Another place to check is http://used.addall.com/ for used books at lower prices.

Whenever I come across a book listed on the SCM Curriculum Guide and I can't find it at a library or to borrow from a friend, I always ask the members of this forum if they have suggestions for what to substitute.

If it's a book that I am convinced we shouldn't do without, I keep searching places like Homeschoolclassifieds.com or Amazon.com or Half.com until I find it at a price I can afford. Ebay is another possible source, used bookstores like Half Price Books or even Goodwill....just make a list of the books you need and keep it with you so you can snap up those garage sale or used book sale finds!

There is a book called "Homeschool Your Child For Free" by LauraMaery Gold and Joan M. Zielinski available for $13.00 on Amazon and it is full of free sites for every subject.  They aren't necessarily CM, but you can adapt as much as possible.

Using the free guides here you can get a pretty good sense of what you need, where you are going and how to get there.  This free ebook talks about it: http://simplycharlottemason.com/books/getting-started/

Check out this list for free resources:

http://simplycharlottemason.com/ - THE BEST homeschool method and site

http://www.geog.byu.edu/Assets/Maps/ free maps for geography and map drills

http://www.squidoo.com/cassatt-artist-study another awesome artist study

http://www.knowitall.org/instantreplay/content/LanguageIndex.cfm free foreign language lessons

http://www.myaudioschool.com/ - organized by history period lists of librivox.org’s public domain audio books and lots of extras

http://www.livingmath.net/ living math stuff

http://www.freetypinggame.net/ free typing class

http://www.multiplication.com/interactive_games.htm multiplication games

http://www.squidoo.com/drawingwithchildrennature free drawing lessons

http://www.preschoolexpress.com/alphabet_station.shtml alphabet and number and more activities

http://www.squidoo.com/harmony-fine-arts-mini-units picture and composer studies

http://momstoolbelt.com/moms-home-journal organizing your life and homeschool

http://cgfa.acropolisinc.com/index.html artists and their works

http://notebookingpages.com/ Free stuff, and then the membership was worth every cent!! Pages for every subject and style!! LOVE this.

http://pattyreedsdoll.blogspot.com/ American history

http://littlehouseteachersguides.blogspot.com/ Laura’s stuff

http://jcps.jefferson.k12.ky.us/AngelUploads/Files/garmstr1/themesandunits.htm free games, activities, flashcards, and theme units

http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/by_artist.php?Artist_ID=535 Eastman Johnson artwork

http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/sitemap/sitemap.php Free timeline figures – awesome!

http://www.heritage-history.com/www/heritage.php - fabulous living history books

http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/p/summer-nature-study-outdoor-hour.html there are others too, and it can be free or purchased.

Hope this helps.

Here is a series of blog posts that talk about the process of planning.  Maybe that will help you on your journey.

http://simplycharlottemason.com/series/planning/

I agree-- you could use the library for everything.

My good friend homeschooled completely using the library and free stuff on the Internet.

That is the beauty of the CM method.

Here is a site that has a whole curriculum for all grades for free.

http://oldfashionededucation.com/fullcurriculum.htm

Yes, you could use the above guide and try to find as many things as possible at the library.  If the library doesn't have an exact book on the list, you can always substitute.  You also might want to check Book Samaritan...they give books to homeschoolers in need.  I also believe Freely Educate is the site w/lots of freebie ideas.  HTH some!  Gina

P.S. And if you'd like it organized, I think the $11 (I believe that's the price) for the SCM guides would be well worth it to have your schedule planned out for you (but I guess that would mainly be worth it if you were going to use most/all of the suggested books).

This is the guide that suggests what books to use for each subject: http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/

Is that what you are asking?

I have ben a homeschool mom sense my 15 year old started pre-k. We had a few hard years and this year has prooved to be hardest of all. My choice to stop homeschooling at the end of last year was one of my hardest to ever make. Now my 12 year old is back to finish this year back in homeschool. She didn't have any trouble with the lessons it was the teasing from boys and manditory sports acctivity that stifeled her. Now she is withdrawn from public but not inroled in our unbrella because I have not got a set corriculum yet. I have ben looking for this web site sence me cousins wife told me about it 2 years ago. However now that I have found it I really need help figuring out the system. I am very oganizational but not that good at staying oganized. I am really not good atputting together a good corriculum all on my own I usually just get a handmedown or get someone to order me one. But, now I am about as broke as thay come, no real job, and 5 kids to care for and I just need all the help I can get. Please don't think of me as a begger it is really out of carrictor for me to ask for help but this is the closest method to the way I used to do thing as I have bene able to find and I relly would like to make o go of it.