriculum, I just don’t have it in me to do that and I still keep costs down every year.
Rebecca in Michigan says
Here is a link for the McGuffey’s CD Rom
https://www.dollarhomeschool.com/readersandgrammar/index.html
Erin says
Thank you! I have tried searching every term I could think of and never found it again.
Denise says
Goodness!!! We spend about $300 per child each year! There are so many free things online, in the community, and from friends. We have have rarely bought any new (except consumable) schoolbooks.
Mary says
One more thing — take advantage of free activities when you can! The Philadelphia Museum of Art had free admission for International Museum Day in May. Here in Pennsylvania all state museums are free on Charter Day in March (when William Penn was granted charter to the land from the king), and we just keep our eye out for free concerts in the park, free nature walks at the environmental center, library programs, etc. It helps round out my children’s education!
KitchenKop says
Last Sunday there were 4 museums with free admission here in Grand Rapids and they do that 4 times a year! It was packed, but we got there later and it was great! 🙂
Mary says
I have found that, aside from a math program, we can use the library and follow the schedule at http://www.amblesideonline.org for all of our homeschool needs. I do like a few extras, like Mystery of History/Story of the World and the Exploring Creation series by Jennie Fulbright at Apologia, but we have been using online resources and the library to school for almost free!
Lori says
I homeschooled 4 kids from K-12 and never spent more than $500 per year! And this included all of their yearly assessments. I bought all my books at yard sales, the Half Price Book Store (and usually for less than half price!), thrift stores, and made my own curriculum. So easy to do based on kids’ interests!
We were a combination of Relaxed/Unschoolers (as kids got older we naturally went into unschooling), and I would do it again, if I had to go back. All my kids are now raised. I made my kids do some work (like math), made games out of many subjects (like science and geography), learned a lot while drivng in the van (and where many of our ‘games’ were played!), and read a pile of great literature to my kids. Many classics, and many older, well-written books by fantastic authors. We read everything from autobiographies to mysteries and adventure, and all inbetween, though no horror.
Most of the time we did not look like we were ‘doing school’. My kids have all come back and thanked me for their care-free and fun growing up. I also have 4 kids who were older and who attended school all the way from K-12 (hubby took a long time to get on board!).
The kids who were homeschooled are now:
Lisa, age 25, married almost 5 years, has a 2 year old and a newborn. Both she and her husband run their own game store (video) and are doing fantastic. They just bought their first starter home.
Heidi, age 23 1/2, married almost 3 years to her soldier boy husband who is getting ready to deploy again to Afghanistan. She’s a manager of a sub shop, getting ready this fall to start school to become a radiologist.
Cindy, age 21 1/2, moved to California from Ohio to follow her dreams, works with a director as a web designer for some important clientele, but sometimes goes on shoots with him, has met a few actors, has a boyfriend whom she plans to marry, and she and he have been doing some advertising to do web design on their own. She’s self-taught in web design and says it is so ‘easy’.
Jenna, age 20, still lives at home, works as a manager in a sub shop, has a boyfriend, and is not sure what she wants to do yet in life, but has almost $20,000 saved in her bank account.
My other kids are just as successful, but wanted to show that these kids who did not have a traditional school experience are intelligent and successful people, in their own right.
It does not take a lot of money, a lot of curricula, or a lot of schooling to make successful people. It takes a lot of time, a lot of love, and a lot of freedom to go after your dreams and interests to make successful people.
