Make me feel better - what $$$ have you spent on curriculum that didn't work out?

[Jen the RD]

here are some of my "investments" in finding out what works and what doesn't for my family:

 

Powerglide Spanish--tried twice to use it

Instant Immersion Spanish--The people talk too fast; my dh and I just laughed and said "no way this will work for us!"

Konos-This approach did not suit my teaching style.

Considering God's Creation--hated those student pages (too much on page) and the reading was boring

Sonlight-love the books, can't keep up the schedule

 

Jennifer

[Tree House Academy]

Oh, the stories I could tell.

 

~MUS (sent it back but paid shipping both ways)

 

~Horizons - 3 grades worth and used part of it.

 

~Calvert 4th grade math, had to sell for less than what I paid and then bought the newer 4th grade math anyway because my son wanted the a-ha! portion. :(

 

~Come read with me - OMG! Could I go on and on and on and on about this. I bought the videos and book from the s/s board here. My son loved them...much to my dismay...but then I wanted the workbooks and stuff. So, I got a used set on e-bay - more videos but I got a decent deal. Got it here and the manual was written in 1998! It was a dinosaur and hard to read, much less use. I sold both for half or less than what I paid and ended up buying the dvd version afterall!

 

Then, of course, there are little things like Writing Strands, Winston Grammar, and so on...but those pale in comparison to the blunders I have made with bigger ticket items. And I wont' even go into all the Science Kits, math manipulatives, and so on that I have purchased from Calvert for soooo much money that I will likely never use!

[sadiegirl]

thankfully the only thing I find that we aren't really enjoying so far is Trail Guide to World Geography. I just can't find a flow with it and I think that feeling is felt likewise by my boys. Wish I could find a supplemental workbook that was a little more structured but fun to add to it just to kick it up a bit!

[St. Theophan Academy]

how about every possible progym writing program - trying to figure out which one was right for us! The other thing I spent too much money on was a phonics program that cost $100 - it was the first thing I bought when I started homeschooling, then I started reading about methods of teaching reading and decided it was not a good method for teaching reading. Still have that one, and it is not really an item there is much market for so it sits on my shelf, taunting me!

[JudyJudyJudy]

If if makes you all feel any better, at least you're willing and able to toss a curriculum if it doesn't work. The school system where I taught last year bought a new math curriculum that was implemented last year. It is HORRIBLE, yet they're stuck with it for another six years.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Rosetta Stone Spanish and TOG were two of the really big ones though.

[Guest sarathan]

Not a lot since my boys are so young. But I did buy the Developing the Early Learner workbooks and I'm really wishing I hadn't bought them... we hardly ever use them. It's not that ds doesn't like them, it's just that they seem un-necessary and I'm just not putting in the time or effort. So there's $35 down the drain. It's not a lot of money, I know, but with our tight budget, we really can't afford to be throwing away money like that.

[happyWImom]

This should make you feel better: I bought MFW 1st Grade-twice!! First, I got it used, then brand new! I sold the new (for much less than what I paid) and finally just sold the used. That is by no means my only mistake. WP Lang Arts-again brand new. I still have that, because I wasn't able to sell it, and I didn't return it in time. How dumb was I???:iagree: Also, I got Sonlight K Science, bought & sold, Saxon 1, bought & sold, AND Sonlight K Core, I am using the books, but not the IG at all.

Oh, I forgot-Sonlight 1 LA-not using and still have it!!!

Feel better yet?

Ugh!

[Lolly]

I'd rather not think about it. I am not going there. I just can't take it!!!!!

[Cornerstone Classical]

I just spent $130 for Horizons K phonics. We used pg 1 and then ditched it. It's sitting on my shelf waiting for someone to come along who will be a better fit for it!

[danielle]

Our ambition far exceeds the hours in a day, and both dd and I are guilty of thinking we can do about 10x more than is really possible. My purchases went down somewhat when I made both of us starting gridding in our time--not that we ever actually stick to the schedule, just seeing if it might even be theoretically possible to do what we plan if we were never interrupted,never got sick and never had any emergencies-:D (That's the way dh estimates how long it will take to get somewhere--if you could fly at warp speed in a straight line).

 

However, I offer a consoling thought. Even if you've wasted thousands (I have), it doesn't cost as much as even one year in a private school. And for us, that would SURELY have been a waste.

