If you have 2 DC working together - how many textbooks?

[freerange]

If you have 2 children close in age & have them covering the same material, do they share a text book, or have one each?

 

If we're snuggling as we read, then sharing a book works fine. When we're at the table for written work I sit across from them & I'm thinking that a 2nd copy would make life easier for me than having to read upside down. I can read upside down fine in English, Latin however... Which then got me wondering how everyone else approaches this?

[10Newtons]

I usually have one for each...just makes things easier all the way around.

 

No waiting for a sister to be ready to turn a page either! :)

[tinkgumby]

Yup . . . I do one each as well, unless it's a read-aloud.

[Matryoshka]

Have to say I buy only one. If it's stuff we do together, we sit on the couch with me in the middle, and all look at one book. If it's stuff they do independently, so far there's enough to do that they can take turns (this was even true for LOF).

 

It may be changing a bit now that they're getting older (6th this year). The big first exception this year was CPO Science - they read it independently and answer all the questions, which can take a while, and - I got it cheap at $12 each.

 

The second big exception will be when we leave Singapore Primary Math (1 text, two workbooks) for Discovering Mathematics - since all the problems are in the text, I bought one for each child.

 

But for Pre-K through 5th, I've managed quite well with one textbook (but multiple workbooks) for everything.

[Quiver0f10]

It depends on how expensive the book is :D We have 3 using R&S grammar 6 and Henle and each have their own book. Two of my kids are using Saxon Alg 1/2 and Apologia Physical Science and they share the books.

Edited November 1, 2009 by Quiver0f10

[abbeyej]

Definitely easier to have two copies for anything other than snuggle-on-the-couch-together work. Obviously if every penny is desperately needed, a single copy can work. But if it can work with the budget, I definitely find it easier to have two copies of the Latin book or whatever...

[SilverMoon]

I have them share. Any of my kids that share materials right now go at different speeds anyway. I do make sure they're scheduled to use the book on different days of the week.

[swellmomma]

depends on the subject. Grammar we have 1 and they alternate using it. Math, spelling, vocabulary they have their own. Science we have 1 and they do it at the same time. History is living books mostly that we use together, readers they alternate using them.

[mycalling]

We share and schedule the use of it at different times of the school day. We do this with computer curricula, too.

[Rhonda in TX]

I love the convenience of them each having their own, but have to worry about money as well.

[StephanieZ]

If you have 2 children close in age & have them covering the same material, do they share a text book, or have one each?

 

If we're snuggling as we read, then sharing a book works fine. When we're at the table for written work I sit across from them & I'm thinking that a 2nd copy would make life easier for me than having to read upside down. I can read upside down fine in English, Latin however... Which then got me wondering how everyone else approaches this?

 

One copy here.

[joannqn]

Mine share.

 

We do science and history with one book. We used to work all together, sitting on the couch to read and discuss. I don't have the time to sit and read with them much anymore so I schedule them to take turns with the books. One does science while the other does history, and then they switch. The way we do school, we switch subjects every 30 minutes. If they are done before the timer rings, they have free time until it rings. That eliminates problems with one working faster than another and needing the book that the slower one is using.