"Whoaa this could cost a fortune!"

So, I've been thinking a lot about curriculum for next year with a 3rd grader and a kinder.  I could easily be a curriculum junkie but I hold back.  My bank account simply cannot stand for it.  So instead, I content myself with being a virtual curriculum junkie, reading for hours and obsessing about what might be THE BEST for my family.

I put together lists of all the curriculum I would love to have and would just make homeschooling easy and fun and SUCCESSFUL!  Then I add it up and say "Whoaa, this is gonna cost a fortune!"    

Homeschooling is already a major drain on my family financially as it is on many I'm sure.  Lost income from not working full time adds up. I think it is worth it but still don't want to add insult to injury by spending thousands of dollars on curriculum and related supplements.  For 2nd grade, I spent about $400.00 including a download of Math Mammoth 1st-6th, art supplies, a skeleton kit, and a magnet kit.  Most of what I bought can be reused with Lu when she is in 2nd grade or earlier in the case of BFSU.    All in all, I think I did well at keeping costs down and still getting some great stuff.  Only a few workbooks were consumable but those were under $10 each.

Then, I look at my wishlist for next fall and I wonder if it is really necessary.  So I go back and start re-evaluating each item and cutting many out.  Cross-outs indicate things I think I've talked myself out of, parentheses indicate things I'd really like but haven't decided on for sure.  Here is a summary so far:
For Bel 3rd grade

• Beast Academy $108 - already have Math Mammoth
• (Life of Fred Apples-Dogs $60.00)  non-consummable, maybe the ticket for Bel to actually like Math - of course, that's just the first four books- more money would have to be spent in future if she likes them
• (Michael Clay Thompson Grammar Series $150) or (FLL level 3 $48.00 plus something for spelling/vocab)
• WWE 3 $35.00
• BFSU book 2  $25
• Science lab equipment for BFSU: triple beam balance, microscope, slides, rock/mineral kits, other  $300+ 
• Story of the World 2 Middle Ages with Activity Guide $35.00
• History Oddyssey Middle Ages required books $90
• Artistic Pursuits  book two with materials $100
• Piano Adventures Level One $20
• lots of library books - free

For Lu Kindy

• Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading or Phonics Pathways $20
• Magnetic letter tiles and board $30
• (Explode the Code books $30)
• Right Start Math $75
• All About Reading $130
• (Five in a Row $25)
• Handwriting book $12
• BFSU - already have
• tag along with Bel for History
• Extra Art Supplies $30
• Animal/Letter of the week - free

Even my pared down list adds up to major bucks!  I know there are plenty of homeschoolers out there who spend far less and many who spend far more.  I don't mind spending some but have really been re-evaluating my need for curriculum in general.  I wish I had the confidence to buy less stuff but I feel like I need the structure of curriculum to make sure the kids are on track.

Also, one of the biggest expenses is Science equipment.  I think most good science programs include this stuff at some point and it should last throughout our schooling years.  Science is a major priority so I can justify this expense plus some of it could come as gifts.  

How much do you spend?  Where do you prioritize?

2nd Grade Curriculum

It has been almost a year since I decided I would home-school Bel for her second grade year.  As she finished first grade in the public school, I read tons of books on homeschooling and decided it was time to take the plunge the following year.

I quickly became obsessed with homeschool philosophy and curriculum and eventually decided on loosely following The Well Trained Mind.   I read books and blogs and forums and The Rainbow Resource Catalog over and over and came to some decisions on curriculum.  I have to say, I feel lucky.  I didn't spend a lot of money and I feel like I got a really quality curriculum for 2nd grade.  Here is what we started the year with:

Bel 2nd grade

Story of the World Volume I Ancient Times - One of my favorite things about TWTM model is the study of history chronologically three times, once for each stage (grammar, logic, rhetoric)  Almost as soon as school was out, we began The Story of the World.  We read a chapter, read related living books, and Bel made a notebook page.  She loved it.  I loved it.  We still do.  History is just so interesting.   It was a great way to start our homeschooling journey together.

