Homeschooling on a strict budget?

[mommydama]

This was shared in the Orthodox classical homeschoolers yahoo group: http://oldfashionededucation.com/index.html

It looks like an excellent resource. Very organized and clear curriculum and even daily lesson plans. Almost all of it free and available online. Amazing. Not exactly classical, but it looks like a very literature based curriculum like Ambleside. The fact that a mom put this together and then shared it with the rest of us is so neat. The organization alone makes me really tempted to just use it next year. I'm already totally overwhelmed trying to figure out how to do kindergarten with Zoe and start Mari in the "meat" of a classical education next year. I got The Well Trained Mind from my mom for Christmas. I've only skimmed it before. And it is making me cringe at the enormity of picking and choosing my own curriculum and trying to budget for it. Ugh.

Comments

[moobabe.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting that! I bookmarked it to read later. :)

Have you seen books like Homeschooling on a Shoestring? I haven't done more than glance at it, but I'll bet there are some good resources.

I've been getting as many potential books as possible through the library, so I can read and decide. Though, sadly, we're kind of limited as far as homeschool books go.

I'd love to hear what you end up doing. :)

[marliah.livejournal.com]

sonlight is awesome, I cant recommend them highly enough. They do seem pricey up front but its well worth it. I spent WAY more last year using a different curriculum (which was half the price up front) because I kept needing to add things or buy manipulatives. Sonlights curriculum incluces everything you need (except the pencils and maybe a couple things you have around the house for science expiriments) the best thing about it is it can be used for a wide age range most are for 4 years, so you could actually teach 2 (maybe all three not sure of the age differences in you girls) with just one set of books. I am using Core K with John right now (which will be reused with Dex in the future and I will only need to rebuy the handwriting book ($6) and the math book ($30)) :) Also I think I am going to spread cores out over 2 years since the kids have so much therapy during the week that we ussually only get 2-3 full days worth of schoolwork done.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I will definitely check that out.

I don't know if you're interested, but this is what we've done so far for simultaneous 1st grade and K -

-"Comprehensive Curriculum" workbooks in K and 2nd gr, for math, phonics, reading, etc. These were $25 each at Barnes and Noble and came with the glowing reccomendation of an occupational therapist I spoke to about Aaron. The two of them can sit at the table with me together, doing their stuff. They are very fat workbooks with cut and paste activities here and there amidst more traditional stuff, split up by section.
-Reading aloud from "What Your First Grader Needs to Know", for art, history, literature, "culteral literacy" stuff, etc - I got a used book off of ebay for less than $2 and we LOVE it. I read to both of them from it, stopping often to ask questions and sometimes doing reccomended activities, usually on the couch.
-I got a teacher's guide to science journals for elementary students, and assigned each of them a 3 ring binder full of notebook and blank white paper. Ananda is to the middle of hers since we started last year, Aaron is further behind. It includes things like explaining the scientific method, figuring out how they best like to learn science, drawing themself as some time of scientist after discussing all the different kinds, making a list of similarities and differences between themself and another creature or person, and so on.

Those are sort of full time things, regular things - the workbooks are daily, and some days we supplement with the readings, some days the science, and some days both. But then we also...

-Made a times table and flash cards ourselves, and have been reciting them as well (Annie and I only, because she wanted to do it). She's up to 4s.
-Have a 1st grade math book that we use for review.
-Bought a bunch of those "Step Into Reading" books and everyday she reads me something.
-And then the recorder, for her and Aaron both. Though he is still at the 15 minutes once a week phase she was last year, while she is doing 30+ minutes 2 or more times a week now (largely due to her own enthusiasm).
-There is before bed reading of fiction or poetry
-Around twice a month Aaron and I use Handwriting Without Tears manipulatives, but mostly just for fun
-Lastly I suppose, we do go to Mass most Sundays, pray at dinner and before bed each night, and I read to them from the bible instead of whatever else on Sundays and around "Religious holidays".

