Oh my.... My curriculum list from the WTM is going to cost HOW MUCH???

[JeneralMom]

I might if I had the money to buy it. I don't want to sound snappy or rude, but really comments like this aren't really helpful if you don't have the funds to cover it. It's like wanting to buy a house or a car and finding a STEAL but you still don't have that amount allowed in your loan, or in your bank account. It doesn't help what a great deal your getting IF you don't have it to work with, that's all I am saying. All these comments are doing is making me feel worse that it IS such a deal... a deal I can't even afford. But thanks....

 

 

I have 2 that are doing 1st grade, and 1 preschooler - I totaled up with just basic books to over $1300, that did not include basic supplies like scissors, pens, etc. I almost cried. I know it is "cheap" when you divide it up by child and we did spend more in just the one semester we had DS7 in ps, but seeing it all totaled up is overwhelming. What I am doing is buying the really important stuff (for us it is reading, math, history and science) at once and adding other things as $$ allows while saving money to add things like art/music appreciation, the second semester books for math, the second semester books for science, grammar/writing.

 

I sympathize and it is one of the reasons that my two eldest will be working at the same grade level (slightly above for D5, so I may have to give him some leeway). I also take comfort in the knowledge that I will basically have to pay nothing for these grades when my little girls get to them because I will have everything.

[missesd]

I have 2 that are doing 1st grade, and 1 preschooler - I totaled up with just basic books to over $1300, that did not include basic supplies like scissors, pens, etc. I almost cried. I know it is "cheap" when you divide it up by child and we did spend more in just the one semester we had DS7 in ps, but seeing it all totaled up is overwhelming. What I am doing is buying the really important stuff (for us it is reading, math, history and science) at once and adding other things as $$ allows while saving money to add things like art/music appreciation, the second semester books for math, the second semester books for science, grammar/writing.

 

I sympathize and it is one of the reasons that my two eldest will be working at the same grade level (slightly above for D5, so I may have to give him some leeway). I also take comfort in the knowledge that I will basically have to pay nothing for these grades when my little girls get to them because I will have everything.

 

I don't know if this will help you, or what kind of resource this is considered as far as Classical Education goes. But when Olivia was in Kindergarten last year and Jamie was in 1st I used Homeschool Learning Network. It's online, $19.99 a month for all grade resources. It's broken down by grade, then week, and finally subject. They have math and language arts worksheets. They do art like WTM talks about, and some music too. They have Vocab packets with activities. And unit studies too. It's worth a look, and they give a 7 day free trial.

[KidsHappen]

Thank you... also this isn't our first year homeschooling, it's my 5th. It's just my first year using WTM :blush: Thanks

 

In this case would it be possible to continue doing most things the way that you have previously done them while slowly transitioning to TWTM? Maybe add the new math & LA this year while using your older stuff for history and science but changing the rotation to the TWTM suggestions. Then later on you can change one more subject as you can afford it and so on.

[ssexton]

I love Amazon for used books. Here's another, slightly older, edition of Story of Painting for less than a dollar (plus shipping):

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0751301337/ref=tmm_hrd_used_olp_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1284604373&sr=8-1&condition=used

[Mom-ninja.]

You can also check Donna Young. She has free worksheets for younger kids like handwriting practice and math.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I think you need to see what your library has to offer that can be "good enough". For example, do they have the Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia or similar encyclopedia type books that you can check out (even if only for the first few months to spread out the buying. You can also space out the books that you're using for elementary science. You're using each for about 20 weeks at a time, so you don't have to have all of them up front.

 

Think used. For example on Amazon I found what looks like a complete set of the Latin Road to English Grammar for $37 (plus $4 shipping). It may have a different binding and it is probably worth emailing the seller to confirm that it really is complete. But this would save about $100.

 

Find out when curriculum sales by homeschool groups in your area and library book sales are. I've gotten great books over the years for bargain barrel prices. Visit used bookstores. Talk to the staff that decide what books to buy and leave a "wants" list. Especially if you can substitute an older book for something new and current. For example I've seen volumes of the Durant Story of Civilization series for a couple dollars a volume in library sales and thrift stores.

 

Borrow. Ask other homeschoolers if you can borrow curriculum to test drive it. (For example Saxon math. I've had great success with it. Others would put it in the vile category. Your mileage may vary.) If you're on local homeschool lists, consider putting out a want to buy email. If the curriculum mistakes thread here is any indication, then many of us has stuff in boxes in the back of the closet that wasn't a match and that we are quite willing to get rid of.

 

Instead of the Civil War Jackdaw, use the primary documents sets from the National Archives , and the Library of Congress. You should also look at the website for the National Parks Service, which has lots of curriculum ideas. If you go to the Find a Park page, you can sort by topic and get a listing of all the parks that relate to the Civil War. Don't miss the Teaching with Historic Places, which includes places of interest that aren't designated as part of the NPS. The kids section on NPS also has some very interesting online activities relating to various themes and parks. PBS has a website that is a companion to the series The Civil War. You will find lots there that will provide primary document background. Remember that for the Civil War, photos were primary documents too.

 

FWIW, I would find a way to get as many of your kids on the same page for history (and maybe science) as possible. Even if that meant that some of the youngers were a little out of sequence. Trying to work multiple ages of the same history is challenging enough. Doing multiple ages on different historical timelines is insanity making (in my opinion). I'd probably figure out what your 9th graders' progression is going to be and then spin others off of that. Maybe with an exception for the 11th grader, who has to consider having the right stuff for college apps.

