Jump to content

Menu

Radically Downsizing Homeschool Materials and Books


Recommended Posts

Is there anyone out there who radically downsized the amount of homeschool books and curriculum that you owned? I am drowning in books - I always have a hard time passing up a good book I find at a used book sale. But I really don't need 10 elementary books on the human body or piles of beginning readers. Two math programs - one main program, and one supplement should be "enough." I need to set some limits. My head tells me that 3 IKEA Billy bookcases with extensions, plus one or two other bookcases should be PLENTY! Has anyone traveled this path and come out the other side?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm getting ready to do a purge of stuff my kids will never look at or are way past. I finally got rid of board books and that sort of thing.

 

That still won't put much of a dent in it, but I can't see getting rid of stuff just for the heck of it if my kids could possibly use it.

 

 

That's my problem. My kids might still use things. Before I donate/sell something I check a couple of things:

Is it available at the library?

Price on Amazon if I need to purchase it again?

 

I keep telling myself things sitting unused on my shelves can be actually used by others. I just wish I knew these others in person-it would make it easier to give stuff away!

 

Jennifer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am about to purge big time. I need to start soon because we are less than a year out from our next move. We were so very close to our weight allowance the last time we moved and have since gained more (necessary) curriculum and books. The biggest problem is that we have a second LR/DR here that we furnished. :lol:

 

Luckily, my parents have offered to keep boxes of the books my kids have grown out of but I want to hand down. That is a big, big help because I am romantic about these things. As to the rest, my approach will be to look at every item in my home and ask one question: if my house burned down today, would I repurchase this item. If no, it goes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am thinking about heading down this path...maybe we can travel together? I have so much, but it's all SO GOOD! I've been busy decluttering other areas of my home but the day will come when I have only books/curricula left to downsize...

 

I'd love a buddy! I also have lots of "good" stuff. It's all quality - the junk/twaddle I recycle or freecycle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

That's my problem. My kids might still use things. Before I donate/sell something I check a couple of things:

Is it available at the library?

Price on Amazon if I need to purchase it again?

 

I keep telling myself things sitting unused on my shelves can be actually used by others. I just wish I knew these others in person-it would make it easier to give stuff away!

 

Jennifer

 

My problem as well. I have a 4 kids from 10 down to 3. If I keep everything one of them might use---well, it won't be pretty. I'm starting with supplemental books that aren't a part of my core curriculum that are readily available at the library. I really don't need to own every COFA book or every book in the "If You" series....
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am about to purge big time. I need to start soon because we are less than a year out from our next move. We were so very close to our weight allowance the last time we moved and have since gained more (necessary) curriculum and books. The biggest problem is that we have a second LR/DR here that we furnished. :lol:

 

Luckily, my parents have offered to keep boxes of the books my kids have grown out of but I want to hand down. That is a big, big help because I am romantic about these things. As to the rest, my approach will be to look at every item in my home and ask one question: if my house burned down today, would I repurchase this item. If no, it goes.

 

Ouch. That's hard core.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just dug into my bookshelves this week. I put everything that is for high school on one set of shelves and everything for elementary on another set. As I did that, I had a pile of boxes empty at my feet and I tossed and tossed books I didn't need into them. It was quite liberating! As I worked I handed stuff to the kids to put away in it's right place. Now, I am a crazy problem. I have empty shelves and I don't know how to handle that!

 

I also went around the rooms and pulled down all the old poster and maps and hung up the new things I needed posted. I can't believe how much of that blue sticky putty stuff I have in a ball now! The rooms look lighter and cleaner. Then I walked into the freezer room and almost cried. Guess where a lot of the stuff I asked the kids to put away ended up. I'm not going back into that room until Saturday. The kids have until then to get it picked up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started purging my entire house in March. I am still not done, but it is A LOT better! I had several 18-gallon Rubbermaid totes full of curricula that "I might use someday". My dh has been very helpful in the paring down and helping me decide what I will actually use and/or need to keep. My downfall is LA/writing programs. I had at least five writing programs and dh thought that was nuts. I have been selling and selling and have made about $500 since March. I have a few things left, but I try to price things well, usually take most offers, and make good deals when multiple items are purchased.

 

We have moved so many times that purging is not a big deal for me. I actually think we may be moving again soon, so no time like the present to start!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started purging my entire house in March. I am still not done, but it is A LOT better! I had several 18-gallon Rubbermaid totes full of curricula that "I might use someday". My dh has been very helpful in the paring down and helping me decide what I will actually use and/or need to keep. My downfall is LA/writing programs. I had at least five writing programs and dh thought that was nuts. I have been selling and selling and have made about $500 since March. I have a few things left, but I try to price things well, usually take most offers, and make good deals when multiple items are purchased.

 

We have moved so many times that purging is not a big deal for me. I actually think we may be moving again soon, so no time like the present to start!

