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Do you have a lot of HS "stuff" (resources, objects, tools, etc)  

post #1 of 35
9/27/07 at 5:37pm
Thread Starter 
Okay, so people have said that yes, you can do homeschooling very cheaply. So do you not need to buy a bunch of stuff? Like learning tools and stuff? Because you can use just a bunch of things around your home, right? Home made feltboard and felt objects, real clocks instead of special purchased learning clock to learn to tell time, real outdoor weather and home made pictures or pictures online instead of a bought weather chart, homemade calendar, etc etc. You don't have to buy all this stuff to be effective right, especially if trying to homeschool on a major budget? And books can be checked out from the library.

So a bunch of stuff, not really a necessity? How much stuff do you have?
post #2 of 35
9/27/07 at 6:23pm
We have a lot of books, lots of art supplies, outdoor space, maps, a globe, music, instruments , paper... It's part of our home...it's just there...without a lot of fan fare. Some things are used, some things are found, some things were bought new, some things have been gifts, most things were inexpensively obtained. We' re not big on tons of stuff, but we value having certain interesting items available...
post #3 of 35
9/27/07 at 6:38pm
We have a lot of books, but those have been aquired over time. We also have art/craft supplies, but I stock up at back to school time. Other stuff we have purchased at yard sales (microscope $1) used curriculum sales (textbooks for reference $1-$2, manipluatives under $5 for a TON, etc).

So no, you don't need a lot of stuff and the stuff you do decide you want you can usually get pretty cheap.
post #4 of 35
9/27/07 at 7:15pm
I will be the first to admit that I have too much stuff. I COULD hsing VERY cheaply but I am glad I don't have to.
post #5 of 35
9/27/07 at 7:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by laurabelle1317 View Post
.

So a bunch of stuff, not really a necessity? How much stuff do you have?
No, not necessary, but unfortunately way too much fun. Sometimes I just need to remind myself to put down the credit card and step away!
post #6 of 35
9/27/07 at 7:44pm
People told me I'd end up buying a bunch of stuff that we wouldn't use last year (our first year to homeschool.) They were right! That's probably because I was so still in the formal school mindset. Things like workbooks and flash cards just didn't get used much. I added up our expenses last year and it came out to be $500. I bet it will be less this year because now I know that how much my son learns is not dependent upon what curriculum or supplements I buy.

We check out books, movies, and CDs from the library, frequent used book stores and occasionally a used homeschool curriculum store for things here and there, buy art supplies and sometimes science kits (my son loves science), and I spend money on experiences (fun field trips, hip hop dance class, etc...)

I think you have to spend some time learning with your child to really get an idea of what you need, rather than starting off with a bunch of stuff you plan on using--if that makes sense.
post #7 of 35
9/27/07 at 7:46pm
No, you absolutely don't have to have all the stuff!

We have waaayyy too much stuff and I've been trying to purge.
You can get too much stuff then get overwhelmed and not use any of it! :

I actually think that having less "extras" would be better now. The simpler, the better in many cases.

There are some things that are great to have like a globe, map, magnifying glasses, and a few basics. But you can get so much at the library, even games at some. And I think it works great to share resources in a support group or just among a few friends.
post #8 of 35
9/27/07 at 7:55pm
I feel like I walked into some cat den with this thread.
post #9 of 35
9/27/07 at 10:20pm
We have tons, but we've been at this for years and years and this stuff just holds up so well, and the kids might want to use it again later, and it is just so darn hard to part with!

And even if you make stuff yourself, you still have the stuff afterwards (felt boards and such).

We have musical instruments, science equipment, craft supplies, books, maps, globes, math manipulatives, computer programs, and so on. We bought it all very gradually and it's been a lot of fun.

There is nothing that you have to have. There are tons of things that are free or cheap. I love our library more than I can say. But some of this stuff has been a lot of fun!
post #10 of 35
9/27/07 at 10:52pm
We had way too much stuff - ridiculous - and we needed very little of it. That's the way it is with just about everybody!

