If you had to spend no money on school books . . .

[Sebastian (a lady)]

There are all sorts of reasons why money might be tight in the coming months. If you had to school for a year or two without spending any money on books, could you do it? What would you use and how would you use it?

 

I'm hoping for answers beyond use the library, although that would be one of my favorites. I have saved tons of money by getting books from our library system over the past couple years.

 

But I was thinking more along the lines of Mama Squirrel's Thriftschooling posts. Or this one. I really like these because they help me think of HOW I can use what I already have or what is available for free (library) or for pennies (thrift store).

 

Or what about the Ambleside Online curriculum with books from the library? It looks like many of the books listed are commonly available either from the local library or online. And the schedules are free.

 

Or what about going back to that first edition of WTM with its notebook and narration learning. I could probably save a bit of money by going back to the basics there.

[hsmamainva]

Believe it or not, I'd probably unschool.

 

I'd use a ton of library books and visit used book sales as often as I could.

[Carol in Cal.]

That would probably keep me going for at least 1-2 years, maybe more.

 

Carol in Cal, who is feeling increasingly like doing just that, kind of like a camel living off of his hump.

[hsmamainva]

That would probably keep me going for at least 1-2 years, maybe more

 

You're not the only one!!

 

I've been doing this for 13 years and you wouldn't believe how much curriculum I have in my basement!!!!

 

It's rather embarrasing! :blushing:

[OnTheBrink]

That would probably keep me going for at least 1-2 years, maybe more.

 

Carol in Cal, who is feeling increasingly like doing just that, kind of like a camel living off of his hump.

 

I most definitely have enough stuff to get through a couple of years. With online resources and the library, plus what's on my shelves, we're set for a while.

[Jane in NC]

You might want to put out some requests on these boards. Many of us have too much stuff and are less interested in getting money for it than in making sure that the materials get into homes where things would be used and appreciated.

 

Of course, you may not get your first choice materials that way, but free is free.

 

Jane

[Diane]

Between internet resources and the library, definitely. Also, if you have other homeschooling friends- that would make things even easier. Borrow, trade, join them, etc...I never spend very much as it is.

[Melanie]

We could homeschool through high school with what we have now; in fact, we could probably chuck all the expensive homeschool materials into the sea and be just fine without them. We own a set of encyclopedias, we have internet access, and my husband and I kept all of our college texts. We're all set. That being said, I really like all our expensive homeschool materials. I hope I can buy more next year. :tongue_smilie:

[Starr]

There is alot online. Look at the free sites on the homeschoolbuyersco-op.org. Yes, I think you can get alot out of the WTM. Her first addition history books and activity guides are quite reasonable used. Keep an eye on the swap and sale boards. I see free books from time to time. And yes, come to my house, the books are in stacks and don't fit in the shelves. :)

[Scuff]

Believe it or not, I'd probably unschool.

 

I'd use a ton of library books and visit used book sales as often as I could.

 

ditto. It'd actually be fun, I think. :) Although I'd also try to scrape up enough $ for the next level of R&S readers (just the books) and math.

[Moira in MA]

You might want to put out some requests on these boards.

 

I agree

 

I routinely check the wanted board for requests, so far I've only had one hit

 

~Moira

[Mom to Aly]

I did just that, last year, by unschooling. It was a combo of I couldn't afford a lot of curricula, and I was sick of it all, so I unschooled, did most of it through lit, took everything I could (mostly my books) to used book store that gives you a 1/4 credit of price of books, and sells everything for 1/2. I did nature studies for science, and got a scholarship from the science museum for a free membership; for math I did have Saxon, but we both hated it; I bought a $6.95 workbook from B&N, and found free worksheets online, and it was so much better! We did everything else through lit; it was really great, she learned a ton, and it was much better than most curricula we've used.

 

It has led us to using lit for a lot of our curricula this year, and theme studies (for history, etc.), and it is wonderful, and so much more interesting! We are doing American History, from earliest on, and her retention level is also much higher this way. Although I did get more curricula this year, I still left a lot to lit (and Evan Moor, which I adore!).

[Mom to Aly]

Also, edhelper.com is WONDERFUL!!! You can use that instead of multiple curricula, I think. It is $20 a year--I think you can get a free trial, or see some of it for free. You can print out work sheets for free--someone gave me a membership, and I used that a TON--I went to the library to print out when I could, since I didn't have a printer, or I just did it online with my dd.

