SCM Discussion Forum

1. 

   Iamasahm
   Member

   If you had to do with little for a school year.  The things that are no brainers are bible is a must and free.  We bought our History and Science months ago when we could so we are set there.  And Math is a must here so that will find the funds. Oh, and we have Spelling Wisdom and Jr AG to continue with. (boy just writing that makes it look better)

   But what else would you do, can you do for free that I'm not seeing?  Literature I can get from the library, and is free.  Would just just do a lot of read alouds?  Focus on nature, music, poetry and picture study for the year(also from the library)?  I know I'm not missing much, but we don't have things I really want.  And I have to let go of the "wants" feeling and be greatful for what we have. 

   Maybe I needed to know this can be enough, maybe I needed to just share with like minded people that homeschooling many children can be spendy( but worth so much), maybe I just needed vent over my fustrations of not having what I want to teach my children this year.  Either way.. thanks for listening.  Misty

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
2. 

   missingtheshire
   Member

   You know, I think you can get free music online and look up composers on line, you can view art online and vet what you want to look at, so there are some free options.  Have you seen the website http://oldfashionededucation.com/index.html

   they have many links to free curriculum for all ages, you can download to your computer and read on the computer or print it out.  I love the site, there are many old books that are available - do check it out, it could help a lot of people in these hard times.

   You can combine a fair few things as well with all your children so don't forget that.  The library often has CDs and DVDs to borrow so that is another thought.  Nature study, is free, just go outdoors, if you have paper and a pencil you can sketch and make notes for a journal. 

   So don't worry, make use of what you have, the library, your imagination and check out the website I gave above, blessings - Linda

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
3. 

   Des
   Member

   Yes, I would focus on lots of read alouds, nature, music and picture study for the year using the library.  What do you use for math?  I have some of the Singapore text books that you could borrow if you wanted to.  I can so realte to needing to let go of the "wants" feeling, i've been wanting to buy the Pathway readers, but we already have to McGuffely readers and can use those and put that money elsewhere.  I really do believe that what you have enough especially when used in conjunction with the library for literature and free reading materials.  I'm working on simplifying that's why i'm using SCM this year and probably for our remaining school years instead of the pricey curriculum that I wanted to buy.

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
4. 

   missingtheshire
   Member

   http://www.dollarhomeschool.com/raysarithmetic/ if you can afford $59 this site sells a CD with all Rays Arithmetic on it, all of the McGuffy Readers, plus science, history and grammar resources - it is a gem of a find and covers grades K-12 all you really need for all of the school years.  Obviously you have to print it out, but some you could read online - it is a wonderful resource and I bought it and used it extensively.  All the books are old books, so very wholesome and nice.  Linda

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
5. 

   missingtheshire
   Member

   OOps sorry the Ray's arithmentic CD is $59, the whole set of subjects is $159 - but not bad for 12 years of school.

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
6. 

   MeadowLark
   Member

   I have Miquon Math and could send it to you if you would like. Just email me:)

   MeadowLark

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
7. 

   mrsjamiesouth
   Member

   Homeschool Freebie of the Day always has awesome stuff.  The Baldwin Project and Gutenburg are also great resources for free books.  For Nature, the Handbook of Nature Study is free online and you can follow the Blog. Music, Poetry and Pictures you can get from the Library too.

   I have lots of math, notebooking and lapbook guides that I could share too.   mrsjamiesouth@yahoo.com

   Alexis

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
8. 

   Rebekahy
   Member

   Misty - Maybe you can share what things you really want, so that we can know specifically what to address.  From your post is sounds like you have all the basics covered (I'm not saying that I don't relate with wanting lots and lots of things and all the latest and greatest new curriculum, but just asking specifically what you're wanting - it'll give us a better starting point on helping you get creative.) 

   For foreign languaage - I'm not sure how good your library is, but our library has language programs (muzzy), plus lots of music and movies in a foreign language (and depending on your take on allowing media - you can let your kids watch dvds they are already familiar with in a foreign language - most of our kids dvds can also be played in Spanish! 

   Copywork is also free - there are LOTS of great sites that already have copywork available to you just for the printing.  I've been loving the ones I got from the Bogart Family - just for signing up for the enewsletter you get one for free!  There's also a website that has a freebie of the day

   HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com  Here's the one they are giving away this Tuesday that I'm definitely going to get Tuesday, April 6th: THE FIRST BOOK OF PLANTS by Alice Dickinson (PDF ebook) Wonderful illustrated chapter book primer on plants - how they work, how they grow, how they reproduce, different types of plants, experiments you can do, and much much more. Heavily illustrated. Highly recommended!  The one for Thursday is on birds!