Danielle

[Kris in Wis]

TOG first edition (managed to resell at half what I paid)

 

Numerous books from Critical Thinking Press (probably over $200 over several years). Only ones we really used were the MindBender books. My kids thought they were fun!

 

A couple of Sonlight TMs (like several others, we liked the books, but found the schedule too much. No time for other things!)

 

Two different complete logic programs: Traditional and Material Logic, Classical Rhetoric; and Introductory and Intermediate Logic.

 

Great Source Reading Handbooks - my kids use their writing handbooks, but the Reading Handbooks have turned out to be useless.

 

At the elementary level, we tried Alpha Omega lifepacs one year when I had a colicky infant who never slept. Our kids hated those workbooks.

 

I could probably think of more, too, as I am also a curriculum junkie. I just love trying out new things! I'm glad my kids are older now, so I don't have to buy a lot anymore. The younger ones are using the hand-me-downs from the older two!

[homeschool2boys]

SOS Language Arts. My son hated it, I hate it too. They wont take it back either so I am stuck with it. I am SOOOO glad that I did not buy more SOS stuff like I had thought about doing. We also really hated Life Pacs last year. I think anything AOP just isnt for us.

[riada]

Hmmm...where to begin.

 

CLE Science and Social Studies beyond level 2 (children loved 100 and 200 levels)

 

Rocket Phonics- thought because we liked their other items that Critical Thinking would be the way to go with learning to read. Not so much.

 

Vocabulary Vine- should have listened to my inner thoughts on this one.

 

Some misc. other items that were to "liven" things up but never made it off the shelf.

[Riverfront Headmistress]

Prima Latin, Writing Strands, A Beka Math

[MIch elle]

:banghead:

 

I just can't bring myself to think of all I've wasted in 10 years of homeschooling!

 

:banghead:

[Alessandra]

Kay in Cal --

"Oooh... I've thought about ordering those bible felts! Either talk me out of it... or sell me yours, all cut out!"

 

Sorry to be so late in answering. I will probably see if we can use these with dc before ditching these. But it will probably be a nightmare. Unless you are truly obsessive-compulsive and also have time to fill, I would say money could be much better spent on good Bible story books -- like those of Brian Wildsmith, Jane Ray, Tomie dePaola, Mary Auld, and so on.

 

Danielle, what you said --

"Our ambition far exceeds the hours in a day, and both dd and I are guilty of thinking we can do about 10x more than is really possible. My purchases went down somewhat when I made both of us starting gridding in our time--not that we ever actually stick to the schedule..."

 

This is exactly what happens to us! I started plugging things into a time grid -- what a reality check!

[MicheleinMN]

My issues are over-kill per subject! How many math, Latin, Spanish, language arts, fine arts programs can one family possibly use/do?? :confused:

 

But the good news is....sometimes if it doesn't fit/work for one child....it does for another. (One of the fringe benefits of having a larger than average family.) :lol:

 

Michele

[Miss Sherry]

Now I don't even remember the exact title (I've tried to suppress the bad memory) but the Spalding phonics method by Wanda Sanseri I started out using many years ago when my now 22 year old was Kindergarten age. Not only did I purchase the materials but the seminar I paid for to attend to learn how to use it was not cheap. I actually attended the seminar twice.

 

My little daughter actually started to cry one day when she saw me get it out. Of course I had to stop using it. Don't believe the hype if ANYONE tells you there is something out there that is absolutely better than all the other phonics programs. BETTER for who ? Not necessarily my child.

 

It is the one thing I definetly would NOT ever use again.

 

I have to admit though. There are a couple of handwriting, posture, etc. , pointers in the Spaulding book I still use. But not the phonics program.

[Miss Sherry]

Ladies,

Imagine how you could fill up the swap boards with products that are not for you but someone else may love them.

[Storm Bay]

Saxon 1, 2 & 3. I didn't buy them all right away, but when dd was doing 1 she was going so fast, I bought 2 & 3 on some kind of deal. It ended up that Saxon was a terrible fit. I sold 2 & 3 on ebay unused, and although I got a decent price, it was still a big loss.

 

Noeo Chemistry, and I finally sold the books at a local sale (I don't do ebay anymore), but also took a loss.

 

Science in a Nutshell, 2 of the Physics one. We took one of them out twice our first year of homeschooling, but I keep them hoping that we'll use them for the next child. If we don't use it with ds this year, I'll have to try to sell them, one of them completely unused.

