Now that there is so much homeschool curriculum available, there are also so many places to buy it. You can buy it from the author or major retailer or you can purchase your used homeschool curriculum through various sources. Once you have a list of what you want to buy for your local school, you can use the list below to find the best priced books and resources.
1. Internet: The world is open to you on the Internet. You don’t have to drive across the state to find a great deal at a homeschool fair or garage sale. eBay seems to be the most popular place to buy home school books, although it’s not the cheapest place. I bought home school books at book sales and then sold them for much more than my purchase price on eBay. Homeschool classifieds are another good place to buy a homeschool curriculum online. It is a well organized site with good prices.
2. Library: I used to buy some books at the library, but usually I didn’t find exactly what I wanted there. Many libraries now use a resource system where you can get just about any book you want from another library. I do all of this online. I order the book from my library’s internet system and ask them to send it directly to my local library. So my library calls me and informs me that the book is available. I can manage my account online and see when my books are due and even renew online. This system has also helped my daughter do a lot of research on how to make her own spa products. He asks for the books from everywhere and has a wealth of information to use in researching her.
3. Goodwill/Thrift Stores/Garage Sales: If you like browsing through used books, you can find great deals at these stores. They may have resources you can use, but I’ve also found homeschool curriculum at these places.
4. Retired Teachers: Many times retiring elementary teachers will have a garage sale or put an ad in the classifieds section of the newspaper selling their classroom resources and books. They often have paper, art supplies, pens, and markers that any homeschool can use at any time.
5. Used Homeschool Curriculum Sales: Depending on where you live, you may be able to find great deals from other homeschoolers who want to sell the books they no longer use. If the sale happens year after year, you can choose your favorite sale and put it on your calendar each year. This way you have the opportunity to review many types of books. I know I thought about buying a syllabus and then after looking at it at a home school book fair, I realized it wasn’t for us. I enjoy being able to see many different resumes that other people have used. If I keep seeing the same unused books over and over again, I can tell that not many homeschoolers were happy with the books.
6. Retailers: Obviously, you can buy directly from the author or developer of a curriculum. I think you could get more support for the product if you buy this way. They should be willing to answer any questions or provide support from someone who has purchased directly from them at retail.
Sometimes the maze of homeschool curriculum can be overwhelming, but if you make a list of each child, the subjects they need to study, and the books under each subject, you can at least work with that list. Knowing your child’s learning style and favorite style of homeschooling will help you make a more informed decision about which curriculum or books to purchase.