S/O Minimalist Schooling - Poverty Schooling?

[mamamoose]

There are many small towns which are without libraries. I grew up in a county in FL which didn't have a library until I was an adult. There were larger towns within a half hour drive but I would have had to pay a yearly fee since I didn't live in those counties.

I live 72 miles from a very small (i.e. Poor) library... Edited December 29, 2016 by mamamoose

[Ausmumof3]

How are the op shops near you? I think if you have a semi reasonable op shop, with strengths like history and literature you should be able to cover a reading and writing program and a history core. I see many books similar to Sonlight stuff available at op shops. You are in 5th which in well trained mind is biology and life science. This is good because there's quite a lot of science activities you can do that don't require huge resources that tie in - Charlotte Mason style nature drawing etc. you will probably want to think about some kind of human bio resource I guess? Maths is the one area where I'd try to get money for a text if possible or use your Saxon texts.

 

If you don't have good op shops I would try to set aside the homeschooling money entirely for bus fares and make sure we got to the library weekly no matter what. It's a pain to manage but for the amount of resources it provides it can save so much.

 

Is the frugal situation likely to be long term or shorter term? If it's a year of schooling it's not so bad but it's harder to make a long term situation work. But I definitely think you can.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I'm not an outsider to poverty. I've been homeless. I'm not mainstream, or a person who doesn't understand, or a person who shames the poor. I hope I didn't come across that way, because my only intent was to be helpful by speaking the truth that no matter our circumstances, we can't make bricks without straw. Mothers can perform miracles of resourcefulness and effectiveness in educating their children at home, no one knows that better than me, but only if they're determined to do it or at least want to, and have something left to give after the struggle for basic survival. There is no element of shaming in pointing out that we have to count the cost of decisions, even the cost to our own mental and physical health and well being. There's no judgment in conceding that we do live in a land of free public education, because the vast majority of people need some assistance and community in rearing and educating children at some point in the journey.

[Hunter]

Many states have capital city libraries that offer free library cards to anyone that can prove residence in the state. If I can just get my Kindle Fire to a free wifi spot for a short period, I can download library overdrive books onto it and have them for 2 weeks.

 

I think I need to renew my card once a year, now, though. As libraries offer more and more online services, they are tightening up card monitoring. In large states, a five hour trip to the capital that secured a card for several years, is not as attractive as a five hour trip to secure a card for one year. But for some people, a once a year trip for a card, and then fine-free access to things that can be downloaded at a local donut shop, once a week, might work. For some of us, the price of a donut is a strain, but can maybe be budgeted.

 

Years ago, I focused more on free flow type text eBooks instead of pdfs. We think we had some threads on a Kindle Unlimited curriculum and a Cell Phone curriculum.

 

Somewhere along the line, I owned and got used to larger screened tablets that didn't choke on large PDFs, and I got used to having them.

 

I think for me, I'm going to feel less vulnerable and pressured if I resort back to depending on smaller screens and what works well on them. That doesn't mean not taking the time to enjoy more when I have more, but to again build my core resources on a very small pile of hardcopy books, and some small-screen friendly eBooks.

 

The past few months were absolutely brutal financially, before the worst of it turned around just in time. Residual fear is a normal reaction. There was a chance I was facing homelessness again, and at the same time lost my food stamps for months. I can try and blow it off that it was more likely my social worker was going to be able to save my voucher than not, but it doesn't matter. That termination letter was scary. Deep down residual lasting scary. And the multiple serious injuries and I don't even remember what else, but as is typical with poverty, it is just unexpected wave after wave after wave of uncertainty. Top that off with a forced android update that overheated my phone, and...well. PTSD is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. I think I am being pretty normal to what was a pretty big mess.

 

Someone once told me, I should just be getting used to it by now, and be better able to handle crisis. That isn't how the human body was designed to work. Constant pounding is far more wear and tear than conditioning. Crisis mode is hunkered down mode. Protect the vital spots.

 

The OP was listing her vital spots in her first post. She has identified a lot of them. I guess we only have so many nonvital body parts that we can use to cover the vital spots. I guess maybe the best plan is to make sure the most vital spots are covered first and then just prepare for impact, and hope we come out the other side as strong and intact as possible.

[Hunter]

I'm not an outsider to poverty. I've been homeless. I'm not mainstream, or a person who doesn't understand, or a person who shames the poor. I hope I didn't come across that way, because my only intent was to be helpful by speaking the truth that no matter our circumstances, we can't make bricks without straw. Mothers can perform miracles of resourcefulness and effectiveness in educating their children at home, no one knows that better than me, but only if they're determined to do it or at least want to, and have something left to give after the struggle for basic survival. There is no element of shaming in pointing out that we have to count the cost of decisions, even the cost to our own mental and physical health and well being. There's no judgment in conceding that we do live in a land of free public education, because the vast majority of people need some assistance and community in rearing and educating children at some point in the journey.

We cannot make bricks without straw, but sometimes the choice is to not make bricks at all, especially if sending the kid to PS wouldn't result in bricks being made there either, or we have more important things to worry about than bricks. Or maybe we own a stone quarry and intend to follow the family practice of hacking off blocks of stone to build our lives with. Or be content with a bamboo hut. Or build a boat. Or a space ship. Or something beyond my experience to imagine.

 

When a parent says to me, "School is not an option," I don't ask why or push past that. I just move on and assume they know best. But for me, through PM and private forums, and having lived my own life, and met people offline. I tend to keep a very open mind that something pretty extreme might be going on that is none of my business. I don't ask a lot of questions. I don't like it when I get them asked of me. Asking about curriculum doesn't come with a requirement of full disclosure about a person's entire life.

 

There are so many people at the fringes of mainstream, and some not even in the vicinity of mainstream. Mainstream isn't even a default thought pattern to me. My norm is not norm.

 

If someone doesn't have straw, I just don't automatically send them off to PS. My brain doesn't work that way. The world is SO much bigger than that. I start talking about stone, bamboo, wood, and metal. And I totally respect "School is not an option," unless I'm smacked right in the face with something extreme, and for some reason I think I am uniquely the ONE to confront THAT person.

 

In general, I consider it a boundary cross to offer unasked for advice about the choice to homeschool, and what people do in their bedroom behind closed doors. I just don't do it. Maybe that is wrong of me. Maybe it is especially wrong of me to expect others to do what I do. I'll have to think about that.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

We cannot make bricks without straw, but sometimes the choice is to not make bricks at all, especially if sending the kid to PS wouldn't result in bricks being made there either, or we have more important things to worry about than bricks. Or maybe we own a stone quarry and intend to follow the family practice of hacking off blocks of stone to build our lives with. Or be content with a bamboo hut. Or build a boat. Or a space ship. Or something beyond my experience to imagine.

 

When a parent says to me, "School is not an option," I don't ask why or push past that. I just move on and assume they know best. But for me, through PM and private forums, and having lived my own life, and met people offline. I tend to keep a very open mind that something pretty extreme might be going on that is none of my business. I don't ask a lot of questions. I don't like it when I get them asked of me. Asking about curriculum doesn't come with a requirement of full disclosure about a person's entire life.

