Rebekah, this was a fascinating question to me. I had never added up the totals before. Like most CMers, I've just collected books over the years and used what I have or scoured the library system. As Tara said, using the library can cut the total significantly.
Allow me to mention first that we certainly don't intend the SCM Curriculum Guide to be something you have to follow exactly. It's simply a framework and a starting point. You can swap in other books you already have, skip some, or otherwise customize it to fit your family.
But I was curious what it would cost for someone who wanted to purchase everything listed. Here's what I found.
(Skip to the bottom for the summary. But since you said you wanted details, I'm itemizing everything. :-) )
Math: RightStart set or MUS set @ $190 or $85
Beginning Reading: 3 readers @ $6 = $18
Copywork: $0
History/Geography/Bible:
(optional) Lesson Plans handbook @ $14.95
*Bible @ $8.57
True Story of Noah's Ark @ $15.67
Boy of the Pyramids @ $12.95
Growing Up in Ancient Egypt (OOP) Used @ $13.07
Seeker of Knowledge @ $6.95
Croco-Nile (OOP) Used @ $19.91
Shipwrecked Sailor (OOP) Used @ $28.93
Uncommon Traveler @ $6.95
*Material World @ $16.50
*Uncle Josh's Outline Map Book @ $15.95
Scripture Memory: $0
Science:
106 Days Lesson Plans @ $14.95
Yellow and Pink (OOP) Used @ $35.00
Cactus Hotel @ $7.95
Trellis and Seed @ $6.99
Footprints on Moon @ $7.95
Galileo and Stargazers @ $11.50
CLNR #1 @ $6.95
Blacky the Crow @ $2.50
Buster Bear @ $2.50
Box Turtle at Long Pond @ $14.03
Water Snake's Year (OOP) Used @ $19.95
Spoonbill Swamp @ $8.95
Really Happened to Dinosaurs @ $8.79
Old Mr. Toad @ $2.50
How Was I Born @ $11.56
My Five Senses @ $5.99
Helen Keller OR Out of Darkness Used 4.34 or $7.95
Your Skin and Mine @ $5.99
Science Experiments @ $8.99
Nature Study:
*Sketchbook @ $8.76
*4 Field guides (birds, trees, flowers, butterflies) @ $6.95 = $27.80
Poetry:
*Favorite Poems Old and New @ $17.81
Literature:
Charlotte's Web @ $7.99
Stuart Little @ $5.99
Trumpet of Swan @ $6.50
Popper's Penguins @ $6.99
Winnie-the-Pooh @ $16.49
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland @ $5.95
Peter Pan @ $5.99
*Picture Study:
6 artist books @ $40 = $240
OR calendars @ $12.99 = $77.64
OR postcards @ $1.50 = $9
Music Study:
*6 composer CDs @ 8.99 = $53.94
Hymn Study:
*Hymnal @ $10.99
*CD @ $10.99
Personal Dev:
Child's Book of Character Building, Vol. 1 @ $13.59
Totals and Summary:
I tried to assume the person had nothing already -- no Bible, no sketchbook, no music CDs -- nothing, and wanted to buy everything. Here are the totals, plus I divided them into months based on a traditional 9-month school year. That's when the costs started making sense to me, when I saw them per month and mentally compared them to private school tuition or recreational program fees. Very interesting.
Option 1: Buy all Resources, including rare OOP books, Bible, hymnal, field guides, art books at highest prices: $999.17 (about $111/month for 9-month school year)
Option 2: Buy all Resources except rare OOP books: $882.31 (about $98/month for 9 months)
Option 3: Buy all Resources except rare OOP books and expensive art books (use calendars or discounted art books instead): $719.95 (about $80/month for 9 months)
Option 3 separated into grade levels
1st Grade specific: $137.49 ($15/month)
1–3 Grade students all use: $333.51 ($37/month)
Note: A large portion of this amount is the manipulative set for math.
Family (*all grades) use during all years: $248.95 ($28/month)
As we mentioned above, you can do CM for a fraction of these costs (and most of us do!) by using the library, looking for used books, and taking advantage of sales and wishlists. :-)
Thanks for the question and the opportunity to do this exercise. It's astounding to me that, even if you purchased all these resources, you would be paying about $100 per month (only 9 months of the year), plus you would be building a phenomenal library for your entire family and grandchildren to use!
