How far in advance do you order curriculum?

[Sasharowan]

My dd is 1/2 way through her math curriculum and I find myself wanting to order the next level already, even if it may be another 3-6mos. before she needs it. Sometimes I order ahead so that I get the curriculum while we have the extra money or if I need the time to read over it and learn how it works. But that is not the case here, I just want to order it. I think I have curriculum fever :glare:

[TraceyS/FL]

depends - i'm gathering my list, some of the stuff i won't need till late fall BUT, i get a 30% discount for ordering is NOW vs then.

 

If it's going to be 3 months - you will be in the busy season, and i could see getting it now to avoid "the rush".

 

But ya, curriculum fever! :D

[Trivium Academy]

We order in January for the next year (the bulk of curricula) which starts July-Sept. depending on the situation. It gives me plenty of time to plan or figure out whatever else I'd like to use with the main curricula, at my pace.

[sweetbaby]

We order in March-April. I know that most order around tax time and some vendors have special discounts around this time such as free shipping or a certain % off.

[sadiegirl]

I make a list over the school year of the books that I am planning on using. I watch the boards and read as many of the comments and reviews of the gazillion books/choices out there. I keep a notebook of a wish list and then when we go to the homeschool conference(spring), I find these things and take a look at them in person to see if they are what I need. Sometimes I buy there as it saves on shipping. We start our school year in August so I try to have my books between May-July to get it all together. My problem is like shopping early for Christmas--the earlier I buy, the more I end up with as I keep adding things I read or hear about! You know there are soooooo many great gems out there just waiting for me and the boys to learn with!!!

[riada]

I am in the process of ordering ours now. It seems early May is the time I get the curriculum bug. We school July 1 - April 30 so by ordering now it gives me time to mull over it all and make sure I have everything I want. I love curriculum shopping!!!

[Cinder]

Last year I picked up Fundamentals of Physics at Goodwill. I'm thinking ahead to AP Physics and figured it was such a good deal, how could I resist?

 

Ds is in <ahem> 7th grade!

 

So to me, 3-6 months ahead isn't that bad.

 

 

Cinder

[Melissa in Australia]

I order my curriculum 6 months ahead. I have found it can take 3-4 months to actually receive the books after ordering. if I see something secondhand, I will buy it even if I don't need it for a few years. I have Saxon math all the way to advanced that I picked up secondhand. 3 years ahead of when I need it.

MelissaL

[Mesa]

I dont have a set time to buy. I'm always looking lol. I am the biggest curriculum junkie. I have gobs of unused books.....

 

I tend to have the next grade level ready to go a few months before we actually need them. I get panicky if I dont have everything all figured out and purchased.

[rockermom]

We're insane. We started buying things before I was pregnant!!! :blushing:

 

(True confession: I have been collecting books & other for hsing since I was 18... I got married at 30 and gave birth to my first at nearly 32... )

 

Go ahead, make fun of me or have me committed.

[Rosie_0801]

Hehehehe. I started before my daughter was born. I figured I had the money then, and the more books I already had, the more "we can't afford to buy the resources" wouldn't be true.

But I have a nasty book buying habit anyway.

:D

Rosie

[Closeacademy]

I generally start shopping used about a year before we need it. When it gets down to 6 to 12 weeks then I go ahead and order new. :001_smile:

[Jenny in Florida]

. . . as I find them at good prices. I also maintain a running list of what I've picked up and what we still need. Then, usually in May, right around the time we finish up the current year, I go ahead and order whatever is still on my list.

 

This gives me the whole summer to pre-read books and get familiar with curriculum and write lesson plans.

[JoyinWI]

Is it ever too early to buy? ;) I do tend to buy the bulk of our material with tax refund in March. However, I am a total curriculum junkie, so buying year round makes my addiction not so scary! :D

[Jumping In Puddles]

Looking ahead, there are some things I know I'll want but I hold off just in case a new edition is published.

 

When I see something I like, I just write it in my overall outline to check out.

[elegantlion]

I generally order about this time of year. We are changing direction a little for next year so I am in planning/research mode again and will probably order towards the end of the month.

 

Now, I'm always shopping for deals on books. I have high school level algebra and science books already, only because I've found them at goodwill. I also have tons of literature, but I'd buy that anyway.

[Hannah]

About a year ahead so that I can look out for 2nd hand items. With the outrageous cost of overseas postage, I try to get things by surface mail, but it can take literally months (the longest was 7 months!!!) to get here.

[Jenny in Atl]

Hehehehe. I started before my daughter was born. I figured I had the money then, and the more books I already had, the more "we can't afford to buy the resources" wouldn't be true.

But I have a nasty book buying habit anyway.

:D

Rosie

 

Raising my hand...

Years before I had the girls, I was already buying bks for them. I loved LP so much, I got all three years at once. I've also done the same with much of our maths, Spanish, history, etc. Even if my oldest end up going to school for HS, I will use some of these resources to fill in any of the holes that may pop up.

[at the beach]

My dd is 1/2 way through her math curriculum and I find myself wanting to order the next level already, even if it may be another 3-6mos. before she needs it. Sometimes I order ahead so that I get the curriculum while we have the extra money or if I need the time to read over it and learn how it works. But that is not the case here, I just want to order it. I think I have curriculum fever :glare:

 

Curriculum fever? What's that? :D Yep, I'm feeling the same way. We are going to be doing school through the summer, finishing up this year. We took a month break at Christmas, a few weeks at Easter, and then life gets in the way. Yeah, I just want to order now anyway, even though we won't need it until September!

 

Anita

[Colleen in NS]

My dd is 1/2 way through her math curriculum and I find myself wanting to order the next level already, even if it may be another 3-6mos. before she needs it. Sometimes I order ahead so that I get the curriculum while we have the extra money or if I need the time to read over it and learn how it works. But that is not the case here, I just want to order it. I think I have curriculum fever :glare:

 

Oh yeah, I research/buy secondhand/order months and sometimes years ahead of time now. I figure out a long range course in say, math, or science, and buy when things are cheap or free shipping or whatever. I'm finding more and more, too, that I buy way in advance so I can prepare myself. Last year I ordered LC1 4 months ahead of time so I'd have plenty of time to figure it out - it didn't come for three months, and I've stumbled through it. This spring I did get the second book sooner, and have a couple of months now to figure it out. I may get the next book in the Latin sequence later this year so I'll be set for next summer.....Also sometimes I buy if something is OOP and I have a hard time finding it - when I find it or the whole series, I buy. I have all our grade 5-8 science spines now because of this. Cheap, too.

 

Of course, then there are the thrift stores and library book sales in which I buy fun things to supplement our main curriculum choices......pure fun there. :)