Planning several years in advance

[Embassy]

Some of you plan several years in advance, right? Can you give me some tips? My kids have had changing needs and have tended to advance in bits and spurts so I'm not sure how to know what I'll need. I also have kids who learn quite differently and some things don't work so well. I will have to plan and purchase for 2-3 years since I will be living in a more remote part of the world and shipping costs would be quite high. I will have the internet and e-readers, but so many things are only available in book form.

 

So do you just guess at your child's needs and hope you are right? I'm sure I'll make some poor choices, but I'd like to minimize them because those mistakes could be very costly.

[yucabird]

We have a great number of books, and I order things quite far in advance; however, I know we’ll be here for some while. To answer your question, sometimes I guess on curriculum and other items. At the beginning I accumulated a number of things we probably won’t use. But now I’ve had a bit of time to get my feet wet, see what is available, and understand my daughters’ learning styles I’m making better choices. I don’t have all the materials I would like but know that if I had to I could successfully homeschool with far less.

 

If I were only going to be gone for a couple years I would minimize books as best I could. There will be a number of items which probably won’t be readily available in your location (spices for cooking, skincare products, comfortable underclothes, etc.); one has a limited amount of luggage space/weight, and books just aren’t travel-friendly. There is so much to be found on the internet nowadays, limiting hard copies isn’t the hardship it once was.

 

May I ask how old your children are and what you are currently using?

[Embassy]

I'm currently schooling an advanced 5th grader, 3rd grader, and K4. We don't have plans to return in 2-3 years, but I expect to visit in 2-3 years and load up on books on a visit. On my blog (linked below) I have listed what I am using for each child. You can find it on the left hand side under each child's picture.

 

We will probably have a big container shipped so I'm not limited to my luggage.

[Anne in CA]

I have given what I would take out of the country a lot of thought and I would include basic texts that could be used as references for both math and language arts, a small library for history, but again, with a Kindle or a Nook you just won't need as many books, and science references. Once you leave the US things like zip lock baggies can be scarce, and I would make sure that I had a year's worth of whatever science experiments were NOT optional.

[yucabird]

Sorry for the delay in responding – internet issues.

 

I didn’t realize you’d be there for an extended period…so sorting a home library may make enormous sense if there aren’t any libraries or bookshops where you are going. For our homeschool I ordered reference books for a foundation and continue to flesh it with other reads. My husband and I keep a collection of scholarly works related to this area and its people, and we also keep serious collections of books related to our hobbies.

 

Something I have found useful is having a PO box company in the States which sends me a small monthly pack of mail; the service is kind of pricey, but it has been worth it to me to quickly receive magazines and books I want or need. In the past I have ordered a good bit through Better World (though less now that their rates have increased). Unfortunately, Book Depository books seem to be packaged individually….

 

On a personal note, I realized I visited your website before….Your selections were a lot of help when coming up with my daughters’ reading lists. Thanks :). Good luck!