Buying workbooks and saving curriculum for other kids

[keptwoman]

We have a few curricula items that have consumable workbooks that go with them. I'm thinking about buying workbooks for both C and M as I buy things for C.

I can see this going two ways:

If I don't buy them there is a chance that by the time M is using the textbook, the directly applicable workbook has been replaced by a version that doesn't align as well.

If I do buy them there is a chance that I don't end up using that product for M.

 

I'm interested in what others do in this regard, buy them just in case, or don't buy them and worry about it when the next one gets there?

[bbsweetpea]

I usually buy two copies at once if it is a program I know I will use with my two oldest. They are one year a part right now in curriculum so it is worth it to me. My youngest ... I have not even really thought about what I will use just yet.

[Amy in TX]

I don't usually buy multiple workbooks--I'm too likely not to be using the same curriculum 3 years down the road (which is how far apart in age all my dc are).

[Matryoshka]

Depends. I don't like to reinvent the wheel, so I do end up by and large using the same materials for my younger dd, who is 2-3 yrs behind her sisters.

 

Mostly, I buy one book and copy it for all 3 kids (this is for the many books that allow copying for one family/class). This goes mostly for Critical Thinking Press and Mindware books, but there are a few others.

 

I have bought new workbooks for Singapore Math for all 3 kids, and I'm also planning on buying them each their own Practice workbooks for the MCT materials, and they each had their own lab books for RS4K Pre-level Chem.

 

If I'd discovered WWE for the older 2, I would've bought new student pages for each, but as it is, only the youngest is ending up using WWE so it's moot. :)

[Moniksca]

My kiddos are 6 years apart and I'm just not sure what works for one will work for the other so I don't.

[chaik76]

Nope. I figure I can either update when my second child gets there...or buy something else. In addition, my kids look to have really different learning styles, so buying extra workbooks would most likely be a waste of money.

[mo2]

You could either photocopy (if it is allowed, many homeschool products do allow it) or use a sheet protector and dry erase marker. I recently started doing this.

[Carmen_and_Company]

It depended on the program. I purchased duplicates of SP Mathematics workbooks and Stewart English, but not of Rule's of the Game, VFCR, or Wordsmith. My eldest 2 children are almost 7 years a part in age.

[luvnlattes]

I chose no, never but I don't buy a lot of workbooks. All my kids use Math u See so each year they get new workbooks for that. I don't buy them ahead. Other workbooks we use are things like Wordly Wise and Grid Perplexors. I also don't buy them ahead. I feel like I'm already buying so much for the current year that I don't want to buy extra! Plus, I may change my mind over the next year and decide to go a different route for the next child.

[Katiebug_1976]

Even if I wanted to buy workbooks for all dc at once, my budget doesn't allow for it. But a big reason I am against it is that each child has his/her own learning style. So what works for one, might not work for another. If I bought workbooks for all my dc and they only worked for 2, then I would have wasted money on 4. Just my opinion. :001_smile:

[SilverMoon]

Nope. It'd be easier to just replace it, in my opinion. My oldest kid was a curriculum guinea pig and I'm very glad I don't have doubles of those early flops sitting around. ;)

 

I do try homing in on good nonconsumables though. In the early years it's harder to get away from the workbooks, but usually there's still a lower cost consumable reload for younger siblings.

[Starr]

I went ahead and bought the extra workbook most of the time. Occasionally my dd would use notebook paper and save the workbook for my ds. We didn't use many. My dc are two years apart so it's easier to know what's working for them.

[Dinsfamily]

I would just be worried that I've bought all of these workbooks and they wouldn't work for my younger dc. Then, I'd be stuck with them only hoping to sell them at a loss. My oldest two have totally opposite learning styles and there's no telling about the baby. The only things I'm buying extra of this year are SWR learning logs. I'm very sure I'll use the program with all my dc and the S&H makes the very cheap books kind of spendy. I'm buying three years worth with my next (and last SWR order). When I need more, I'll probably buy another 3 years worth. I also bought all of the CWP books last year, but that's because they were going OOP. I hated buying CWP 6 when I just have a K'er, but I'm glad I did. Now, I'm using them as non-consumables.

[3and3]

You could either photocopy (if it is allowed, many homeschool products do allow it) or use a sheet protector and dry erase marker. I recently started doing this.

Wow that is agreat idea never thought about page protectors

3 of my dc are very close in age but learning styles are different. Somethings I am trying to save that I know will work with 2nd dc. But I never order 2 workbooks.

Jenny

[Aoife]

I've been thinking about doing this myself as my boys are only 2 years apart and I do foresee using the same things with each of them. However for more expensive workbooks like the evan moore phonics I remove them from their binding, 3 hole punch them and copy as needed. I think as the kiddos get older and move into things like FLL or WWE I'll end up buying the PDF versions of the student pages and then printing them and binding them as needed.

[LittleIzumi]

You could either photocopy (if it is allowed, many homeschool products do allow it) or use a sheet protector and dry erase marker. I recently started doing this.

Yup! I have a scanner, laser printer, and lots of dry erase markers :)

[rafiki]

.

[Homeschooling6]

I purchase them year by year. If the TM or curriculum change, then I'll change with it. Unless I have a heads-up than I'll go and buy for the rest.

[Haiku]

I don't because my kids learn so differently (even though they are almost the same age) that I don't always/usually use the same things with them.

 

Tara

[momto2Cs]

It depends. For many subjects right now, no, because I end up changing things. BUT, I want to buy Teaching Textbooks for my rising 4th grader, and if I decide to go with the workbook version, I'll buy an extra for my dd to use down the road. Basically halves the cost over the years!

[MerryAtHope]

My kids are only 2 years apart. However, the few times I bought ahead, it didn't pay. Now I never buy something more than a year in advance.

 

Merry :-)

[myfatherslily]

We're still early in our homeschooling adventure, but so far (pre-K, K, and upcoming 1st), I would not buy for more than they will use that year. DD and DS are very different and what I find working for DD, I think will be far too workbook-ish for DS. Also, I worry that I will end up not liking it all that much and want to try something different next time around!:)

 

I suppose in the future, as I get more familiar with materials and DC's learning styles, I might buy ahead for some things.

[Momof1plustwins]

No. I'm not sure how I will feel about a curriculum at first. If I had a definite favorite that I new would work with my youngers, I would buy early just in case they weren't available later.

Now if I ditch a program with my older, I have promised myself that I would keep it until youngers outgrow it, Just in case we decide to give it a shot.

[Bird Girl]

I keep my older child from writing in books that I think my younger child will use; so far, that's the Singapore books and MCT's Sentence Island. I try to avoid buying two workbooks, but sometimes it's clear that something can be re-used without too much trouble.

[MissKNG]

I don't know if my small girl will use the same stuff as my big girl. And if she does, I have "edition" issues....I always want the latest edition of the material! So I'll just buy new.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Nope. It'd be easier to just replace it, in my opinion. My oldest kid was a curriculum guinea pig and I'm very glad I don't have doubles of those early flops sitting around. ;)

 

:lol::lol: Me too! Poor babies! I'm hoping she doesn't remember some of the big bellyflops we had.

 

 

ETA: I voted sometimes. There's only one workbook I know we will use again in the early years, that's it.