LA is often my downfall as well. What I *want* to do is the SL LA with possibly one supplement for writing - a general "how-to" on different kinds of writing, Natural Speller, Wordly Wise, and Memoria Press Latin. Instead I have on my shelves FLL, WWE, WWS, MCT Island, MCT Town, Vocabulary Workshop, English From the Roots Up, and more. I also can't seem to sell any of my FIAR manuals, cookbook, Bible supplements, etc. I've tried 3 times to implement that program on an regular basis and it always fails. It's just not my style long-term. I bet I have more than $1,000 worth of stuff on my shelves that I probably really don't need. Sometimes when I sell stuff I get seller's remorse!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm only now just starting to purge. Just some of the baby books (keeping some of the "nice" board books...I hope to have grandbabies one day). However, my oldest is just 13 and my youngest is just 4...so we'll be adding more than losing for a few more years.

 

Now...the mess in the basement, we're getting rid of a lot of that stuff!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there anyone out there who radically downsized the amount of homeschool books and curriculum that you owned? I am drowning in books - I always have a hard time passing up a good book I find at a used book sale. But I really don't need 10 elementary books on the human body or piles of beginning readers. Two math programs - one main program, and one supplement should be "enough." I need to set some limits. My head tells me that 3 IKEA Billy bookcases with extensions, plus one or two other bookcases should be PLENTY! Has anyone traveled this path and come out the other side?

 

The only thing I usually get rid of is stuff Otter is too old for and will for 100% sure never use again. I've ticked myself off by getting rid of things and then needing them later when something else turned out to not work.

I like to be on the "safe" side and hang on to whatever. I LIKE having lots of choices for reading material and curriculum. :-)

 

That being said though, I go through our stuff every year and weed out things to give to others. I usually know it's time when I start doubling things up on our 70+ linear feet of bookshelves. ;-)

I was actually thinking about doing some of that today so this post is a good motivator!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As to the rest, my approach will be to look at every item in my home and ask one question: if my house burned down today, would I repurchase this item. If no, it goes.

 

Awesome advice.

 

My purging is going in two steps. First I am TEACHING with less, and setting more and more resources aside where I can't see them. The actual giving away of the resources is going slower. It helps when someone posts that they want something I have, but can't afford it. It's so much easier to give up an unused item when I know someone else has an immediate need of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Absolutely! A yearly purge is good!

 

I have a decent home library, but you are completely correct. No one needs a bunch of books on the same topic. It's better to have 2-3 quality books that are timeless and well done than 7 mediocre books that the 3 good ones get buried in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are in the midst of purging books. So far I've done my two main bookcases that hold my collection. I took 7 bags to the local thrift shop on Mon. I purged some curriculum about a month ago for a local used curriculum sale. Now i'm getting ready to start on the two large school shelves in the computer room, followed by the shelves of intermediate/young adult books in the hallway shelves between Dc's rooms upstairs.

 

Ds is very good about helping me know what we will ever realistically be able to use vs. the fantasy world I imagine where we spend hours reading all those books. He reminds me that we have other hobbies besides reading and that we will never be able to read every book we have in this house currently. He should become an organizer for one of those decluttering cable TV shows. Our house is starting to look better and I don't feel so wasteful. I did keep a few extras in the curriculum department since there have been times I have shockingly used a text/program I thought we'd never touch again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm mid-process in streamlining. A few years ago I stopped my weekly trips through used bookstores in our town. My addiction is in buying books for our history and lit studies. A couple of years ago I rearranged everything so that I have an ancient rhetoric shelf, an ancient dialectic shelf, an ancient grammar level shelf, and so on. I was able to balance out my collection a bit. Last year I went through my science, art, and math books. I am confined to 5 Billies, no extensions....and I've left myself space to grow by putting decorative stuff in some places on my shelves.

 

I've had a problem overbuying math (I purchased 6 prealgebra textbooks used to review this past winter) and spelling (spelling power, spelling workout, sequential spelling, all about spelling). Paperbackswap karma is awesome--usually when I post something really awesome, something really awesome becomes available to me. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My problem as well. I have a 4 kids from 10 down to 3. If I keep everything one of them might use---well, it won't be pretty. I'm starting with supplemental books that aren't a part of my core curriculum that are readily available at the library. I really don't need to own every COFA book or every book in the "If You" series....

 

But don't all those book series look so nice lined up on the shelves??

 

I'm an enabler.

 

Jennifer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I find that I have to do regular culls so every 3-6 months as I'm tidying I ask myself if any kid is likely to pick up a book to read, if it will likely be valued by a younger kid of mine or if I would ever likely use the book again. This last time I only freed up about six inches of shelves, but last time it was more like thirty-six. In a couple of years, the encyclopedias will go. I'm wrestling right now with getting rid of some curriculum that I'm pretty sure I'll never use again.