Merry Lynn Shepherd says
When we first started homeschooling our 4 girls, 20 some odd years ago, we, knee-jerk reaction, picked a typical christian school curriculum that covers all subjects in each grade level. I bought EVERYTHING required or even suggested. It was VERY expensive. While this curriculum works well for many families, it was beyond awful for us. Being trained as a teacher in college, it took me several years of “head-butting” with my oldest to figure out that this was not working. Over the years I finally learned that the expensive, fancy, popular curriculums often were just a waste of money for our family. By the time my youngest had graduated from highschool, I realized that we were not spending hardly ANYTHING on curriculum. Aside from “hand me down” curriculum (from an older sibling or friend), we used mostly the library or free internet resources or co-oped with another family. What I am trying to show here is that it is normal to spend a LOT the first year or two while you are trying to find what works and what doesn’t, but it won’t always be that way. You will find what style works for you and your children and just stick with that. Also I found that trying to buy individual textbooks for each subject for each grade level is VERY pricey when you multiply that over 4 kids. Look into topic-based curriculums (often called unit studies) where the whole family learns together about a particular topic. (There are multitudinous varieties available. Just ask me if you are interested in pursuing this direction and I will share with you the resources our family used.) Each learns at their own level, but all learn together. Not only does it make life sooo much easier for Mom in scheduling (if you don’t know what I am talking about now, you will soon. LOL), it also brings the family together and bonds them more tightly, and is also WAAAAAY less expensive. This is what we found over the years to work the VERY BEST for our family.
Viorica says
Will you email me your information regarding the resources your family used? I’m interested in learning more information about what worked for your family. Thanks!
Regards.
KitchenKop says
Merry Lynn, can you email it to me, too, please? Thank you! (Then I’ll forward it to you, Viorica.) 🙂
Thanks!
Kel
Beth says
Hi Kelly,
I’m so excited for you :). Once you’re in a cycle of buying/selling that should help a bit. I have 2 close together (and another further apart) so as the middle dd finishes her math I sell it to buy oldest dd’s math and pass her other one down. So, I’m only buying one expensive math a year which I pay for by selling the other one (youngest does Excel which is about $16 for the student book and I can’t remember how much for the teacher’s manual – but nothing like what I would spend on Teaching Textbooks).
The other thing with the older 2 that helps so much (with time as well as finances) is that they do science, history, literature, geography, and writing together. They share their textbooks by alternating subject independent work time. So, when one did Biology homework the other did Math or History and then they flip-flopped. I only get one set of books in each subject for both of them. When they were little they did units together.
Where I buy used books the most:
– Amazon
– Local homeschool groups (online or curr sales)
– Online yahoo groups where people post things for sale (cathswap is awesome if you haven’t seen it yet – I just got a box of 15 classical lit books for under $20, what a blessing!)
– Local homeschool store that sells new and used items (and they bought almost everything I took to sell last time which helped a LOT!)
We spend very little money on homeschooling and I honestly don’t know if I could afford public school, lol (except that I guess we would then be double income). However, the olders just took their first CLEP tests (Biology) and that was a good chunk of change ($204 to be exact for both combined but worth it for 8 college credits each).
You’re very resourceful and you’ll find your groove. Let me know off-line if you want more specific info on the above places to buy.
Amy says
http://www.ldfr.com is where I shop. They try to have the best prices.
Elisabeth says
I agree that it can be expensive, but should not be! One of my biggest reasons to shop around and only buy from Goodwill, used book stores, local homeschooling resources, ebay and Amazon is that you never know if your child is going to dig what you’ve bought or not! We have been homeschooling for 5 years now. I can’t tell you how many times I have bought something that I just knew would be awesome and fun….but, it turns out it didn’t suit her learning style exactly right…or, she just flat out thought it was boring. Now, I know not all learning can be fun and filled with jelly beans. However, one reason I’m homeschooling to begin with is so that my children can flourish and follow their passion (which is what life is all about)! It just goes totally against that to force them into a curriculum that causes stress or arguments on a daily basis. I have had nothing but success with purchasing used or borrowing. In fact, it allows us to try things we wouldn’t have otherwise happened upon. I have seen a lot of parents force their children to finish a series just because they felt they had to because of the cost of it. I just don’t see how this benefits the children or the teacher! Homeschooling can be a breeze. It can be a mututal learning experience! The trick is to find the curriculum that is right for both of you. That takes patience, time, and trial & error. I had to be flexible and understanding to her needs, then it all just fell into place. Also..don’t forget the library! They have almost everything!! You can make copies of things if you need to. We get loads of stuff from there every single week! I just had to make it a part of my weekend each Sunday to sit down and request everything we would need for the following week. Great way to supplement. One other thing…we also love the Core Knowledge series “What your _ Grader Needs To Know”. It helps so much, and you can find it basically free anywhere! I got mine at Goodwill for $1. They also have a book called “Books to Build On”. It has books you can use to supplement each subject by grade level. Most of them are available from your library. Good Luck!!