I find that at this age, I can still do most of the "sit down at the table and concetrate" stuff during the hour to hour and a half of napping that the babies give us, but we're having 3 sessions a day of some type of school - reading from the bible or What Your First Grader Needs to Know in the morning sometime, sit down work in the afternoon, and then recorder practice or time table stuff or her reading to me or whatever, with just Ananda, in the evening when Grant is around to help distract the others.

Anyway I don't know if that's way too much of a hodge podge to make sense to other people, but I think it's worked out really well. PATH has added a great dimension to our schooling as well, because we end up doing a big project board on a country and bringing food from it, to the Culture Fair, and we're doing a big science experiment for the Science Fair and Annie really wants to compete for Physical Fitness Awards next month like public school kids do. I've been thrilled with the group; from her actually performing on stage, to them all just being around the same big group of kids outside playing for a couple of hours once a week.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

All three girls got recorders from an aunt and uncle for Christmas!! I'm so excited to start teaching Mari and Zoe. We'll see how it goes.

I have What your First Grader Needs to know, but had been holding off on it since I really want to do a more classical approach to history and language arts. I need to find a copy of the Story of the world to see if it is what I want.

I'm really missing a good homeschool group. I just found it impossible to go to their stuff. It always conflicted with preschool and gymnastics! Arg! Maybe next year I'll be able to do without preschool. And the Mari and Zoe will both be too old for daytime dance or gymnastics. It will all be in the evening and on weekends. I don't know about preschool though. That time with Mari alone has been wonderful. And I think it has been REALLY good for Luci and even better for Zoe. I've seen her come out of her shell more than ever before. And the break from Luci intensity has been good for me too. I was sort of looking forward to it again next year. She has matured so much in the last few months, perhaps I'll be ready to take it on again "full time" next year. who knows.

[kizmet-42.livejournal.com]

If you're interested in the Teacher's manuals for Saxon 1 and 2, I have them and will gladly pass them on. They're not in great shape, we've used them for 4 kids and I put notes on some pages, but I hate to try to sell them. But you can have them for shipping costs.

I also have a Grammar Review for 2nd and 3rd Graders, which is a simple grammar lesson with 5 questions every day. It's nothing snazzy, no colors, not a very eye-catching book, but it has lots of review, doesn't try to introduce too much and drop it. I found it was great for my kids. I can't send it now, since we're still in it, but I'll be done with it this spring. I'll confess that Shurley Grammar and GUM both made me crazy and I'm a huge fan of Easy Grammar, but we use the books as workbooks and I won't have any to pass along.

Remembering that Mari loves workbooks, the Comprehensive Curriculum books are pretty good. My kids did a lot of the pages on the days they were motivated to do pages, but I didn't depend on them. I think the Money and Time one was one I wanted but never had the money for when I found it...

The What Your _X_ Grader Needs to Know series is excellent. It doesn't track with WTM, alas, but very good.

WTM is horribly overwhelming, but truly the best resource out there. Just read the sections you need to read and don't read ahead! If you decide to follow the WTM history sequence, I may have some books for sale. Let me know what you're interested in and I'll check the boxes in the basement.

I am hugely into Startwrite software for penmanship. You can put their weekly spelling words in the font you pick. When my kids were complaining they couldn't read the cursive font that their spelling books used, we printed the list up in several fonts to let them read each on and see how the letters were done differently. You can also use the lessons that come with the program. Very versatile, very useful, very cheap, compared to buying the penmanship workbooks. If you're inclined, I have the Italic Teacher's Manual.

I'm with WTM about the spelling program they recommended - Spelling Workout. It's good. I used the first book for my kids in 2nd grade and then move into a public school spelling book series. If I didn't have the books that I have, I'd use SW for all the kids.