 

Oh, and I'd make do with whatever binders you have at the moment and then grow into larger ones as you can afford them/find them on sale.

[MomsintheGarden]

I've homeschooled my 2 oldest for Prek-12th, and am still homeschooling my 5 youngest. The only things I'd add would be SAT prep & lit.

 

Best wishes,

GardenMom

 

11th grade-

Foreign language:

Latin Road to English Grammar

Rainbow Resources $149

I would skip this, and do Spanish online for free. Just search and you'll find lots of resources. I recommend buying the English from the Roots Up flashcards for $17. You do not need the book. This covers vocab, Latin, and Greek roots.

 

Science:

Chemistry: Concepts & Problems Self Teaching

Rainbow Resources $16

What about labs? Check out DIVE Chemistry lectures & "slide show" labs on CD for $50. Print out the included lab worksheets. You can get an older used Bob Jones Chem text for a song.

 

Writing:

Writing Strands 4 (still not sure if this might be too far below his level)

Rainbow Resources $16.75

Writing Strands is not an intuitive program. You will probably struggle with it. Skip this and all other writing programs, and buy SWB's 3 writing lectures and 1 lit analysis lecture for $16 total.

The writing lectures recommend some books to buy for high school. Do not buy them right away. Get started with R&S grammar and the writing recs for the middle grades, and work your way up.

 

Vocabulary:

Vocabulary from Classical Roots A

Rainbow Resources $10.80

Teacher's Guide $15.75

Skip this - see above. This is a really boring program, and not effective. It is also a curriculum money pit - lots of workbooks & TMs, many levels.

 

Logic: (because he has had no formal logic, so he can't start Rhetoric)

Traditional Logic

Rainbow Resources $64

Put this off for a few months while you get LA, math, etc., figured out. You will have enough to do without it. Take the time to look for it used.

 

Spelling:

Spelling Workout D (REALLY not sure about this for an 11th grader)

Rainbow Resources $12

(not sure what this is, maybe a Teacher Guide) $12.50

You absolutely do not need this. Have your student keep a notebook of words missed in writing. Turn off spellcheck on the computer.

 

Math:

Saxon Algebra II (this is what he tested at on the Saxon placement tests)

Rainbow Resources $94

Have you used Saxon before? The traditional Saxon Algebra program spreads geometry over their algebra books. I prefer Chalkdust (which you can buy cheaply - ask on the high school boards), others prefer Lial, etc. Many of these programs are cheaper than Saxon.

Grammar:

Rod & Staff: Communicating Effectively

Rod & Staff $36.50

I have used this program for years and years. The 10th grade book for an 11th grader who has not used R&S or another very strong grammar program? No. Way. Buy the 5th grade book as advised above. Have your 8th, 9th, and 11th graders share. If you can afford it, buy them each a worksheet book and a test book (they are cheap).

If you wait a couple of weeks, you can probably buy seconds directly from the publisher for 1/2 price. The 2nds are in terrific shape. The 1/2 price scratch & dent sale is in October. Call them at 606-522-4348 to find out when the sale starts, and call in the morning on the first day to order.

 

History:

~I have not yet decided his course. Per the WTM he should be doing Late Renaissance/Early Modern, but I really wanted to work on the Constitution and founding documents in depth this year. And then finish up by working on Civics/Ecomonics/Government next year.

Since you don't have much time, I'd suggest picking Early Modern (1600-1850 AD). You can cover American & World history well with this time period. I'd borrow Albert Marrin books from the library. Borrow all of your lit & history books from the library. Use the Kingfisher book below for your spine, to share & save money.

 

9th grade-

Foreign Language:

SEE ABOVE

 

Science:

Biology: A Self Teaching Guide

Rainbow Resources $16

Sounds good. What about labs? Look for them online for free.

Writing:

SEE ABOVE, at the end of the book in the Chapter 47: Final Words, Starting in the Middle, it says that all older students should start there.

Vocabulary:

SEE ABOVE, same thing as note above.

 

Logic:

SEE ABOVE, again... lol

 

Spelling:

SEE ABOVE

Math:

Saxon Algebra I for one student

Rainbow Resources $94

Saxon Algebra 1/2 for the other

Christian Book $64? (it varies depending on package)

For once, I don't have an opinion. You had better make sure your dc will like Saxon. Perhaps a friend can lend you some books to try out first?

 

Grammar:

Rod & Staff: Building Securely

Rod & Staff $46.30

 

History:

History of the Ancient World

Rainbow $23.25

I agree with the above posters that say your dc should all be on the same time period. It makes life so much easier.

 

Art: (this is something one of the kids would like to specialize in)

Annotated Mona Lisa

Amazon $15.63

Story of Painting

Amazon $37.80

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

Amazon $21.56

You can get all of these from the library. The AML is one of our favorites. The library has amazing, amazing books. Look at the childrens' section for many titles that are wonderful, even for older dc, like the Venezia series.

 

8th grade-

 

Foreign Language:

SEE ABOVE

 

Writing:

SEE ABOVE

Vocabulary:

SEE ABOVE

 

Logic:

Critical Thinking Book 1 (&2 later)

Rainbow Resources $23 and $10

We use these, but I would skip them. Just get the basics done at first, and add on extras like this if you have time later. Buy just one student book & one TM and see if you like them before you commit to the series of 4 books.

