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What are some items you want to purchase but you're not sure about?


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I have a Homeschool To Buy folder in my bookmarks, I put anything I want to think more about before purchasing in it. I was wondering if anyone else had items like this, not major curriculum but extras that they aren't sure about?

 

Here's my list

 

  1. Times Tables Made Fun! Trigger Memory Systems http://www.triggermemorysystem.com/Deluxe.html
  2. Animal Classification Study Pack http://www.lulu.com/content/514905
  3. Notebooking Nook - Great Inventors http://www.notebookingnook.com/Products/GreatInventorsProducts/index.html
  4. Geography Through Art http://www.geomatters.com/products/details.asp?ID=384
  5. Mixing with MerryGold: A Fairy Tale http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-3906390578.html
  6. Spotlight on Science: Amazing Animals http://www.etacuisenaire.com/catalog/product?deptId=&prodId=92254&q=Spotlight+on+Science
  7. Planning Your Charlotte Mason Education http://simplycharlottemason.com/books/planning-your-charlotte-mason-education/
  8. Laying Down the Rails http://simplycharlottemason.com/books/laying-down-rails-charlotte-mason-habits/
  9. French Body Lingo chart http://www.teachersdiscovery-foreignlanguage.com/item_details.php?item=02+042+P00080&eUID=&SBJ=French
  10. Wildlife Topper with photographs http://www.abcteacher.com/catalog/pages/cd410005.shtml
  11. Ocean Habitat (for fun) http://www.teachingstuff.com/browse.cfm/4,21244.html
  12. Freshwater Habitat (for fun) http://www.teachingstuff.com/browse.cfm/4,21216.html

I could come up with a ton more, esp. if I went through Home Science Training Tools but these items above stay in a folder until I decide to take the plunge. These are not crucial items by any means, just extras.

 

What's on your list? (not major curricula)

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I do! I have a Rainbow Resource Wish List, and I keep looking at things for next year (first year). Here are a few of the things I'm thinking about:

 

1. Remarkeable Maps of USA and World (I know SOTW's Activity book has maps, but I think these are so cool - large and erasable. I can envision kids on the floor marking maps)

2. Homeschool in the Woods timeline figures (easy and gorgeous!)

3. Calculadder timed math drills (I have two math programs already -- may be too much?)

4. Office Depot's school supplies cubby (thanks, nestof3!)

5. Large pencil box for ds' colored pencils

 

BTW, you can ask me questions about Laying Down the Rails, as I bought it a week ago :)

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I think both the items from Simply Charlotte, the Planner and Rails book is just still up in the air b/c I'm not 100% positive they will truly be useful for me. I want them but I don't want them to go unused and I fear that I may have already found comfort in what we're doing so that if I do buy them it will only cause more trouble for me.

 

Educating the WholeHearted Child is a wonderful book, there are many many great tips and helps in it but at the end of the day, I don't use it. My copy is now listed for sale or trade on the Sale/Swap board.

 

I'm to the point where I feel good about what we're doing and I want to safeguard that without a lot of mumbo jumbo getting in the way when there's no reason for it.

 

But I still want it...eek.

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The Geography Through Art looks interesting and Teaching the Classics I'd really like to try.

 

I'd like to try Adelier (sp?) Art because I can't imagine DVD art being anything like my philosophy, but I'd like to check it out.

 

HWT. (Handwriting without Tears) I just can't justify the expense of the books when copywork and so many downloadable cursive practice worksheet abound.

 

Tapestry of Grace (TOG). I would love to give this curriculum a tryout but I'm almost sure it is too scheduly and too religious. Maybe once we're back in the US I'll see if they have a money-back thing but that is why I've never done that with Sonlight - I already know we're not going to like the Christian god stuff so it would not be honest of me to return the produce after trying it.

 

Analytical Grammar, Sentence Island (and all the other Michael Clay Thompson stuff), Easy Grammar, etc. I'm just not sure any of the grammar stuff will be necessary for our philosophy. But I sure would like to try it. :)

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I've been going back and forth on Teaching the Classics. (Is that a major curricula?) We have and are using Deconstructing Penguins, plus my kids are still little. I'm just not sure it would be that helpful at this point in our journey.

