Curriculum Catalogs

[Ashlovespat]

Where/how do you get them?

I went to a homeschool info meeting today, just one mom who HS her kids, telling us what she knows and has experienced to those who are thinking of it. She had a few curriculum catalogs for specific curriculum, and I didn't think to ask her about it. Do you just go to a curriculum's website and able to request them or ???? I'd like to get a few, of the ones I'm interested in, to start getting ideas on what to get or price ranges (even though I know I won't be buying for a while).

Is there anything wrong with buying a set curriculum or something, a couple of years before you would need it? I know they do updating and what not, but is it so much so that I'd want to wait to buy, or can I buy now and save it? I'm just thinking of spreading out the financing of it.

[Prima Knits]

That's what I have been doing. If I see something on the internet about a curriculum that I *may* be interested in, I see if they have a website and if they will send free samples or a catalog of what they offer. I have received about 3 or 4 of these over the course of the last month or so and I have to say Rod & Staff is the best one I received. I might not end up using their stuff, but they went above and beyond what they needed to send me and I even got a sample book (yes I said BOOK) of their grade 1 curriculum.
I bought my son's preschool program a year early because I got to go to the homeschool convention for free and if I bought it there I would get 20% off and not have to pay shipping. However, looking back on that I think I could have gotten it from christianbook.com for the same price. Also, if you don't mind buying used you should check out homeschoolclassifieds.com when you figure out what you want....or see if your local homeschooling groups have a used curriculum sale every year (ours is in June). My most recent score was the Sing Spell Read & Write program. I got The level 1, and the kindergarten readers from a gal for $105 shipped WITH insurance. I would've bought new if I HAD to, but I didn't want to.

[princessizziesmommy]

i just recieved a HUGE (1000+ page catalog) of a ton of different curriculum choices and individual course supplement ideas from rainbow resources. You can google them and request a catalog. I had NO idea it would be so much information! I am currently going through and highlighting things i am interested in for my DD's age. Then i am researching here and online a few other places, requesting samples from those specific programs and also checking with my library to see if any of the other books are available through them.

[domesticreformation]

Rainbow Resource is a great place to start. From there you'll start to see what you're interested in and even find other companies that you might like to request catalogs from. I love the Veritas Press catalog just to see what they recommend for literature selections at different grade levels.

As for buying several years in advance...I wouldn't recommend it. Curricula goes on sale every year, without fail, and there's a pretty good chance (if you're anything like me!) that if you keep researching you're going to end up finding something you like better It might be hard to tell 2 years in advance what kind of program is going to fit you, your children, and your whole family the best. That said though, if you are totally, seriously sold on a particular program and you find an amazing deal, then go ahead! There's nothing "wrong" with that!