 

There are so many people at the fringes of mainstream, and some not even in the vicinity of mainstream. Mainstream isn't even a default thought pattern to me. My norm is not norm.

 

If someone doesn't have straw, I just don't automatically send them off to PS. My brain doesn't work that way. The world is SO much bigger than that. I start talking about stone, bamboo, wood, and metal. And I totally respect "School is not an option," unless I'm smacked right in the face with something extreme, and for some reason I think I am uniquely the ONE to confront THAT person.

 

In general, I consider it a boundary cross to offer unasked for advice about the choice to homeschool, and what people do in their bedroom behind closed doors. I just don't do it. Maybe that is wrong of me. Maybe it is especially wrong of me to expect others to do what I do. I'll have to think about that.

 

I didn't automatically send anyone to ps. I said that I respect people who choose to homeschool against the odds, specifically in the case of poverty, and that I've done it myself. You'll notice I also linked to homeschool resources that fit the OP's requirements and suggested a plan.

 

But I'm also aware of the isolation of poverty, AND the isolation of the homeschooling community, and I believe that somebody should remind mothers in need that they don't necessarily have to be an island. Homeschooling is still a choice. There are more people out there, in every community. When I was a homeless child, and hungry and inadequately clothed, my mother's friends might have helped me more if they'd pointed her to available resources instead of praising her ingenuity and assuming I'd get supper somehow. And although my mother desperately wanted to homeschool, she put me into a public school situation that was an extremely poor fit for me, and was not without damage, but where I was able to learn enough to go forward into the world on my own (the month I turned 17). She sent us to school so that so she could go to work, so that we could level up to ONE meal per day, and get some camp cots to sleep on instead of staying on the floor where the rats ran over our heads at night. I thought that was a decent trade-off.

 

Basically I'm refusing to accept this role of elitist, rich mainstream person who doesn't understand, Hunter. It's not true, it's not fair, and I will not accept that designation. And I'm also refusing to project myself into the OP's scenario and assume she will bring the time, talent, and commitment to home education that I have brought (and a hundred others who have done it on a shoestring or less)...because she said she's not. I'm taking her at her word and telling her the truth, which I believe to be the most respectful course of action.

 

The truth is that without access to materials, whether library or internet, the educator is going to have to lay out a tremendous expense of time and talent. If a person doesn't have that, and most people don't, then there are other options. It's not true that homeschooling is always better.

 

I don't know, person to person, anymore than you do, what are the exact cards on the table. But I'm not willing to assume that public school truly isn't an option just because people say they don't want to do it, and I'm not willing to say that keeping a child out of school is automatically more important than food, clothing, shelter and education.

 

I'm sorry, but this is all the time I have for this topic today. I will not be returning to this thread. Good luck to the OP.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Tibbie Dunbar

[shawthorne44]

I know you said no electronics.  But a cheap used e-reader for $50 would save you lots of money.   There are lots of free e-textbooks out there for downloading.  I don't know about yours, but I've been really impressed with the non-fiction selection available for e-book downloading.  You can also read downloaded books without an internet connection.  

 

I also LOVE library book sales.   Maybe Google "(city name) library book sale."     For example, at the last sale they had cleared out the reference section in the children's area.   Every book was $1.  

[luuknam]

Asking about curriculum doesn't come with a requirement of full disclosure about a person's entire life.

 

On the one hand, I agree, but on the other hand, people in general are notoriously bad at asking the right questions, and reframing the problem can be helpful in increasing the number of options on the table, which can be especially useful if the options on the table don't look very appealing.

 

The problem the OP has is how to educate the kid through middle and high school, or, even more generally, how to prepare the kid to be a functioning grown-up. If you're brainstorming the latter, you might come up with different answers than if you're only brainstorming what curriculum to use for homeschooling that will cost less than $100 and does not involve libraries, the internet, or much parental time and effort.

[frugalmamatx]

For high school, look for used textbooks on Amazon--if you go back an edition or two from the most recent these are usually dirt cheap. High school level or introductory college level will work for many subjects.

 

I see a lot of folks suggesting this - but I look at these textbooks and I am at a complete loss for how to teach from them honestly. DD wants things I never learned {or forgot}. My math skills are terrible, and my science was a patchy disjointed system over 3 high schools with radically different methods of teaching. I don't have the knowledge. 

 

Library books, remember librarians can adjust due dates. You can't necessarily ask on 20 books unless you develop a great relationship with the librarian but on a few you can ask for a longer due because your daughter will be using it for the next few weeks/months for school. If it's not a popular book your request might be granted.

 

Also check out at the main library and return at your branch.

 

Ours refuses to adjust dates {computerized system and such}. I {in theory} can return at the branch library BUT it doesn't always work. The branch library is a dual system - public and school system. If they don't scan the books back into the proper system, it can take weeks to sort out the mess, during which fines are still adding up. And they never seem to remove the fines when they discover the mistake. 

 

I would focus on used college textbooks. *snip* Latin as your foreign language. Plenty of used and public domain textbooks for that. I don't know how you solve lab science. Can you dual enroll at the local high school? That's what I would do in my state.

 

Being practical, dd needs to do Spanish. We live in an area where probably close to 25% of the population speaks Spanish only. Another 50% is bilingual to varying degrees. Every future job she might look into here is going to require bilingual speakers. ASL would be my second choice, only because I know you can work as in interpreter. 

 

Dual enrollment is not allowed here. We can't even use the track to walk on after hours!

 

And this is when I'm bummed that The Book Samaritan closed down.  I used to send them all of my homeschool curriculum that I no longer needed.  

 

Another possibility is to make an Amazon wishlist and let relatives help out with schooling expenses by purchasing items on the wishlist.  Not always the most exciting option for the child.

 

Me too. I cried when I found out. I wish someone would take up the mantle on that organization and keep it going. 

 

Relatives are not an option for us. 

 

If you don't mind Catholic materials, setonbooks.com has very good, fairly inexpensive workbooks for many subjects.  I particularly like their English workbooks.  They are very straightforward and fairly self-teaching, but you don't get bogged down.

 

I like Human Odyssey for history, and all three volumes are very inexpensive used on Amazon.  We mostly just read our history and watch associated videos (Horrible Histories mainly).  Not much output.  Although quizlet has some free quizzes.

 

I need to look at Seton again. Not catholic, but I'm good at editing out religious matter in books after using Apologia science the last few years. 

 

I'm going to have to agree with Tibbie on this one. A public school would likely be a better idea than this combination of lack of time, resources, personal investment and yes, money.

*snip*

 

The no library and no internet thing is what really throws me, and causes me to assume you are in the country somewhere :)

 

Trust me - dd would be eaten alive in PS. Or shunted into a special ed classroom with no academic instruction. Our school system is one of the worst in the state for SN kids, and dd is 2E, in addition to being a very tender spirit. And actually we're on the edge of a major city. 

 

These rules are a nonstarter. I homeschooled DD while living under the poverty line for K-5th grade. Near the top of our list of resources was the public library. Why in ever loving anything would you bar the library as an option???

 

As for Amazon...while poor, secondhand bookstores were my second option, and sales on the forums another place I looked. Amazon is expensive.

 

See my previous replies. Fines + travel time + bus fare made it cheaper to just buy used from penny books or at thrift shops. 

