It may be six months before the next school year, but I know there are other moms out there just like me who have already begun planning and shopping around for next year’s curricula. As a veteran homeschooler, this is the point in the year when I start weighing next year’s options. What subjects will I be teaching? What have we been using that works for my student? What changes are needed? If you are a new homeschooler, I have some tried and true recommendations to share to help you on your quest.
- Cathy Duffy Reviews: Cathy Duffy’s Reviews is a gold mine. Not only does this website have all the major homeschool curricula brands for all grades and subjects, but each page includes detailed descriptions and accurate reviews. I have not been disappointed by this site yet. If you are just starting out, it may feel overwhelming to jump into all of the options, but this site will at least give you honest expectations that cannot be found on the curriculum company’s sales-heavy websites.
- Rainbow Resource: Rainbow Resource is a family owned company that sells a huge variety of homeschool resources beyond just curriculum, such as games and toys. They are know for their customer service! I have found the prices to be competitive with Amazon in the past and shipping is very reasonable (right now it’s free over $50). The best part is how well organized the site is. Just look at this page for Saxon Math. The site includes the books organized by grade, links to the placement tests, and suggestions for other helpful Saxon resources. The product reviews from this website from customers have been extremely helpful in the past, but it depends on what you are shopping for. Review on high school level items are scarce compared to lower grades.
- Christianbook.com: Christianbook’s online shop is another helpful place to shop for new homeschoolers. The website offers a huge selection of popular homeschool curricula at decent prices. The sales and offers for free shipping usually cycle throughout the year, so it is helpful to sign up for their email list to stay in the loop. Keep an eye out for sales on your chosen curricula. At the time of writing this, they are offering a selection of reading resources for 40% off! Christianbook also has a physical homeschool catalogue that they mail out periodically to customers which is fun to flip through and can be a good starting point for shopping if you need help finding resources for a particular subject.
- Teachers Pay Teachers: I know I am a little biased on this one since I have a TPT store for homeschool science, however Teachers Pay Teachers is an awesome site for finding teacher created year-long curricula for all grades and subjects. These year-long bundles often utilize online and printable resources, and can be a more affordable option for homeschool co-ops than a class set of physical textbooks. This site also runs periodic sitewide sales, and individual sellers can run sales in their shops whenever they want. I recommend following your favorite sellers to get email notifications on sales and new items.
- ebay: Before I purchase anything new, I always check ebay. Expensive curricula sets can be found used for a fraction of the cost. The drawback is that you are relying on seller integrity for the item’s condition, and I have received items that were not in as great shape as I thought they would be. Many used book store that sell on ebay are easy to work with to get issues fixed, but if you are buying a large set from an individual seller, be meticulous about checking their feedback scores, reading the description, and ask questions about the items and condition before bidding or buying. My go-to for most subjects is to purchase textbooks used on ebay and then purchase the consumables (workbooks, test packets, etc.) from Rainbow Resource or Christianbook.
It is never too early to start planning. Getting a list together sooner helps with budgeting and spacing out purchases, hopefully finding great deals and sales along the way!
North Star Homeschool Resources 