Diane Balsamo says
I have been homeschooling for 15 years, and you CAN do this FOR FREE ( minus the cost of paper, ink, pens, crayons and so forth). Someone already mentioned the homeschooling for free site, and here are a few more https://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm is an EXCELLENT, totally free math curriculum. https://www.oldfashionededucation.com/ offers an entire curriculum for grades K-12 , using free textbooks ( many old, out of print classics) as well as lesson plans. Then there are approaches called Notebooking and Lapbooking that use no specific curriculum, are based on interests, and can be a lot of fun – AND can cover every educational subject. https://www.homeschoolshare.com/Lapbooks_at_HSS.php offers several free lapbook and notebook pages to give you an idea of how this works, and could keep you guys happy busy and learning for several months. In a similar approach , but strictly Catholic would be these GREAT sites- https://thatresourcesite.com/trs/modules/PDdownloads/ and https://www.sanctussimplicitus.com/blog.html . And finally, Pintrest ! Just search under Homeschool, Catholic Homeschool, Teaching Aids , Notebooking, Lapbooking or other such educational terms and you will strike gold.Take heart- the first year is the roughest ! Not only are your children learning a new lifestyle, but so are you. You are all learning to find the right fit for your individual family ( many times the curriculum we spend big bucks on turns out to be a HUGE mistake because it does not fit your children’s educational temperament or your families needs). It gets better, you learn to juggle better and you eventually find what works perfectly ( this year) for your family.
Renee says
Thank you! I have Catholic homeschooled for years & have never seen these sites. I bookmarked them all.
Sarah says
Homeschooling can be expensive, but it’s not always. I generally budget $1000 a year for 3 children. Most of it goes towards the oldest and then we reuse for the other two. I always get to add to my library each year with this budget and not just purchase curriculum. There are definitely times something won’t work for the other two that I have to re-purchase (like math) but I think we’ve got most of it now. Different places we’ve lived I’ve had better luck with the library system. Unfortunately, where we’re putting down roots doesn’t have as great of one where we lived a few years ago. I have found a few textbook finds at thrift stores and there’s quite a bit one can find free on the internet. Let me know if you want some links.
I try to buy things that are non-consumable. Everyone has their favorite type of curriculum. Some of my favorites are: Catholic Heritage Curriculum, Teaching Textbooks, Winston Grammar (TOP FAVORITE), Paragraph Editing (only goes through 6th but we use it all the way through highschool), Time4Learning, and Time4Writing. Science is probably the subject we’ve changed out the most. Now we just use Time4Learning and supplemental items to cover Science and History until they reach highschool.
Janeen says
This will be my first year homeschooling. I appreciate any guidance and suggestions.
Kris says
One thing you didn’t mention is the cost to attend public school. Maybe you’ve been spending it all along, but in $10 – $20 increments throughout the year.
Were they in band and need a flute? How about the special shirt for “Go Something Day”. And teacher gifts. Or money spent on special projects. For example, we had an assignment to build a solar system and I ran to Michael’s for the kit. Or the extra birthday parties for the child who really wasn’t buddies with yours but invited the whole class. Gasoline for the 30 minute carpool line? School uniforms or special outfits you’ll no longer purchase.
I think you might save even with the $3,000 expense. Even attending public school can be this expensive. Now you’re done except for things YOU decide to add.
Congrats and I hope you have a wonderful year.
Rebecca In Michigan says
I agree with Kris. Our two oldest are in high school this year and will be attending the public school. The oldest is in the 11th grade and will be attending a LCC course in St. Johns. This course is EMS/Fire Safety and he needs certain clothing for this morning course, plus regular school clothes, school supplies, and maybe a new backpack. The second child will be a 9th grader and has been schooled at home for the last nine years or more, and he needs everything. Plus, they are both going into football which have costs. Not even mentioning game passes for two games.
I also agree
Rebecca In Michigan says
I also agree with what the others have shared about cutting expenses. Half.com is great for cheap books, including textbooks.
Ann says
I have done both… homeschool and public school. I find that public school is just as expensive as homeschooling. The difference? The one on one time that you have with your children and your choice of meals to serve them. I find having them eat at home much less expensive than fixing them a lunch to take to school. Congrats on choosing to homeschool! Have an awesome year. You will find that next year will be less expensive. It is worth going to a homeschool convention that also has a curriculum fair so that you can put your hands on the books and see if you really want to use them. I found the public library an invaluable resource.
Eden says
I am not a homeschooler, at this point. My 9 y/o and I butt heads too much with schooling but I think the 5 y /o could do it. Anyway – I was excited to see the book on diagramming sentences. I enjoyed doing that in school, and it’s a good thing because our school’s English teacher (who was also my mom) made us do them a ton. A few years after graduation a friend from my class teased mom that he still dreamed abt diagramming 🙂
for your question – our local homeschool organization has a lending library. You can check out curriculum for free or for a couple dollars. I love the concept because you can try it and if it doesn’t work for your teaching style or your child’s learning style, turn it in.
our local library has also stocked a lot of great resources. I tried FIAR last summer with my girls and my only expense was paper and printing costs. I used resources online for activities and workpages to coordinate. All 3 of us loved the FIAR program.
We also have a Christian bookstore with a homeschool section where you can buy used (or new) books and trade in your old ones.
Maryjane says
I couldn’t resist commenting here, Eden, because that’s *exactly* what I used to say about my oldest daughter — “we butt heads too much” — before I started homeschooling! When I finally took the leap, and after a year of “deschooling”, she and I became best friends! (in a mother-daughter kind of way).
If you’re feeling called to do it — DO IT. You’ll never regret it. (Well, at least not most of the time!)
KitchenKop says
This makes me so sad (again) that I wasn’t moved to do this when our now 20 year old was young… His whole childhood we just struggled through when it could’ve been so much better if he was here at home with me!
He and I have butt heads more recently (not bad, but still) and we used to be so close. I suppose part of it is his age and he’s probably subconsciously emotionally preparing us both for when he moves out soon. 🙁
He’s doing great in college, starting his 3rd year soon, and I know I can’t go back and change anything, but it’s hard not to kick myself!
Jill says
Depending on your local library system, you can get a LOT of stuff at the library. Ebay is a good place to find used curriculum, usually at least half of the retail price. Are you connected to a local homeschool group of any kind? Often homeschool groups will have used book sales and book swaps. A quick internet search should tell you if there might be a local group or two. Networking with other homeschooling families is helpful in so many ways. Sometimes you can even borrow a book from a family who’s older child has finished it, but whose younger child won’t be ready for it for a year or more. I’ve done a bit of that myself. I’ve also given and been given curriculum. Maybe even this little circle of homeschooling moms here can do some of that! Bless you, Kelly! You won’t regret your investment into your kids!
Sue says
Kelly,
I haven’t been following your homeschooling progress so far so this is the first I’ve heard of it, congrats! I started homeschooling 5 years ago and haven’t looked back. You have probably been warned of the possibility of your kids needing some time to deschool, mine did and I didn’t know about it and was trying to figure out what was wrong. One book I thought you might enjoy, if it hasn’t been suggested to you already, is “Homeschooling with Gentleness” and “A Little Way of Homeschooling”, both by Suzie Andres. They are about Catholic Unschooling. Those books changed my life! Even if you are not on the unschooling bandwagon, the books can really help a hs’ing mom relax a bit when she gets stressed, knowing that if nothing got done that day, or that week, it’s OK and kids are always learning anyway. Good luck with your new adventure, and know you will make mistakes, spend money where you shouldn’t have and start over again many times. It’s all part of the learning curve of homeschooling.