 

Once we tried Alpha Omega science course, but sent it back and got most of my money back. It's not classical, but I wanted to try a correspondence course (that's one of those what was I thinking? moments.)

 

There may have been others, but I don't like to think about it. My first year of homeschooling I thought it was smart to buy 3 of some things so that all my dc could use them, not yet realizing that some of them wouldn't work for all 3 kids, and some not at all.

[Storm Bay]

I bought four packs (100 sheets each) of handwriting paper that is ADORABLE, but far too widely ruled for my K son. Heck, I can barely write on the stuff. But it's sooooooo cute ;) Altogether, it was about $20, not a fortune, but I certainly could have spent the money elsewhere.... Ah well. Perhaps we can write on the mid-line and bottom line? Or save it for our next little one? Or:001_unsure:

 

:lol:We use our needlessly bought handwriting paper (from our first year homeschooling) for:

Writing the day's schedule on

Folding paper airplanes

Drawing

Message Paper

 

It might not have been the cheapest way to get poor qualitly paper for those jobs, but at least were usuing it!

[sandalwood]

Horizons Phonics K (Loved the math, thought I'd love this --wrong)

Beautiful Feet Primary History (loved the books, even bought & resold twice -- never worked for us)

Seq. Spelling

Purchased Sonlight K TWICE. Got it for K and it was too hard. Sold it and then bought it again 2 years later of course at a substantial price increase.

Sonlight LA (old)

 

And probably numerous other things over the seven years I've been homeschooling. Probably too much money to count.

[love2read]

Sonlight, SRW, Writing Strands, SRW again, more that I don't even want to think about.

 

I did find a solution to this problem, at least a solution that works for me. If it doesn't work or I don't like it I check ebay and the FS sites. If I can't get at least 75%, which is often the case, I put it in a big plastic tub that I keep in a back room. I go through the tub every month or two and am thrilled at what I find that suddenly is just what I need. I've also been able to sell some things locally when someone mentioned at a hs get together that they wanted a particular item and I've given away several things to moms that really needed the item. Much better feeling than taking a loss of 50+%. I also keep a list of the highest priced items in the tub and check ebay from time to time. When they are selling, I list them. The tub has reduced a lot of my guilt. Right now there are probably 30 curriculum type books and 10 programs waiting for me in the tub, maybe more.

[MIch elle]

Our ambition far exceeds the hours in a day, and both dd and I are guilty of thinking we can do about 10x more than is really possible.

 

However, I offer a consoling thought. Even if you've wasted thousands (I have), it doesn't cost as much as even one year in a private school. And for us, that would SURELY have been a waste.

Danielle

 

:iagree:

[bethben]

I read this piece of advice when I started homeschooling. It pretty much said that you WILL waste money on curriculum that you never use. Just chalk it up to your education as a teacher. You are not paying for 4 years of college to become a teacher. Think of it this way- you are not wasting money, you are saving THOUSANDS of dollars.

 

Beth

[Tess in the Burbs]

Astronauts to Zippers. it was a phonics program that included writing and spelling. oy vay! It was over $100. to teach reading.

 

and while some things were good about it, the amount of writing was too much and if I was going to skip so much of it then why not use something easier/cheaper that I didn't have to modify.

 

It was a waste of money looking back. I should have started with the cheaper stuff in our beginnings and only looked to pricey stuff when the other didn't work.

 

I passed it on to a needy family :-)

[Carol in Cal.]

TONS of Scott Foresman for 1st grade. Tons. Actually, IIRC, I also kept buying upper grade stuff from Ebay. Never used any of it. Hundreds of dollars down the tubes. But, you know, the ebay shopping paid off. In the end, it was a really dumb scholastic book set of phonics readers that really ended up cementing DD's ability to read, and without all that searching I would never have run across it. I have never seen it recommended or available any other time, and it was great.

 

Similarly, WTM suggestions such as the Serl books--bought two old ones on Ebay and never used them.

 

Also bought the KHE, and then ended up finding the older edition, reasonably priced, but not before I also bought Usborne and DK. Yes, when it comes to world history, I clearly have issues. Also expertise and experience at this point, LOL.

 

So far I have not used the lovely Latin Christiana I set that I bought, but I'm not saying that I never will just yet.

