[Plummeting]

We are not going the unschooling route, but we are going to be pretty relaxed and definitely eclectic, to give you an idea of how we're planning to work. I'm trying to decide what kinds of things to get for our little "school room" (a home office no one ever uses right now). What I want to know is what things you really use and are really glad you have, that you're surprised you like so much - things some homeschoolers might think they'd never use or never need, or maybe things they'd just never think of buying. TIA!

 

[scoobymummy]

I remember reading that I shouldn't spend a lot of money, but I did and regretted it. I would just make sure you have good art supplies, a calendar for keeping track of days, notebooks or paper, pencils, sharpener, erasers....maybe subscribe to a couple of good kid's magazines...and make sure you have a library card. Beyond that, wait and see what your style and rhythm will be like. I purchased a math curriculum that totally didn't work for us, books, ''teaching'' supplies that we don't use..... That being said, you will end up buying things as you go that don't work for you. That's part of the process too.

 

[Shianne]

A globe, world map, map of your country. Dry erase board. Cd player and/or tape player.

We are always reading about someplace that we had never heard of or wonder where it is so the maps come in handy. The kids don't always want to drag out one of the Student Handbooks, so having a map easily accessible is great.
A dry erase board is great not only for explaining things, but also for leaving notes, artwork, etc.
We are always using the cd player or tape player for audio books we get from the library.

 

[Smokering]

When I was homeschooling, we often found ourselves turning to a big book called "The World of Art" - just photos of famous artwork. It was surprisingly handy! Had everything from Impressionist artwork to Dali, Picasso, medieval religious pictures, Rossetti...

 

[AAK]

I second the map.
Basic reference and basic supplies. I like that my kids can use a dictionary that is in print rather than just online.

For supplies, we have paper, pens, pencils, rulers, protractors, compass (for math), art stuff.

We use the library A LOT. If I find the need to constantly renew an item, then I consider buying it.

Amy

 

[nov05mama]

We are still just in pre-K, but I second the others...
A map (US & World), Globe, art supplies (paints, brushes, various mediums), paper, construction paper, rulers, dictionary, dry erase board (we actually use our easel...one side chalk board, one side dry erase).
Those are all things I know we can't go without. I have been trying to make a LOT of our stuff, so I agree w/ the PP about purchasing too much of anything.
There are SO many FREE resources online right now...you can pretty much find everything you need.

 

[Plummeting]

It was actually the issue of a dry erase board that had me thinking about this, lol. I couldn't decide if I'd ever use one or not - we also have a little easel, which we use for practicing letters and stuff, but I was trying to decide whether to get a bigger, magnetic one for the wall. I've definitely been impressed with all of the things that are free online. I've only been looking around for a couple months and I've found a complete math curriculum for grades 1-3 and been directed to a whole years' worth of lesson plans for grades K-5 for most subjects. It's really great!

 

[Jackpackbaby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smokering When I was homeschooling, we often found ourselves turning to a big book called "The World of Art" - just photos of famous artwork. It was surprisingly handy! Had everything from Impressionist artwork to Dali, Picasso, medieval religious pictures, Rossetti...

Sounds great! Is it this book? http://www.amazon.com/World-Art-Henr...9853319&sr=8-1

 

[Plummeting]

It does sound great! I meant to say that and got sidetracked. lol

 

[MyLittleWonders]

For me, it's the 3' x 4' chalkboard mounted on our dining room wall.

I knew we wanted one, and we got probably the biggest one we could nicely mount without it being overbearing, but I'm surprised at how much we use it. I think it's been the best investment thus far!

 

[moominmamma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plummeting It was actually the issue of a dry erase board that had me thinking about this, lol. I couldn't decide if I'd ever use one or not

We have a small dry erase board and we use it frequently. We're unschoolers, but my kids like to have a bit of formal academics in their lives. For math especially they really like working on the whiteboard -- not on the wall, but on the kitchen table or on their lap (it's about 18 x 24"). It makes everything friendlier. Larger, more colourful, less permanent and therefore less threatening.

Miranda

 

[canuckgal]

I ditto Miranda's suggestion about the whiteboard. We have a smaller one, when dd was showing more interest in writing, it definitely helped her as it was not so "permanent" and she felt not so bad making a mistake. We still play hangman with it, and also I make up crosswords on it sometimes...a pretty painless "in context" way she has shown interest in spelling, or we tell successive stories with pics we both draw. At 9 she now has just completed a crossword/word search book on paper

: and this is pretty much the first "real" writing on paper at least she has done.

Another thing is a laminated map. We have written so much on it...references in TV shows, where grandma lives, where the Crocodile hunter died, circled Madagascar on the map when we saw the movie, you name it. After all, unschooling is all about connections!!!!

 

[3momkmb]

I second (third? fourth?) the dry erase board, world map and globe.

Also, a timeline in book form (ours is Usborne). I know people like to make their own, but my kids never liked doing that and having one for reference has bee a HUGE help to me (and I imagine it would be even if they watned to make their own).

A Supply of good pencils (for us that means O'bon) and cheap markers, crayons, paper, scissors, tape. Also, poster board, those carboard tri-fold presentation boards, card stock. They lose the markers, break the crayons and use up all the tape so those are bought new every year but I have to have the good pencils or they just keep breaking!

 

[PGTlatte]

Educational plastic placemats tacked to the wall. They come in so many topics ! Alphabet, numbers, money, solar system, maps, geometry, telling time....I never pass up a placemat I don't have yet !

We also have pencils and spiral notebooks floating all over the house. Lately we've added books of mazes and dot to dots to that collection.

Jumbo dice.

Inexpensive solar calculators, and a solar toy cash register from Learning Resources.

A laminated hundred chart.

A set of "bulletin board" numbers 1-30 shaped like apples, from a teaching store.

Posters with the days of the week and months of the year, from the same store.

A number line made with blue painters tape on the kitchen table, marked with a Sharpie.

That's all I can think of right now !

 

[J2]

Can you post links to those free curriculums please??

 

[Plummeting]

Sure!

This is the link with tons of lesson plans for multiple topics. It's sorted by grade and month: http://www.baltimorecp.org/lessons/draft_lessons.html The September Art plan link doesn't work, but I think all the rest do.

This is the free math: http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm

 

[Smokering]

Jackpackbaby: No, it's not that one. I just hunted online and couldn't find it; I'll ask Mum tomorrow where she got it from. I thought it was DK, but Google doesn't seem to think so. Um, it had a white cover?

Any good art book with a wide selection of famous/representative paintings, that was big enough you could see the pictures properly, would do nicely. It's just not the same looking at them online!

 

[Plummeting]

ITA that it's not the same looking at things online. I've considering ordering the Core Knowledge K art prints, for that very reason, but I think a big book would probably be better.

Thanks for all the suggestions! This thread has been sooo helpful to me.

 

[mama2myloves]

: This thread is great!

 

[Mama2Bug]

Quote:

Originally Posted by llp34 Educational plastic placemats tacked to the wall. They come in so many topics ! Alphabet, numbers, money, solar system, maps, geometry, telling time....

I thought I was the only one that did this.

Some stuff that I never know I don't have until I need it for something:

brads
paperclips
staples/stapler
rubber bands

Things we use all the time-

A children's atlas. We have the Usborne one. It's great and I imagine we'll be using it for many years.

Counting Bears (or any other counting manipulative)

Magnifying glass

Alphabet /Numbers cards (We have these from Kumon.)