Inexpensive No Workbook, No Printer, Multigrade Curricula

[Hunter]

What are your favorite inexpensive curricula/resources that do not use consumable workbooks/worksheets and are useful for multiple grades?

 

Here are a few of mine to start with:

 

The Writing Road to Reading for handwriting and spelling

TWTM instructions for outlining

Strayer-Upton Practical Arithmetics

The Drawing Textbook

 

We have had a LOT of moms asking about free resources that cannot afford ink. Free is not free when it needs to be printed. So if mom has just a few dollars to spend, what are your favorite non consumable curricula that can be used for several years.

Edited July 26, 2011 by Hunter

[Hunter]

My favorite no printer required, 1 year planning method, using 1 piece of large paper.

 

 

[Tarreymere]

You don't have to print worksheets no matter what curriculum you choose, you can have your child read the worksheet on the screen and write down the answers on a piece of paper, or as happens here at times, on an electronic sticky note on the screen in our sticky note app or you can open a word document and have your child type the answers in that. No paper needed. For example, Mep Math is just as effective worked from the screen as it is from a printed copy. SF Grammar and Composition has worksheets that your child can read on the screen and answer either in an electronic sticky, in an open document (that you can save and name with the number of the lesson) or on a separate piece of notebook paper with a pencil.

 

I have used printed workbooks that I wanted to save for another child like this also. No one HAS to write in a workbook.

 

I know it is sooo nice to print and bind everything, and to write in nice bound workbooks and what not, but really it is such a waste of time and money. Paperless is the future and it is possible now. If you have a computer or ereader to start with............

Edited July 26, 2011 by Rainefox

[Amy Jo]

Donna Young has an article on handwriting lessons using only a composition book.

For science, BFSU (3 years, ~$30) uses only a 1-sheet of paper "booklet" at first, then later a composition notebook. The Handbook of Nature Study blog would be fine with a drawing book or blank sheet of paper as well.

Any of the wonderful books at mainlesson.com (or any other living book - read and narrate!). Ambleside Online and An Old Fashioned Education are the same.

The vintage grammar and math books - all you'd need are paper and/or a dry erase board and you can read the directions on screen. There is a nice vintage grammar thread on the forums.

 

It does take more preparation. So really, it's a question of trading time for money, as well as your own strengths / weaknesses as a teacher.

 

The main issues here with reading off the computer is multiple kids (school would take much longer if I had to go one at a time), eye strain (at least for me) and distractions. I do enjoy my eReader however, and will be using it a LOT this year.

[Heidi]

The Handbook of Nature Study- elementary science

Writing With Ease text- writing 1st-4th grade

Writer's Jungle/help for highschool- writing for 1st-12th

McGuffey Readers-mulitiple uses/ multiple grades: spelling, reading, copywork, dictation

Kingfisher History of the World-history for all grades, supplemented with library books, outlining.

Primary Language Lessons, Intermediate Language Lessons-narration, dictation, grammar, memory work for 2nd-6th grade.

 

Things like this?

[Tarreymere]

Right now we are down to two computers and a kindle. We have enough to 'go around' but I would like to add either another kindle or a netbook this year. I think we get more 'bang for the buck' with another kindle, than with putting that money into curriculum, with all of the great free resources out there. Plus whatever books I do buy that go on the kindle (like SOTW, thank you Susan!) can be shared among all of the kindles in the family. And I would really like to have MY kindle back, thank you!

[ChrissySC]

The Writer’s Express & The Write Source w/Hewitt’s Elementary Syllabus

 

Grades 1-8

 

This is resusable, not consumable, and covers a wide range of grades.

[Hunter]

The Writer’s Express & The Write Source w/Hewitt’s Elementary Syllabus

 

Grades 1-8

 

This is resusable, not consumable, and covers a wide range of grades.

 

I'd love to see this. Are there any online samples?

 

These are all good ideas. I don't know anything about sticky note apps. I'll have to google that.

