It dawned on me that those of you out there exploring homeschooling as an option might be interested in what it'll cost you. : ) Duh, right?
So, let's consider the public school expenses that would have racked up this coming school year and this year's homeschooling expenses so far and projected expenses for the rest of the year.
Public School
Clothes-We'll say $150 for each child. This is the average amount we've spent in the past.
Homeschool
Clothes-$0
Public School
Lunch-$2.20 for 180 days = $396.00 per child!. Given that my kids often times took their lunches, I'll calculate the cost for 90 days, which is $198.00 per child. Now add on the approximately $75 spent on the food for their from-home lunch (a sandwich, chips, juice, fruit) and that's $273.00 for the whole year.
Homeschool
Lunch-$150.00 per child
Public School
Supplies-about $45 per child
Homeschool
Supplies-about $4 per child (I bought 8 binders and paper. We already have pencils, scissors, markers, crayons, etc. galore! In public school, they want all new stuff.)
Public School
Pictures-$40 per child
Homeschool
Pictures-I'll guesstimate $5 per child for the ink and paper required to print our own.
Public School
Curriculum-$0
Homeschool
Curriculum-$232 (dividing the $464 I spent for both Pilot and Storm Chaser by two)
Total
Public School-$976
Homeschool-$391
Note: I did not include the cost of field trips. In public school, the cost is minimal. Homeschoolers can take advantage of free museum days and group discounts (if you go with friends or with a co-op). I'll leave that figuring to you. :D
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Let's Discuss the Yearly Schedule
Basically, we don't have one. I was thinking I might try a 3-weeks-on-and-1-week-off schedule and see how that works. I want to avoid burnout, but I also want to avoid boredom and brain drain during breaks. I will alter the schedule as needed. If I think they can handle more, I can tack on another week or two of "on" work. If I feel they are really overwhelmed, I can tack on an extra few "off" days or an "off" week.
The public schools here run from the middle of August to near the end of May. Fall break is about two days. Spring Break is five days. Winter Break is eight days.
The year-round schedule in other districts here begins school on the first of August and runs through May and has longer fall and spring breaks. I believe the traditional year-round schedule has fifteen day breaks all throughout the year. I remember my grandma, who lived across the street from a year-round school, telling me that not all the students were on the same breaks, they were staggered so that some kids were always in school while another group was on break.
What are your thoughts on school calendars?
The public schools here run from the middle of August to near the end of May. Fall break is about two days. Spring Break is five days. Winter Break is eight days.
The year-round schedule in other districts here begins school on the first of August and runs through May and has longer fall and spring breaks. I believe the traditional year-round schedule has fifteen day breaks all throughout the year. I remember my grandma, who lived across the street from a year-round school, telling me that not all the students were on the same breaks, they were staggered so that some kids were always in school while another group was on break.
What are your thoughts on school calendars?
Just Bought 2012/2013 Curriculum!
This year's curriculum has been purchased! What a relief! I still can't help but wonder if I made the right choices. Did I forget anything? Should I have bought those teacher's manuals? Did I get the best deals possible?
Too late to be thinking this stuff now, right?
Here's a rundown of what I purchased and their, eek!, price. Items in green are for both Pilot and Storm Chaser.