 

Spelling:

SEE ABOVE

 

Math:

I have!! YAY!! LOL

Great!

 

Grammar:

Rod & Staff: Progressing with Courage

Rod & Staff $46.50

Do the 5th grade book, unless you have a very talented grammarian.

 

History:

The Civil War

Jackdaw $57.80

Kingfisher History Encyclopedia

Amazon $19.79

Critical Thinking in U.S. History Book 3 (&4 later)

Rainbow Resources $18

Buy all means buy the KHE new. Use it as a spine for all your older dc. It is sometimes cheaper at Costco.

Jackdaws are crazy expensive, and sooooo NOT worth it. I bought two, opened them up, and said, "Is that all? Where's the rest?" Look for copies of original source documents online for free.

 

Science: (to start)

Backyard Ballistics

Rainbow $13.50

*Of course I will add new experiments as we finish the other ones up.

No! You do NOT want this! This sounds fun, but to do the activities you will need to spend lots of money, unless you or your dh are handy and you have lots of stuff lying around. The potato cannon is fun, though. Get stacks of fun science books from the library. Don't worry about whether they are babyish or not, you can learn a lot from even the Let's Read & Find Out books, etc. If your 8th grader is ready for more, start biology instead.

 

2cnd grade-

 

Spelling:

Spelling Workout B

Christian Book $11.50

I like Spelling Workout, but it is another money pit. You spend $11.50 for each workbook, each child, each level. The first few books are very fluffy. I recommend looking for Spelling Power, if you can get it used for $30. You can make up your own practice sheets and copy them.

At this age, has your child done phonics? Is he a good reader?

 

Grammar:

First Language Lessons

Rainbow Resources $13.25

Great choice! Love this program!

History:

Story of the World

Rainbow Resources $13.25

Activity Book $27.25

Another great choice! Put your youngers on the same time period as your olders.

 

Writing:

Copywork, which I already have.

 

Math:

I was going to use Saxon 2, until I read today that anything under 4 is kind of pointless and can actually hold them back. Anyway, that was found at Rainbow Resources for $60.

R&S and ABeka math are cheaper than elementary Saxon.

 

Science:

First Animal Encyclopedia

Barnes & Noble $12.23

Kingfisher 1st Human Body Encyclopedia

Rainbow Resources $12.85

Green Thumbs

Rainbow Resources $11.95

You absolutely don't need these. Library books would be better. A 2nd grader is going to be happier with the variety and fun of borrowed books.

 

 

1st grade-

 

Spelling:

Spelling Workout A

Christian Book $11.49

SW is extremely basic at this age. You really don't need it.

Grammar:

SEE 2cnd GRADE

 

History:

SEE 2cnd GRADE

 

Writing:

(this was blank, I guess I hadn't decided on one...)

 

Math:

Workbooks, and sheets I already have from last year

 

Science:

SEE 2cnd GRADE

 

Reading:

Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading

Amazon $19.77

Flash Cards

Peace Hill Press $5.95

Lots of folks like this program. I have used many phonics programs, and I prefer Teach Your Child in 100 Easy Lessons, which you can also get cheaply or from the library.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Well that's good to hear. I like the 2" binders, but the 3 " are just too much IMO. I already have a bunch of 1" though, color coded for each child.

 

My second grader taught himself to read. I bought 100 Easy Lessons, but never used it. He seemed to learn while we were learning and memorizing the states last year. I've wondered if she couldn't do the same, and that possibly I did something right without knowing it. Wouldn't that be nice?? LOL

 

If you have 100 Easy Lessons still, I'd definitely try that before paying for a different phonics program. It can be a perfectly good reading program. I used it for three kids. Two got a little hung up around lesson 70 when sight words start coming in. We did a short diversion into short controlled vocabulary readers, then came back to finish up 100 EZ.

 

So I'd try the bird in the hand before I went out and bought something new.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Thank you. I see everyone saying what a steal that is, and that may be- I realize this. BUT when you are on a one family income with 7 total kids in the home, no savings, and no credit cards, what are you supposed to do?? Like i said if I had known beforehand we'd make this choice I would have planned better. But it is what it is, and I am just concerned about not losing precious school time and being behind again this year with even more kids then last.

 

I think this is a good reason to be sure that what you buy is going to work for you, not just be what was recommended by a particular friend or author (no offense to SWB).

 

If your library has an older edition of WTM, you might want to flip through it and see some of the recommendations for history that pre-date many of the wonderful curriculum packages that are now available. For example I was surprised to find recently that the long out of print (and once laughably expensive) Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World that was a logic stage recommendation in the first WTM is available for less than $10 used on Amazon.

 

Try setting up saved searches on abebooks.com . You can list the books that you expect to need next semester or next year and get an email anytime a new copy is listed. There is a small shipping fee, but you can find some good bargains.

 

If you're doing Paperback Swap, you can wish list books that you're looking for there too. Yes some of them have hefty lists of people wishing them. On the other hand, I've sent out some Veritas Press and Saxon books recently and will be sending out more shortly. It's worth it to me to get the credit to use on something else. I would wish for books that I didn't need right now but knew I was going to want.

 

For science for the younger kids, you might want to look at the Handbook of Nature Study blog. I think it is a good fit with the animal and plant study in the WTM grammar section. And it is pretty much free if you just print out the Outdoor Challenges.