[Kelli in TN]

Well, as Carol so eloquently put it, I could live off my hump! I think if I could keep internet and access to the library I could keep things pretty lively, but if I lost either of those I could still homeschool. I have been doing this since '91 so I have a lot of junk.....er....valuable educational material. And I have my copy of WTM. Or I HAD my copy of WTM, somebody at church has it now. But that's okay because I have gardenschooler's copy of the revised WTM and if things got so tight that I could not afford books I probably would not EVER be able to afford to drive to her fair city and return her book to her in which case I would still have WTM but she would be plumb out of luck! :tongue_smilie:

 

Sometimes I think it would almost be good if things got so tight that we literally had to stay home all the time. We'd get a lot done. But I prefer that this NOT come to pass until we complete this school year because we love Swim and Gym and would like to see it through to May.:auto:

[anissarobert]

I was just thinking along the same lines as Kelli today. Things are pretty tight, and I love our outside activities, but staying home is sounding nice.

 

I have been homeschooling for 10 years so I have a lot. I could probably make do. Of course, I wouldn't want to! The only real problem would be high school level texts, since this our first year of high school. Everything is non-consumable though, so I only have to buy it once. So this won't be a problem in a couple of years. One of the best resources I have found for high school is library sales. College texts sell for .25-.50 at these. They are not ideal, but with the library and the internet, we could get through.

 

I'm already a pretty frugal homeschooler. I still follow most of the recommendations in the 1st ed. of TWTM and I have bought most of this curriculum already.

 

The library, book sales and the computer are the essentials, and they are my main resource already!

[Melissa in FL]

I would use the resources I already own. Try to beef up the younger curriculm for my oldest. We would probably take a couple more classes through Florida Virtual school (free). I would also utilize more free sites on the internet. I wouldn't be concerned at all about my 2nd grader or pre-schooler, but I would need to really look into my 7th graders skills to make sure everything was covered. It would make more work for me, but I could definitely do it. I think I would do a lot more current events type things with my oldest. The hardest part for me would be still being at home. For dh and I, school materials would be one step above paying the mortgage, there's a lot of other things that would be cut first. If we were that close, I would have to consider getting a job to help out. I know a lot of homeschoolers have two parents working, but to be honest, I don't know if that would work for us.

HTH

Melissa

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Between internet resources and the library, definitely. Also, if you have other homeschooling friends- that would make things even easier. Borrow, trade, join them, etc...I never spend very much as it is.

 

Barb from Harmony Art Mom has a second blog where she does Outdoor Challenges for nature study using the Handbook of Nature Study. I like these because they are helping us to sharpen our sense of what is right around us. Things we would otherwise overlook. This could be used for science (certainly through the middle school years and possibly also for a good part of biology and botany), language arts (by writing about what you see) and art (nature journal).

[Peela]

I could live off my hump too...maybe even all the way through highschool, as long as I had the internet. Actually, definitely, if I had the internet.

but also, one of the reasons I have a LOT of curricula- stuff I have finished with, and stuff I havent used and probably wont- on my shelf, and not yet sold, is because right now I don't NEED the money, but maybe in a few months or a year, I might really appreciate the hundred or the few hundred dollars I could get for what I have, to buy something I otherwise wouldnt afford.

 

If money got really tight, the thing I would find most difficult isnt making up a program- like some others, I might even unschool in that situation, but I also hav eplenty to draw on in my own shelves- it's paying for the extra curricula stuff we do. My kids are not little, they would not be happy staying home most of the time. Most of my money nowadays doesnt go to curricula but to activities, and even the ones that are inexpensive still mostly take me petrol money to get to them.

Necessity is the mother of invention though- I trust it would, and will, all work out just fine.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Are there any free resources out there for teaching math?

[JudoMom]

Or I HAD my copy of WTM, somebody at church has it now. But that's okay because I have gardenschooler's copy of the revised WTM and if things got so tight that I could not afford books I probably would not EVER be able to afford to drive to her fair city and return her book to her in which case I would still have WTM but she would be plumb out of luck! :tongue_smilie:

 

:smilielol5:

[Kelli in TN]

Are there any free resources out there for teaching math?

 

Yes ma'am... there is an excellent free resource for math....MEP math. You have to email them for the passcode to the answer key, but I got it within a couple of days. You just need a cheap way to print and you are set. You don't even need to print the teacher notes, you can read them online.