Pilot (12yrs)
Language
Grammar and Composition 1, 55.50 @A Beka
Spelling Workout D, 8.00 @Amazon
Writing Strands 4, 4.96 @Amazon
History & Geography
Encyclopedia of World History, 39.99 @Usborne
Fun with Hieroglyphs, 16.49 @Amazon
By Jove game, 29.87 @Amazon
Make This Egyptian Temple, 13.94 @Amazon
Eyewitness Atlas of the World, 12.87 @Amazon
World Map, 7.99 on sale @Mardel
USA Map, already had on hand
Science
The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia, 21.67 @Amazon
Eyewitness Science: Chemistry, 10.13 @Amazon
Periodic Table, 1.99 on sale @Mardel
Logic
A Case of Red Herrings: Solving Mysteries through Critical Questioning, Book B1, 11.70 @Amazon
Mind Benders, B1, B2, B3, and B4, 15.16 @Amazon
Latin (We have been working on this all summer)
Latin Primer 1 Student Edition, 22.00 @Mardel
Latin Primer 1 Teacher Edition, 28.00 @Mardel
LP1 Audio Guide, 10.00 @Mardel
LP1 Flash Cards, 20.00 @ Mardel
Storm Chaser (will be 8yrs when we begin)
Language
Shurley English Level 3 Student Workbook and Practice Booklet, 19.99 @Amazon
Spelling Workout C, 8.99 @Amazon
Spectrum Writing, 7.96 on sale @Mardel
History & Geography
Ancient Egypt Treasure Chest, 31.00 @Amazon
A Coloring Book of Ancient Egypt, 4.95 @Amazon
Geography Coloring Book, 14.87 @Amazon
Science
Adventures with Atoms and Molecules: Chemistry Experiments for Young People, Book 1, 6.00 @Amazon
Little One
Little One is signed up with ABCmouse.com (7.95/mo.) and we will be working on the core subjects at a Pre-K, Kindergarten level. I purchased the Phonics Readers Collection 2, 39.99 @Usborne
Grand Total...464.01
There are some things I haven't included like the cost for binders, tab dividers, other supplies, bookshelves, the monthly charges for ABCmouse, and the Jackdaw Portfolios Pilot will use this year. So, the bottom line (haha) is that this is not going to be cheap BUT the rewards will be worth the investment! :D
We will be using A LOT of books from the library, especially for History.
You might notice that Math is missing. We will be studying Math, but I am confident I can teach them Math using what I already have on hand, which is a book called The Only Math Book You'll Ever Need, a book I recently purchased from Usborne called See Inside Math (12.99), flashcards, and fun stuff I find on the Net.
Too late to be thinking this stuff now, right?
Here's a rundown of what I purchased and their, eek!, price. Items in green are for both Pilot and Storm Chaser.
Pilot (12yrs)
Language
Grammar and Composition 1, 55.50 @A Beka
Spelling Workout D, 8.00 @Amazon
Writing Strands 4, 4.96 @Amazon
History & Geography
Encyclopedia of World History, 39.99 @Usborne
Fun with Hieroglyphs, 16.49 @Amazon
By Jove game, 29.87 @Amazon
Make This Egyptian Temple, 13.94 @Amazon
Eyewitness Atlas of the World, 12.87 @Amazon
World Map, 7.99 on sale @Mardel
USA Map, already had on hand
Science
The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia, 21.67 @Amazon
Eyewitness Science: Chemistry, 10.13 @Amazon
Periodic Table, 1.99 on sale @Mardel
Logic
A Case of Red Herrings: Solving Mysteries through Critical Questioning, Book B1, 11.70 @Amazon
Mind Benders, B1, B2, B3, and B4, 15.16 @Amazon
Latin (We have been working on this all summer)
Latin Primer 1 Student Edition, 22.00 @Mardel
Latin Primer 1 Teacher Edition, 28.00 @Mardel
LP1 Audio Guide, 10.00 @Mardel
LP1 Flash Cards, 20.00 @ Mardel
Storm Chaser (will be 8yrs when we begin)
Language
Shurley English Level 3 Student Workbook and Practice Booklet, 19.99 @Amazon
Spelling Workout C, 8.99 @Amazon
Spectrum Writing, 7.96 on sale @Mardel
History & Geography
Ancient Egypt Treasure Chest, 31.00 @Amazon
A Coloring Book of Ancient Egypt, 4.95 @Amazon
Geography Coloring Book, 14.87 @Amazon
Science
Adventures with Atoms and Molecules: Chemistry Experiments for Young People, Book 1, 6.00 @Amazon
Little One
Little One is signed up with ABCmouse.com (7.95/mo.) and we will be working on the core subjects at a Pre-K, Kindergarten level. I purchased the Phonics Readers Collection 2, 39.99 @Usborne
Grand Total...464.01
There are some things I haven't included like the cost for binders, tab dividers, other supplies, bookshelves, the monthly charges for ABCmouse, and the Jackdaw Portfolios Pilot will use this year. So, the bottom line (haha) is that this is not going to be cheap BUT the rewards will be worth the investment! :D
We will be using A LOT of books from the library, especially for History.
