What It Costs To Homeschool Your Child
Colin Joss
How much will homeschooling cost you? It varies for every family. What method you choose. What grade level your child's at. What information you can provide for lesson plans.
Homeschooling requires teaching materials like textbooks, workbooks, and during the science years, lab materials (not to mention project materials, too).
Investing in a curriculum is a good idea if you don't feel confident in developing your own. A good choise is one that includes a daily teacher's lesson plan.
Purchasing lesson plans can be quite expensive. To help cut costs, find out exactly what you need for your child's curriculum and check with the local public school to see if they will lend you some of their textbooks.
If not, check your local library for resources to use to teach your child's lessons. You can purchase new books for your child to use, but you might also be able to get by with buying used texts from a family whose kids are past that stage of learning.
Another great resource is the Internet. Why not search for some daily lesson plans and project ideas and print them out.
Network with other homeschooling parents. Many have book trades, where they either sell or give curriculums to other families who need them. You may have to change a few things to make it more personalized for your child, or supplement it with something you find at Barnes and Noble, but used materials can shave hundreds of dollars off of your expenses.
Make the most of field trips. Why not teach lessons at a zoo or museum? Ask your guide lots of question and turn it into a learning experience.
Nature hikes are a great way to teach your child about their environment. A walk through your local park can be turned into a wonderful learning experience. And your child will retain more.
Join a homeschooling community. A group of like-minded individuals will find it easier to get donations for much needed equipment like chalkboards and textbooks.
Visit garage sales, thrift stores, and flea markets to find chalkboards and notebooks. If you belong to a community of homeschoolers why not buying your materials in bulk?
Homeschooling can cost as much or as little as you want it to, depending on how you decide to develop your curriculum. It's been reported to cost some families almost $3,000 - but there are plenty of ways you can cut costs and work it into your budget.
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