[elegantlion]

I've thought about that as well. I use paperback swap to look for lots of subjects. I have several years worth of math, science, reading, lit already.

 

I know what I want to have for next year and told dh this week I'm going to start ordering it a little at a time to be prepared.

 

I love paperback swap. I have gotten several PH science explorer books, high school level math and numerous novels. I'm using the math for self-ed, but keeping them so ds may be able to use them.

[mom31257]

Between internet resources and the library, definitely. Also, if you have other homeschooling friends- that would make things even easier. Borrow, trade, join them, etc...I never spend very much as it is.

 

:iagree:

 

Our homeschool group is all ready planning on this for this year. We have a Mom's meeting in October where people will be bringing stuff to loan, trade, or give away. My kids are 6 years apart, so I have some stuff sitting around that I can't use yet with my younger one.

[Donna T.]

I'd use Ambleside Online, KISS Grammar and MEP Math.

[Stacia]

Are there any free resources out there for teaching math?

 

CSMP (for grades K-6).

 

Awesome program, imo. Extensive teacher materials & it definitely takes some prep/learning on the teacher's part. I used it quite a bit in 1st grade w/ my dd & it was great.

 

I first heard about this program from someone on a local hsing loop. From what I heard, the program was developed & used for gifted math students, but was too teacher-intensive for school systems to use. Don't know if that's true or not, but I figured I would add that info.

[gardenschooler]

There are all sorts of reasons why money might be tight in the coming months. If you had to school for a year or two without spending any money on books, could you do it? What would you use and how would you use it?

 

I'm hoping for answers beyond use the library, although that would be one of my favorites. I have saved tons of money by getting books from our library system over the past couple years.

 

But I was thinking more along the lines of Mama Squirrel's Thriftschooling posts. Or this one. I really like these because they help me think of HOW I can use what I already have or what is available for free (library) or for pennies (thrift store).

 

Or what about the Ambleside Online curriculum with books from the library? It looks like many of the books listed are commonly available either from the local library or online. And the schedules are free.

 

Or what about going back to that first edition of WTM with its notebook and narration learning. I could probably save a bit of money by going back to the basics there.

 

My library doesn't have a lot of the AO books, but what it doesn't have are available online, for the most part. Notebooking and narration WTM-style can truly cut costs tremendously.

 

I would probably start with the library, but more than that, use on-line resources. I'm certain you could homeschool without buying anything at all, really. We only purchase things for convenience. Entire textbooks, free courses, and everything but the kitchen sink are available online.

 

You'd have to like reading a screen, though!

 

One thing I might do as far as starting at the library would be to see what they have, and then see what free online resources I could get to match up. For example, I'm using a library copy of Jacobs' Geometry, but I had to buy the TM. I also didn't buy the expensive test package - I'm using the Dr. Callahan schedule of using the chapter reviews for tests. So my estimate for money needed for geometry went waaay down this year. (Thank goodness my library system has several copies of the text - I'm thinking I just won't buy it at all!) If I had zero money, I would have simply gone with a geometry program that I could get completely free.

 

When I started homeschooling, I didn't know another soul on the planet who did. I didn't have the internet. I didn't know that homeschool curriculum publishers even existed! (And it wasn't that long ago, really - mid 90s). I used the library, the tv, and picked up a few things from our local teacher supply store (when I had money to spend), or the bookstore. That was it. Of course my kids were little then, but we were just fine.

 

I'll never forget when WTM came out, and I first looked at the list of publishers in the back. I was floored. :) A few years later, I got the internet and made a beeline for WTM.

 

And now look at me. Buying expensive curricula with the rest of you! But it really isn't 100% necessary. Convenient, yes. Necessary, no.

[gardenschooler]

Or I HAD my copy of WTM, somebody at church has it now. But that's okay because I have gardenschooler's copy of the revised WTM and if things got so tight that I could not afford books I probably would not EVER be able to afford to drive to her fair city and return her book to her in which case I would still have WTM but she would be plumb out of luck! :tongue_smilie:

 

 

I told you, keep it! I've got it memorized. :lol: (Yeah, right!) No, I'm fine with my 1st ed. (Soon to be 3rd edition! When is that? Spring?)

[gardenschooler]

If money got really tight, the thing I would find most difficult - it's paying for the extra curricula stuff we do. My kids are not little, they would not be happy staying home most of the time. Most of my money nowadays doesnt go to curricula but to activities, and even the ones that are inexpensive still mostly take me petrol money to get to them.