 

Do as much as you can as you can. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Let as many people as you can think of know what you're looking for. You may be surprised at what people can help you with.

[dansamy]

FWIW, many graduation requirements of "2 years of foreign language" means a modern foreign language. No Latin, Klingon :p or ASL allowed.

 

You might want to rethink the Latin just for that reason alone: it might not "count".

 

What language is his half credit already? I would continue that language.

 

Ambleside Online and Old Fashioned Education both have great, free classical education curriculums laid out by year. I think I would finish your eldest child's traditional schooling this year and encourage him/her to self-educate with The Well Educated Mind.

Edited September 16, 2010 by dansamy

[snipsnsnailsx5]

I understand the initial shock at the price! Its my first year homeschooling, and when I tallied everything up it ended up being quite a bit for just my three. Then we ended up having NO money to spend on curriculum, so I had to become very creative.

I saved where I could - which meant watching Ebay and tons of Yahoo groups closely. Also the library has Story of the World and lots of other great things (well our library does).

 

You've gotten a lot of great ideas though!! :)

[flyingiguana]

Our library has just about everything. If it doesn't have it, we skip it or substitute.

 

There's no reason to get exactly what someone recommends.

 

I did have a dream of finding some of those out of print books that WTM recommends at a garage sale or something -- just so I could sell them on ebay. At the time, people were willing to pay amazing amounts of money just so they could have what WTM recommended. But then (in my day dream) I'd feel bad for having taken advantage of folks who didn't have the sense to just use something else.

 

I've never spent more than 50 dollars a year on homeschooling -- if that. My kids are very well educated.

 

ETA: I neglected to mention the graphing calculator and the fees for AP tests -- I've spent less than 50 dollars per year *except* the year we got the graphing calculator and the 2 years my daughter took an AP test. But that wasn't curriculum.

 

BTW -- you will likely NEVER do all that is suggested in WTM. You just won't have the time. So the advice to start slow, one subject at a time, is good. Start with what you feel are the essentials and work up from there. If it were me, I'd choose math, reading, and writing for the basics. But then I wouldn't even use any curricular materials for the last 2. (And we got our math books either from the library, online, or picked up used at rummage sales for a quarter apiece.)

 

And I wouldn't bother with grammar, based on my experience. Lots of reading and writing will cover what your kids need to know to read and write. Studying a foreign language will likely take care of the rest of it.

Edited September 16, 2010 by flyingiguana

[flyingiguana]

Quoted from above:

 

"Spelling:

Spelling Workout D (REALLY not sure about this for an 11th grader)

Rainbow Resources $12

(not sure what this is, maybe a Teacher Guide) $12.50

You absolutely do not need this. Have your student keep a notebook of words missed in writing. Turn off spellcheck on the computer."

 

 

 

Actually, you should turn the spell checker ON. If you can turn off the auto correction feature, that would be better. I found my kids learned a lot about their misspellings just by seeing that squiggly red line all over the place.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Lots of the classic books are public domain, you can read them on the computer or maybe get someone to give a cheaper ereader for Christmas? I saved a ton for Ancients doing that.

I used homeschoolclassifieds for used books a great deal and Vegsource too. ( not so much here, no offense to anyone but I sell and buy only at 50% off or more)

[Erica in PA]

$1100!!! For 6 children, grades 1, 2, 8, two in 9, and 11. I could cry, we were so not prepared for that. If I had known at tax return time we would make the decision to pull them all out, I would have set some aside. I just never envisioned that our start up would be so much. Now I am trying to decide how I can split it up, without having anyone too far behind. If anybody has any ideas that won't compromise the curriculum too much, I'd LOVE to hear it. I am giving myself a pretty hefty headache trying to figure it all out....

 

Thanks so much,

 

You do NOT have to spend anywhere near that amount. It appears from this thread that some do spend this much, but I can tell you that I have never, ever spent anything close to that per year. I don't know the details of the specific programs you are using, but there are cheaper ways. Your younger two kids can work together on most things, and the few odds and ends you need to buy for them individually should be inexpensive. I would also combine the older four for most subjects as well, with the possible exception of your 11th grader needing to work independently. Reading, writing, math, science, and math are the focus of what you need-- anything else is supplemental/optional. I spent about $350 total this year for my three, ages 14, 9, and 8, and it was the most I have ever spent. Please don't buy into the idea that spending $1000+ is par for the course in homeschooling-- it's not the case.

[Laura Corin]

11th grade-

 

Spelling:[/u]

Spelling Workout D (REALLY not sure about this for an 11th grader)

Rainbow Resources $12

(not sure what this is, maybe a Teacher Guide) $12.50

 

I just pulled 'commonly misspelled words' lists off the internet once Calvin was working at a high school level. Hobbes worked from grade-based lists, also pulled off the internet. I don't know your children though.

 

8th grade-

 

History:

The Civil War

Jackdaw $57.80

 

Jackdaws can be great, but they are very expensive - can you avoid getting this?

 

2cnd grade-

 

History:[/u]

Story of the World

Rainbow Resources $13.25

Activity Book $27.25

 

I use SOTW without the activity book. There are lists of extra readings that you can find for the books (there are some on my blog, for example) and maps are not too hard to find.

 

Math:

I was going to use Saxon 2, until I read today that anything under 4 is kind of pointless and can actually hold them back. Anyway, that was found at Rainbow Resources for $60.