 

Last night I was working in my Strayer-Upton book. They teach to fold a piece paper and lay the paper under a column of numbers and just write the answers. Then to fold the paper again and lay it under the next column of answers. And to just keep folding and laying the paper under the columns.

 

The books are small and chunky though. If I were having a young child use these book, I think I would cut the books apart and just put a few pages in sheet protectors and make a little workbook for each week, that would lay flat. I may even do this for myself. Staples is selling 5x8 sheet protectors, but I think I will try putting 2 pages side by side in a regular sheet protector, if I can manage to override my resistance to multilate these adorable texts. I usually have no trouble cutting up books, but there is something about the small chunky ones that makes me stop and resist.

[ChrissySC]

I saw a friend's schedule.

 

I will have mine in a few days. :) I have to finish checking out at a few sites this week. Our new year starts August 15 officially.

 

I'll update my blog with a good review and an outline of a lesson as it would be performed at home along with content notes.

[Tammyla]

http://www.ambelsideonline.org

[Ellie]

What are your favorite inexpensive curricula/resources that do not use consumable workbooks/worksheets and are useful for multiple grades?

 

Here are a few of mine to start with:

 

The Writing Road to Reading for handwriting and spelling

TWTM instructions for outlining

Strayer-Upton Practical Arithmetics

The Drawing Textbook

 

We have had a LOT of moms asking about free resources that cannot afford ink. Free is not free when it needs to be printed. So if mom has just a few dollars to spend, what are your favorite non consumable curricula that can be used for several years.

The first thing I was going to recommend was Spalding (Spalding is the actual method; WRTR is just the manual). :001_smile:

 

And Strayer-Upton (after 3rd grade, of course; read this article) or Ray's Arithmetic; or Don Potter's math helps.

 

History and science...library and field trips, scouting activities

 

For Christians: Bible study using...the Bible. :001_smile:

[Hunter]

Listening to free audiobooks from http://librivox.org/ is nicer than trying to read e-books off of a computer screen.

 

Almost all of the libraries in my state have at least a few overdrive.com books to download. I can get free cards from any library in my state, so I have collected a few.

Edited July 26, 2011 by Hunter

[Guest]

:lurk5: for more ideas.

 

I own or am looking at getting some of the suggestions here already :).

 

ETA: Thank you for the thread Hunter.

[Sahamamama]

:lurk5: for more ideas.

 

I own or am looking at getting some of the suggestions here already :).

 

ETA: Thank you for the thread Hunter.

 

:iagree:Good thread. Thanks for posting it.

[d.g.]

:bigear:

 

Seconding (or is it third-ing?) that this thread is a great idea!

[mo2]

You don't have to print worksheets no matter what curriculum you choose, you can have your child read the worksheet on the screen and write down the answers on a piece of paper, or as happens here at times, on an electronic sticky note on the screen in our sticky note app or you can open a word document and have your child type the answers in that. No paper needed. For example, Mep Math is just as effective worked from the screen as it is from a printed copy. SF Grammar and Composition has worksheets that your child can read on the screen and answer either in an electronic sticky, in an open document (that you can save and name with the number of the lesson) or on a separate piece of notebook paper with a pencil.

 

I have used printed workbooks that I wanted to save for another child like this also. No one HAS to write in a workbook.

 

I know it is sooo nice to print and bind everything, and to write in nice bound workbooks and what not, but really it is such a waste of time and money. Paperless is the future and it is possible now. If you have a computer or ereader to start with............

 

 

:iagree: I like to download PDFs to my ereader and use from there. We use a white board a LOT to save on paper. And just a tip: Dry erase crayons last a lot longer than dry erase markers.

Edited July 26, 2011 by mo2
typo

[Jennay]

Spelling -

Natural Speller

Spelling Power

Sequential Spelling

All About Spelling (this isn't inexpensive if you have one child, but spread the cost over 4 and it's better than buying 8+ workbooks per kid)

[SnMomof7]

We really like Rod and Staff for English - it is non-consumable, doesn't use workbooks, and honestly we do most of it orally. I also use the WWE handbook to teach ME how to teach WTM method writing which doesn't require a workbook either if you are willing to take a bit of time to figure it out. We use AAS too, another non-consumable (on MOST things). We also use A Beka's A Handbook for Reading and leveled readers to teach phonics - non-consumable again, we don't get any of the workbooky stuff.

