How to Find Catholic Homeschooling Books

Catholic Bible

Catholic homeschooling programs use a variety of methods and materials. And individual Catholics often put together their own homeschooling programs that are tailored to the interests, abilities and circumstances of their families. Deciding among the plethora of approaches and curriculum possibilities will take time and careful thought. But once you have decided what you want, finding Catholic homeschooling materials is easy.

Instructions

Finding Catholic Homeschooling Books

1. Make a list of the materials you want. If you are using a packaged curriculum (such as Seton Homeschool, Kolbe Academy or Our Lady of Grace), the program’s website will have a complete list of what you need, including edition or publication year (see Resources below).

2. Determine your budget. Calculate how much you have to spend on books, keeping in mind the any other homeschooling costs you may incur, such as program registration and tuition costs, Home School Legal Defense Fund membership, and school supplies such as pens and paper.

3. Order the books immediately and directly from your Catholic homeschool program. There is often a slight discount on full-year curriculum packages. If you can afford it, ordering this way is certainly the easiest and quickest way (see Resources below).

4. Attend a Catholic homeschooling conference and purchase your books from the vendors’ displays there. You will, of course, save the shipping costs, and most conference vendors will offer a 10 to 15 percent discount on materials purchased there. Also check the conference for the used materials sale room, where other homeschoolers will be offering their old materials at substantial discounts (see Resources below).

5. Look into online suppliers with Catholic titles and a large homeschooling section. Check the large online sources like eBay and Amazon, but for better prices, try free sites such as your local Craigslist homeschool classifieds and homeschool swap sites (see Resources below).

6. Contact your local Catholic homeschooling support group to see what other members have for sale, and check out Catholic parish yard sales, bazaars and festivals. With luck, the used book table will have some of the titles you are looking for.

7. Ask local Catholic schools if they use any of the titles you need. At the end of the school year, discontinued texts and workbooks are often simply discarded. Don’t be shy about asking for these materials. Also ask if you can put a notice in your parish bulletin seeking the books you need.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact the homeschool program you have chosen to see if they have used books available.

Resources

• Catholic Homeschool Conferences
• Other Homeschooling Conferences
• Homeschool Book Swap
• Catholic Swap
• Seton Home