 

This may have been mentioned up thread.  

 

Co-op classes - ask about the availability of scholarships.

 

I've been to a few used homeschool book sales where there was a "free" box.  Also, if folks didn't pick up their items after the sale, those books were offered for free.

 

I'll look into scholarships. I know the local homeschool center does one for materials, but only if you are the "right" flavor of Christian AND your pastor vouches for you. And we're not. Plus you have to commit to working X many hours a week there in exchange for the assistance. 

 

*snip*

 

When I was a kid we mostly learned math from a set of dominoes until we were ready to tackle Saxon 54 on our own. In the old days of homeschooling before the internet was so common, many kids self-taught from Saxon math books and encyclopedia-related books, like the World Book of Word Power. I had a nice middle school English textbook that my mom got out of a high school dumpster at the end of the school year.

 

This is what I'm trying to do - create a self-teaching program using commonly available, inexpensive materials. 

 

Can you request books from the downtown library to pick up at the local library?

 

I can, but it takes about 2 weeks {at least} for them to come in. 

[frugalmamatx]

I have really struggled with the "buy inexpensive textbooks off of amazon" method.  I have found that I need full answer keys, which can sometimes be hard to do.

 

I think the WTM method really works well--especially with 1ed methodology.

 

Jr. High History: KHE $30ish/$8year, with outlining and the occasional essay when you can get to the library or use the internet.

High School History: buy an older version of Spielvogel or one of the world history books recommended by SWB

Jr. High Science: Prentice Hall Science Explorer textbooks (earth, life, physical science). I picked up the textbooks for under $15 on amazon, plus the workbook (price varies but $10ish). You totally can figure out the workbook answers on your own. I did that for earth science. I ended up buying the cd with the answer key to all three textbooks for $70ish to save time.  I bought a second set of workbooks and made an answer key as I have more kids to go through the materials.  The cd doesn't completely line up with the workbook, but it's close.  My motivated child went through the series on his own without much input from me, other than grading.  I did buy a few science supplies, but I think they are optional at the jr high level.

High School Science: I've struggled here

Jr. High & High School Math: I have gone the generic chalkdust route. The ISBN numbers are all available here.  I just assigned the odd number problems so that I had full answers. The student book I picked up for $15-20, the student answer key is usually $5ish, and I splurge and buy the dvds.  A lot of the videos can be streamed, but I watch listed the dvds and have purchased them for between $40-90/set.

Literature: Norton Anthologies--World, British, American (usually under $10 each); at some point I'd try to own WWS1

 

Yes I fully agree. I need full solutions manuals for Math if it's more than very basic algebra. 

 

What is KHE? 

 

*snip*

 

One thing that really frustrates me about these discussions is that I don't see any good way to link up students who want to learn with people who want to help. At one time, I was interested in volunteering, and my husband worked at an organization with a lot of STEM folks with advanced degrees. I contacted their volunteer coordinator, and she said that she'd add my name to their list, but they had a hundred names of people willing to help tutor and they couldn't get anybody from the schools to take the help. Some of these folks would have been happy to have a long-term relationship with a homeschooled student, answering questions by email or meeting a couple of times a month to help, but there's no good way for them to get in touch with each other. So, I might also suggest contacting any local company or organization that has people with the knowledge that you need. I know that this isn't available in some communities, but other high-poverty areas are in cities with a college, industry that requires engineers, etc...and also retired schoolteachers and other folks like nurses who have a good knowledge base in fields that they had to learn. In some places, high schoolers need volunteer hours to graduate, so a good high school student might be able to help with a younger student.

 

I fully agree! I wish there were something like this out there. 

 

I have several editions of Hewitt's Conceptual Physics, along with a college bio text, geology, and pre-calc, chemistry, a driver's ed course, some chemistry and music Great Courses--all books that were given to us or ones that we could not sell back at the end of the semester at the college.

Could I send them to you? I once ran across 4 YEARS of ABeka and BJUP high school texts at a thrift store. I snapped them up and sent them to missionary friends in Peru (back when they had "M" bag rates). They pretty much used what I sent as they had nothing else available--it worked. I'm in a "clean-out" mode right now--just got rid of 2 years of Latin today and over 20 SAT/ACT books. Can I help you out? Catch this mood whilst you can!

 

Than you for the offer, but we have a while until we would get to those levels, and I am hesitant to store things long term because inevitably our needs change. Maybe offer them up free here on the boards or in a local homeschooling group?

 

FrugalmamaTX, I feel compelled to address the internet/library issue.  For any of us who have schooled on a shoestring budget, I have to say that some outside source of information is a must.  As someone who has defended the non-use of the internet for schooling  on these forums, I have to say that the public library is an awesome resource,  If this were me, I'd learn everything I could about my library systems services and polices, including inter-library loans.  Don't worry about the ISS kids at the local branch.  If they notice you, just smile and  nod.  Later if you feel compelled, get to know them.  They're probably great kids.  

 

As for teacher interaction, if you're pulling together an educational program -- you must oversee its usage. If we're choosing to remove our children from a public school option, then we're choosing to oversee/coordinate  their education.   

 

Best wishes as you decide what's best for you and yours. 

 

Oh I have learned about our local system. I used to give workshops on it's benefits. But those benefits no longer pertain to us, or are more costly than it's worth. 

 

And I am overseeing dd's education. When I said non-teacher intensive, I meant I cannot afford to spend 2 hours+ a day on a single subject, and then have multiple subjects like that. SO many of the programs I have looked at require that level of time commitment by the time you factor in printing, grading, active teaching, etc. That level of instruction doesn't work for us. I need things where dd can read the lesson, ask me questions of things she is stuck on, and during that I can be doing laundry or dishes or working online. 

 

*snip*

 

ETA: wait, not sure if you meant $250/$100 total or per year - if it's total for middle + high school, then this would obviously not be an option.

 

The numbers are per year :)

 

Given sporadic internet, I would look for internet resources that can be downloaded for use offline. *snip*

 

I wouldn't let ISS kids stop me from using the branch library. Can books checked out at one branch be returned at another? Can you request books from the main library to be picked up at the branch library?

 

More than once I paid late fines at the library when they did "food for fines" drives. 

 

We are admittedly fortunate in that youth in our town can get free bus passes, and that we've been in biking distance from our library since DD was a baby.

 

I don't know how to download things on dd's tablet, to be honest {and I don't think she has space anyway - it's a very old tablet}. 

 

I wish they would do food for fines here. I even asked if I could work off our fines by helping out at the library, and they said no. They just want the cash, since fines are now the main source of library funding here. 

 

How are the op shops near you? I think if you have a semi reasonable op shop, with strengths like history and literature you should be able to cover a reading and writing program and a history core. I see many books similar to Sonlight stuff available at op shops. You are in 5th which in well trained mind is biology and life science. This is good because there's quite a lot of science activities you can do that don't require huge resources that tie in - Charlotte Mason style nature drawing etc. you will probably want to think about some kind of human bio resource I guess? Maths is the one area where I'd try to get money for a text if possible or use your Saxon texts.

 

If you don't have good op shops I would try to set aside the homeschooling money entirely for bus fares and make sure we got to the library weekly no matter what. It's a pain to manage but for the amount of resources it provides it can save so much.