You might notice that Math is missing. We will be studying Math, but I am confident I can teach them Math using what I already have on hand, which is a book called The Only Math Book You'll Ever Need, a book I recently purchased from Usborne called See Inside Math (12.99), flashcards, and fun stuff I find on the Net.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Spelling Help
Pilot is twelve and is roughly in the 7th grade. Because of a hearing disability and the lack of appropriate attention while in public school (on both my part and the school's part), his spelling has suffered. Today, I found a GREAT site to help him. Hopefully you find it useful, too!
http://www.spelling.hemscott.net/#memorizing
http://www.spelling.hemscott.net/#memorizing
Monday, July 2, 2012
Avoid Summer Brain Drain & Boredom
It's summertime but Pilot, Storm Chaser, and Little One aren't off the hook. You may have heard of 'Summer Brain Drain'. If not, read this Summerlearning.org Supposedly, by the end of summer, children have lost a significant amount of knowledge and skills they learned through the previous school year. Some ways to prevent this from happening are to read, read, read, send them to camps, and/or sign up for local activities at museums or art studios. Or...you could teach them Latin! (My kids are actually enjoying it).
You may be thinking that most of this stuff is too expensive and you would be right; however, look into these things anyway and if you don't see any information on scholarships, ASK! We were able to get a scholarship to help pay for Pilot to attend a week-long flight academy.
Also, here where I live, there is a studio that offers all kinds of activities--drawing, jewelry making, dancing, music, photography, pottery, and more--with fees ranging anywhere between $8 and $135. Maybe your town offers something similar.
Finally, check out Pinterest and do web searches for science projects or other fun activities to do. I recently set up a bottle rocket launch for the kids that required a water bottle for each kid, a cork, a long nail, paper towels, rubberbands, baking soda, and vinegar (instructions at the end of this post).
You might even consider joining a mom's club (there are dad's clubs out there, too. If not, start one!). They offer activities throughout the month and most of the time they're free since you'll be going to the park or each other's home to do crafts, book clubs, etc. Also, you'll have a chance to catch some adult conversation while the kids are playing with their new friends. I am a member of MOMS Club which is an international organization with chapters all over the place. If you want to check them out go to MOMS Club
Here are some links I've found helpful for curing boredom...
Insect Coloring Pages
Phees Coloring Pages
Creative Kids at Home
DLTK's Summer Activities (Little One and I enjoyed the Dominos game)
Or you might...
Make an indoor or outdoor (or both) treasure hunt--use scraps of paper to write clues that will take the kids all over the house or yard. The treasure can be something simple like some pretty rocks (I got some tumbled crystals from a local nature store), a few pieces of candy, or maybe even a dollar for each child. If you are feeling particularly ambitious you can even make an antique looking map of the house/yard. All you do is tear the edges of a piece of paper so they're uneven, crumple it up, straighten it out again and sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon all over it, rub the cinnamon in using a napkin, and draw your map!
Instructions for bottle rockets...
The only thing I had a hard time with was finding cork that would fit snugly in the opening of the water bottle (Those marshmallow corks you might encounter at a hobby shop don't work, btw).
1st, cut a piece of paper towel into fourths, push a long nail through each piece of cork (one for each bottle) so that if you put the cork into the water bottle, the sharp end of the nail is pointing up. This is what will secure your water bottle to the ground after you turn it upside down.