[sagira]

Peak With Books

Tanglewood Education

[Hunter]

I started homeschooling in the 1990s and few of us had computers when we started, and those of us who did usually were not online, and were dealing with Windows 3.1 and DOS and those old printers with the holes in the sides of the paper and the ink was on tape. We did NOT print! :-)

 

So look for homeschooling books written and published in the 1980s and 1990s. They should be available for pennies on Amazon.

 

My favorite homeschooling resource back in the 90s was several sets of broken, but overlapping encyclopedias. These served as our textbooks. New Book of Knowledge is the easiest to read and the most colorful. Comptons and World Book are my next favorite.

 

World Book's larger articles include outlines of the articles that can be used as an answer key for practice in outlining. I also used the articles as a spine for courses that I could then know what topics to look for at the library. "British Literature", "American History" and even "Music" are all there in a concise article including and outline and suggested additional resources. Some libraries have a free subscription to World Book Online, and World Book CD ROMs from around 2006 are available dirt cheap.

 

I took ALL encyclopedia volumes offered to me and ripped the front covers off the yuckiest ones to mark them as the ones that could be cut up for illustrations and charts for reports, and stored them in a different area.

 

For vocabulary, the boys cut pictures out of magazines and pasted them on a piece of paper. They then wrote several words that described the picture. Then we used a thesaurus to look up those words and find synonyms.

 

We had the KJV Bible on audio tape in a multivoiced dramatized version with sound effects. My younger son especially listened to the tapes every day, while coloring or reading along in his Bible. Sometimes you can get very low cost Bible curricula that can be used for reading/literature. As Ellie said the Bible is an excellent low cost resource for Christians. There must be similar resources for most other faiths.

[Zoo Keeper]

The Core Knowledge series (What Your ___ Grader Needs to Know) has a lot of bang for your buck--math, history (American and world), literature, geography, fine arts, science, and more. Most libraries have the series, and I often see the books at used book stores, yard sales, etc. I got mine cheaply on Paperbackswap. The Core Kowledge site has a lovely scope and sequence to download for free, as well as lesson plans. There are other sites for lesson plans using CK, too.

 

I think you could do a pretty good elementary program with these books, paper, and a whiteboard. And the library, of course. :)

[Poke Salad Annie]

 

I think you could do a pretty good elementary program with these books, paper, and a whiteboard. And the library, of course. :)

 

I agree with you. All you would need to add is a math program, and that could be covered with one of the vintage texts found cheaply at one of the used book sites.

[Sahamamama]

(moved to separate thread).

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=296201

Edited July 28, 2011 by Sahamamama

[Mrs Twain]

I second the Rod and Staff English and the BFSU for science.

 

I love Spelling Power, but I print out the practice sheets for the words they get wrong. You wouldn't have to print them out, however. You could do the spelling lessons completely on a white board once the child learns the system.

 

For reading, I put together a list of reading books from sources such as SonLight and Veritas Press, and then I check them out from the library. I make up the comprehension questions as we go so I generally don't buy many literature guides.

 

The Core (Bortins) has a great chapter for geography in which you learn it by drawing your own maps on paper.

 

Any Child Can Write (Harvey Wiener) is an excellent book to help supplement writing or almost be a stand alone curriculum for writing. It has specific lessons to teach your children and rough objectives by grade level. I am using this as a supplement with my other writing curriculum.

 

A lot of libraries have Honey For a Child's Heart (Hunt) to help pick out good literature to read by grade/age.

 

Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government for Kids is a quality, free resource to help teach government, K-12:

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/

 

I use a free language program on my public library's website to teach my kids German, from "Mango Languages." Also, there are often language programs on CD that are available at most libraries.