 

I do love books .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm in the midst of purging...I definitely have a lot of books, but my real downfall is educational toys. I'm getting ready for a big consignment sale in July, so I'm hoping I can get rid of a lot there. Now, who said they had FIAR books to sell, because I may need those? :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a general rule for books:

Keep only one grammar, logic and rhetoric book on a subject

 

However I do take into account the book, ex. a first encyclopedia on the human body and The Magic School Bus book on the human body. I also take into account my children's opinion.

 

For curriculum I keep only things I liked and do not require workbooks (by the time you reuse this type of curriculum there is always a new edition).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm in the middle of purging. We're moving 3 times in the next 16 months and dh is sick of lugging all of them everywhere. Right now I'm still working on everything they've outgrown. The goal is to get down to one shelf each.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was inspired last year (?) by the articles about the 100 item challenge and how people were downsizing their lives.

 

So, in the midst of imagining my life with 100 items, I realized that would never work because of our homeschool materials. Which inspired me to re-imagine the 100 item challenge as being just for my homeschool supplies.

 

After I laughed that I wouldn't have to get rid of a thing, and almost choked when I counted what we actually own, I made a list of the 100 items I would school with. It was a very centering process, forcing me to evaluate exactly how valuable each item we own is to our schooling process.

 

Watching my material usage over the past 6 months I am seeing where I need to tweak the list. Once I finish tweaking, my plan is to box up everything not on the list. I will give myself one box for materials I think we may need later, but the rest is outta here. As a matter of fact, it is one of my major goals for the year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have only 1 bookshelf in my entire home -- it is floor to ceiling but only 1.5 meters wide. Every year I buy more, so every year something has to go. This forces me to keep only what is needed.

 

Ruth in NZ

My house is pretty big and has room for more bookcases than I currently have. In the past, I've just kept adding bookshelves but I really just need to force myself to have a limit.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was inspired last year (?) by the articles about the 100 item challenge and how people were downsizing their lives.

 

So, in the midst of imagining my life with 100 items, I realized that would never work because of our homeschool materials. Which inspired me to re-imagine the 100 item challenge as being just for my homeschool supplies.

 

After I laughed that I wouldn't have to get rid of a thing, and almost choked when I counted what we actually own, I made a list of the 100 items I would school with. It was a very centering process, forcing me to evaluate exactly how valuable each item we own is to our schooling process.

 

Watching my material usage over the past 6 months I am seeing where I need to tweak the list. Once I finish tweaking, my plan is to box up everything not on the list. I will give myself one box for materials I think we may need later, but the rest is outta here. As a matter of fact, it is one of my major goals for the year.

I'm very interested in knowing what made your list! Are you evaluating all books or just curriculum/hands-on stuff?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm in the middle of purging. We're moving 3 times in the next 16 months and dh is sick of lugging all of them everywhere. Right now I'm still working on everything they've outgrown. The goal is to get down to one shelf each.

I've always thought that if we moved a lot it would be easier to not get attached to all this stuff. Alas, we both come from families that tend to stay put in one place and we have no plans to move.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My problem as well. I have a 4 kids from 10 down to 3. If I keep everything one of them might use---well, it won't be pretty. I'm starting with supplemental books that aren't a part of my core curriculum that are readily available at the library. I really don't need to own every COFA book or every book in the "If You" series....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry... this should have posted with the quote above.

 

Oh I could NEVER get rid of history books! Sorry I'm no help in the book downsizing department, but both those series would have top billing at my house. :)

 

Oh but I might feel differently if we had a decent library. I buy almost every book we use because our library is awful!!! So it's hard to get rid of my books. I am my own library right now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I'm very interested in knowing what made your list! Are you evaluating all books or just curriculum/hands-on stuff?

 

Everything non-fiction, plus all curriculum, manipulative items, the toys/games I schedule into our school time, and basic supplies.

 

I put my my printer/laptop as one item. All levels of Saxon were counted as one item. I have our most of our art supplies contained in a container of reasonable size already, so I counted that container as one and culled the art supplies until they all fit that container. I did the same with the basic office supplies.

 

(I figure if the 100 item challenge guy could count all his pots and pans as one item, I can count all the Dover coloring books as one without angst. ;) )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everything non-fiction, plus all curriculum, manipulative items, the toys/games I schedule into our school time, and basic supplies.

 

I put my my printer/laptop as one item. All levels of Saxon were counted as one item. I have our most of our art supplies contained in a container of reasonable size already, so I counted that container as one and culled the art supplies until they all fit that container. I did the same with the basic office supplies.

