Examiner Articles

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Homeschooling on a Budget? Attend a Used Curriculum Sale.

Curriculum can be very expensive. Add to that supplies, field trips and other expenses and the cost of homeschooling can increase dramatically.

One way to curb spending, is to buy curriculum used. This can save a significant amount of money and enable parents to pick up books, charts, supplies, and even computer programs for a fraction of the cost. To recoup some money and/or help fund next year’s books, consider selling used curriculum at a local sale.

There are two major Used Curriculum sales in June and they are both looking for buyers and sellers.

The first sale is Circle Christian School’s annual Used Curriculum Sale. This event is in its twentieth year and is the largest sale in our area. For the first time ever, the event is in danger of being cancelled due to a lack of sellers. They are looking for 100 more sellers to make this event a success. It will be held Friday, June 3^rd from 9am to 11:30am at First Baptist Church Orlando. No children under 12 or rolling carts are allowed into the sale. Before you go, be sure to check the school’s website for any last minute information. Seller packet and event details are available here.

Central Florida Home Educators is the other major sale in June. The Willow Creek Sale has combined with The Reagent Academy sale to become Central Florida Home Educators. This event will be held on June 18^th from 8am – 12pm at Metro Life Church in Casselberry. There will be 150 plus sellers and it will be held on a Saturday for the first time. Again, no rolling carts or children under 10 will be allowed into the sale. More information on buying, selling or volunteering for this sale can be found here.

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Homeschool Convention 101

Florida Parent Educators Association (FPEA) will hold their annual homeschool convention from May 26 - 29. Every year, thousands of people converge on the convention to be lifted up and equipped for the new school year. If you are going for the first time, the experience can be overwhelming so here are some tips for the first timer.

The Venue

This year, the convention has returned to the BEAUTIFUL Gaylord Palms Resort. The best thing about Gaylord Palms is the activities. Bring the whole family and they can explore the resort for hours while you shop or attend conferences. Of course, your little ones will need supervision but dads love hanging out in the atrium.

The Speakers

FPEA has a list of all their speakers and their topics on the website. Basically, you can break them down this way.

Encouragement - Lectures that help encourage or lift up the homeschool family as a whole. These may focus on moms, dads, kids, teens, etc. You may laugh or cry but you will leave with a new insight into your own family.

How -To’s - These lectures help you with specifics on homeschooling. How to teach science, language, history. How to organize your homeschool. How to manage your time better. For these, the best advice is to glean information, don’t try to fit yourself into the speaker’s mold.

Vendor Workshops - These are usually curriculum specific or product specific. How to bind books, teach using a specific book, etc. If you find something new you think you love, go to the vendor workshop.

The Curriculum Hall

The PROMISED LAND!! This is either your heaven or, well you know. When you walk in this room, be prepared.

Here is typically what happens. You come into the convention and the speakers have GREAT ideas. You see all the topics and realize, “Oh no, I am not teaching Lilly latin and Bobby hasn’t had physics yet. They are going into 2nd grade. How could I have let them get this far behind?”

Of course this feeling of inadequacy is only fueled by the 2nd grade prodigy at the piano, the family in matching homemade clothes and the curriculum booth with smiling, polite children working together. These families are genuinely amazing but they are not typical. The typical family can’t play legos, will complain vehemently until you take the polka dot shirt off Bobby and require vaseline on the teeth to ensure a constant smile.

DO NOT fall into the inadequacy trap. You can easily overspend in the hall thinking you are not doing enough for your child. Usually that means lots of extra curriculum at home that will not be used.

To be successful, treat it like a trip to the grocery store. Go in with a plan and a list. Do your homework. Research potential curriculum online and use the booth to get your questions answered. Use the hall to get ideas and then do your research at home. Find out the online price so you know how deep the convention discount is.

Don’t forget, there are numerous used curriculum sales in Central Florida. Remember that you can probably get it cheaper somewhere else. This is especially true for readers and older editions.

Finally, enjoy the convention. This is a wonderful weekend that your entire family will enjoy. Set aside time to relax and spend time just hanging out. Don’t be fooled though. For the teacher, this is a working weekend so stay hydrated, eat well and be prepared. Go in with a plan and you will walk away ready to take on another year of educating your children at home.

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