I can be stubborn when money is involved. If I'm shelling out a significant amount of money for a book, I want to make sure I get my money's worth. I didn't even let Marina or Chase write in their cheap math workbook, because I figured I would be using it for Sierra eventually. After months of tears with a math text that simply was not working for Marina, I finally laid it aside and decided that my daughter's well-being was more important than the money invested in a book we didn't like. I remembered that I didn't need to push on with something that was creating math anxiety. And luckily, we had an extensive library system literally at our fingertips. I do a lot of my library book searches online and place holds so that the book is delivered to my local library branch. I discovered many different math texts and books that explained concepts in clearer ways. We became educational product testers, setting aside the books that were confusing and noting the ones we liked for future purchase. It's this flexibility that endears me to homeschooling. If a book or text is not working for us, we are not stuck with it. I wish I had had this option back in sixth grade when I was starting to get overwhelmed by math.
5 comments:
Hahahahaa!!!! OH my GOSH did this hit home! Absolutely fabulous. =D
Same, here. I'm finding that math is the toughest subject to find a good fit between student and textbook. (Well, finding a great writing curriculum match has also been a failure.) Then, before I throw my hands up and shout that I quit, I start recalling why I home school instead of sending the kids on the yellow bus...
PS Glad to know you and I are on the same page with the nurturing love thing... :)
Too true! I thought I was starting to waffle on our math choice for The Girl...then I read your comic. Then I was sure - there's waffling going on. Now I'm wondering if we should soldier through one more year (gr.8) of our chosen program before changing it up. Sticking with it would finish it off and round out her elementary math nicely...but it's not making anyone excited about math, that's for sure.
Stopped on over from the carnival - we have done the same thing in the past. Saxon math worked great for my daughter, but when it came to my boys it was TEARS and MISERY. Finally I chucked the whole thing, read tons of reviews and found a simple and obscure curriculum that was WONDERFUL for my boys. Thank God for homeschooling!
When my oldest child was nearing school age, I bought so many things, and in hindsight, a lot of it was wasted money. I also had many carefully laid plans for what our organized homeschooling days would look like, but those didn't all work out either. Like you said, the child's well being is worth more than the money spent. Now, we use the library extensively, so we can try things for free (except late fines) and buy used, if we buy at all. It's freeing (and more fun) to focus on the child rather than stressing about the cost.
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