What Works for Us Thursday….Planning Ahead

This week I wasn’t going to post because I have been spending my extra time planning for the next school year.  I know for many of you, us included, that it is a ways away but I thought I would explain why I do it now and not later.

First off our official school year ends when the books are done. Normally that falls in the month of April.  Then from April to mid-June we finish any subjects that we may not have finished due to side trails or ones that we changed course in mid-way.   Examples: Side trails- Joey in History (He is enjoying spending a little more time on projects than I thought he would) Changed Mid-Course – Alex English (Her original course was not working and brought more tears than necessary so we changed it up.)

During that time we spend time still in the main subjects too (Phonics, Math, Reading, English) but change it up a little by adding in more games and projects. 

Then we take a break from Mid July to the beginning of August. 

So as you can read we won’t official start our new school year till August.  Most of you are probably wondering then why start planning now.  Well really it comes down to saving money.  I found for me that if I start planning now I can then take advantage of all the home school sales that are in Spring and of the used materials that moms are starting to put out there for sale. 

This is how I do it…….

Frist I take a look at each child’s scope and sequence

  This is part of Alex’s. (I will do a post later this week explaining why it looks so intense and how I put it together.)

Then I pull off what needs to be done the following year and make a new list.

Again this is Alex’s

  This one is Joey’s.  (My kids are almost 6 years apart hence the big difference in what I expect from them.)

Then with that list I go to the sites that I would buy them from if I can’t find them used. This year that includes Rainbow Resources and Abeka.  I make an other list with the price of the items so that I know when I spot something used I know if it is a good deal or not. 

Then I start looking at Homschool Classifieds and other sites that are having a sale on curriculum like Timberdoodle Company.  With my list I know when I see a sale if the item is actually cheaper with the sale or at Rainbow Resources (which for new items seems to have the best price, but please if you know of some where that may be cheaper I am all ears.)

By doing this I was able to find a few items off Homsechool Classifieds already and take advantage for Timeberdoodle’s Damaged and Dent sale.

   

Books are then put into a bin, crossed off the list, and put in a bin till I am ready for them in July when I do my planning. 

My savings so far is close to $200 dollars (homeschooling a high school student who needs a lot of science and math is expensive).

How do you keep costs low for your schooling needs?  Know of any good sites that one can find homeschool materials inexpensively?  I would love to know!

 

Thanks for stopping by

April

Linking up to Tristan at Our Busy Homeschool.

I am not affiliated with any of the links above they are just company’s that we use often and thought where worth sharing with you.