 

Is the frugal situation likely to be long term or shorter term? If it's a year of schooling it's not so bad but it's harder to make a long term situation work. But I definitely think you can.

 

OP shop = thrift shop I think? Yes I have some great ones. And I do go often. And the situation is likely long-term - I'm trying to improve things, but every time I do something else happens. 

 

I know you said no electronics.  But a cheap used e-reader for $50 would save you lots of money.   There are lots of free e-textbooks out there for downloading.  I don't know about yours, but I've been really impressed with the non-fiction selection available for e-book downloading.  You can also read downloaded books without an internet connection.  

 

I also LOVE library book sales.   Maybe Google "(city name) library book sale."     For example, at the last sale they had cleared out the reference section in the children's area.   Every book was $1.  

 

I need to look more into a cheap e-reader. I have a used Kindle Keyboard that I use some. DD hasn't done well with textbooks or academic books on kindle though - she really does best with tactile paper books to work from. 

[luuknam]

I don't know how to download things on dd's tablet, to be honest {and I don't think she has space anyway - it's a very old tablet}.

 

Books take up very little space, if they're plain text. Try it before you buy something new.

[Lawyer&Mom]

$250 a year is a whole different ball game. In that case I would invest in a math curriculum. It isn't your strongest area and it is so important as a foundational skill. Which curriculum to order is a different question, but you can get the AOPS text book and absurdly comprehensive solutions manual for around $50. CLE textbooks and teachers manuals are about the same. I think spending a fifth of your budget on math is totally worth it. If you have a college nearby I would still take a look at Lials in their bookstore. It is aimed at adults and has a lot of worked examples. Because it is so cheap used it still might be a good option to at least look at.

[Lawyer&Mom]

If you can't make lab science work, than maybe you just don't do lab science. In my state, back in the day, lack of lab science would prevent you from being admitted to the state flagship college. But community college would still have been an option. I don't know what your goals are, but maybe you don't need labs to get where you need to go.

[frugalmamatx]

If you can't make lab science work, than maybe you just don't do lab science. In my state, back in the day, lack of lab science would prevent you from being admitted to the state flagship college. But community college would still have been an option. I don't know what your goals are, but maybe you don't need labs to get where you need to go.

 

DD wants the lab science - it's just the cost that is my issue. Maybe I can make something work. Science is the most worrysome subject for me - dd could easily go into a high school level science class if I taught her how to do a lab report first. 

 

 

Right now the end goal is undefined. My goal is to her her up to community college level by 16 {11th grade since she is a year advanced}, then she'll do dual enrollment and count it for both high school and college level on the basics. Dual credit here waives the tuition & fees, so all I'll be responsible for is books. In order for her to dual enroll, she needs to either take the TSI exam and pass, the ACT exam & score a 23 or higher, or the SAT exam & score at least a 480 in the English portion and 530 in Math. 

[Mergath]

 

See my previous replies. Fines + travel time + bus fare made it cheaper to just buy used from penny books or at thrift shops. 

 

 

I can, but it takes about 2 weeks {at least} for them to come in. 

 

Have you tried talking to your main library branch about your limited access? It may very well be different where you live, but around here the library would go out of their way to get you the books. There is a fleet of library volunteers (I'm one of them where I live!) who would be happy to pick up your book order each week and return your previous week's books. That's the kind of thing we live for- getting resources to people. We have a Bookmobile too so it isn't as much of an issue, but if someone lived outside the Bookmobile's range, I'd love to help them out.

 

I lived in poverty for a couple years when dd was younger (under 10k a year including food stamps and cash assistance) so I've been there, and I know how isolated you can feel. It feels like everyone in the world is out to get you, and it also feels like the ones who are willing to help pity you and look down on you. It sucks. But don't let that stop you from investigating every possible avenue, especially for something as important as your child's education. If the library doesn't have a way to get your materials, talk to them about starting a program. You are just as valuable as every other library patron, and they exist to get you books.

 

Sorry, access to books is one of my soapbox topics, lol.

[Sahamamama2]

Very interested in the responses to this, as to be honest this is where I am right now while planning for my dd's coming middle & high school years. Someone else mentioned on the minimalist thread they would be interested in a Poverty level schooling thread so here goes. 

 

Rules {feel free to tweak slightly - these are my personal set of rules}:

 

~No public Library usage {other than perhaps a rare visit to use resources without checking out}

~Limited electronics usage {main items cannot require internet / electronics}

~Everything possible available on Amazon.com {new or used doesn't matter}

~Non-Amazon books need to be easily found at homeschool book sales for less than $10-$15, and preferably less than $5

~No co-op / online etc classes {unless free}

~Items used need to be non-teacher intensive 

~Total budget of less than $250, and preferably under $100

 

Obviously this is easier in the early grades - but please try to list out what you would do / use for middle & high school levels. 

 

IMO, under these parameters, for the high school level, it can't be done. If you could at least have daily access to a public library OR daily internet access OR a higher budget, then it might be possible to homeschool high school frugally. But without any of these components, plus no co-op or online classes, plus items needed to be non-teacher intensive... I just don't see it. In that situation, I would seriously consider enrolling my child in public school. At least there, depending on the school, she would most likely have access to books, teachers, and the internet.

[Ms.Ivy]

IMO, under these parameters, for the high school level, it can't be done. If you could at least have daily access to a public library OR daily internet access OR a higher budget, then it might be possible to homeschool high school frugally. But without any of these components, plus no co-op or online classes, plus items needed to be non-teacher intensive... I just don't see it. In that situation, I would seriously consider enrolling my child in public school. At least there, depending on the school, she would most likely have access to books, teachers, and the internet.

Before the internet it used to be done all the time. I was homeschooled that way in the 80s and mid-90s, and I have a lot of friends who were homeschooled that way. Some missionary families I know homeschooled that way overseas, too. Most of them now own their own highly successful businesses, some are teachers, and two are professors.

[Sahamamama2]

For me, it's because I can't count on being able to use the library consistently. The small branch nearby in a public high school is not well stocked AND full of in school suspension kids for most of the day.

 

I know you said you're tired, so please don't take this as one more thing to do, but... is there anyone you could complain to about the public library branch being used for ISS? I mean, like, seriously? :cursing: Is that really what they do? Is that the only place the school has for those students? IN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY? The library ought to be used for tax-paying citizens who want to read and learn, not as a warehouse for ISS kids, and I would complain and complain and complain about it to the powers-that-be until something changed.

 

:rant:

[luuknam]

I know you said you're tired, so please don't take this as one more thing to do, but... is there anyone you could complain to about the public library branch being used for ISS? I mean, like, seriously? :cursing: Is that really what they do? Is that the only place the school has for those students? IN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY? The library ought to be used for tax-paying citizens who want to read and learn, not as a warehouse for ISS kids, and I would complain and complain and complain about it to the powers-that-be until something changed.

 

It's a mixed school/public library, located at the school, if I understood correctly. So, complaining probably won't do a whole lot of good. That said, I'd just ignore the ISS kids, and complain about any that misbehave.

 

OP what's the plan on paying for books for college DE? Is the plan that she'll be old enough to work at that point? Or...?