Why don't you ask us specific questions? I'm sure that Altarflame or I or any other hsing mom would be glad to give you our opinions.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of at a loss about what to do with Mari right now. She is bored to death with the Calvert reading stuff. She is WAY beyond it. I'm feeling like it was a complete waste because the workbook and beginning phonics stuff would have been great for Zoe who has only recently shown interest in learning some phonics, but it is a quarter used up now and I can't really use it again and making Mari finish it is just dumb. I've started just using the little phonics storybooks and supplementing with phonics blends flashcards I made myself and reading to her tons with lots of questions and discussion. The science stuff seems just plain silly. The math stuff is pretty good now that we are almost halfway through the book. I basically let her do as much of it as she wants each day and we do another pretty comprehensive math workbook too that has her practicing writing the numbers, and doing some basic addition and subraction, something the Calvert book is just starting. But the Calvert book has done a lot of patterning and sorting and thinking skills stuff that was good for Mari (though really, really easy). I have yet to see her challenged at all except in reading when we do the flashcards and storybooks. I find myself skipping so much of the Calver stuff it feels like a total waste. *sigh*

I need a good first grade level phonics program and I'm confused as to what is good. I like the intensive phonics programs...that is what I'm leaning toward, but things like The Writing Road to Reading just seem insane! I need a more in depth science curriculum for her and Zoe than Calvert supplies at this level. They are fascinated with science. Zoe got a Magic Crystal Garden for Christmas and we set it up today and are disussing molecules and evaporation and solutions and...I need something that will help me teach them this stuff in words they can actually understand, you know? History is something we have not even really begun around here. I want to do a classical approach with that for sure...very chronological. I'm feeling drawn to those History Portfolio things...have you seen those? I don't know. I'm just confused.

I'll read some more WTM and get back to you with specific questions.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry if you would like me to shut up now :p BUT ;) ....The "What Your First..." book is really chronological for history. I've been so happy with it. It starts with a definition of what history even IS, and then goes into nomadic life and gradually, the first civilizations - what allowed them to spring up (rivers that overflowed regularly, making for rich soil, allowing farming for the first time) and what they cultivated (written language, buildings). And all in good language with great pictures. They go from Egypt and Mesopotamia to the land bridge, and then Mayans, Aztecs and Incas, with connections like "Don't these look like pyramids?" Just sayin', I promise not to show up at your house and tie you all up and read them to you.

Something I somehow completely forgot to mention, that I have loved beyond all else for phonics and reading and totally fills every gap left by CC, is A Beka. I have the Aesop's Fables for Young Readers story and workbook here and we alternate that and the 1st grade review mathbook, with the CC, and it's been great for Annie. The A Beka is challenging, and intensive, but she LOVES it and really learns a lot. Very thorough, awesome phonics instruction. It's how I learned to read in private Baptist school as a Kindergardener and First Grader, and I've always credited my love of reading back to that start.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

I will look into the A Beka. I've never really checked it out before.

You are right. I looked at the book (What your First...) and it is chronological. It just goes too far, too fast, IMHO. I think in first grade we will only cover the ancients, following a classical model. From what I've seen of the classical model, if it is followed strictly from the beginning, a child will go through all of world history three times. Once in the grammar stage, once in the logic stage, and once in the rhetoric stage. I don't know really how fast it is done yet, but I really like the way this series (http://www.homeschooljourney.com/) has broken history down into four parts: ancient, medieval, renaissance, and modern. It would make sense then to cover the ancients in 1st, 5th, and 9th grade, the medieval in 2nd, 6th, and 10th...you get the idea. I don't know though. I'm just guessing at this stage. You'll get some American History and some other history thrown in non-chronological times just by celebrating the holidays of the American calendar. I really like the general breakdown of the History Portfolio though because it is less focused on Amercan history and more on the world. I like that I would have a lot more time to teach things like Byzantine and Asian history, things that were virtually ignored in my education. So...I'm totally just thinking out loud here...I don't know where I'm going with this. Just saying I LIKE what the "What your..." books do, especially in the math and language arts sections, but I think the history would bother me. I need to look at it a little more closely though...

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I see what you're saying - I haven't even really thought ahead to how history will flow together in the coming years :x I just thought it was a good way to skim all of it now and give a sort of overview to familiarize them with basic concepts. Doing everything 3 times sounds great - I really don't know all that much about classical education, to be honest, only the emphasis on literature and other "humanities" type stuff, and the timelessness. All of which DO intrigue me, I just haven't thought much on it.

I agree on less of a focus on American history, for real. That was a sort of assumed thing I was planning for. And an unskewed, unbiased American history at that.