 

(I figure if the 100 item challenge guy could count all his pots and pans as one item, I can count all the Dover coloring books as one without angst. ;) )

LOL...I use mostly SL...can I count each Core as one item?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We live in a small, 2 bedroom, townhouse and are lucky to have 3 wonderful kids. Current market situation doesn't allow us to upgrade to a larger home, so by necessity, after the birth of our 7 month-old, we are in the emptying out. The goal is to have 50% less stuff by the end of the summer. It has been difficult at times, but the rooms that are finished really do feel more homey, and, as a bonus, I am spending less time cleaning up the clutter. As for curriculum, anything that we bought but haven't found useful is gone, which includes at least three math programs, a handwriting program, 2 Language Arts programs, 1 science and 2 history programs. We have been trying to buy more thing digitally, which saves us space on the bookshelf. Somethings, however, just need to be hard copy. We have gotten rid of projects, and reassured the kids by taking pictures of items we no longer have room for. They still have the memories, but we aren't taking up space with old projects. It is good to know there are others out there on this journey as well!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I started forcing myself to sell my SL cores a couple of years ago when I began running out of bookshelf space. We have 3 Billy bookcases upstairs as well as 4 large built-ins in the family room and 2 more Billys in the basement. I think that's enough! My kids are so busy, they do not have time to re-read SL books we've already read in prior years like I was hoping. So, really, what's the point in holding onto all of them? It still kills me, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started purging my entire house in March. I am still not done, but it is A LOT better! I had several 18-gallon Rubbermaid totes full of curricula that "I might use someday". My dh has been very helpful in the paring down and helping me decide what I will actually use and/or need to keep. My downfall is LA/writing programs. I had at least five writing programs and dh thought that was nuts. I have been selling and selling and have made about $500 since March. I have a few things left, but I try to price things well, usually take most offers, and make good deals when multiple items are purchased.

 

We have moved so many times that purging is not a big deal for me. I actually think we may be moving again soon, so no time like the present to start!

 

Excellent work!

Jennifer the Encourager

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was inspired last year (?) by the articles about the 100 item challenge and how people were downsizing their lives.

 

So, in the midst of imagining my life with 100 items, I realized that would never work because of our homeschool materials. Which inspired me to re-imagine the 100 item challenge as being just for my homeschool supplies.

 

After I laughed that I wouldn't have to get rid of a thing, and almost choked when I counted what we actually own, I made a list of the 100 items I would school with. It was a very centering process, forcing me to evaluate exactly how valuable each item we own is to our schooling process.

 

Watching my material usage over the past 6 months I am seeing where I need to tweak the list. Once I finish tweaking, my plan is to box up everything not on the list. I will give myself one box for materials I think we may need later, but the rest is outta here. As a matter of fact, it is one of my major goals for the year.

 

This is amazing! I might have to try a "100 Things Related to Homeschool Challenge" this summer

 

Jennifer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My local city library accepts all books in "gently used" condition. They either use it for circulation or give it to the "friends of the library group" who sell those books to raise money for the library. We usually are gentle on our books. So, once a year we carry sackfuls of books to our library. I was thrilled when I saw some of the Dr Suess books I donated on the bookshelves on a later visit. So, that could be a good option for those of you who want to get rid of good books in order to declutter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I failed to mention that the Army will charge us $1 per pound if we go over. Books are heavy. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

 

:lol:

 

 

When we moved with the Air Force 3 years ago, I was able to claim up to 500 lbs of our curriculum as "professional books" because I was using them to teach with. (This was in addition to DH's pro books.) The movers didn't actually weigh the books, but guesstimated (to our advantage). Most of the books were from our library, not IG's or TM's. I would think the Army would do this as well

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Along with what Maggie mentioned, when I needed to pare down, I searched for electric titles of ones I owned, if I had a match online, out it went. That's a good way to move over to some e reader choices early on in deciding.

 

Con: You can't *really* scribble up a e reader text like a paper text, and sometimes, that's pretty important.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I keep my collection small by choosing my resource books well. I pick Encyclopedias and "complete books of" only if the library doesn't have it and I know I can use it a couple of years. The internet is my source for topics that we need information in but don't care to go deeper. Also, consider what you might want on you coffee table after the kids are gone. I have a great art book that my friends love to look at when they stop by. I do a lot of one book spine teaching with a lot of library supplements instead of big complete curriculum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm doing this now. My children are older, with one year left in middle school for one and two in high school for the other. So it was time to get rid of all the elementary level materials plus any middle school materials I am sure I won't use. For me it isn't curriculum as much as just books.

 

I was amused yesterday when a local group which has decided to get rid of their lending library advertised their sale as having more than 20 boxes of books. I thought, "Hey me, too."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was amused yesterday when a local group which has decided to get rid of their lending library advertised their sale as having more than 20 boxes of books. I thought, "Hey me, too."

 

Before our last move, our house was up for sale and staged. I boxed up about 85% of my books and put them in storage. When the movers came to our house, they remarked on how many books we had. I think DH might have actually snorted. Their eyebrows went sky high when they did the pick up from the storage facility. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...