Edited December 30, 2016 by luuknam

[bwdiaz]

OP what's the plan on paying for books for college DE? Is the plan that she'll be old enough to work at that point? Or...?

She said a few posts back that dual enrollment waives tuition and fees so she would just have to buy books and supplies.

[Sahamamama2]

Before the internet it used to be done all the time. I was homeschooled that way in the 80s and mid-90s, and I have a lot of friends who were homeschooled that way. Some missionary families I know homeschooled that way overseas, too. Most of them now own their own highly successful businesses, some are teachers, and two are professors.

 

That's nice, that people did that in the 80s, but how would that be possible to do now (2016--2017), for $100 to $250 per year per student? Are we talking about "covering the basics," or completing a standard college prep high school track -- four years of upper level Math, four years of Science (at least some with labs), four years of History/Government, four years of English Composition & Literature, four years of a World Language? That would be $20 to $50 per course per year? Assuming the parent isn't an expert in all these things, there has to be a "teacher" somewhere in there, either in the form of a text, a tutor, a DVD, an online resource, or something. The content won't materialize out of thin air. Eliminating the library and the internet as possibilities means a person has to purchase books, I suppose? How, within that budget framework?

 

I must be looking that the wrong materials, because everything seems so much more expensive than that to me!

[lisabees]

Here in PA, local schools districts are required to lend you school texts that you request.  It's a wonderful choice to have.  Even if it is not the state law, I guarantee that you could find a principal or two willing to give you old editions of texts that are no longer used.

[Sahamamama2]

The OP asked us to...

 

please try to list out what you would do/use for middle & high school levels 

 

... and under the specific parameters listed (none of which originally stated "school is not an option"), what I would possibly do is consider public school, at least temporarily, especially if I was already burned out, stressed, passionless about academics, and limited on time, money, energy, and teaching strength.

 

When a parent says to me, "School is not an option," I don't ask why or push past that. I just move on and assume they know best. [snip] If someone doesn't have straw, I just don't automatically send them off to PS. [snip] In general, I consider it a boundary cross to offer unasked for advice about the choice to homeschool, and what people do in their bedroom behind closed doors. I just don't do it.

 

When a parent asks me, "What would you do in this situation, given these parameters?" then my honest answer is my honest answer.

[Ms.Ivy]

That's nice, that people did that in the 80s, but how would that be possible to do now (2016--2017), for $100 to $250 per year per student? Are we talking about "covering the basics," or completing a standard college prep high school track -- four years of upper level Math, four years of Science (at least some with labs), four years of History/Government, four years of English Composition & Literature, four years of a World Language? That would be $20 to $50 per course per year? Assuming the parent isn't an expert in all these things, there has to be a "teacher" somewhere in there, either in the form of a text, a tutor, a DVD, an online resource, or something. The content won't materialize out of thin air. Eliminating the library and the internet as possibilities means a person has to purchase books, I suppose? How, within that budget framework?

 

I must be looking that the wrong materials, because everything seems so much more expensive than that to me!

Plenty of colleges don't require half of what you listed as college prep, especially not community colleges. Here in California, at least, you can start at a community college without a "real" high school credit to your name, and still get a guaranteed transfer to a UC, which is not small potatoes.

 

I believe learning to self-teach from textbooks is one of the reasons the vast majority of poor working homeschooled kids in the 80s became strong, independent, creative adults.

 

Next time you go to a thrift store, check out the book section. You might be surprised how many school-related books you can find.

 

Curriculum swaps are still pretty common in my area (among families who don't use charters).

 

I remember my younger brothers doing science with a microscope that went around from family to family. My brother brought it home in a backpack on his bike one day. I think he biked a few miles to get it. He never did a foreign language or formal science lab, or even two years of math in high school. He is a mechanical engineer. Seems to have worked out okay for him. Poverty schooling with bare bones resources, no parent teaching, no internet, and no lab or foreign languages worked fine for my brother in law, too, who is in law school and is an Army captain.

 

One of the professors I know who was full-on poverty-homeschooled never had a science lab. He knew Latin though. And you can self-teach Latin pretty easily from a 50-year old book that cost 50 cents because nobody cares if you have bad pronunciation.

[Schadenfreude]

Plenty of colleges don't require half of what you listed as college prep, especially not community colleges. Here in California, at least, you can start at a community college without a "real" high school credit to your name, and still get a guaranteed transfer to a UC, which is not small potatoes.

 

I believe learning to self-teach from textbooks is one of the reasons the vast majority of poor working homeschooled kids in the 80s became strong, independent, creative adults.

 

Next time you go to a thrift store, check out the book section. You might be surprised how many school-related books you can find.

 

Curriculum swaps are still pretty common in my area (among families who don't use charters).

 

I remember my younger brothers doing science with a microscope that went around from family to family. My brother brought it home in a backpack on his bike one day. I think he biked a few miles to get it. He never did a foreign language or formal science lab, or even two years of math in high school. He is a mechanical engineer. Seems to have worked out okay for him. Poverty schooling with bare bones resources, no parent teaching, no internet, and no lab or foreign languages worked fine for my brother in law, too, who is in law school and is an Army captain.

 

One of the professors I know who was full-on poverty-homeschooled never had a science lab. He knew Latin though. And you can self-teach Latin pretty easily from a 50-year old book that cost 50 cents because nobody cares if you have bad pronunciation.

Many community colleges do not require these things but all universities do. Every example you named are already through school and completed college when a lot less people were choosing that route. College entrance was not near as competitive then as it is now. Poverty homeschool can be done well but if you can't find the resources for all of these classes then community college will be the only college option to start and that does not have to be a bad thing.

[Sahamamama2]

I need things where dd can read the lesson, ask me questions of things she is stuck on, and during that I can be doing laundry or dishes or working online. 

 

This is what I would do in your shoes:

 

Grammar, Vocabulary, Spelling, & Composition 

Christian Light Education Language Arts

• Student Set = $34.50 for the full set (but we're doing 1/2 a level per year, and it's enough), so $17.25 for Light Units 501-505 (or whatever level she'd need)
• Answer Key for 501-505 = $3.45
• Teacher's Guide (completely unnecessary)

CLE LA is strong on grammar, but a bit light on composition (not much to it, actually); however, this should not be a problem, as you could assign your student to write short, one- or two-page weekly papers on her independent readings in Science, History, and Literature.

 

Math

Christian Light Education Math

• Student Set = $31.05 (you don't need the first book [LightUnit] for Math, as it's all review) 
• Answer Keys = $6.90 
• Elementary Math Reference Chart = $3.00 (or make your own)
• Intermediate Math Reference Chart = $3.00 (or make  your own)

For CLE Math and LA, if you are able to print out the placement tests and have your student take them, this really helps with proper placement. If you have any questions, the company's phone number is 1-800-776-0478. I don't think the "Christian content" is really all that much, at least it isn't that noticeable to us. You do get some math word problems about Central American missionaries passing out Bibles and toothbrushes, LOL, but that's about it.  :D

 

TOTAL COST = $58.65, plus whatever they charge for shipping.