 

Ouch! If you are not sure about it, you might like to look around for something cheaper.

 

Science:

First Animal Encyclopedia

Barnes & Noble $12.23

Kingfisher 1st Human Body Encyclopedia

Rainbow Resources $12.85

Green Thumbs

Rainbow Resources $11.95

 

These sound like great things to get from the library.

 

 

1st grade-

 

Spelling:

Spelling Workout A

Christian Book $11.49

Do you need a spelling curriculum whilst you are still working on learning to read? Doesn't the phonics curriculum you are using cover it for this year?

 

 

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[WistfulRidge]

Just wanted to chime in and ask if you've checked half.com. I see Saxon materials all the time going for pennies or a few dollars + shipping.

 

You can ditch the spelling and vocab - especially for your olders. When they don't know how to spell something, write it down; when they don't know what a word means, have them look it up and write it down. Make them review these words and quiz them every so often.

 

For grammar, I also second the idea of using Rod & Staff 5 for your 3 kids. My mother (who is hs-ing my younger sibs) finally gave in and got R&S when other grammar programs weren't working. My (at the time) 12th grade, 9th grade, and 8th grade siblings all used R&S5. They just had to schedule when everyone got the book. She went over the material once at the beginning of the day.

 

For literature (and thus, exposure to vocabulary they might not be familiar with) - library, obviously, or many of the classics are free online if your kids have no problem reading them on a computer.

 

For the younger kids most of their stuff could be gotten for cheaply - Story of the World is usually available used for a decent price, and the pdf download at peacehillpress.com would probably be the easiest way to go for the activity guide. For math you can get drill sheets free online and MEP math is free (several have already linked it - or just google it). For reading/phonics for your youngest I'd go ahead and use 100EZ lessons since you already have it and have them play around on starfall.com

 

For writing the cheapest way to go is probably to listen to SWB downloads on teaching writing. Check your library for a copy of the Writing With Ease book and read through the first part. Even though at the time I was in Public School I remember doing dictation/narration/copywork with mom from 4-8 using passages out of the Bible and Book of Mormon.

 

Hunt around for used/free and if you've got a half decent library use it. It'll take more creativity and more time but you can definitely do it for cheaper than $1100. Good luck!

[Teachin'Mine]

Lisa it's great that you've got your ultimate curricula list together, but you don't have to start out with all of it. Personally, I'd get more of the books for the high school students ASAP. Their yearly work is more intense, and it's harder to make up for lost time. For the younger ones, there's a lot you can do just from the library or with inexpensive workbooks. I know that the workbook idea is radically different from WTM and not what you ultimately want to to, but they will learn and their time won't be wasted. I didn't know any better years ago, and we spent very little on actual curricula. We did buy reference books and others, but those could easily have been taken out of a library too.

 

I would also put a request on the sale/swap board for what you're looking for, and maybe some moms can help you out. If there's a local home school group, you can ask there too. Maybe you can borrow some of the books. In the end, I'd get the high school ones set up first, and school the others with more of a mish mash and buy what I'd like as I'm able. If you have discount book stores near you, check them out too.

 

For the little ones, don't worry about having the best, they will learn even with library books and a chalk board. :)

[Pippen]

Oh, and I'd make do with whatever binders you have at the moment and then grow into larger ones as you can afford them/find them on sale.

 

Thrift shops are a great place to find cheap binders. Oftentimes they'll have company logos on them, but I can deal with that.

[MomsintheGarden]

Quoted from above:

 

"Spelling:

Spelling Workout D (REALLY not sure about this for an 11th grader)

Rainbow Resources $12

(not sure what this is, maybe a Teacher Guide) $12.50

You absolutely do not need this. Have your student keep a notebook of words missed in writing. Turn off spellcheck on the computer."

 

 

 

Actually, you should turn the spell checker ON. If you can turn off the auto correction feature, that would be better. I found my kids learned a lot about their misspellings just by seeing that squiggly red line all over the place.

True - I stand corrected. This works if you turn spellcheck ON but turn of autocorrect, AND keep track of those words that are truly missed (struggled with) and not just typos.

 

Diligence in keeping track of these words is the key. Not all students can learn from spellcheck - most need the extra reinforcement of keeping a notebook.

 

I was trying to say (but failed) that students should turn off spellcheck, print out their compositions for Mom mark up, then the spelling words would be marked up on their paper.

 

GardenMom

[Dayle in Guatemala]

$1100!!! For 6 children, grades 1, 2, 8, two in 9, and 11. I could cry, we were so not prepared for that. If I had known at tax return time we would make the decision to pull them all out, I would have set some aside. I just never envisioned that our start up would be so much. Now I am trying to decide how I can split it up, without having anyone too far behind. If anybody has any ideas that won't compromise the curriculum too much, I'd LOVE to hear it. I am giving myself a pretty hefty headache trying to figure it all out....

 

Thanks so much,

 

I haven't read much of the other replies, but, I understand! $1100 is a good price, but, when you don't have it, it might as well be ten times that much. We rarely have the money we need up front to buy all our stuff. I just usually try to stagger it out and when we have a little money, I go to my list and buy what's needed next.

 

We also used the library a LOT when we lived in the US. It saved us a ton! Also, I buy as much used as I can off of the internet. I've found some great deals.

 

Also, there's a lot on the internet. We use Ambleside Online a LOT! They have great reading lists and a lot of the curriculum is online. There's also a lot of things online that many people use--if you search the boards, there's a TON of information.

