Stellalarella Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 The more I do it, the less I think printing out pdfs for workbooks is a good idea. I print the wrong lessons, I accidentally print lessons out twice, the printer messes up, etc. I thought that the pdf format would be so handy, but quite frankly, it's a pain. So now I know. The workbooks are worth every penny, even if I don't use all the pages of the pre-printed workbook. Live and Learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supermom1 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 This is why I don't print large quantities at once. I try to print only a couple weeks worth at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 PDF files didn't exist back when I hsed :) but I can totally understand why (1) you thought it would be a good idea and (2) it was a total failure. I would be more inclined to just buy the doggone workbook, too. More technology isn't always your friend, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
learningmama Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 :iagree: In the very beginning, I would download/print things off the computer and make copies, but several years down the road, I like the ease of workbooks. Ink/paper/time is expensive, so I think it works out in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 This is why I don't print large quantities at once. I try to print only a couple weeks worth at a time. I also have chosen to do the same procedure. The problem is that it takes so much time to sort through and get the right pages to print, and from time to time I have made mistakes in printing out the correct lessons. It ends up taking so much more time for me to plan lessons because I have to stop and figure out what to print--instead of just grabbing the workbook. I am using pdf format for ALL, Lively Latin, MM supplements, WWS and then various SOTW AB pages. I've really given it a go this school year, but I've just not been able to make it work successfully. I think I would be better off (mentally :001_smile:) if I just sat down in July and printed EVERYTHING. Kill a toner cartridge and 2 reams of paper--or 3-- in one day and then have a bowl of ice cream to celebrate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Fairy Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 :iagree: In the very beginning, I would download/print things off the computer and make copies, but several years down the road, I like the ease of workbooks. Ink/paper/time is expensive, so I think it works out in the end. Me too. PDF's, ebooks, and permission-to-copy workbooks always sound so much better than the reality of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I felt exactly the same way until I bought an iPad. Now I'm always on the page I left off when I open the file AND I don't print everything. Dd does a lot of stuff directly on the iPad in Notability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 The next time someone asks, "What does a first time homeschooler need to know?" I will say, "Take it easy on yourself this year. Buy the workbook." :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 I felt exactly the same way until I bought an iPad. Now I'm always on the page I left off when I open the file AND I don't print everything. Dd does a lot of stuff directly on the iPad in Notability. Well, the ipad would be handy. But I would need 6 of them..... :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I don't know, I love PDFs. But I'm the planner type and I print out everything we need ahead of time. We refill our own cartridges and I know PDFs save me a lot of money. It does depend on the curriculum though, I don't think I would try to print FLL 300 pg workbooks or anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 We prefer not to print them at all. We use ebooks and student books that don't require printing or that rarely require printing, such as WWS and Excellence in Literature. I never print either one. I think if you have to print it all, the paper and ink/toner cost usually equal the cost of buying the printed copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Well, the ipad would be handy. But I would need 6 of them..... :001_smile: I would say they could share but since dh and dd were supposed to share one and so far he's not to good at sharing I doubt it would work. Plus you would want one for yourself so that makes 7 right! I think the only solution is buyouts buy one for yourself to keep your teacher materials on. As my dh is found of saying, "when momma is happy everybody is happy":lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I have started using them this year. Pros: No more missing workbooks. I can always print another sheet if it goes MIA. My laser prints duplex and I can print and use them for all 4 of my kids. Cons: A little time, paper and ink (not terrible with my laser printer.) Not spiral bound, just 3 punch and in a binder (thinking of spiral binding next year.) I print all my pages out, hole punch and stick in a binder. Once we complete pages they go to the back of the binder. When we are working the pages they come out of the binder and I use clipboards. So far I have done Right Start Math B & D and FLL 4 this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I keep all my PDFs on my ipad as well, but only use it for myself. I'm sure the toner and ink costs me a bit more but I am a paper snob and have thus passed on such snobbery to my children who hate when anything they have to use is printed on anything less than 28lb paper with a 98 brightness. In