Questions for parents who home school

I don't know of any location to get cheap materials. But I use materials from different sources such as: http:www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/palmasola/ where they have reading workshop, math workshop, writing workshop , science workshop etc which have helped me. I have also collected some US state assessment test sample links, some of which are interactive and some in PDF at http://www.freewebs.com/elemtestsample/ or http://assessmenttestsample.co.nr They might serve as free materials to use.

there are so many resources out there. a lot of times I buy my books off of ebay cheaper (as old) than I can from a publisher. We happen to teach a Catholic Curriculum so I use a lot of the older Catholic school books that are no longer in circulation. you can always go to the publisher of the books you are seeking, though, and see if they offer discounts as well. I went through a program the first few years before I felt confident enough to go it on my own, compiling our own curriculum. I still turn to a few of the programs for ideas. There is certainly a lot available online from unit studies to just about any thing you can think of.

Schools often have sales where they clear out all their old textbooks. This can be a good place to pick up some books very cheaply. I buy English readers at these sales, just to use as story books for my kids, but they sell other texts as well. Also, you can look online for a used curriculum forum. I´m not sure which is best, but I do know that my mom bought a lot of our books through these sorts of places. They were super cheap, five or ten bucks each and most of the books were practically new. They would have teacher´s guides too. One last resource that is great, Scholastic. http://www.scholastic.com Sign up as a teacher and they will send you a catalog that has very low prices. They offer all kinds of science, math and language books, as well as reference books for teachers for excellent prices.

if you type in free teaching materials you will get alot of stuff to come up. also go to arbor day foundation they have things there they will send you. so will pbs.org kids. there are lots of places. as far as everyday books i use alpha omega and skip the bible part. i get the books off of ebay and only pay like 50.00 for the whole year for english, math, science, history. wite-out does wonders lol. i like using this set of books cause they have the teachers guide plus it goes step by step for the kids too. it is easy for them to understand everything and they give all kinds of neat stuff with it.

Homeschooling takes a lot of planning in advance in order to make sure that you have the required materials for your child's curriculum. Of course, you can rely on the internet to download programs, many of which are absolutely free to you. Don't skimp on science and math, especially if you want your child to go to college. I've included a helpful link which points to inexpensive resources and ideas. There are some great suggestions on how to use your own community to find free resources. Here's the link and good luck to you and your daughter: http://www.homeschoolviews.com/articles/askamom/askamom-may05.html

I know this is an old subject, but your best bet instead of trying to find all the materials needed would be to locate a Virtual School in your area that provides all the curriculum needed along with a teacher or teachers to help out if needed. I homeschool my 2 older boys and we go through a Virtual School that provides everything. My 13 yr old has 6 teachers (6 courses) and he can email them or call them anytime he needs help if I am unable to help him. My 16 yr old is enrolled in another Virtual High School, but he has not started yet. So am not sure how it all works yet for him. Good Luck!