 

Science, History, Literature

• Read through the non-fiction History, Science, and Literature sections at the library, as you are able. I wouldn't pay attention to having specific books at specific times (since that is a pain in the neck), but rather working through sections of books -- for example, focus on Zoology (read as many books on animals as possible in X number of months), then move on to Botany, and so on. Use the glossaries of science books to make vocabulary cards (on index cards); review periodically. For History, make a portable timeline with file folders (or index cards) and a black marker; fill in dates and names as you read over the years. Review the timeline regularly. For Literature, find books that you like (used book store, online, library book sale, thrift store), read and discuss them. Commit poems and scriptures to memory.
• Incorporate as much as possible of the following: documentaries, songs, folktales, stories, places of worship, historical places and parks where you live, kitchen science, conversations, observing people, family budget, practical skills, self-care, self-defense, travel skills, exercise, cultural events, traditions & celebrations.

HTH. I sincerely hope your path smooths out soon.

[Ms.Ivy]

Frugalmamatx, have you looked at Evan Moor workbooks?  If I had to do middle school on roughly $100, I would think I could get a science encyclopedia, some literature, and a history book of some sort at the thrift store, as those are the most common school items I see there.  I would spend most of my money on Evan Moor Daily Science, Daily Language Review, and Daily Geography.  And then I would probably get Mastering Essential Math Skills book 2, or a used copy of some other middle school math textbook.  I'd probably require a written essay once a week about something she learned in her literature or history book, and that's about it.  

[happypamama]

I think you'd have to have either the library or the internet, and you'd definitely need teacher-intensive, to homeschool the dialectic and rhetoric stages for cheap to free.

 

Educating children requires some combination of money, talent, time, and resources. You can't take away

 

1. money (poverty!)

 

2. resources (no internet! no library!)

 

3. talent (non-teacher intensive!)

 

4. time (non-teacher intensive!)

 

and get good results.

I totally agree with this. A quality education with none of those resources would be so hard.

 

I have good reliable fast internet, which makes up for the library not being next door, so I can use DuoLingo and Khan Academy. I have good library systems so I can borrow Great Courses and lots of books to save my cash.

 

But I pay one way or the other, with time or money. Sometimes one is at a greater premium than the other, and sometimes we have to add in my own interest and inclination. I had zero problem spending $50 for the science textbook and teacher manuals because they make it easy for me to teach a subject that isn't my favorite.

[Sahamamama2]

Another thought I had was that you could ask at the school library if there is a time of day when the ISS students are less likely to be there (perhaps in the mornings?) and do your library trips then. HTH.

 

But of course, I would still make noise about the PUBLIC LIBRARY being the place where ISS happens. :glare:

[luuknam]

She said a few posts back that dual enrollment waives tuition and fees so she would just have to buy books and supplies.

 

Which is why my question was about how she was planning to pay for the books. When I was in college less than a decade ago, books cost about $500 per semester, i.e. over a grand per year, and that was buying used books when possible (not always possible, if the book assigned was printed just before the semester starts). Old editions have the same info, generally, but the page numbers are all wrong, the problem numbers are wrong and/or the problems are slightly different, etc.

[sewingmama]

I agree with Tibbie...

 

If I was so poor I couldnt afford any resources except 10c out of date books from Goodwill I would put my kids in school.

 

There comes a time when you have to stop being dog headed about homeschooling if you can't provide a better education then a school can... I went to a school in a poverty stricken neighbourhood as a kid...it was a no frills school..the same with high school an average school in a bad area. I still got a decent enough education to get into law school.

[shawthorne44]

Many community colleges do not require these things but all universities do. Every example you named are already through school and completed college when a lot less people were choosing that route. College entrance was not near as competitive then as it is now. Poverty homeschool can be done well but if you can't find the resources for all of these classes then community college will be the only college option to start and that does not have to be a bad thing.

 

Well, she has said the goal is to get her child ready for dual enrolled community college at age 16.   So, she doesn't have to cover all the college-prep requirements.  Lab-Science , for example, can wait until then.  

[SarahW]

OP, threads here can be quite free-wheeling, can't they? We all have our issues, sorry.

 

I understand the desire for physical books. But I think the posts here are bringing up a few issues that's you'd need to decide how they fit with your own situation.

 

Independent learning from books at the higher grades used to be the norm, yes. It worked well for some kids. I'm one it crashed and burned on, especially for math. So the question is, can your child even learn independently? Can she learn all subjects independently, or would she need guidance with a few. And no, saying "come to me if you have any questions" isn't guidance. I mean, it makes sense, but kids are weird. Also, in the upper grades is where dialectical learning really takes off, and many teens appreciate that way of learning. You miss all of that with independent self-study.

 

There definitely a lot you can do with some good subject encyclopedias and second-hand lit books from the thrift store. The practice of outlining from an encyclopedia is a good one. You'd have to teach it at first, but then she could do it on her own and you could spot check. There's websites which have "questions to ask about any book" lists. With an on-level lit book from the thrift store and a grade appropriate list, you can have her write up really good book reports. Spend a few moments talking about her book, the report, and any writing issues you can see, and you're getting pretty good. The key here, though, is to do it a lot. Make up for not having the luxury of expert targeted questions and writing advice by doing more, more, more. More content, more variety, more pages. Deep learning is great and all, but there's something to be said for breadth learning as well.

 

This is all assuming your student doesn't have any learning disabilities. That's another ball of wax.

 

Of course, scour your community for any and all free or cheap enrichment. Free zoo days. Free museum talks. Free backstage tours of the local playhouse. There's transport cost of course, but there's so much value to just getting out and exploring the things others take largely for granted. You probably already know that, but just mentioning it.

 

Also, I would caution you not to be penny-wise but pound-foolish. DE looks like a great deal, but it can cost more in the long term. If you stay low income, and your student gets high SAT or ACT scores and applies to University as a freshman, she could get an absolute free ride at super-pricey schools. DE can be great as a stop-gap for the last few years of hs, but only if she doesn't over-extend or over-reach and garners a high GPA. This eventual full need scholarship will cost less (long term) than just shunting a bright student into CC. I would think about test-prep more than I would think about counting on the CC. 

 

As for particulars - for Spanish I would get everything I can find at the thrift shops and just try them all out. I'm such sticky fingers at thrift stores. Even if I don't think it's perfect at that moment, the luxury of just turning around and grabbing a resource off the shelf is great. For language learning multiple resources are great. Do you have a park nearby where Spanish speakers congregate with their kids? Go hang out there. Take an old phrase book and ask a friendly looking person "excuse me, but how do you say...???" Then practice it. Learn their different dialects and she'll be awesome. Grab a simple Spanish book and an old bilingual dictionary and make translations. They'll be bad translations at first, but this is where doing more more more comes in. Do more, and more will come.

 

What is she interested in studying or doing? Nurture it with everything you've got. Build a solid base, sure, but really nurture that passion. That will carry a lot of other things along with it.

 

Curriculum resale events are awesome. Most of the pricey things in my signature I got for a few dollars at things like that. Some are run by closed groups I wouldn't join, but they usually let anyone come to the curriculum sales. But it makes it hard to find out when they're holding these things if you aren't in the loop, kwim? They're usually in the spring, so I would start trying to hunt them down now. Send an email "are you having another used curriculum sale this year? can you tell me when it is?" You'd think they'd be advertised better... but sometimes no.

