Usually...

Usually, this is the time of year that I start drooling over what to buy for next year. Usually, I have magazines dog-eared and ink-stained, websites bookmarked with wish lists galore. But this year, another few moms and I have been chatting on a message board about not buying. That's the thing with homeschooling - somehow we end up with loads of materials that, by and large, go unused. We started brainstorming about what-if's. What if we simply used what we already have? Do we need more? Do we need the newest-shiniest-"most organized"- this-year's-must-have?

We're studying pre-history right now, without a planned curriculum, without a guide, just using books, videos, discussion, and projects, and we are learning, and enjoying ourselves! I would like to start ancient history in the fall, for which I have plenty of materials, without buying another guide, another how-to.

Instead of spending money on more books, more guides, and the like, I could instead buy a membership to the science museum (we have a really good one just an hour away). I could buy those cool science kits I have been eyeballing for years. I could get more art supplies. There are many things I can of to do with money if it is not going on more books, more curriculum packages, which inevitably end up on a shelf... well, at least the curriculum guides do because we're not good at following those.

There are a couple of things I am thinking about... a good Latin program for Beetle, another Life of Fred book or two. But I don't need English programs, or spelling guides, or history texts.

I think my goal for fall is to make good use of what I have on hand, and we'll see how that goes!