the end though I think it costs me about a nickel a page to print. I've never had a problem printing the wrong items though, that's usually how I spend a Sunday evening, getting all my stuff printed out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 The more I do it, the less I think printing out pdfs for workbooks is a good idea. I print the wrong lessons, I accidentally print lessons out twice, the printer messes up, etc. I thought that the pdf format would be so handy, but quite frankly, it's a pain. So now I know. The workbooks are worth every penny, even if I don't use all the pages of the pre-printed workbook. Live and Learn. :iagree: I don't think I've ever bought a pdf that seemed worth it when all was said and done. I'd rather cross out pages in a workbook and hand write extra problems when necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I like them and have never had a problem printing them. My complaint is that I think it costs quite a bit more than ordering the physical book. I weigh the cost per book. Sometimes for workbooks where I want a copy, I'll buy the pdf. I think it also makes a difference if your printer can do copies (not printing) on fast draft. WWS was cheaper to buy the hard copy and I like the way they lay open when using. I am looking at some pdfs (like ck12.org) that I won't print the TE. I think the Chemistry one is about 900 pages. I'm going to invest in a Kindle to read it that way. I can't read well off a regular computer screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I don't know, I love PDFs. But I'm the planner type and I print out everything we need ahead of time. We refill our own cartridges and I know PDFs save me a lot of money. It does depend on the curriculum though, I don't think I would try to print FLL 300 pg workbooks or anything! :iagree: I tend to print and bind them in predictable blocks. Math Mammoth by chapter (or two if they're short) Writing by weeks in chunks of 3 or 6. That way when I go back and print more (assuming I didn't print the whole thing), I only need to know if we've done the unit on decimals, 3 weeks or 6 of writing or whatever. ETA: BIG workbooks like WWE or FLL make sense to buy though. They're cheaper at RR than buying the pdf download. And I have no trouble tearing them apart and binding them however I want if I want them in smaller chunks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 What does that mean "copies on fast draft"? Just wondering. Yeah the last few times I bought the PDF it was maybe a dollar or two less (and of course no shipping). But then you figure paper and toner adds up so it probably wasn't cheaper. I don't use many of the same book with multiple kids though so that is also another factor where I'm not saving money. I like that I can reprint stuff if it goes missing or my kid decides to do something weird to it. I think she meant that a printer capable of making copies has a fast mode that uses less ink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 I would say they could share but since dh and dd were supposed to share one and so far he's not to good at sharing I doubt it would work. Plus you would want one for yourself so that makes 7 right! I think the only solution is buyouts buy one for yourself to keep your teacher materials on. As my dh is found of saying, "when momma is happy everybody is happy":lol: If I had an ipad or a smart phone, would I get any homeschooling done? At all? Ever? :001_smile: As for printer and paper costs, I did find that the duplex b/w laser printer has saved us quit a bit in ink refills. I put the print settings on the lowest quality and I've figured out how to trick the printer into thinking it still has toner when it wants to shut off printing due to low toner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 What does that mean "copies on fast draft"? Just wondering. Huh, never heard of that. I have an LCD printer. Yeah, mine is an inkjet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKidAcademy Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I completely agree with you on why workbooks are better than PDFs. I buy the ebooks/PDFs because I don't want to pay shipping or wait for them to arrive at my door. I'm an instant gratification kind of girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Rose Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I felt exactly the same way until I bought an iPad. Now I'm always on the page I left off when I open the file AND I don't print everything. Dd does a lot of stuff directly on the iPad in Notability. A milion thanks to you. This is EXACTLY the app I was looking for! Best 99 cent I ever spent. Now I don't have to print all those math pages!!! :lol: I am sooooooo thankful my mom got us an iPad for Christmas! I actually wasn't sure we needed it. We use it for everything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I totally agree. I got a cheap e-version thinking I was so smart for doing that, and then it cost me an arm and a leg to print. Never again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 My DD prefers workbooks to worksheets. I think she considers them more "Real", and while I have a really, really cheap to operate laser printer, the annoyance for me is worth it to buy the workbook. In addition, if there's a choice between having a workbook with color illustrations and a .pdf printed on a black/white laser, my highly visual kid will pick color any day. I do have an exception, though-cutesy, fun supplemental activities, where the entire book is "Fairy tale math" or "Comic Strip Grammar" or whatever are something DD enjoys, but not a whole book worth. When I have it as a PDF, especially if it was a CHEAP pdf, I'm willing to just print an occasional page (or, now that we have the iPad, do them on notability-so far, at least, DD enjoys the novelty.) When I've purchased a whole book, I feel a lot more driven to have her actually DO the book-which frustrates her to no end. I am trying to use the iPad for bigger, more e-reader type stuff that's free online, like the ACS middle school chemistry, Mr. Q's life science, CK12 math, and so on-not that I expect to use these as a complete curriculum, but because, if I can pull them up on screen, it's MUCH more reasonable to use them as a supplement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I don't print, or if I do I just print what I need for that day. We haven't had any problems reading from the computer or the kindle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 (edited) I think I would be better off (mentally :001_smile:) if I just sat down in July and printed EVERYTHING. Kill a toner cartridge and 2 reams of paper--or 3-- in one day and then have a bowl of ice cream to celebrate. I did this for our school year and I love it. Everything is sorted by week and I can just pull out the week's work for the kids. We travel often and the time I paid $50 to check a suitcase dedicated to schooling, I decided never again. Whether a curriculum has pdf options weighs into my decision to purchase. I wish publishers did a better job of formatting their workbooks for printing (RSO, I'm looking at you). I hate having the activity pages interspersed with the instructors text, requiring me to write down all the pages beforehand for a mass printing, and then I fumble through the pdf file when we're using it. I've used SOTW AGs, WWE, and OPGTR, and I think Peace Hill Press does a great job of logically organizing their books. I used the papercopy of FLL3 this year and I won't do that again. We'll use the pdf file next year. I use Math Mammoth as a supplement, but if I used it as a core, I would just print it and have it spiral bound to create a workbook. The kids' math progress is so hard to predict, I've given up on any scheduling beyond "do the next thing." Finally, if anyone from Growing With Grammar reads these forums, please create pdf files! Edited February 28, 2012 by ErinE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamajag Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 The more I do it, the less I think printing out pdfs for workbooks is a good idea. I print the wrong lessons, I accidentally print lessons out twice, the printer messes up, etc. I thought that the pdf format would be so handy, but quite frankly, it's a pain. So now I know. The workbooks are worth every penny, even if I don't use all the pages of the pre-printed workbook. Live and Learn. I print everything for the year when I get it and hole punch for a 3-ring binder. As for ink, two words: Laser printer. The lower-end Brother lasers are fantastic as far as cheap, efficient toner. I find it worth it when I calculate cost per page for printing and the use of the workbook for multiple children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upward Journey Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I also have chosen to do the same procedure. The problem is that it takes so much time to sort through and get the right pages to print, and from time to time I have made mistakes in printing out the correct lessons. It ends up taking so much more time for me to plan lessons because I have to stop and figure out what to print--instead of just grabbing the workbook. I am using pdf format for ALL, Lively Latin, MM supplements, WWS and then various SOTW AB pages. I've really given it a go this school year, but I've just not been able to make it work successfully. I think I would be better off (mentally :001_smile:) if I just sat down in July and printed EVERYTHING. Kill a toner cartridge and 2 reams of paper--or 3-- in one day and then have a bowl of ice cream to celebrate. This is what I'm doing for next year. Buying a monochrome printer and printing off en masse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 :iagree: In the very beginning, I would download/print things off the computer and make copies, but several years down the road, I like the ease of workbooks. Ink/paper/time is expensive, so I think it works out in the end. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamajag Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 This is what I'm doing for next year. Buying a monochrome printer and printing off en masse. This is what I do. I ran out of curricula in science and FLL and am in the process of killing off a toner cartridge. DH used to freak out but now all he asks is if I think the printer will overheat. :lol: It used to be fun to mess with the kids. They'd ask what I was printing and I would tell them it was next week's work. Oh the look on their faces was better than ice cream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upward Journey Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 This is what I do. I ran out of curricula in science and FLL and am in the process of killing off a toner cartridge. DH used to freak out but now all he asks is if I think the printer will overheat. :lol: It used to be fun to mess with the kids. They'd ask what I was printing and I would tell them it was next week's work. Oh the look on their faces was better than ice cream. That made me giggle :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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