 

But in the end, you've got the student you've got. If she's passionate, if she can sit and read and study for a good amount of time each day, if she's active in going out and using the resources she has available to her, it can work well. If she falls into the habit of doing nothing, and you can't make her get anything done, it's time to cut the moorings and find a different schooling method.

[Sahamamama2]

Frugalmamatx, I don't know what city in TX you live near, or I could do more searching for specific helps. BUT, if you get a chance to search under your city name for "volunteer match," you might find something like this:

 

http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/org303754.jsp

 

This is for San Antonio. I have no idea if something like this could be of service to you, but it might not hurt to ask? I used to be in Literacy Volunteers, and we did more than "just" teach people how to read (or read better). We also did ESL, adult ongoing education, tutoring out-of-school teens, tutoring those in Daylight/Twilight programs, career/financial counseling, and more. It's worth a shot, I guess?

 

If you could find an alternate space for studying and finding books, that might be worth investigating? A literacy organization might know of a better location for you. They might also have ideas about how you can advocate for better use of the spaces you do have (e.g., no ISS in the school library, longer borrowing times at the main branch [educator level], etc.). At the school library, I would stand there and WATCH them check the books in, to make sure they are returning the books in the right manner. Then, check out a new batch and go home to study.

 

I wonder if there are any colleges near you, within easy traveling distance, and if you could inquire about a regular study space there? Or perhaps there is a college that has a tutoring program for middle and high schoolers? They might admit your daughter and help her with her studies. If there is a college with an Education Department, I would start with that, because you might find that they have students wanting to gain experience with tutoring.

 

You mentioned that you are online for work... so... I was wondering why, if you have access for your work, you would eliminate (or restrict) that access for your daughter's education? [And Hunter is right, you do not "owe" us an explanation. It is just a question, to either answer or ignore.] Is it a matter of a second computer? If so, maybe a Computer Department at a college or high school would have something that they are eliminating, that they could pass on to you? At times, Goodwill has used (donated) computers and laptops that they refurbish and put out for less than retail. This link is old, but it might give you some ideas:

 

http://www.mysanantonio.com/community/southside/news/article/Goodwill-program-recycles-old-computers-printers-3506084.php

 

Or you could put the biggest part of your annual school budget into getting her set up with her own computer. Just a thought, plus trying to eliminate the hassle of going here and there for resources. There is so much online, and so much of it is free -- so consider changing that parameter, if at all possible. You two could work side-by-side at home. :001_wub:  :001_wub: Or set up a computer-sharing schedule, and share the same one?

 

Honestly, instead of trying to figure out how to buy books frugally, I would try to (1) improve my library experience and access, and (2) get set up with internet access for my student. In the long run, that might save you more than searching for inexpensive books, with answer keys, that can be done independently, for every subject, at every level. HTH.

[Hunter]

There is one particular aspect of how I am choosing to deal with my poverty that is incomprehensible to I think maybe everyone that is watching me. I came very very close to bowing to the group pressure to do what is probably most logical. But at the last minute Aranya noticed that I really really really did not WANT to do this thing. She asked me why I was doing something I didn't want to do. She embolded me to not do this thing, with that question.

 

I wonder if she got PMs asking her what the everliving muck she was thinking to do that. :lol:

 

I'm still not doing that thing. :lol: Because I don't want to. And I decided that is good enough. Sometimes, I don't want to do something because my gut is smarter than I can express in English. I really shouldn't do that thing despite my inability to make it SOUND logical. Other times, I'm being a wacko. It's my life. I get to do it my way.

 

I was taught in PTSD recovery:

 

1. I can do what I want.

2. I don't have to explain myself.

3. I can change my mind anytime I want.

 

Sure when we are an authority figure over a vulnerable person, we have to tame our wacko, if it harms the vulnerable person. But within limits, we still get to do what we want just because we want to. And not have to defend it. And change our mind and not be so wacko if we decide that we ARE being a wacko, and no longer want to be one. But we get to wait and do it in our own sweet time, on our own schedule.

[Hunter]

Another resource that hasn't been discussed yet is PEOPLE, and you don't have to belong to a homeschool co-op to benefit from them! If you have a retired chemistry teacher, a new immigrant who speaks another language, a carpenter, farmer, history buff, (and on, and on, and on) in your social circle or among your neighbors, some might be very happy to be a part of your kids' education, either because they're friends and don't mind giving their time, or because they can get something out of it as well. This is especially true for teens, who can, for instance, help retired neighbors with chores and errands in return for some lessons.

THIS! My older son learned from PEOPLE, not books. When he used to know things at the community college that only he and the teacher knew, and none of the other students, the teachers would ask him where he had leaned that thing. Almost every time he had learned the information in family morning worship from me, his wacko mom, or out on the docks from his coworkers that were mostly foreign seasonal workers and high-functioning drug addicts.

Edited December 30, 2016 by Hunter

[Lawyer&Mom]

I've been thinking about this, and I think what you are trying to do is totally achievable. Lots and lots of people are doing low cost, no library, no internet, not teacher intensive school. One example is missionaries. A lot use workbook based boxed curriculums, like CLE. The entire 6th grade CLE curriculum, including teachers guides but omitting Bible, is $267.30, before tax and shipping. I don't think you would need the whole curriculum, and they let you order only what you need, so you could shave the price down further. But the point is your budget isn't crazy. People do this, you can do this too.

[shinyhappypeople]

I haven't read all the replies yet, but it's totally doable.  Not easy, but doable.

 

CK-12 has middle/high school math and science textbooks for free.  You can download them and read them on your computer, so if your internet goes down, you're covered.  That's just one option.

 

Saxon Math (especially the older editions) is one of my current favorite things and can be found super cheap either on amazon or at homeschool sales.

 

Use thrift stores for finding stuff to read.

 

I really like K-12's Human Odyssey textbook for history.  Even my older daughter liked it, and she's fairly unenthusiastic about academics.

 

If she's passionate about science, it might be just as useful to find a way for her to DO science.  What's she super passionate about?  Is there a club nearby that would allow her to participate (astronomy club, animal rescue group, etc.) Finding a mentor would be an enormous gift that money can't buy.

[CadenceSophia]

Foreign language in high school does NOT have to be expensive or teacher intensive if you use decent resources. The #1 resource would be Assimil. You can get it used (or sometimes new) on Amazon for 40-60$ (be sure what your find comes with CD's, although the publisher sells mp3's separately) depending on language and it can take a student from no understanding to roughly B1 on the CEFR scale if you're familiar with that.. If you are not familiar, it is a basic conversational level that may be better than most American high schoolers achieve in 4 years of classes. After finishing the book, students should be able to read and listen to native media to keep improving their language.

[PollyOR]

Coming from my own experience as someone who attended community college, here's my advice.  Make sure she can write.  Practically every class I took involved numerous papers.  

 

I was a poor student in high school (C and below).  After working menial jobs, I appreciated school/community college so much more.  I loved learning, but the papers were a definite stumbling block.  Every class I took would have been so much easier if I had felt more confident with writing.

