Early Learning Should Be...

Inexpensive, fun, and flexible. Lack of money shouldn't be an obstacle to homeschooling, especially in the early years. Learning through play is so important are there are tons of early learning activities that can be done with inexpensive materials. Some helpful things for success and ease for pre-K and K would be the internet, a printer, some art supplies, and a library card. In the early years, you can even do well without internet access at home or a printer because most libraries have public access and you can research ideas for crafts and activites and make your own supplies.

Here are some of my favorite supplies that are inexpensive and can be used in so many ways:

•Dry erase boards and markers
•Cookie sheet for magnet activies
•Letter strips (I got mine at the Dollar Tree)
•Some kind of manipulative for math (ie bingo chips, little toys, counting blocks, paperclips, goldfish crackers/snack items, etc....)
•Play-doh (extra fun if you can get alphabet cookie cutter shapes)
•Sheet protectors (great for reusable worksheets)
•Basic art supplies like paper, pencils, markers, crayons

Each week I will spotlight great activities you can do with your little learners featuring supplies from this list, so make sure to check back for updates!

Microscopes are awesome!

If there was one big ticket item that I would recommend, it would be microscope. We have had so many great experiences with our microscope since the purchase and I have also really loved getting to see things. As a public school graduate, I would have loved to have the chance to see a bee or strand of hair under the microscope in elementary school. When I had a job after college that involved fixing phones, I got a huge kick out of looking at my finger at 10,000 times magnification.

I recommend getting a microscope that allows you to look at both slides and 3-d objects and we opted for the Thames and Kosmos Biology Tk2 Scope. I did a lot of research before purchasing and wanted to start with one that was affordable since my kids are still young. This scope came with the basics but also materials they can grow into as they learn to prepare slides. For now we are mostly enjoying seeing what things look like and coming up with new items to investigate. Currently on amazon, the scope is around $90, but I paid $65, so there are deals to be had if you do a little googling.

Here are some of the things that were really cool--

Bumblebee
Wasp (the stinger is so cool!)
A baby tooth
Feather
Black mold on bread (we wore masks to be on the safe side)
Hair
Cat's claw
Cat fur

I think my favorite so far was the black mold because it was so amazing to see much more than I expected and I can't wait to explore even more.

Staples Rewards

One of the best programs that I have enrolled in is the Staples Rewards program. For every ink cartridge that you recycle, you receive $2 back in rewards (up to 10 cartridges a month). I especially love this program because I buy discount ink cartridges online and my printer takes 5 total. Last month was my best month ever--I got cartridges for under $2 each, recycled the old ones at Staples, and was allowed to use rewards to purchase 200 sheets of 4x6 photo paper. The paper was an easy rebate item, so when it was all done, I received a check for $18 to take home 200 sheets of photo paper. With a little planning and searching for sales and discounts, you can get a lot of school supplies for free or very cheap. The Staples Easy Rebate program is great and really earns its name. It can all be done online and the information included on the receipt. Overall, Staples is a great place to do business when homeschooling on a budget.

Edited to reflect changes in the rewards program--the $2 credit is only valid now if you've spent $30 on ink or toner in the past 180 days. I have not used this service since the change, but the program could possibly still be useful. I also recommend checking Staples in general for their specials because they are a great source for inexpensive and sometimes free paper or items with their easy rebates.

Target Dollar Section

This addictive little section that grabs you as you walk through the doors can be a real treasure trove for a homeschooling parent on a budget. Although the best finds seem to happen right as the new school year is approaching, there are wonderful items offered year round. On my last journey, I found a 3 section supply holder that I saw for $14.95 in a teacher catalog. I paid $1. Very happy moment for this mommy. They also have great books and stickers for rewards and sometimes I've found mini workbooks. They also usually have cute pencils or pen sets, and sometimes letting my oldest use a special pen for his free writing exercises cuts back on the grumbling.

My best advice is to start really paying attention to the bargain section around July. For some reason, back to school stuff started popping up then and then it seemed to dwindle down by September. Last summer is when I found the pocket charts, a dry erase board with handwriting lines on one side, and several packs of flash cards. Also, check back periodically for new additions.

Washable Dry Erase Markers!

At last! Something I've wished for is here! Expo has made washable dry erase markers. If you haven't had the joy of having your sweet angel accidentally streak your shirt or shorts with a dry erase marker, this post might not be exciting. But as a mom that has to make sure my little one is wearing something that I don't mind getting ruined, I am thrilled with this new product. I haven't tested them out yet (I just got them yesterday) so i will post a follow up after the trial run. And I will definitely have her in ratty clothes as a backup in case the new miracle product lets me down. But if not, I will be over the moon excited. There are so many great activities that my 4 year old can do using dry erase markers and the thought of not having to look over my shoulder every second while I'm trying to teach my 6 year old is rather thrilling. And the bright colors and thinner point are a bonus too :)

Reusable Worksheets

A great way to save on printing and paper and is to make your own reusable worksheets. These worksheets can be a great way to occupy littler ones while you are doing school and helps them develop their fine motor and pre-writing skills. They can also be a great way to introduce mazes and connect the dots and will really stretch one workbook or activity book into hours of extra fun.

All you need is a 3 ring binder, some sheet protectors, and dry erase markers. Select the worksheets or printed pages that you would like to use, slip them in the sheet protectors, and then set your little one loose with a dry erase marker (but make sure they are wearing play clothes or a smock, since dry erase marker usually will stain clothing). The Dollar Tree is a great place to find workbooks that you can take apart and put into the sheet protectors, and they even have some workbooks that have the dry erase board built in. I got a great Disney Princess alphabet book there that teaches how to write the letters and my 3 year old girl loves it (even though she can't really write the letters well yet). I also printed out dotted outlines of shapes for her to trace to help her with her pre-writing skills and some worksheets where you circle which picture doesn't belong in each group.

I love the reusable worksheets because the pages that I've already printed for my older son are now being used for my daughter and I didn't have to go searching for sheets again and reprint everything. As the kids grow, you can switch out the worksheets in the sheet protectors. So the initial cost of the sheet protectors is well worth it for how long they last and for the many different uses that they serve.

I ♥ My Laminator :)

There is one investment that I really recommend, especially if you know you'd like to homeschool long term--a good laminator. They can be a bit pricey, but there are ways to get them at 40 or 50 percent off. Several national chains of craft stores regularly have 40 and 50 percent off coupons and sales, and I used one of those to purchase a laminator/bookbinder combo for about 60 dollars. It sounds like a lot until you figure in how much you can do with it. I have laminated things like the 100s number chart, special artwork, sent leaves through the laminator for a special project (that might have tested the poor machine's limits). I have also made my own hard cover photo books like what you would get from professional photo sites. There are some other brands that just laminate, so if the book binding doesn't appeal to you, then you could probably get a quality laminator starting around 35 dollars (with a sale coupon).

My most recent project for the laminator was a set of 100s cubes, 10 strips, and 1s cubes. I laminated them and put magnets on the back and now my son has a math manipulative for learning his place values. I plan to put them on a magnetic dry erase board and then he can move them around and write answers directly on the board. I have also laminated flash cards that I have printed from online and an alphabet strip to help him with his alphabetizing worksheets.

Overall, a laminator is really worth the price, especially if you can get it half off.

Editing post to add: I just realized that it's ok to mention store names, so i will tell you all where I got the great Your Story laminator with a coupon--AC Moore. Bad news is that they aren't located everywhere, so I googled and saw that Walmart carries it for only a few dollars more than the 40% off price at AC Moore and you can get it shipped to your local store for free :)