After our Summer ended, we got started with school in earnest and added subjects:

First Language Lessons Level 2 - While this curriculum is not exciting, it is easy, straight forward, and painless.  Bel doesn't mind it.  It usually only takes 5-10 minutes per lesson and I think she is learning a lot of grammar and memorizing poetry to boot.  I am unsure if I'll continue with this curriculum for next year but will almost certainly use it again with Lu, both level 1 and 2.

Math Mammoth 2A  

I may have obsessed about math more than any other subject.  Bel shows a gift in math and I was very concerned about meeting her needs while also getting a curriculum that was easy to implement and kept pace with state standards.  I almost got Singapore but settled on Math Mammoth because it was cheaper, appeared to be great for independent learning, and was in line with state standards.  I almost gave it up toward the end of our first book but ended up purchasing a discounted bundle of the entire 1st-6th curriculum from Homeschool Buyer's Co-op.   We'll be sticking with it for the foreseeable future but I will write more in other posts about our ongoing struggle with Math.

Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (K-2)

This is a great science program.  It lives up to its name and I believe provides a really strong foundation in science for my kids future.  I am learning a lot of stuff that I kinda knew before but understand so much better now.  The book is not incredibly user friendly as it is written to the teacher not the student and requires significant teacher planning time.  This is the most common concern found online about this program.  Honestly, it's not that bad. For each lesson I read the chapter in the book and make a few pages of notes outlining what I'll need to do and get the related books from the provided book list from the library   I usually just stick with the activities described in the book and the books from the book-list but occasionally do extra research online to find other books or ideas.  There are more and more blogs and pinterest boards related to BFSU to make your life easier.  Plus, there is a yahoo forum with lots of great resources, including chapter outlines and lesson ideas.    While this program is comprehensive, it is also super open ended.  There are four threads that cover four different fields of scientific study.  The threads are to be completed in order within each thread but there is some freedom to chose when to switch between threads in order to pursue a topic of interest.  Sample lesson sequences can also be found online.  I will share mine soon.  I am looking forward to continuing this book into 3rd grade to finish it up as well as starting it over with Lu for her kindergarten year and going a much slower pace.  Currently we do 2-4 lessons a month to get through the whole book in about a year and a half.  With Lu, I'll spread it out over 3 years and take more time with each lesson.   I look forward to the next book as well.

This is all we used until February when I decided Bel needed more structured time and more schoolwork.  I added in:

Writing With Ease level 2 workbook

I wish I had gotten this sooner.  It is similar in style to First Language Lessons and goes along with it but is also independent.  I will likely continue with this program next year regardless of whether or not I keep FLL.  The workbook has everything you need to give you child the writing instruction described in the Well Trained MInd for this level.  Each week has four days of work and follows a pattern.  Listening and narration on day one, copywork or dictation on day 2, dictation on day 3, narration and dictation on day 4.  Like FLL, it is easy and painless and I believe effective.

Artistic Pursuits Book One K-3

Bel loves art and it was one area I was worried about her missing by not being in public school.  I bought this curriculum in order to provide her good art instruction which I feel ill equipped to otherwise provide.  I am sad to say that I have only done a few lessons.  We have enjoyed them thourougly and Bel has created some lovely pieces of artwork but I just never seem to make the time for Art as I'd like.  I am hoping to catch up with these lessons over the summer and perhaps do a better job doing Art more regularly next year.

Piano Adventures Primer Level

I am lucky to own a piano and know how to play it myself.  I feel comfortable teaching Bel to play up to an intermediate level so i picked up the Piano adventures series from Faber and Faber.  I am quite pleased with the format and Bel likes the books and the music.  She often practices without being asked but like, Art, piano lessons often get left behind in the business of our weeks.  She is nearing the end of the primer level lesson book but it would be nice to be moving a little faster by having more consistent lesson and practice time.