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How/When do you present your year's books?
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If you buy all your books, when do you buy them, and when do you present them?
Do you buy them all at once, or as you need them? For example, do you buy all your history books all at once? Or term by term, or some other bit-by-bit method?
And second, how do you present them? Do you present the books as you are ready to use them? Or do you have a “lets look at the new year’s books!” day?
I saw a picture (I think in a Sonlight catalog) of a “new books arrive” day, featuring two children, absolutely giddy, digging through their huge box of new books. And I *loved* the idea. What a great way to get kids fired up about the new school year! But then I started to wonder… are the children then upset when they learn some books aren’t going to even be opened for several months? Or do they see the books on a shelf and savor the anticipation of reading them later? Or, is it a total non-issue?
I know some of this will vary from home to home of course… but I’d still like to hear examples. How do you present new “for school” books in your home?
Thanks for any input!
-Laura
PS my boys are aged 7, 4, and 1.
I mainly buy about a month before my next term and when I come across great finds at the used book store (that’s a very dangerous place!).
Yes, it is always exciting when the UPS guy shows up and mom says “Our Books!”. Everyone is excited.
At this point they just know that things are not for now; unless I get some that are, which I usually combine “school” books and pleasure books. I do have to put them in different places or they will be gotten into. That has happened; or one of mine will start it on time, but then keep reading it and finish early. This being our 3rd year, they know that some books are for now and some later. I’ve had to take the book when it’s set down and hide it because they will start browsing through it and go through a couple of chapters. That happened recently.
It’s always a big time; even the math book is an exciting moment. They think it’s such a big deal to start the next one!
We don’t buy all our books at the beginning of the year simply because it’s not financially possible for us. Even using the SCM curriculum guide, there are hundreds of dollars of books. I would LOVE to own all those books, but I also have to buy food and clothing and pay bills. That’s why we get many of our books from the library.
As far as presenting the books, I love the idea of digging through a big box of new books as soon as it arrives! However, and not to be a Negative Nancy here, my ds6 is a read-a-holic. I checked about 10 books from the library last week that were supposed to last us for 10 weeks of reading. He had 4 of them read in 3 days, and 2 of them were chapter books! He gets pretty upset when I bring home a new book and tell him he can’t read it just yet. I either place not-ready-to-read-yet books on a top shelf or I hide them.
When we begin a new resource, like 106 Days, I try to have the books we’ll need in advance; but as we come to those books, I just pull them out as if I’ve always had them. I don’t make a big deal out of it because the kids usually exclaim something like, “How did we get that book?!”
So that’s my perspective from the other side. I sure hope it doesn’t come across as negative!
Lindsey
Rachel, I agree – the used bookstore IS a very dangerous place!! It’s amazing how fast “but it’s only $2 here and it’s $15 at amazon!” adds up!
I’ll be buying and swapping from all sorts of used sources over the next few months for my older boys “2nd grade”, but I’m considering presenting them all at once. Just compiling them as I purchase them, into one, big, glorious, “Grade 2” box.
Lindsey, I don’t think you are being negative at all, and your input was very helpful. You brought up an excellent point regarding your son blasting through the books so quickly.
<<I don’t make a big deal out of it because the kids usually exclaim something like, “How did we get that book?!”>> We do this with picture books. I just slide them into the book basket because it’s a lot of fun when the kids discover them. 🙂
I’m definitely on the flip-side of the buy/checkout coin. Our library is very small and we’ve absolutely exhausted it. There is a really nice library several towns and 45 minutes away… I was *so* excited when I found it and saw how nice it was, that I bought a library card (I’m not a resident there so I have an annual fee) but I just can’t get out there often enough for it to be as useful as I had hoped. (I sometimes regret not saving myself the card fee and instead buying more books.)
Well anyhow, you gals have both given me some food for thought. Thank you!
-Laura
As a formerly homeschooled student, now beginning my own journey from the teaching side CM style, I unfortunately did Abeka and other workbook/boxed curricula. When it was shipped oversees to us of course everything was there at once and it Was glorious to sort and look and read. But once we actually started school nothing was new or interesting anymore as I had already delved into everything at least a little. Of course the Method of schooling was the biggest problem so maybe it would be different with living books, but in my mind I think for our own CM hs I will collect a bit at a time and present it as I get it/bring it out when needed. And that is what we can afford to do as well. Just my two cents.
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