 

Spelling Power--that was a panic purchase. I bought Phonetic Zoo at the same time, and that worked out so well that DD can actually spell now. When I made those two purchases, I would flirting with a dysgraphia diagnosis that thankfully I have been able to discard.

 

Oh well, live and learn!

[mamato4girls]

SOS Spanish, Apologia Physical & General science, some handwriting books.

[Another Lynn]

I read this piece of advice when I started homeschooling. It pretty much said that you WILL waste money on curriculum that you never use. Just chalk it up to your education as a teacher. You are not paying for 4 years of college to become a teacher. Think of it this way- you are not wasting money, you are saving THOUSANDS of dollars.

 

Beth

 

:iagree:

[Tree House Academy]

Let me ammend my list to add Calvert math, K and 4th grade levels. We switched to Singapore...today! That was $250 for Calvert maths and then a nice $150 for both kids Singapore. Ahhh...good times. :(

[Beth in SW WA]

Exploration Education -- Intermediate

 

Just not enough time for this science program last year. The kids did 2 lessons. Its an awesome elementary/middler science kit.

 

Latin just ate up most of our time and science got left in the dust (literally, on my shelf).

 

Anyone want to buy it?? :)

[cathmom]

The biggest was PowerGlide Jr. German. I have a master's in German and this is such a low-quality program. I spent my birthday money that year on it - what a waste!

 

I am dismayed to see so many said RightStart! I just bought A to use with my 5 yo. I truly want a different math education for my younger children. My older 3 have basically used Saxon and don't like math. My 10 yo is now using Singapore and hates math with a passion.

 

My oldest hated Writing Strands, but I was able to return the ones he hadn't used and sell the one he had done some of, so that wasn't a big waste. 10 years later, he still shudders if you mention Writing Strands to him.

 

I bought Lyrical Life Science a year and a half ago and have yet to use it with my dds. But we will, I swear! :tongue_smilie:

[Tree House Academy]

Oh, I wanted to speak to CHOW too for the OP. I know some say they hate it, but my son and I LOVE it and look forward to it everyday that History is on the schedule!

[Marty]

Bonnie Terry Learning System.

Supposed to be for dyslexics, but didn't work for us. :tongue_smilie:

[angela&4boys]

In our 12th year of homeschooling and still tweaking...

 

 

What didn't work for us:

 

• Sonlight TM's (as others have said), but love the books
  
• LLATL (sounded great...boys dreaded it)
  
• Saxon Math (worked for the oldest only)
  
• MFW 1st (loved MFW K, but 1st just moved too fast for my guys)
  
• Living Books Curriculum (beautiful, just not for my guys)
  
• Spelling Power (waaay too much information for me)
  

As others have said though, I feel it's been a worthwhile investment to find out what does work. It's been (and continues to be) a wonderful journey. :)

Edited September 30, 2008 by angela&4boys
grammar!

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

My biggest blunder was TRISM: history Makers. That was looked at, and discarded within minutes.

 

Then Konos, although I'd say that's half a blunder. We did use the first volume for a year, and I had a good deal on volume 2 and 3. But never used them. The kids did love the one year we did with Konos though, especially my daughter. I'm the one who didn't like it!

[Kim in Appalachia]

those 3 come to mind the most. Even though my dd was doing horribly with Saxon, I believed it was her and kept going with it. Now I know that the program was the worst fit possible for the poor girl.

 

Rosetta Stone is nice, but my kids have had trouble learning with it. I'm currently using it as a "language lab", and using BJ to actually learn the language.

 

I love Artisitc Pursuits, but my kids do not. We are far too busy with music and swimming for me to find the time and force them to do it.

 

The biggest waste was an online Latin class for my dd. She could not handle it. I guess I learned that the web format is not for her, and that she will never be a Latin scholar :tongue_smilie:.

 

There are more things I have "wasted" money on. But most of those I have found some way to redeem or chalked it up to learning my own teaching style.

[Annabel Lee]

Money I've wasted on homeschool stuff... you want me to only list actual curriculum? (hehe)

Here's my list, well what I can think of off the top of my head:

Calvert K entire program ($900.00+)

Muzzy Spanish

Saxon Math 2

Calvert Discoveries in Science Core Kit

and a full shelf of various "supplemental" workbooks, flashcards, etc.

 

How's that for money wasted? :tongue_smilie:

[dasschus]

I could probably send the kids through college with all of the money I've spent.

