You Don’t Need an Expensive Curriculum
This is one topic I know very well. Single parent. Very limited income. I had very little money to purchase curricula.
Here’s what I did:
- Get a library card. (Still the best bang for your buck.)
- Get internet service.
- Get a printer.
- Buy file folders and art supplies when on sale.
From there, since I used unit studies, I would do a search for ‘free unit studies on _____.’ Then I would save them. I would pick and choose activities from various studies on the topics we were studying.
[Resources:
Valerie Bendt ‘How to Create Your Own Unit Study’
Robin Sampson ‘What Your Child Needs to Know When’ (Scope and Sequence)
Ruth Beechick ‘The Three R’s’; ‘You can Teach Your Child Successfully’; ‘A Biblical Home Education.’
Raymond & Dorothy Moore have several excellent homeschool resource books.]
Bendt’s book is excellent. Mary Pride has some wonderful information also. **These names date me with homeschooling.
I started homeschooling before there was an internet. In fact, there were few library resources either. But later, as the homeschool movement grew, more resources were developed.
I’ve mentioned before about asking your children what topics they are interested in studying. This is so important. The more interested they are in the topic, the more they will enjoy school. They can still learn the 3 R’s, but through their interests.
Lesson plan forms are available for free online. There are so many free unit studies and lesson plan outlines on almost every topic. All a parent needs is a good library, a printer, and internet access.
Creating your own lesson plans does take more time. It’s a toss-up: time or money. Depending on the age of your child, the time portion doesn’t need to be very much. I would set aside a couple of hours on Sunday to create my lesson plans for the week.
By the time my youngest was in school, his siblings were out. I did lesson plans by the month.
Other wonderful resources for creative homeschooling:
4-H projects (Even if one decides NOT to join a local group, their project books are a gold mine.)
Boy Scout Merit Badges/Scout Manual
Pathfinder/Adventurer Honors
If a parent believes that they cannot spare the time, then there are low-cost options.
Schoolhouse Teachers Magazine. They offer over 350 classes for all grade levels for a low-monthly/quarterly fee. It’s one fee per family. I used this platform for many years, even when I was teaching in a small private school. This allowed me access to all types of electives. Plus, the lesson plans were all done, along with the answers for grading.
Tuttle Twins offers a curriculum. I have not used this, but I’ve used their Tuttle Twins books, which are excellent.
Classical Learner offers a curriculum. I have not used this, but I’ve followed their Facebook page for years. They lean toward a conservative, classical project-based learning style.
Kindling Dreams Academy – This is my own program. I’m in the process of uploading my classes. I teach from a whole-child, biblical perspective. Access to all grade levels will be available for the family plan for a low monthly fee. This will be available on my Skool page, Living Ready Collective.
Homeschooling does not have to be expensive. I homeschooled for over 20 years, rarely spending more than $100/year except for printer supplies. It only takes a bit of time and some creativity.
For more information, feel free to contact me through my website, Kindling Dreams.