Necessity is the mother of invention though- I trust it would, and will, all work out just fine.

 

We spend hardly any money at all on activities, and even less this year than most. We just go with what is nearby and free (or close to it), and it works out. If we had more money, we might do different activities, but not necessarily more.

[Lizzie in Ma]

As long as you have the internet, some of these might be helpful..

The "LIST" is here, I hope it helps.

 

I am not temperamentally suited to unschool, although I love the idea, I really do.

 

Is there anything you KNOW you would like to use? I have tons of stuff about that I am not using and might be able to loan you for a year.

[Free Indeed]

 

http://www.homeschoolshare.com is my favorite free resource. I could homeschool this next year without buying any resources. It wouldn't be near as much fun though! :lol: The day the big box arrives is a favorite (even if I really buy used, and then put it all in 1 big box for the kids to get excited about). ;)

[Murphy101]

for me, the younger one's wouldn't be that big a deal. as it is I really don't buy much for them but reuse what I have. I usually buy a math workbook and a cursive handwriting workbook.

 

however, for the past 2 years I've spent more on my oldest dc curriculum for the year than on all the other kids combined. Why? Because I've never taught his grade before and have no materials for it! So buying stuff for his new grade level would be the hardest to avoid and my biggest expense.

 

also, I have learned to be careful about "free" stuff. sometimes it is literally cheaper to pay $15 for a workbook than to print something free online.

 

don't get me wrong as another poster noted "free is free" and I love free! just saying that sometimes it can cost you more to go that route, so be careful. ink, paper, card stock, folders for lapbooks - all that stuff really adds up.

 

also the outside activities are brutally expensive. even the cheap ones because of gas prices (remember I have a 12 passenger van = approx 12 miles for every approx. $4 gallon of gas!). thankfully we live in the city, so at least we are closer to other people. so far none of them really care about sports and such much anyways, they just want to be social. So we are making an effort to be involved in social fuctions like game nights and such at church or in the homeschool support group.

[sunflowerlady]

I have been thinking a lot about this lately. There are numerous things that I already do to save money, but I could do so much more.

 

In my area, there are at least three used homeschool book sales each spring. I always go to them and stock up on curriculum and books. I could just use whatever I find at those sales instead of buying new. The prices are usually very cheap.

 

I have the Ruth Beechick "You Can Teach Your Child Successfully Grades 4-8". I could use that method for a few years with library books and books from used sales and thrift shops.

 

I don't own a copy of TWTM, but I have checked it out of the library and read it a few times.:) I would like to know what is different about the first edition and how it might help in homeschooling for less money. I am very intrigued.:confused:

 

Also, I could buy inexpensive workbook like the Spectrum series for language arts and perhaps geography. I would need something a bit more thorough for math because it is our weaker subject.

 

We could also unschool, which I am seriously considering anyway.:001_smile:

 

Or there is the Charlotte Mason method.

 

I don't use a lot of the free resources online because I have dial up and it is so time consuming.

 

I believe I can do just as well with finding free and cheap resources in the ways I mentioned.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

 

I don't own a copy of TWTM, but I have checked it out of the library and read it a few times.:) I would like to know what is different about the first edition and how it might help in homeschooling for less money. I am very intrigued.:confused:

 

 

 

I guess what I was thinking of with the first edition of WTM was that it predated the publication of the SOTW series. So for history there was a heavy emphasis on library books (history, folktale and biography) as well as doing short lookups of historical figures (like in an encyclopedia). Remember the lists of figures to know about for each historical period?

 

My inclination now would be to use SOTW because I like them so much. But WTM did predate them. (By a couple decades if you want to go back to how SWB was herself educated.)

 

Now you would have to resist the urge to spend hundreds of dollars on some specific book mentioned in WTM 1st ed that is now out of print. The recommendations aren't gospel, just recommendations from what was available at the time. When we were overseas, I had to substitute older British published books for what was mentioned in WTM and in homeschool catalogs. And these ended up being some great books, even though they don't show up on anyones reading lists.

[harmonyartmom]

I have just started delving into this website and have found it to be a treasure of a resource.

http://www.ourlosbanos.com/homeschool/

 

She says there are 395 printables available. I have been interested in her high school level plans for both science and history.

 

The other thought I had is about the SOTW activity guides. I know they are an investment in the beginning but I know when we used the SOTW series when the boys were younger, the library lists were invaluable. I could just dial up my library website and see which books were available, place a hold, and then go pick them up. It was painless and free. The books for the most part were amazingly good.

 

I also highly recommend subscribing to Naxos.com for access to their entire library of music and other recordings for a year for $20. I have found so many great things besides classical music. They have Shakespeare sonnets and plays, unabridged to listen to. We are going to listen to Pilgrim's Progress later on in our year. Last year we listened to the Iliad and Antigone and Romeo and Juliet all online. I know that my $20 has been well spent and has enriched our lives so much. You can check out the library of recordings for free before you subscribe if you want to.

 

I know you mentioned my Outdoor Hour Challenges at a free science resource but you didn't mention Sketch Tuesday as a free weekly art assignment.

 

I also have my high school music appreciation courses as a free download on my website at Harmony Fine Arts. I will soon have 12th grade art appreciation as a free download too which will use online resources for viewing art just like the other three grades.

 

Maybe those ideas will help some other homeschool families. I certainly think that spending very little money on homeschooling is possible if we just look at what we have and what we need to accomplish and not get caught up in the "latest and greatest" offered.

 

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

[Mekanamom]

When DH and I saw that finances might get a bit tight, we decided to use a Virtual Academy for schooling. (We have used this option in the past as well.)

 

It's not "private schooling"; it's definitely public school. It's not free, either- it's paid for by taxes like all public schools. But there is no tuition, and all the books and supplies are provided, so we have no out of pocket expenses.

 

So... that's what we did. It's just another resource available.

 

(Full Disclosure: We are paying to use K12 for one of my three kids; so that child is being "homeschooled", even though all three are using the same curriculum at their own grade levels.)

 

We also cut back in other areas to be able to better afford supplements. We dropped our satellite TV to the very bare basics. (I'd be happy to drop TV nearly altogether... we're only keeping it because FIL shares our Satellite, and he watches the TV more than we do.) Anyway, cutting back to the cheapest package is saving us $30/month. With that savings, I am continuing to pay $10/month for Cosmeo, an online educational resource. The kids can still watch Mythbusters and Discovery Channel shows on that site... so cutting back on the TV does not deprive them of those types of shows.

[bettyandbob]

My concerns would be foreign language and upper level math and science. Everythingelse would be my first edition WTM , the library and my "home library."

 

If there were a tiny bit of dollars, I would go to the quarterly used book sale at the library and see if there were any math and science texts for sale. This would be for Geometry, PreCalc, Calc, Bio, Chem, and Physics. I have a friend who is associated with a very exclusive private school. I might swallow my pride and check with her for cast off high school texts. Ditto, I have friends who teach at the public high school, but not math and science, but maybe they'd could ask at the end of the year about "retired textbooks"--books that came back too damaged to issue to students again, but might still have usable portions. Also textbooks retired because the school system is switching publishers.

 

I'd supplement the math and science with teaching company lectures from the library.

 

Foreign Language would be very hard. I don't speak one. I pay tutors. My library doesn't offer Rosetta Stone like some libraries. I guess I'd try to use what the library does offer. I'd also step up my Latin efforts. I have resorces for that and I would worry about butchering my pronunciation.

 

If I only had to do elementary, it would be a lot easier.

[5knights3maidens]

I have so much stuff in the basement...I could probably school forever! :lol:

[RebeccaC]

I am doing this this year and here is how;

 

 

• Living off our hump, we have been hsing since 03/96 and have built quite a large home library, this is our main resource,
  
• Selling off used stuff to buy used books less than $50.
  
• Dsis has been hsing since the early 90s and her youngest is in 11th and as she finishes off stuff she is sending it my way, VideoText Algebra, Rosetta Stone Spanish, Apologia, etc... have been sent our way,
  
• There is a small public library in Johnsburg IL with a large hs curriculum room, that contains all kinds of equipment and curriculum, IEW, every Sonlight core, etc....
  
• Netflix, movies for Movies as Lit curriculum which was bought a year and a half ago, documentaries, and for TC math videos
  
• Internet for books on line and other resources......
  
• Our local library for TC history and science videos/dvds
  
• Freebies from Homeschool E store, they have a new name just can't remember it right now, a couple of years ago I got a very good lit program for Romeo and Juliet I will use later this year....

 

 

You might want to look at a local hs support groups some have large lending libraries of hs curriculum. I know that in GA some churches have or have had hs curriculum in their church libraries. Also some hs support groups will have freebie tables at their end of the year used curriculum sales and our church has had a freebie book table on which hs curriculum has been placed from time to time. Finally give Freecycle and Craigslist in you area a check. Our local Craigslist just had a ton of Abka and BJU from k to 12 go for free... One was from a Church school that had folded several years ago, early 2000, and the other was from a hs whose kids had graded and were off to college. All anyone had to do was drive and pick up the books.

 

Also do not forget your friends of the library sale I spent under $40. and got all most all of the BBC Shakespeare plays plus about two bags full of lit and history books. This was money from used books I sold. I have seen hs curriculum donated to our library and to a couple of local libraries friend of the library sales and the books went for dirt cheap.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited October 1, 2008 by RebeccaC

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I love Netflix and the local library sales. Right now we have both cable and Netflix, but if money were tight, I would drop the cable and just stick with the Netflix option. We've gotten so many good movies and documentaries from them.

[harmonyartmom]

We use YouTube a lot for our homeschooling. I usually kind find anything I want to watch. For instance, I wanted to see a cricket chirping...voila! There it was on YouTube. Another time we wanted to find out how to do finger knitting....there it was on YouTube. Note: I always preview the whole video before sharing it with the boys.

 

Between YouTube and Netflix Instant View, we are set with videos for the rest of our school days. :)

 

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

[RebeccaC]

We have done some YouTube too. The internet is a must have in my opinion just too much to glean from!

 

I have been using Netflix lately to get old WWII movies to help teach my boys about propaganda. I can get stuff off of Netflix that our library does not have and that local video stores does not carry and I am almost ready to consider Netflix as essential the net, at least for High School.

Edited October 1, 2008 by RebeccaC

[joannqn]

I have almost no curriculum except for what we are using now and I definitely don't have anything for the coming years. I could probably research what I need to cover and come up with what we need through the library and online resources. I tried doing that for k and 1st grade with my daughter and it burned me out quickly.

 

I'm not worried about homeschool cost in the coming years though because I enrolled the kids in the virtual academy in our state. They provide a student fund (currently up to $1200 per year per child) which you can use for nonreligious curriculum of your choice, supplies, classes, and field trips. The only thing I'm currently using that they won't buy is our science curriculum which only costs $35 a year.

[Oakblossoms]

Are there any free resources out there for teaching math?

 

I cannot afford the next level of MUS right now, so this is what we are doing till Algebra.

 

Do a google search for AAA Math.

Math U See has a worksheet generator.

Math Mammoth has some worksheets and lessons for free on their site as well.

[chaik76]

You're not the only one!!

 

I've been doing this for 13 years and you wouldn't believe how much curriculum I have in my basement!!!!

 

It's rather embarrasing! :blushing:

I have a first grader...I could homeschool through 8th grade without buying anything else! (and I'm pretty sure my basement probably looks like yours, curricula-wise!)

[klmama]

I could do it with what we have on hand. Our home library is immense, and our public library is excellent. I have curricula I could use for at least the next two years.

[Parrothead]

Are there any free resources out there for teaching math?

If money were that tight I'd explain that we are eating PB&J for a month to offset the cost of MUS.

 

Since I just finished buying for our 1st 4 year cycle I'd probably be okay for the next 4 years using what I currently have, along with the internet and library resources.

[Dani n Monies Mom]

Another free math resource that was mentioned on here previously:

 

www.mindsprinting.com This could easily be a full math curriculum up to calculus. And the lesson levels are designed to fit your child's needs and are exhaustively thorough. I'm not a sales rep or anything (it's free!) I just found this to be such an awesome resource.

 

BTW, if we had to, we would likely enroll in the states virtual school as well. They are using the k12 curriculum.

Ava

[chaik76]

Do you have a college or university in your area? Our local college has an excellent children's room with textbooks for every grade level...through high school (and there are college texts in the regular library). It also has excellent literature selections. Because I live in the area I am able to get a library card for free to the college library (I can also use my husband's card as he is a professor there...but even if he wasn't I would still have access).

 

If you can afford it, and want to print things out, I've found a laser printer to be super...the cheapest black and white ones are around $100, and toner can run about $80...but it lasts forever. It allows me to print out whatever I want.

[Hannah]

This post lists a number of free curriculums - you'd still need to pay for a printing though.

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

Considering I don't have a basement full of all the curriculum my child would need, if I could not afford to buy school books for my child, my child would be in public school and I would be working.