 

*Power Glide German (hated it!)

*Remembering God's Awesome Acts

*Considering God's Creation

*GreenLeaf Press Egypt guide

*Making Math Meaningful

*Artistic Pursuits

*Thomas Kincaid drawing instruction set

*LLATL

*Spelling Power

*Bought ALL (yes every single one of them) the Konos books. It was fun but time to move on

 

I'm sure there are more.;)

 

Kelly

Edited October 8, 2008 by dasschus

[Kim in Appalachia]

Rosetta Stone (though I still hope to use it)

Artistic Pursuits (I keep thinking this is great. My kids hate it :glare:)

Saxon Math (I forced my oldest to do this program because it was supposed to be good. It was the absolute wrong fit. I should have gave up after 54, but forced her all the way through 87 :001_huh:)

Great Adventures in Science (??) I think that is what it's called. You made lap books with it, and cut out lots of little books for it. It was awful. After doing this course I gave up doing any science at all. :blush:

 

 

I have switched some of my other curriculum, but I did use it, and enjoyed it. It is just no longer a good fit for us. This would mainly be all my Veritas Press stuff.

 

My Latin stuff is now gathering dust, not because I don't like it, but because I have no time for it. Maybe someday I'll get back to it. :001_rolleyes:

 

There are some other things I have wasted money on, but I chalk it up to being a learning experence.

[sagira]

 

[*]Living Books Curriculum (beautiful, just not for my guys)

 

 

 

I've been eyeing LBC just in case I'm in need of something more independent one year.

 

Spelling Power (waaay too much information for me)

 

I have to agree. Just the samples make my eyes glaze over -- and I'm a great speller :lol:

 

As others have said though, I feel it's been a worthwhile investment to find out what does work. It's been (and continues to be) a wonderful journey. :)

 

:iagree: Making mistakes is how we learn. After all, you could always sell the curriculum to someone who would benefit from it.

[sagira]

Now if someone would just teach me how to multi-quote :smilielol5:

[WTMindy]

I actually try and buy things used so that I can turn around and sell them for about the same amount if I don't like them. But......of course there have been a few things.

 

I bought and sold Classical Writing....TWICE! The dumb thing is that I found myself looking at it again!!!! (Different level). I am drawn to the idea, but I just don't like the format. Does that make sense?

[Katrina]

My biggest blunder was TRISM: history Makers. That was looked at, and discarded within minutes.

 

I'm doing my best to keep trisms from being our latest mistake! We hate the questionairres though!

[Melora in NC]

Spell to Write and Read was my most expensive flop. I never used it with my dc at All -- just Way too complicated for me.

Considering God's Creation and Living Learning Books: Level One Science were among my science curriculum duds.

On the positive side, I now know of quite a few programs out there that Don't work for our family!

[Mamagistra]

Not a flop exactly, but my unused curriculum is Artistic Pursuits. I really like it, but...I seem to have been blessed with naturally talented children who createdrawpaintcraft every single day. They even read independently on art! Thus, we have only done one lesson. :tongue_smilie:

[sarahv]

Oh my word. I love this thread.

 

I make another "homeschool" purchase, and my husband says, "You need ANOTHER book?"

 

And I'm like, "I need THIS one."

 

And then I order it, and never look back...:lol:

[LunaLee]

Again, let me say, I'm sooooo glad I am not the only one.

 

Things I've wasted money on:

Minums Latin

Latin for Children

Singapore Science-various levels

Put That In Writing-1

PowerGlide Spanish

History Odyssey various levels, various years (not working for dd, ds seems to think it's ok)

History Portfolio

IEW Writing History Based Lessons-US History & Ancients

Vocabulit

Wordly Wise

 

And about 3 banker boxes worth of workbooky type stuff.

 

Some stuff just wasn't a right fit for a particular child, some stuff was just a case of my eyes being bigger than the number of hours in the day. Also, I am the kind of person that has to sit down and work through something to know if it will work. Simply looking at it just doesn't cut it-that's how I learn. I am just resolved to the fact that, yes, I will spend lots of money on stuff, but that's just a part of homeschooling.

[Annabel Lee]

When my older son was in 1st, I ordered both of VP's lit. guides - the complete 1st grade lit. set. Thinking ahead, I also ordered all of 2nd grade, which sits unused on the shelf. :glare: