Find and Use Homeschool Books with Success

Homeschool books are one of my favorite subjects. They are fun to look at and use. I just love looking through catalogs and going to used homeschool curriculum sales and finding the books and resources that are just right for my children.

homeschool books

Where do you get your books?

One of the first questions many new homeschoolers ask is “Where do you get your materials?” I encourage people NOT to find their curriculum first and then make it fit their children. The best thing to do is look at how your children learn and what they do in their spare time so you can get a better handle on choosing materials that will help them learn best. Learning style assessments work well here if you want an accurate report on how your child learns best. Sometimes you can read books on learning style that help you get a better idea of what to purchase for your children.

Homeschool Catalogs

If you browse over homeschool catalogs, you can get a pretty good idea of the types of materials and books that are available. It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the material out there, but if you use a planner and focus on just ReadingWriting and Math at first and then add in other subjects as you get those nailed down, it will be easier to keep from getting overwhelmed. You can look here to find listings of some of my favorite homeschool resources.

Should you buy new or used homeschool books?

If you like to keep up on the latest edition of a homeschool curriculum, then you probably will always have to purchase your books new because many publishers change their editions every few years. If you don't mind using a gently worn book, then there are all kinds of places to find used books and curriculum. You can find them online or at Thrift stores and garage sales. eBay.com tends to be higher in price, but there are certainly deals to be found there as well. Amazon carries both new and used books and you can purchase them right away instead of waiting for an auction to end.

Textbooks or Resources?

Most homeschoolers will use a combination of textbooks, workbooks, and resources. While textbooks give the parents a sense of security that all the material will be covered, it is sometimes not the best way for a student to learn and retain material. If you find that textbooks are too expensive for you, there are some inexpensive homeschool books that you can use that work just as well.

Homeschool books are the base that will keep your homeschool moving along, but they don't have to replace your relationship with your children. Choose your books and resources wisely but realize that your relationship with your children is the most important treasure that you will ever have in homeschooling.