Homeschooling can be quite the adventure. I’m not sure where we’ll go from here but this year, for pre-k, we are homeschooling. Homeschooling can also be quite expensive if you buy all the materials you can, expensive books, etc. However, it does not have to cost a lot, especially preschool. You can homeschool preschool for cheap with just a little effort. Here are the things we are doing so far to save money.
Use the internet
There are so many free resources online for homeschooling, especially for the younger grades. We use a lot of printable letter practice sheets as well as printable unit studies. Each month we have a different theme. For example, October is Fall Fun. I have found counting and patterns using pumpkins, sorting apples and leaves, etc. I find most things going through Pinterest as it makes it easy to find and save ideas and links.
Pinterest is also great for finding activities to go with your homeschool. Generally, my daughter is more of a “do worksheets” learner than she is a “hands on” learner (which is backwards for most preschoolers). But she does still like to do some projects. We will be doing paper plate sponge painted apples and thankful turkeys for two of our projects this fall. Here is my Homeschool-Preschool board if you are looking for some of the resources we use.
The dollar store/Walmart/Target
Not everything we do is with printables. I also use a few different workbooks to mash together a curriculum. We do a letter and a number of the week. There just isn’t enough to do a whole week in one book or in just printables. Dollar Tree has a ton of workbooks. One of our favorites came from Walmart and I have found a few cheap ones at Target. I even found a Frozen themed alphabet tracing book at Dollar General for $1. Perfect for my Frozen obsessed daughter.
Amazon
Amazon has been a great resources for manipulative. The trick with this is that you don’t need to buy every type out there. So far, colored counting bears have been enough for us. They are great for patterns, counting, learning to add, graphing, etc. I also plan on buying a tub of play money. Even if we only homeschool this year, it can later be used for playing store.
Use the library
There is zero need to buy a bunch of reading books to homeschool preschool at home when the library already has so many! Our library always has a display with books that match whatever is going on that month. It’s great for homeschool themes. There is also always inter-library loan. If I find a great resource for activities based a certain book but my library doesn’t have it, we can often borrow it from another library. There’s also the option of the weekly story time. This is a great way for your preschooler to play with other kids, have a fun craft, and learn at the same time. Not to mention, a great way for mom to make friends too. 😉
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I have a few friends who are teachers or were teachers. It’s amazing why they have for resources that they are often just going to get rid of. I have a few small whiteboards from a former teacher friend that have the lines on them to practice letters. My sister-in-law gave me a ton of play dough last year. My mom works in a school and sometimes runs across books or extra worksheets that are just being tossed out. Sometimes just letting people know that you are homeschooling and would appreciate if they keep their eyes open for anything being gotten rid of is all it takes to get some of the things you need.
Making the decision to homeschool can be a tough thing. It’s hard to know if homeschooling is going to be right for your family. Don’t let the financial side of it make the decision for you. You can homeschool preschool for cheap with just a little effort. If homeschooling is the right decision for your family, this tips can help you make it work for any size budget!
Katy says
I definitely think you can do homeschool preschool on the cheap with these tips! Preschool is such a great time for imagination from both teachers and pupils and last I checked, that was free. 🙂 #happynowlinkup
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Jennifer Bly says
Wonderful ideas you’ve shared here! I use a couple of these ideas in my homeschool / kindergarten!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Wishing you a lovely day Julie.
xoxo
#happynowlinkup
Jennifer Bly recently posted…How to Survive Daylight Saving Time (With Kids)
Julie says
Glad to know someone else uses some of the same ideas. 🙂
Jen says
I love this! I have been home schooling preschool this year. Mostly, because the potty training wasn’t where I wanted it to be. I love seeing what other parents are doing, because you are right it can get kind of expensive and your list is fantastic. Thanks for sharing this at the #happynowlinkup
Jen recently posted…Pumpkins, Nudists and Halloween 2016
Julie says
Thanks for visiting!
Leslie says
The thought of homeschooling always seems so overwhelming. It sounds a lot more approachable with these resources. Thanks for sharing!
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Julie says
The younger grades aren’t to overwhelming. I’m not sure I could do the upper grades.