Maryjane says
I agree with Sue’s comment about deschooling. Our first year homeschooling was spent with “trial and error curriculum” (I ended up throwing out the curriculum I had chosen half way through the year!) and figuring out what my kids already knew and how they learned.
My best advice is, don’t try to do too much the first year, just the basics. You will struggle with feeling like you’re not doing enough and you’re failing your children (ALL homeschooling moms feel this way once in a while), but try to focus on learning who your children are and what their special interests are.
KitchenKop says
Thank you for this advice. I will try very hard to listen to my heart and to the kids and not push anything on them.
BUT at the same time, how do I know when they don’t like something if it’s just laziness or if it’s something that isn’t a good fit for them?
Our youngest can’t stand writing (going into 2nd grade) and if I didn’t ‘make’ him write now and then (not much this summer so far), he’d just plain never do it. But he can’t get better and more confident if I don’t at least make him do it sometimes, right?
Anyone have advice or guidance on that??
Thanks!
Kel
Beth says
You said:
BUT at the same time, how do I know when they don’t like something if it’s just laziness or if it’s something that isn’t a good fit for them?
Ask them ;). Seriously, it’s hard to get into their heads and we talk a LOT about school and outside activities. They are in the decision-making process with me or at least hear me talk it out (I think by talking and writing, lol)
About writing… I LOVE to teach writing! One thing about reluctant writers that I’ve had success with in the classroom, at home, and in homeschool classes is to focus on personal narrative with just rough drafts at first using personal narrative picture books for each mini-lesson (and talking a LOT – again, the talking thing!). I write alongside the students/kids and my kids have learned a lot about me as a person through our writing workshop sharing. I felt led to teach reluctant writing classes for middle schoolers-ish for 2 cycles and would be happy to post my book list or whatever I have (it could already be on my blog for all I remember!). I had my elementary dd and 2 highschoolers in those classes and it really reaches everyone at their level. It normally takes them a semester to click into becoming “writers” and then we work on revision, editing, etc. Okay, I’m rambling but I just love writing!
leigh says
I follow Seton’s monthly newsletter and the director often addresses this subject. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read and heard that little boys have the hardest time with writing and english – they’re more geared toward math and science. I would highly recommend reading some of the back-issues of their newsletter under the section “Questions We are Asked.” The only suggestion I can make is have him write on a subject that interests him, whether it’s bugs or soccer or what have you.
Best of luck to you! I’ll remember you in my prayers!
KitchenKop says
Thanks Leigh, any chance you could shoot me a link to find these newsletters easily?
What I’ve tried this week is telling him he JUST has to write 3 sentences for me, and I have to dictate, and that’s ALL I can get him to do right now……. The other day I had him write 3 sentences in a note to his favorite fire fighter friend and tomorrow I’ll have him write a thank you note to his little friend for a birthday present.
Any other tips are appreciated!
Thanks,
Kel
Maryjane says
As you spend time with your children and get acquainted with their learning styles, their personal skill level, and their special interests, you’ll begin to know when to *require* certain learning tasks and when something isn’t a good fit for your particular child. Certain things are non-negotiable — children need to learn how to write, both the mechanics of writing and the ability to put words together skillfully. They need to learn how to do some level of math; they need a historical framework of their country and the world; etc. But a child in third grade will probably not be doing calculus, of course. They learn these skills a little every year. And children will progress in different subjects at different rates. My youngest child always struggled with basic math, no matter what curriculum we used, but she has amazing language and writing abilities.
If you want your child to become skillful in writing, my best advice is to read aloud to them every day, from age 6 months on.
Mommaofmany says
Homeschooling can be pricey, but doesn’t have to be. There are so many resources that you can buy used! Also, there are many, many free helps online. Check out https://www.freehomeschooling101.com/ You’ll be shocked at how much you can do for free!
Melissa says
Here’s another free site! http://www.oldfashionededucation.com
There are full-year schedules for gradeschool levels and additional online resourses 🙂 I’ve used it for American History and free online readers.