freerange Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 I'm thinking of buying the next couple of years books for some subjects so I can see where we're heading in more detail. Is this a crazy idea ,doomed to end with me changing to a different series ,or a good way to avoid the temptation to curriculum hop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 I've been known to buy resources years in advance. You can never have too many books (textbooks included). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 The books I bought way ahead were the ones I ended up not using. I have a shelf full of lovely stuff that I wanted to look at and maybe use at some point.. not going to happen. I buy a few weeks before I need it, some things I don't buy until the start of the school year when our plans have finalized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 I saw, I bought, I regretted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 When I first started homeschooling, I thought I had it all figured out years in advance. I had a notebook of detailed ideas, which I found very funny to look at later. The WTM hadn't even been written yet, and my plans changed a lot. I'd wait to buy unless you are self-educating. GardenMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Depends on the price really. If it's free, I take it home. :D If it's almost free (garage sale, library sale, etc,) I take it home. :001_smile: If I have to pay shipping, I think about it for awhile (up to years.) Full price, with shipping, I don't buy til I need it and have given up on all other sources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freerange Posted September 17, 2011 Author Share Posted September 17, 2011 Full price, but only £ 9.50, $15. Trying to distract myself from the AoPS threads! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I only buy for the following year. We tend to change if something isn't working for us and I don't like being stuck with a few years' worth of something I'll never use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I've been known to buy resources years in advance. You can never have too many books (textbooks included). :iagree: However, I think it's easier to do, at least for me, in the upper grades. I know what might appeal to ds, which direction we'll be going. In the earlier grades that wasn't always so clear. I also buy if I'm looking for self-education. I might use a text to brush up on a subject myself. Price is also an issue. I've found a lot of wonderful texts at thrift stores. I've paid around 10.00 for a few items, just to preview. We aren't near a lot of homeschoolers or a good library, so the investment is worth it to me. I usually pull multiple resources into our classes anyway. So I may have them around for reference material too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 If I get a good deal. I have R&S English for next year. I bought this year and next year, together, used. It was less than buying this year new. I did the same thing with Singapore math. I found the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade "What your......needs to know" books at Borders going out of business sale. I got all three for less than the price of one normally. So, I have some stuff, but did not spend excessively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 You might change your mind, but if you're buying used things very cheaply, it might not hurt too much.... I've been perusing shelves at our local Half Price Books for a while now and back in the $1 aisles yesterday I found several good books for possible use during ninth grade.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I've bought years ahead (mostly math and science texts)...if it was a REALLY good deal. That said, I may not use some of it. I HAVE used most of it as a reference in some form or another, but find myself wanting to change our approach to math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I've purchased a few things well in advance. Things I know we'll definitely use because they're working well and I see no future issues cropping up with the materials. My advance purchases include: Singapore Math through 6B. This was only due to happening upon a teacher store in our travels that was having a clearance sale and they had most of the text and workbooks on sale for $2 each; they also had the HIG's for $8. Why? They were no longer going to carry SM. I've been filling in the holes with the IP's and CWP's since and should have everything in the next year or so, I'm in no rush since we won't need/use most for a while. Story of the World Once we started with SOTW Ancients, I knew we'd continue through with the four year cycle, so I've purchased the complete set and have it ready to go as we wrap up each set. All About Spelling At this point, I'm confident enough we'll be doing AAS for a while, so I've purchased everything through Level 4. As we continue along, if I'm still convinced we'll go through to the final levels, I'll get those too. Not curriculum, but I also love having the entire set of What Your ___ Grader Needs to Know on hand. I think this needs to be tempered with my "fails" though. There were some things I was quite enthusiastic about and purchased in advance that just did not work out for us and I've got just sitting there, wondering if I should keep just in case they'll work out for our little one in years to come, or if I should sell/donate them and just start again with the little one in a few years. Things I picked up thinking they'd be perfect include: RSO, RS4K, Saxon Phonics, Bob Books, ETC and SWO. Those were all epic fails with DS, so now I am much more cautious and picky about buying too far in advance (hence my reluctance to go all out and buy all the AAS levels at this point). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I bought a book for 2012-2013 today to fill out an Amazon order, and I'll probably get another if I get payment today for a book I have listed on Homeschool Classifieds. I have a few other books that go further, but they're classics or books from authors/publishers that we're very likely to continue with. We've been at this for over a decade though, and the end is in sight. So I pretty much know what I like and what the youngest will use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freerange Posted September 20, 2011 Author Share Posted September 20, 2011 My dd saw me looking at the next book on amazon & begged me to buy it. What could I do? I had to encourage such enthusiasm, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 I have learned not to purchase too far ahead. I end up with materials that look great but by the time I go to use them, they aren't necessarily where my kids are at or even what works for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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