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Which subject typically consumes....


BlessedMom
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the largest portion of your schooling budget?

What subject typically consumes the largest portion of your schooling day?

 

 

Phonics/ Reading

 

Grammar

 

Writing

 

Math

 

History

 

Science

 

Foreign Language

 

Bible/Religion

 

Logic/Critical Thinking

 

Art

 

Music

 

Other

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I don't keep track very well, but I'd say probably history takes about 50 dollars, because I buy some books to read, and I buy SOTW and the AG, although everything is used, not new. It also takes the most time, but it's "two birds with one stone," since most of the reading we do is history-based ala WTM (no reading program here)--actually, it's more like 4 birds, b/c we do narrations and copywork for writing! lol Some art, too!

 

Grammar only costs about $15 because we use Rod and Staff. Spelling is el cheapo SWO, w/o the Teacher's Manual. Math is Saxon, which can get pricey, but we have old texts from Laura in VA--just need to spend about $6 to get the worksheets and tests, again, used.

 

I will say we have a lot of art supplies, but I don't really count that in our budget, since it's also recreational. I will probably spend another $50 this year on art paper, paint, and stepping stone kits, as well as brushes, new Prismas, and other fun things.

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For us, I think Math is the answer to both questions. We use RightStart, and absolutely love it. It is my one "splurge", and on everything else, I try to go pretty cheap. We also might spend more time on History on those days that we do History. But we do Math every single day, so I think it ends up being more.

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Math and reading take about equal time and are the most time intensive.

 

The most expensive is music because Ariel takes lessons instead of my teaching it. For subjects taught at home, art would be the most expensive because of the supplies and the curriculum we chose (Atelier).

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Budget - History and Science (we use HOD/living books and it can get costly).

 

The majority of the day for my older ds is often spent on Math. He has to have a good balance of problems (not too many, not too few) and has to do it first thing of the day or we lose the entire day to math. Oddly enough, math is also one of his best subjects...go figure.

 

My youngest will spend a good part of the day on Phonics...but that is really just because we hit phonics hard and do reading as well as PP and ETC (both in the book and online). It just takes time to get through what is planned for the day.

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Science is taking the biggest chunk of the budget. Normally we do FLVS but the kids are a year ahead so we are spending this coming school year doing something different. We just finished a Chemistry Unit (summer). We are doing Physics this fall and that involves purchasing the curriculum and a LAB setup for fall, Physiology/Anatomy for Spring and Forensics for next summer. We are also doing Computer Programming and Game Development this year and technology courses at the Science Museum.

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the largest portion of your schooling budget?
From year to year, probably history, but mostly because we're book buyers. However, I've spent a *lot* of money on math this past year... but have rationalized it thus: it is to be used over the next 8-10 years and amortized over two children. I'm set to buy one last (?) math package next month, then I think we'll be set. Well, that and a set of Singapore workbooks for DD the Younger.

 

What subject typically consumes the largest portion of your schooling day?
History takes 45-60 minutes of read aloud time most days. We all enjoy it. At this stage, nothing else takes more than 15-20 minutes. Edited by nmoira
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History/Literature takes the biggest chunk out of our homeschooling budget. All of those individual readers costs money and we do not use the library. I'm not sure what we spend the most time on. I suppose if you count read-aloud time as being the same subject as Literature or History, then we spend the most time on History/Literature as well since it takes time to read things aloud. On the other hand it kind of depends on how one decides to lump subjects together. Many times Grammar, Spelling, Vocabulary and Composition are all lumped together as "English" or "Language Arts". If that is the case, Language Arts hands down is what we spend the most time on.

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History & science definitely take the most money, primarily because I buy most of the supplemental books that we use.

 

What consumes the largest portion of the school day? Language arts, when you add it all together. Spelling, grammar, handwriting, writing, and reading all combine for a large chunk of time! Single subject? Some days writing, some days Latin, and some days math.

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Phonics started out the most, it got less and less until she was reading well, then math was the most.

 

K was about 40% phonics/spelling and 40% math, a few minutes of Bible reading, science and art.

 

1st grade we started about 1/3 phonics/spelling, 1/3 math, a bit more science, and the Bible was mainly verse memorization. Halfway through the year we dropped all but math for a month to just work on that, then after math facts were firmed up, we spent the most time on math, and phonics/spelling became completely phonetic based spelling (although she did watch some of my phonics tutoring, and helped pass out pencils and papers!) We also added in history, geography, and Spanish. It would make a fun graph over time, I think!

 

I've spent a lot of money on phonics over the years, homeschool specific materials, I've probably spent the most on math lately. (Mostly from reading too many of Spy Car's posts.)

 

I may be buying some more history, then that would be close to math.

 

If you include all the phonics materials (and I have used all of them with her, at least a page from each, I did c as s from every book I own), that would win hands down, but I would not have bought them all just for her and her brother.

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I find I spend the most money on the subject I'm least confident about.

 

First it was math. After buying every math curricula known to man and trying a few when my oldest were in K/1, I finally found what works and what I trust. Then I stopped buying everything and now only buy exactly what we need. (My dh is thrilled. :lol: )

 

Then it was Latin. Now that I've bought every Latin program known to man and haven't started any of them, I've decided to outsource Latin. :)

 

Then it was writing. Well, I guess I'm still in the buying everything stage for that, but now that we're hitting 4th grade, I have to buckle down and choose a path. I think we'll stick with R&S's writing and throw in some IEW & Writing Trails selections.