[MomsintheGarden]

BTW -- you will likely NEVER do all that is suggested in WTM. You just won't have the time.

:iagree:

 

And I wouldn't bother with grammar, based on my experience. Lots of reading and writing will cover what your kids need to know to read and write. Studying a foreign language will likely take care of the rest of it.

I strongly disagree with this statement. I believe student's rarely are proficient enough in English grammar to skip it. English grammar can help with foreign languages and vice versa.

 

R&S is an inexpensive, reusable, foundational grammar program that I highly recommend.

 

GardenMom

[dansamy]

 

KISS Grammar is free. Yes, she should do grammar with all of her dc, but there's no reason to buy a grammar program when there is an excellent free one available.

[Leav97]

I understand what it's like when what you need is out of reach when you need it. I can't comment on the upper levels so, here is what I would do for 1st - 2nd.

 

Math:

MEP or Math Mammoth is inexpensive

 

Reading:

Check your library. Mine has a copy of Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. http://www.progressivephonics.com http://www.marriottmd.com/sam/index.html#book1 and http://www.starfall.com are free.

 

Grammar:

First Language Lessons

Rainbow Resources $13.25

 

Science, Spelling and History can wait until you have Math, reading and grammar started.

 

Science:

Check your library. If that doesn't work, you don't need all of the books at once.

 

It's not uncommon for homeschoolers to start 1-2 topics at a time and work up to a full load. It can ease the transition into the school year.

[momofkhm]

$1100!!! For 6 children, grades 1, 2, 8, two in 9, and 11. I could cry, we were so not prepared for that. If I had known at tax return time we would make the decision to pull them all out, I would have set some aside.

 

I don't have time to read through pages of responses so please bear with me if someone has already mentioned this. Can you buy a little at a time? I know for our school, we get lots of books to read with Tapestry. I buy them 9 weeks worth at a time. It's expensive but it does space it out.

 

I have 3 learning levels at my house so I do have some idea of what you are dealing with. No combining subjects anymore. And I know someone mentioned it, but definitely think of it as a front end load. The first years are the most expensive. In 3 years, I should have all the books in my house I'll need except for workbooks or if a program we have just does not work for the next child. In fact, this year should be the last really expensive year for us.

[LinRTX]

KISS Grammar is great. My daughter did KISS level 2 with a beginning diagramming book and went straight into working R&S grade 6.

 

Linda

[Colleen in NS]

There's no reason to get exactly what someone recommends.

 

people were willing to pay amazing amounts of money just so they could have what WTM recommended. But then (in my day dream) I'd feel bad for having taken advantage of folks who didn't have the sense to just use something else.

 

Just in defense of those of us who have relied/are relying heavily on the WTM book to guide us....when I was starting out, I had plenty of reason to get exactly what WTM recommended - I had NO CLUE how to go about educating my kids! So I did buy much of exactly what was recommended (finding used, spreading out purchases, buying ahead of time when I found deals, etc.). And I didn't "have the sense to just use something else," but that's why I was relying on WTM - I did see that WTM could help me, and so I used many of the recommendations. I've since acquired some sense of how to use other things, but only after a few years of practice. I commend the OP for putting it all out there, so that we could help her figure out how to do this within her means.

[JenC3]

Just want to say those are some great ideas!! Thank you... also this isn't our first year homeschooling, it's my 5th. It's just my first year using WTM :blush:

 

 

 

This may sound so stupid, but where and how would I start teaching them word meanings? I am pretty sure they didn't do this in public school, and I know Susan covers this a lot in the younger years. But if i do away with a bunch of that stuff, how would I go about making sure they were still learning it?

 

Thanks

 

 

SAT word lists, GRE, etc.

http://www.majortests.com/word-lists/

[JFSinIL]

Everyone here has great advice - I'd just note that SWB once pointed out that the publisher insisted she recommend texts in her book, it is not written in stone that you HAVE to use EXACTLY what in in WTM...or do everything in it (or words to that effect).

 

Library books for the younger kids would be fine for science, history for now.

 

Where possible, do NOT let older kids write in books, even workbooks - they can copy lessons out on notepaper, or number a page and write answers to workbook questions - that way you can reuse the workbook for the next kid in line.

 

Spelling Workout is ok, but why not just pull weekly spelling words out of the weekly readings in history, etc. and/or off the internet?

 

Find your local homeschooling folks and ask about borrowing or getting used stuff cheap.

 

Skip the Jackdaws!!!!

 

Ask grandparents to "gift" a subject (like, buy the math books, etc.) or at least gift a local museum membership for educational field trips.

[missesd]

Everyone here has great advice - I'd just note that SWB once pointed out that the publisher insisted she recommend texts in her book, it is not written in stone that you HAVE to use EXACTLY what in in WTM...or do everything in it (or words to that effect).

 

Library books for the younger kids would be fine for science, history for now.

 

Where possible, do NOT let older kids write in books, even workbooks - they can copy lessons out on notepaper, or number a page and write answers to workbook questions - that way you can reuse the workbook for the next kid in line.

 

Spelling Workout is ok, but why not just pull weekly spelling words out of the weekly readings in history, etc. and/or off the internet?

 

Find your local homeschooling folks and ask about borrowing or getting used stuff cheap.

 

Skip the Jackdaws!!!!

 

Ask grandparents to "gift" a subject (like, buy the math books, etc.) or at least gift a local museum membership for educational field trips.