You're absolutely right about being able to use things around your home and community. And there are amazing free resources online - check out the annotated links in my homeschooling gateway to the Internet pages.

I don't think you'll have much need for a felt board, by the way...

Here's an article I wrote when I cleaned out our stuff for the last time: Reflecting on the Value of Materials and Classes

- Lillian
post #11 of 35
9/28/07 at 12:20am
We have tons of "stuff" but for 2 reasons
1. DH company pays for our homeschooling supplies since we live overseas and arent sending our kids to the very expensive international schools ( I expense EVERY pencil!!!)

2. Libraries are bascially non-existent over here. sigh There are a few free ones with donated books but all very old and out of date.

I use a lot of Montessori works so bought tons and had them shipped over. My living room is ridiculous. I have often thought if we were in thestates we'd have so many free great resources (libraires, museums and other hs families) I absolutely believe you can hs very inexpensively and do it well.
post #12 of 35
9/28/07 at 11:54am
I try to be creative with what we use.

Like 2 days ago, the older two wanted to do word problems. I used Ray's Arithmatic (so I did not have to come up with problems myself ) It is available free online. They used kidney beans as counters.
post #13 of 35
9/28/07 at 12:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AngelBee View Post
I used Ray's Arithmatic (so I did not have to come up with problems myself ) It is available free online.

Where is it available free online? Do you have a link?
post #14 of 35
9/28/07 at 12:30pm
I would spend a lot of money on excellent quality books if I was able, because there is a poor selection at the local libraries, but besides that, no, not much. If I couldn't afford to buy books, I'd still homeschool. Oh, I would also spend a lot of money on a usable computer if I had to-- but used computers can be had for very little or even for free (again, hand-me-downs) if necessary. Internet is almost a must for homeschooling, I think. Other than that I always manage to get crayons and preschool paints and stuff for free (hand-me-downs from others) so that's great. (You can look for cheap art supplies at yard sales too.) I can't imagine what else I would need. We are going to avoid buying all of those little puzzles and felt pieces and counting objects and math manipulatives etc etc because we can use the objects of everyday life and all thos e little pieces drive me NUTS!

Oh, and I have found great educational board games at thrift stores too, for a dollar each and all the pieces there!
post #15 of 35
9/28/07 at 12:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LionTigerBear View Post
I would spend a lot of money on excellent quality books if I was able, because there is a poor selection at the local libraries,...
I'm curious, because I've seen similar comments by others here - do you have any kind of system there for your library to request book loans from other libraries? - Lillian
post #16 of 35
9/28/07 at 12:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by laurabelle1317 View Post
Where is it available free online? Do you have a link?
Here is one
http://books.google.com/books?id=95K...graphy#PPP1,M1

Here is a few more:

http://books.google.com/books?q=ray%...G=Search+Books
post #17 of 35
9/28/07 at 12:42pm
Also...we LOVE ebooks! You can find TONS of great literature online for free.

We use www.oldfashionededucation.com alot. She has TONS of books linked there
post #18 of 35
9/28/07 at 1:04pm
You can also get some really fun and useful books for mathematical thinking through Amazon for as little as 99 cents, used but in good condition:

I Hate Mathematics!

Math for Smarty Pants

Arithmetricks: 50 Easy Ways to Add, Subtract, Multiply, and Divide Without a Calculator

If you do a search in Amazon's site for things like "math games," you'll find a bonanza of things you can get for under $10 if you go through the used book sellers.

Lillian

post #19 of 35
9/28/07 at 1:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lillian J View Post
I'm curious, because I've seen similar comments by others here - do you have any kind of system there for your library to request book loans from other libraries? - Lillian
I don't know, probably-- I haven't looked into it. I will now!
post #20 of 35
9/28/07 at 1:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LionTigerBear View Post
I don't know, probably-- I haven't looked into it. I will now!
Well, do please let us know. It seems kinda' crazy for little libraries to keep to themselves, but maybe that's just the reality of the situation in some places. Lillian
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Mothering › Forums › Education › Learning at Home and Beyond › Do you have a lot of HS "stuff" (resources, objects, tools, etc)