 

Once everything settles down, I think I end up spending the most on Literature & on hist/science living books. When we get to high school, I bet science will be the most expensive subject.

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Phonics takes the most time right now because dgd is just learning to read and print her letters.

 

Math is my big expense (we use Saxon).

 

Everything else is pretty cheap thanks to the swap boards and an amazing public library system. :001_smile:

 

Blessings,

Aileen

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Cost: This year it is science. I'm finding 7th grade science lab supplies really enlarged that budget! History is next, then math.

 

Time: Language arts - hands down. I'm in the "communication is key" camp and we spend a lot of time making sure they can successfully communicate.

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This year (as it is every year) it's followed by literature for oldest dd who loves to read. Although dh thinks I should get Rosetta Stone for her this year and that won't be cheap.

So far this year, it's latin for younger dd. I don't usually spend as much on her since I can re-use many of the materials that I used with her older sister.

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Depends on the kid.. because of high school next year the three highest subjects money wise are Latin, Writing and Science - science because of the equipment and Latin and Writing because they are online courses.

 

For my non-high schoolers it's probably science. Math was pricey but now I own everything I'll use for everyone (except for new Fred books as they come out) so that cost is gone. Writing is coming down in cost for us too now because I own all the CW books for my younger ones so I only buy for the oldest who is going into Herodotus. I think she'll be the only one doing the online classes (that's not a good setup for my middle) so writing won't be expensive much longer either. Being happy and comfortable with our curriculum has certainly helped cut down costs. I can buy confidently knowing I'll get 2 or 3 kids worth out of it.

 

Timewise - for my middle one - Grammar, Latin and Writing.

For my youngest - Reading and math

For my oldest - Latin, writing and Omnibus. Not necessarily in that order. Depends on the week. But that's the bulk of our emphasis (along with math but that doesn't take as long)

 

Heather

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It varies from year to year (so far--I've only been at it 3 years so far). This year for ds the big expenses are for math and science. Last year I spent more on history and language. The year before that it was history and science. (Ds is a science kinda guy.) This will be our first year with dd home too, and for her I splurged and just bought the whole 2nd grade box from Oak Meadow. I'm guessing next year will be cheaper all around, but this year I wasn't brave enough to try both of them without some pre-planned scheduling backing me up. From what I know about my daughter, her big expense over the upcoming years will likely be art supplies, which I see us using in all the subjects since she's a very hands-on crafty kind of gal. (Totally unlike her brother.)

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Literature for our at home only classes,

otherwise it's the online writing courses take the biggest bite out of the budget.

 

Time....teaching/correction time....math/science/GB (or history/literature) discussions.

 

This pretty much holds for my younger children, as well as my high school students.

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I think we end up spending the most money on science.

 

Last year we cut out music lessons. However, after speaking to my 94yo great-aunt I think I'm convinced to place DS back in lessons. Music will then become my greatest expense.

 

I won't even mention the amount I have spent on Latin programs. :(

 

We spend the most time studying grammar and math.

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Science has always been our most expensive and most time consuming.... and our favorite! We do tend to go overboard just a bit. Okay maybe more than a bit. ;)

 

If we're counting music lessons, most years they end up costing more, but science still takes more time.

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Language arts absorbs the most time.

 

Science is probably as expensive as language arts.

 

Language arts = literature + composition + handwriting + typing/word processing + grammar + spelling, all add up to a huge investment in time.

 

Since I do almost all composition in the context of history and science, it's hard to determine how much time in those tasks actually belongs to composition. Still, it's considerable.

 

Both kids are remediation in typing and handwriting this summer, because I'd like to lighten up on those subjects and focus on other things. The eldest (8th grade) has the disadvantage of spending her elementary years in public schools. We've been playing catch up for two years now. If we can get a break through in typing and handwriting for her this summer, we'll be in high cotton come fall.

 

We've been spending less and less money each year on science texts, but the experiments still cost a bundle. We're science geeks, and we can always justify and investment in science equipment.

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I noticed a few people counting their music lessons etc. If that is included... then gymnastics definately is our largest expense by far.

 

Heather

 

Oh yeah, that does NOT count!! Gymnastics is by far the most expensive thing in our lives, but it would be even if my kids were in ps. I only count those things that replace school activities :D

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Sonlight literature/history cores consume the most money and math seems to take up the greater part of our day time wise. I do have seven children doing individual math but the Sonlight is for groups of them at a time so that could be a factor.

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For us, the most expensive things are math (RightStart) and writing (CW cores, workbooks, and teacher guides). But I have to say that they are OH SO WORTH IT!

 

I wouldn't say that anything we do is really time-consuming; if it weren't for my son's dawdling, we'd be done in 2.5 hours or less, including piano practice. If you put all language arts stuff together, though, that would be the most time-consuming thing in our day.

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Which subject typically consumes.... the largest portion of your schooling budget? What subject typically consumes the largest portion of your schooling day

 

Trying to determine an average cost per hour? :glare:

;)

 

I don't think I have much information as far as "typical"

It probably changes over time, and if I re-sell the book, do I subtract recouped monies or ? ?

:seeya:

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  • 9 months later...

Math for both (time and money) we use RightStart as our main program, Math Mammoth to supplement when TJ needs time to absorb a difficult concept, and Miquon for fun!

 

Science would be a close second because we love doing experiments.

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