 

I've been paralyzed on my choice of Latin program for me. Tutor? Henle? Should I get any at all, or just finish up LL2?

 

I also kind of want the supply kit for our Artistic Pursuits books.

 

I've given serious consideration to getting one of those planetarium-in-your-bedroom lamps, but it seems like I could save that for the holidays.

 

This sort of indecision is totally out of character for me. ;)

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I wish there was a virtual homeschool library where you could check items out and there's an endless supply of homeschool books, curricula and seminars. It would have to be fee based, like put down a deposit to check something out and pay for shipping, but wouldn't it be worth it?

 

One of my friends has a real life Homeschool Lending library. I think the lending library has a internet option where you can do just as you described. She is transitioning to non-profit and a new building, but when I get the new info I will send it your way.

Dorothy

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What a fun thread. Thanks for starting it.

 

Mine is TRISMS. I have been unsucessful at using anything too "put together" i.e, I own year 2 and 3 of TOG and am still thinking of buying another year even though I don't use it for much more then a booklist. So I am wondering if I would actually do all of Trisms.

 

I am also very interested in Starting Points and Windows to The World.

 

It had been RightStart Math until I finally bit the bullet and bought it.

 

 

Too many good things out there:001_smile:

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What a fun thread. Thanks for starting it.

 

Mine is TRISMS. I have been unsucessful at using anything too "put together" i.e, I own year 2 and 3 of TOG and am still thinking of buying another year even though I don't use it for much more then a booklist. So I am wondering if I would actually do all of Trisms.

 

I am also very interested in Starting Points and Windows to The World.

 

It had been RightStart Math until I finally bit the bullet and bought it.

 

 

Too many good things out there:001_smile:

 

I missed the part that said "not major curricula". Now I remember why I usually just lurk.:confused:

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I'm not sure if this fits into this thread--items I'm not sure about, or in the other one--if money weren't an issue.

 

I want to get Singapore Essential Math Kindergarten A & B for my preK/4K dd. I think the when to get it is more of the issue. I definitely plan on getting it, but she has some more work to do in her preK-1st number workbooks first. Since money is sort of an issue, I figure I should wait until closer to the time when we will actually start using it.

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The Phonics Road. I am afraid it is too rigorous and that it is too expensive, but I drool every time I look at it and recommend it to everyone.

 

Other than that, lots of science experiment kits and Artistic Pursuits including the supplies.

 

I just don't know that we would actually use it, and I would be wasting my money.

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I have LoF for the first time this year, hope it works!

I also have the entire Draw Write Now series. GREAT! I start with cursive, but the drawing is wonderful and the kid's love it. We encorporate it with whatever we are doing in hisotyr and science or just for fun.

 

I'm curious about for next year:

Memoria Press Famous Men of Greece and their new cursive program.

 

I had a really old version of Rosetta Stone that I sold because it wasn't compatible with my Vista computer. I hear the new hs version is amazing, but I don't know when/if I'll ever have the money for it.

 

A good microscope. In my dreams, I get one of those that hooks up to your tv or monitor so everyone can see, instead of bickering over who's turn it is and how long a turn they had looking into the microscope.

 

Oak Meadow 1st or 2nd grade. I keep looking at them and thinking it looks so grand, but also so expensive.

 

Winter Promise Quest for the Ancients

 

SOTW V1 with activity guide - I had this several years ago and sold it for funds to buy new materials and make space on my shelves. I think I'd like to have it again.

 

Thinking Toolbox

 

Kolbe Academy's Elementary and Middle school literature plans.

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Draw Right Now books

 

They really look interesting, but I'm not sure how to "schedule" them. I'm a big schedule follower!:tongue_smilie:

 

Our books are unit studies, covering the following topics:

Farm Life

Autumn Harvest

Native Americans

Polar Regions

United States

Animal Habitats

Forest Animals of the World

Grassland Animals of the World

Cari Dierking, from South Carolina, kindly shared a downloadable spreadsheet she created in Excel labeled Draw Write Now Contents (26.5 bytes). She states, ". . . it lists all of the topics in each of the books, and is very helpful to me in homeschooling my children. I can quickly look at the spreadsheet and see if something we are learning about is in the books and in which book it is located.

 

HTH!

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