[elegantlion]

I homeschooled middle -high school while broke. I don't think poverty was the right word, but we seldom had any margin for books. I've done various things over the years, mostly scoped book titles here and made regular trips to the thrift store. Other things I have done: 

• have help from family or friends
• spent about $100-$300 per year at the high school level. I was able to do that because I had books from thrifts stores that I had had for a few years
• spent a lot of time putting things together
• focused on solutions manuals and answer keys first when it was something like math or science
• ds wanted to learn a language that didn't have numerous free or inexpensive resources. I spent more on foreign language than any other subject. 
• used WTM as a source
• focused on learning skills, not covering subjects

I actually graduated ds a year early because we would get need-based aid for college, and DE was not free. He attends a local college and math instruction was the big reason, as he wants to go into a math heavy field. It was a good decision for us. 

 

I also spent a lot of time studying ahead of ds when he was in elementary and middle school. In many cases, the books I had bought for him later on, I had already went through by the time we got there. Some of the books worked, some drove me crazy for one reason or another. 

 

One habit I fell into early on was trying to have multiple sources for one subject (cheap from thrift store). It took me a few rounds to realize you only need ONE good source for each subject per year. I think that is part of the broke mentality, at least it was for me, thinking that having more choices makes it better. That is also why I think it's important to go through the resource for yourself a bit, skim, do a few lessons etc, to ensure it will work for your situation. 

 

 

 

[Reefgazer]

OP, does your town or city have free or low-cost passes bus passes for low income people? That would allow you unlimited library access without worrying about the cost of transportation to and from.

[Liza Q]

• focused on learning skills, not covering subjects

 

This is huge. Reading, writing, math skills. Learning how to learn. Study skills. Note-taking. 

 

OP, you mentioned you are weak in math and science. Perhaps you could do math along with your daughter, staying a few lessons ahead of her. I think you would get a big payoff on the time you invest here. Math is the foundation of so much science. Do the same with English (grammar etc.). You are strong enough in the humanities, iirc. If you had 3 hours a day, you could do math and English and read history/science/literature. While you are learning, she is learning. That's a morning every day, Unless you are working (I don't think you mentioned that?) you should have a few hours a day. Not 2 hours per subject - just a few hours for everything.

 

So 6th grade could look like this:

 

History and literature and writing - choose an era. American History is easiest for inexpensive/easy-to-locate resources, I think. You don't need teachers manuals and tests for these subjects. Read, discuss, write. Read TWTM to learn how to do this. You don't need to spend much at all.

 

Science - you mentioned that you have used Apologia in the past. Read through Astronomy or Botany or whatever. Or a general text from almost any other publisher, Download videos from Youtube. Have her do a research project - can you hit the library every 3rd week or so? Don't worry about labs yet. Your situation may be very different by the time she is in high school. And if she is strong in math and writing and studying and just plain thinking by the time she is 17 or so, she will quickly learn to do great labs and reports.

 

Math - learn along with her. CLE and Saxon and many others can be inexpensive. If she can learn it at 11, you can learn it as an adult. One year at a time - you don't have to know Algebra to master percents and decimals.

 

English - get a few used texts and work through them before or with her. Download Youtube videos.

 

I think it is possible for you to do a great job inexpensively if you can give it a few hours a day.

[BusyMom5]

I have had limited internet access until just the last month, so there have been no internet-based things for us to use b/c of where we live.  Having internet access makes things SOOOO much easier.  If I had to choose, I would spend money to have access to the internet and a tablet, even if it makes your books budget less.  I can see doing most of school via internet if necessary, so many free resources!  We are still not unlimited, but our limit is at least reasonable enough for me to allow things like Mystery Science, Bill Nye videos, ect.  I plan to start one on DuoLIngo this week!

 

I know you said the ilbrary wasn't an option, but it wouldn't hurt to call and see if there are other options you could use.  My library has a state-wide e-library, you can download books onto a Kindle or tablet using the same library card!  No late fees, it just dissappears when the loan is up.  This is free (if you have the internet access needed to download it to your tablet).  I have been scouting my library, and fould the Lials algebra book people always talk about on this site, along with other algebra books in the adult section.  THey also have elementary math texts.  CHeckout is 3 weeks with one 3 week renewal, so I could check it out for 6 weeks at a time, return for a week, then 6 more weeks.  We can do on-line renewals, so you could just do one trip to the library every 4-6 weeks.  A few months back a college professor was getting rid of old texts, so I got several history texts to use for High School *free* from my library, they were holding them for the homeschoolers they thought would use them. 

 

I have been semi-successful finding PDFs of some Saxon textbooks on-line.  I have also found them very cheap used (so cheap we just write in the textbooks). 

​One thing no one mentioned is just asking to borrow from others you know who are homeschooling.  I happily loan my stuff out to local people wanting to use them.  One local co-op also has a huge lending library, where you can check out textbooks for the entire year.  I am not sure if your local area has anything like this, but we are in a poor rural area, and this is a great resource for homeschooling on a strict budget.  They may not have exactly what you want, but for the price, they have something that will work.  Maybe ask around to see if there is something similar near you?  I am always amazed at the resources I find talking to other homeschoolers. 

 

I think if you could get either the internet or the library, then it would be much easier.  I would focus efforts on picking the one that would give you the most options, and then make that your main focus for spending.  

[ErinD]

Just a thought: When we first moved to our current home, we had no internet available in our home for almost 2 years and the nearest library was 30 mins away. I bought Intellego's science and history courses on currclick.com (about $15 each), and once a week we hit the library and used a free YouTube downloader to download and save all the videos for the upcoming week. They incorporate writing assignments, so you could knock off 2 subjects in one. They're made to fit all learning styles.

 

Also, for inexpensive science labs you might consider talking to a butcher or abbatoir about obtaining hearts, lungs etc for dissection. Ours were amazing once we explained what we wanted them for and they charged us only pennies apiece. The labs we did that year were incredibly interesting and remains one of our favorites.

HTH

[Momto4inSoCal]

The time issue can be solved by using any extra time in the summer to plan. This can be 10pm in bed with books and a piece of paper. I've pulled together curriculum and made it open and go. Having a few used text just create lesson plans for them with checklist for your student. Workbooks tend to need the least amount of teacher prep. For younger students the hanging file system where you fill 36 files with packets of work for the week help create a grab and go system. You still need time to prep but prep work time is much more flexible that school time. 15 min here amd there can add up.

[TranquilMind]

Very interested in the responses to this, as to be honest this is where I am right now while planning for my dd's coming middle & high school years. Someone else mentioned on the minimalist thread they would be interested in a Poverty level schooling thread so here goes. 

 

Rules {feel free to tweak slightly - these are my personal set of rules}:

 

~No public Library usage {other than perhaps a rare visit to use resources without checking out}

~Limited electronics usage {main items cannot require internet / electronics}

~Everything possible available on Amazon.com {new or used doesn't matter}

~Non-Amazon books need to be easily found at homeschool book sales for less than $10-$15, and preferably less than $5

~No co-op / online etc classes {unless free}

~Items used need to be non-teacher intensive 

~Total budget of less than $250, and preferably under $100

 

Obviously this is easier in the early grades - but please try to list out what you would do / use for middle & high school levels. 

If you need anything in particular, let me know in the next couple of months.  I need to clear out millions of books (only a little exaggeration!).