To buy or not to Buy

One of my absolute favorite things about Tapestry of Grace is the fact that we are using actual books. Even for lower grammar students (aprox. K-3) there are no "readers". My girls aren't reading random excerpts, but instead, complete stories. I have been pleased with the choices. Highlights from year 2 unit 2 have been - -
Children's' Shakespeare
Mother Goose (that took me by surprise; my 1st grader has enjoyed reading all of the poems in an over-the-top, animated way)
I, Juan de Pareja
Trial and Triumph

As I finish up a nine week unit my husband and I begin the "to buy or not to buy" discussions. Using real books is an educational joy and a financial strain. We live in a college town and have decent access to many of the books that are needed. Tapestry is purposefully designed to allow for book substitutions. In fact, the teacher's manual includes library call numbers, so that you do not have to work at finding similar books. That fact alone might lead you to ask, "what's the debate all about? Borrow the books and save some money." And you are right . . .I think.

My girls will reread books. My first grader has recently realized that she is actually reading. She has enjoyed returning to books from earlier in the year. She can measure her progress. She knows that she is reading something that was far too daunting in August. It is encouraging to her. My third grader is a devoted reader. The library is not large enough for her voracious literary appetite. A pile of great books seems like a reasonable investment.

So, here I am again. Weighing the pros and cons of purchasing verses borrowing.

purchase: creates a storage problem, means I once again wait for __________(random household item that, while not necessary, sure would be nice), means that if one child is sick and I don't make it to the library school can go on, and allows for the silly joy that comes with a pile of new books

borrowing: involves some extra work on my part, hello cute little house thingy that I keep not buying, can cause a set back if I am unable to make it to the library, teaches my children that they do not have to own every single thing

No matter the outcome of this debate, I can homeschool two children for half the price of sending one to a private school.

An unexpected adventure?

In 2007 my husband and I made a shocking decision. We chose to homeschool our oldest child. For us, it was an agonizing decision. We loved the idea of public school. The first step in our homeschooling journey was to come to grips with the fact that the public school in our area was not the best fit for our child at that time.

During the 2007-2008 school year we limped along. I focused on phonics and basic math skills. We spent the majority of our school time reading. In the spring of 2008 I went into research mode. I wanted a curriculum that would offer plenty of guidance without feeling confining. I wanted a curriculum that integrated all subjects, did not involve me making thousands of copies, would allow us to easily add in our other children as they got older, and involved reading lots of great books. My standard was high.

By the end of May I had been introduced to Tapestry of Grace. To be honest, I was unsure. The teacher's manual was enormous. The book list was overwhelming. I was curious, but skeptical. Knowing that I would need to continue to focus on phonics and basic math facts, I chose to buy one unit of year one. The 2008-2009 school year served as a test run.

After a few weeks of Year 1 Unit 1 I knew that we had found the right curriculum for our family. This year Lampstand Press chose to begin offering a digital version of Tapestry of Grace. Now users have the option of purchasing access to all of the great material without creating a significant storage problem for themselves. I am eager to read all of the great book selections with my children. I love that I am able to focus on learning with my children rather than the preparation. I love that I can adjust their writing assignments based on 12 learning levels. And the great books, have I mentioned that already? Ultimately two factors made the decision easy for me, the organization of the material and the book lists.

I am looking forward to sharing with you our learning adventure. I hope that you will leave comments with links to any sites that you have found helpful in your schooling endeavor.