 

This is kind of to everybody, with a little reply to the poster above.

 

You have ALL provided so many ideas to consider, I have decided I am going to have to print every page out and highlight all the advice I've been given!! And then see where some of the stuff overlaps. A lot of stuff has been repeated, which is good, it means I should pay more attention if a lot of you are saying the same thing. Then from there I should be able to know what to weed out. I have a pretty good sketch as what to drop, what to replace, etc... It's been good to hear, so thank you all so very much for your help :)

 

To the poster above, I'd LOVE it if I could get family on board with homeschooling, but they'd rather bribe me with $200 a MONTH to put them all back in then offer to add to their grandchildren's education. It is disheartening, but what can you do? It's unfortunate because between them lies a wealth of historical knowledge, but it's just better for us if we don't even mention that they are still homeschooling :(

[Peri]

I agree with the poster that said that that price is not bad considering how many your homeschooling. I got most of my books from Amazon and I got them used. Sometimes you don't get as good a deal but sometimes you can get a steal. Also, alot of the books used in history are at the library. The reading books are also at the library. I try to not let them write in the workbooks so that I can save them for another child. If it's something that they can't just write the answer to on a seperate piece of paper, then that's when I use a photocopy. You could also get half now and the rest later. Math and the Language Arts (spelling, writing, and grammer) are things that I think you shouldn't put off. Logic and debate, foreign languages, history and science, can wait.

[Jane Elliot]

Just in defense of those of us who have relied/are relying heavily on the WTM book to guide us....when I was starting out, I had plenty of reason to get exactly what WTM recommended - I had NO CLUE how to go about educating my kids! So I did buy much of exactly what was recommended (finding used, spreading out purchases, buying ahead of time when I found deals, etc.). And I didn't "have the sense to just use something else," but that's why I was relying on WTM - I did see that WTM could help me, and so I used many of the recommendations. I've since acquired some sense of how to use other things, but only after a few years of practice. I commend the OP for putting it all out there, so that we could help her figure out how to do this within her means.

 

:iagree:I'm glad you said this, Colleen, and I hope the OP is encouraged by it. This is exactly how it was for us, even though I had been homeschooling for 5 years before WTM was published. Things really weren't going well, so when I read WTM, I tried to do it exactly as it was written and ultimately had no regrets with this approach.

[Jane Elliot]

My lunch break is almost over, so I'm just going to quickly comment on Jackdaws. These packets are outrageously expensive for what you get.

 

As an alternative, I recommend a couple other cheaper and more versatile resources listed in the logic stage history chapter of WTM. The Mammoth Book of How It Happened spans all time periods and is only $14.

 

Another good resource is Encounters in the New World (listed on p. 322 of WTM 3rd ed.) which is available in our library. Our library actually has the whole series of these and they not only contain all kinds of primary sources, but also teach the student how to use them. There are a few volumes for the Civil War period. Since you won't use these for the whole year, it might be worth seeing if your library has them. If not, I have found them used through Amazon.

[amey311]

I agree about starting with the eldest children first. The littles don't "NEED" all those lessons, and they could be cobbled together elsewhere. Spelling could be sight words of importance to the children (Mommy, cat, stop, etc). Math can be basic drills of facts (do them forward and reverse and you've covered addition and subtraction 4+3=? If I have 4 and I need 7, how many more do I need to find?). They could probably also tag along with the older kids on foreign language if your olders haven't had much yet.

 

I also agree about using the library.

 

Have you looked for any homeschool groups in your area? It's VERY possible that someone local has used any or all of the things you're considering and would meet you at a park to play or something while you checked something over. I know I'm picking things where I don't have to do alot of thought because while I CAN find passages to do narration/reading comprehension lessons, I'd rather pay someone to do it for me (so I'm buying the Writing With Ease workbook, but using my own paper so it has a better resale value AND we use HWT paper anyway). You might not want or need that level of scripted (or you might, and seeing a curriculum that wants you do to a lot of the legwork would be a huge turn off when planning for 6! :) ).

 

The other thing I'd suggest is seriously prioritizing. That will make spreading out the purchases a lot easier, and you'll know things like "okay - $20 this month? we get that science encyclopedia next."

 

OH! And amazon is offering free prime shipping for parents for 3 months (Amazon Mom). There are incentives if you have a baby (they'll extend it if you buy diapers or something), but you can have children of any age. We've been using this so that we get free 2 day shipping on any size order. While it's not exactly environmentally friendly, it has been handy. I order things when I make a decision and they're here in 2 days. I ordered a birthday present for a child's friend and didn't have to go into Target (where I know I'd end up buying more than just the gift). If I'm desperate, overnight shipping is $3.99.

 

Deep breaths, thoughtful list making, and checking out your library (remember about Interlibrary Loan as well). You can do it!

[Mimm]

Just want to say those are some great ideas!! Thank you... also this isn't our first year homeschooling, it's my 5th. It's just my first year using WTM :blush:

 

 

 

 

I know this isn't the point of the thread but I'm curious how much you were spending before. :) This is our first year homeschooling, but the curriculum we're using doesn't seem overly expensive compared to everything else out there. I spent about what you're spending on all your kids on my two. I think even if I wasn't homeschooling classically, we'd still be spending a similar amount. So anyway, I'm just curious what you guys were doing before that makes this year surprisingly expensive.