2nd, spread a couple spoonfuls of baking soda across the middle of a section of paper towel. Then roll it up. Take one end of the roll and fold it over enough so that you can secure it to the roll with a rubberband. Using the pointy end of the nail to poke holes all around your fuel packet. Now you have your fuel. Set aside for a moment.
3rd, put 1/4 to 1/2 cup of vinegar into the water bottle.
4th, place your fuel into the water bottle (Don't drop it in!) rubberband end down. Fold the other end of the fuel over the lip of the bottle and secure it with the cork. Now you're ready.
5th, flip the bottle over and plug it into the ground. Step back and watch the bottle shoot into the sky! Beware if it doesn't work right away. It might just take a minute for the vinegar to saturate the fuel packet. If you are certain it's a dud, you might add more baking soda in your next attempt. You'll have to experiment.
I hope this helps! Happy Summer!
You may be thinking that most of this stuff is too expensive and you would be right; however, look into these things anyway and if you don't see any information on scholarships, ASK! We were able to get a scholarship to help pay for Pilot to attend a week-long flight academy.
Also, here where I live, there is a studio that offers all kinds of activities--drawing, jewelry making, dancing, music, photography, pottery, and more--with fees ranging anywhere between $8 and $135. Maybe your town offers something similar.
Finally, check out Pinterest and do web searches for science projects or other fun activities to do. I recently set up a bottle rocket launch for the kids that required a water bottle for each kid, a cork, a long nail, paper towels, rubberbands, baking soda, and vinegar (instructions at the end of this post).
You might even consider joining a mom's club (there are dad's clubs out there, too. If not, start one!). They offer activities throughout the month and most of the time they're free since you'll be going to the park or each other's home to do crafts, book clubs, etc. Also, you'll have a chance to catch some adult conversation while the kids are playing with their new friends. I am a member of MOMS Club which is an international organization with chapters all over the place. If you want to check them out go to MOMS Club
Here are some links I've found helpful for curing boredom...
Insect Coloring Pages
Phees Coloring Pages
Creative Kids at Home
DLTK's Summer Activities (Little One and I enjoyed the Dominos game)
Or you might...
Make an indoor or outdoor (or both) treasure hunt--use scraps of paper to write clues that will take the kids all over the house or yard. The treasure can be something simple like some pretty rocks (I got some tumbled crystals from a local nature store), a few pieces of candy, or maybe even a dollar for each child. If you are feeling particularly ambitious you can even make an antique looking map of the house/yard. All you do is tear the edges of a piece of paper so they're uneven, crumple it up, straighten it out again and sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon all over it, rub the cinnamon in using a napkin, and draw your map!
Instructions for bottle rockets...
The only thing I had a hard time with was finding cork that would fit snugly in the opening of the water bottle (Those marshmallow corks you might encounter at a hobby shop don't work, btw).
1st, cut a piece of paper towel into fourths, push a long nail through each piece of cork (one for each bottle) so that if you put the cork into the water bottle, the sharp end of the nail is pointing up. This is what will secure your water bottle to the ground after you turn it upside down.
2nd, spread a couple spoonfuls of baking soda across the middle of a section of paper towel. Then roll it up. Take one end of the roll and fold it over enough so that you can secure it to the roll with a rubberband. Using the pointy end of the nail to poke holes all around your fuel packet. Now you have your fuel. Set aside for a moment.
3rd, put 1/4 to 1/2 cup of vinegar into the water bottle.
4th, place your fuel into the water bottle (Don't drop it in!) rubberband end down. Fold the other end of the fuel over the lip of the bottle and secure it with the cork. Now you're ready.
5th, flip the bottle over and plug it into the ground. Step back and watch the bottle shoot into the sky! Beware if it doesn't work right away. It might just take a minute for the vinegar to saturate the fuel packet. If you are certain it's a dud, you might add more baking soda in your next attempt. You'll have to experiment.
I hope this helps! Happy Summer!
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