Where Do I Find Affordable Home School Curriculums?
Home educators have many choices when it comes to homeschool curriculums. There are variations of curriculums available depending on the age of the students, their learning style and sometimes the subjects covered. Homeschooling parents first need to know how their child learns best to begin looking for the program of study that will be appropriate. Textbooks and workbooks work well with some students, and there are multiple companies that offer products for these types of students. On the other hand, some students are more hands-on and require curriculums that include manipulative items. Once a parent educator decides on the type of curriculum that would be best, he can begin looking for the most affordable one. If parents start looking before having some idea of the direction they will be going in educating their child, they may end up buying items that will never be used.
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Instructions
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If you are looking for a specific curriculum, go to the website of the company that produces it. At first glance, it may seem that their prices are too high for a homeschool family on a budget. Homeschool publishing companies do have sales often, though. To find out about sales, sign up for a company's newsletter. If the homeschool curriculum is not needed immediately, wait for the newsletters to come offering sales. Also remember that depending on the program it is not always necessary to buy every item a publishing company offers for one subject.
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If you do not mind used materials, sign up for an eBay account and do a search for the curriculum. There are numerous homeschool products up for auction on eBay, and even for sale new in some of the eBay stores. When searching try to be as specific as possible to avoid having to wade through multiple pages of products. One thing to consider when buying curriculum on eBay is that they have a policy of not allowing answer keys to be listed. The eBay stores do not list them and do not sell them. If you're considering curriculum that is being auctioned, check with the seller to see whether they are included before bidding.
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Sign up for a PayPal account to make purchases on eBay. PayPal is a more secure method of paying for purchases not only on eBay, but through many other companies that sell products over the Internet. With PayPal, credit card information is not seen by the seller.
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If you can't find the appropriate curriculum on eBay, check into other homeschool curriculum websites. One website that doesn't charge listing fees and allows teacher's editions and answer keys is This Little Piggy Stays Home. Another auction-style website that has affordable homeschool curriculums is called Homeschool Buy. Homeschool Classifieds is another place to look if you're not finding anything on the auction websites. Also, the Home School Legal Defense Association offers a place on its website to buy and sell homeschool curriculum, but parents must be members to use this service.
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Consider using library books rather than standard textbooks or a packaged curriculum. Library books are an affordable method of homeschooling, depending on the learning style and age of the child. Using library books does require more work, though. You will have to develop lesson plans and schedules according to your state laws (if applicable) while keeping in mind the due dates of the books. You may need to be flexible regarding which subjects are taught when because of access to the books. Some students enjoy this method of homeschooling because the reading is usually less dry than textbooks.
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Tips & Warnings
Buy carefully. There may be other items listed that could cause you to lose the direction of your homeschool. Or in the end the misguided purchases will not be used, and money would have been wasted. Before bidding on an eBay auction, clarify what is being auctioned. If there are any doubts, ask the seller questions. Make sure that the curriculum you choose meets the requirements, if any, of your state.