[Crimson Wife]

For spelling, I would go with Spelling Power since it's non-consumable and multi-year. Yes, you could make up your own lists but you've got a lot on your plate already. Used copies are often available in the $25-$35 range.

 

I would get the 3R's and then add in the other subjects on a rolling basis.

[ChemMommy]

Don't let my dh hear how little you are spending on 6 kids in school!!! I just keep telling myself that the local private school would cost $2800/kid and so I'm really SAVING money. :001_smile:

[missesd]

I know this isn't the point of the thread but I'm curious how much you were spending before. :) This is our first year homeschooling, but the curriculum we're using doesn't seem overly expensive compared to everything else out there. I spent about what you're spending on all your kids on my two. I think even if I wasn't homeschooling classically, we'd still be spending a similar amount. So anyway, I'm just curious what you guys were doing before that makes this year surprisingly expensive.

 

I started homeschooling in Dec 2005, from then until Jan 2007, I unschooled. Gave the 7th and 6th grader time to acclimate and deprogram. Then we joined Homeschool Learning Network, which is all online. They did unit studies. But by then I was getting a lot of uncooperativeness. The following fall, in the 2007-2008 school year, one of them started 9th grade public school. The other one stayed. By then I could see that HLN was weak in Math and Language Arts. I added Saxon 8/7, but could never really find a LA program I liked. The next year he chose to return to public school for his freshman year as well. However we had moved to Reno, NV over the summer with our two 7th graders, and were told by someone who worked for the school district to homeschool any of the middle schoolers, because their schools were really bad. So we did. I stuck with HLN, but added Saxon. The daughter did really well and constantly wanted to push ahead. The boy, however, was very lackadaisical, and homeschooling him was close to hell... LOL So when we moved mid-year back to TX, he returned to public school. The daughter wanted to stay home, but my in-laws whom we were staying with at the time forbid it. I was allowed to keep my son who was in kindergarten home, but no one else. Up till then, I had not pushed him because I strongly suspect he is ADD and he just wasn't ready. But at that time I began to work with him with workbooks. It was a painful process. That summer we moved out of that environment and into our own place. The daughter, again, wanted to come home. So I tested her and she was STILL right where she left off in her Saxon book. She wanted to do some cool Apologia Science CD, but it required her math to be in Algebra. So she continued to work her way through Saxon 8/7 but she never finished in time. For her we used HLN vocabulary, language arts worksheets and literature guides along with her book-a-month book list. We used A2 for history, and of course Saxon for math. For my 1st grader, I used HLN almost exclusively, except some math workbooks I bought. And for his sister that was doing kindergarten I used HLN, as well as resources online for letters, numbers, etc... HLN's cost was $15.95 a month for a family, now it's $19.99. So as you can see, I hardly spent anything, except what we needed here and there, workbooks, and of course my Saxon. I've done pretty well, but now that I feel the pressure of so many grade levels and one that will be expected to be out on his own in 2 years, I wanted something a little more concrete, methodical, something that has been proven to be tried and true... something I could rely on, more then my Eclectic approach to homeschooling. I have checked out WTM countless times over the years, but just never had the time to read it, or I never made myself. But this time I knew what was at stake- the education of 7 children. That is a HUGE undertaking and responsibility. One that weighs heavily on my shoulders. I can't afford to screw this up, or wing it. I needed to get serious about my education for them. So I made myself sit and read it, take notes, time to really research it as if I was the one in school expected to deliver a written report on it. I fell in love instantly with the approach. I can't count the number of time I nodded my head or made a quote my Facebook status because I felt that strongly about it. Now it's time to test it, and myself and implement it. But being on a budget, makes it difficult. I am grateful for all the wonderful advice I have received here. Rest assured it will help. Thank you all so very much....

Edited September 17, 2010 by missesd
spelling

[ZeldaRules]

I know this is a LONG thread...I haven't read all the replies, but here is something that may help.

 

Do you live by a college that has a teaching program? I lived in Nacogdoches and SFA was there. They had an area that had curriculum. We could check out any books at the college library as long as we had a Nacogdoches Public Library card. You could check out the books 3 weeks at a time, and renew 5 times without having to physically return it.

 

I had checked out Saxon Phonics K for the whole year and never paid for it. They had all Saxon products...Math & Phonics for all ages. So if you live by a college, check to see if they have a curriculum area where you could check out the curriculum and use it for free. They had the workbooks as well, and I copied them at my husbands work.

 

If you don't have a college library as an option...you may be able to find Saxon cheaper on eBay or even Craigslist. I would check Craigslist by typing Saxon Craigslist - ask if people will mail it.

 

http://www.homeschoolclassifieds.com may be a good resource as well.

 

Good luck.

[JenniferB]

I didn't read all the suggestions, so I'm sorry if I am giving redundant information. Have you considered Texas Virtual Academy? If it's not too late to enroll, the curriculum (K12 - high quality, WTMish) would be free, and it would cover all the subjects and be very thorough. You would probably be able to combine your 1st and 2nd graders in History, Science, and Art. Your 8th - 11th graders would be practically independent.

 

If that's not an option, there's also "All Through the Ages" by Christine Miller, which is a history through literature reference. All periods of history and all grades from 1-12 are covered in 1 book. You can find most of the literature books at the library. That would at least cut down on the history books.

 

To cut down on your 1st and 2nd grader's expenses, you can just use the library for most of what you need for them.