   Also helpful - don't tempt yourself.  Don't read homeschooling magazines (as much as I LOVE The Old Schoolhouse), they have TONS Of tempting ads that may make you want more than they are encouraging.  Don't surf the internet without typing in the word FREE before whatever information you are looking for, limit the topics you read about on the SCM forum - I know that's hard, but I also know that I've changed my plans and incurred new expenses by "discovering" something even "better" through this forum - for example I had a friend loan me her apologia astronomy course, but after reading so much about 106 days I've decided to do that instead - so my science budget just went from free to $40.  Not a super big deal since I'm planning on using it at least two times and I've got that money in my HS budget, but if that money wasn't in our homeschool budget already it would be an unnecessary strain.

   Looking forward to brainstorming more with you!

   Rebekah

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
9. 

   missingtheshire
   Member

   You know Rebekah made a great comment, homeschool magazines, can be great, but they bombard you with ads for supposed fabulous curriculum, I tend to not get catalogs, too many magazines, or things like that to tempt me.  It is easy to think you need the latest thing when confronted with all this stuff.  I cancel all catalogs and such like, I don't need to be encouraged in that way to spend money lol.  So thanks for making that point, it really is an important one.

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
10. 

    Iamasahm
    Member

    WOW I didn't expect to get such great responses.  I knew that's why I can here.

    I will look into these FREE places for sure.  I need to depend on the library for most of my stuff and I hate.. doing that because you are constantly I feel at the library and I feel like that already :0).  And with math.. it's the workbooks I need as we use MUS and the older one I have already bought so it's just the younger ones.  But thanks for all the offers, you are all amazing.  I will use the worksheet generator for them for awhile and that's ok.

    the PDF books are great, but with dial up it takes like hours and hours for us and I don't always have taht kind of time.  Though I could sign up for the book one and just be more picky.  Also, ink and paper get spendy too.

    forgein language.. well I bought a cheap kiddy workbook (NOT CM FRIENDLY) but will have to do with my spanish I already have.  But I love the DVD idea's.  That's a good one!  Thanks

    My "wants" : like after JAG I will want some type of grammar?  I LOVE LL from Queens .. maybe by then we can do it though.. that's my hope.  Personal Development books for my boys, and I can never find these from the library.. so maybe some suggestions on personal literature with a good foundation of virtues/life skills?  My dh wants my boys to keep doing Map books during summer.. and we usually get our personal Catholic religion books from Seton.. ahh.. it's not that it's a lot of different subjects.  It's just that when you times it by 5 it adds up quick. 

    Ok.. so I will start with what I have.  And as $$ comes available I will just set it aside and then buy the things that matter most.  Do with what we have and be greatfull for everything!  Also, trust in the Lord that dh keeps working.  You all made me feel better knowing what I have is enough.  Thansk Misty

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
11. 

    pollysoup
    Member

    Which MUS levels do you need?

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
12. 

    Rebekahy
    Member

    Well, if you just want a list of life skills check out this link

    http://www.keepersofthefaith.com/category/ContendersTableofContents  TONS of ideas of things your boys could be learning about and you could probably find things at the library for nearly all of them.

    I also think The Book of Virtues by William Bennett could be a good investment as it would cover a lot of virtues/character traits and do it with literature and poetry.  I'm sure you could find a very cheap copy on Amazon, but first I would suggest going on the yahoo freecycle group closest to you and asking for it there.  It might also be something you could request to buy from a homeschool email loop if you have one near you.  AND I just downloaded a 900 page FREE notebook type study on the Book of Virtues, you'd probably have to just start downloading before you go to bed on night and hopefully it'd be done by the time morning rolled around!  But it wouldn't be necessary to print it. 

    http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ShiverAcademy/Book%2Bof%2BVirtues/

    And since the book of virtues is just an excerpt of longer works, if you borrowed it from the library and took down notes of some of the pieces from it you liked, you could then borrow the longer works and know it's probably safe and would hopefully continue to enforce the virtue it was included in the book to represent.

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
13. 

    briedell
    Member

    Misty,

    Email me privately with the titles you would like most from Seton please; I will see if I can help you out with those.  crriedells@msn.com

    Also, if you're not part of cathswap on yahoogroups, you might find that it is a good place to buy a few things.  I've been selling on there in the last week, and I buy things off of there when I can.  You usually save, sometimes big buying that way.

    There is a grammar site that you can use for free.  This is the address http://www.dailygrammar.com  Just join and you can participate in daily lessons, quizzes, etc...

     

    I would also recommend the free Handbook of Nature Study lessons online.  Great site.

    Let me know what those Seton titles are, OK?

    Bridget:)

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
14. 

    Gem
    Member

    Thanks for that Daily Grammar site - what a great resource!

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
15. 

    briedell
    Member

    No problem Gem!  Glad to help.

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post

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