Homeschooling Resources

I had a couple of moms asking me where I have been getting my homeschooling resources from. Getting stuff locally can be really expensive & so I either source for deals online in US site or pre-loved locally. Whilst I would love to DIY stuff myself, it just doesn't make sense for me to do so given the time it takes. I have made some preschool activities on my own but all that cutting, sticking & laminating was eating away all that precious time I could have with the kids. And so I really rather buy that make or borrow.


AMAZON

We come from a family of book lovers. We have awesome libraries but the reality is, how many of us have the time & energy to bring our kids to the library everyday? When Leah was born, I started sources for books online. Then I found the amazing world of Amazon! Omg! Seriously, of all the online stores I could get books from, none have prices that are comparable with Amazon. They are easily 50% cheaper than Popular & STILL a little cheaper that Book Depository. Not to mention the awesome variety that they have. Amazon ships to Singapore for free if you spend a minimum of USD125. Which really isn't that hard. Lol!

Besides books, toys, teaching aids, learning resources are all alot cheaper. Since I have already started preparing for Leah's Primary 1 curriculum, I have also started buying related books and learning resources from Amazon in preparation.

Let's just say that I am not sorry for all that money I have been spending on Amazon. I have skipped on buying clothes, shoes and hell, I have reduced my hair cuts to once a year. I kid you not. BUT, I am not sorry.

Link: http://www.amazon.com/


PRE-LOVED

Our other avenue for resources is from fellow homeschooling moms. Kids outgrow stuff all the time & what is useless for one family could very well be what you need at that moment for a fraction of the price it is sold in stores. So always keep active in Mom groups! Like they say, "Moms helps moms & moms support moms!"



US HOMESCHOOLING SITES

Depending on which curriculum you have picked, their respective site would carry the full range of whatever you need. I have found "Rainbow Resources Centre" to be particularly useful. They carry various different homeschooling curriculums. Which is really helpful if you happen to be one of those moms that like to customise and use bits of different curriculums all at a go.

Link: http://www.rainbowresource.com/



LOCAL PRINTABLES

If you are into printables, there are plenty of free printables available online. Make google your best friend and the only thing you will lack is printer ink and energy with all that cutting & laminating going on. Locally, I have found "Preschool Resources" extremely useful. I have downloaded, printed & laminated a couple of activites from the site and it has turned out awesome!

Link: http://preschoolresources.sg/


Dos...

1. Do make price comparisions. Some sites are cheaper than other but some sites do not offer free international shipping. 
2. Do read the reviews. Especially on Amazon. I find the reviews especially helpful when trying to decide on a purchase.
3. Do be selective. It doesn't mean if a range of books are extremely cheap that you should buy it. Always narrow down your choices based on your needs.

Don'ts...

1. Don't lowball another mom. While it is alright to ask for a price reduction, no one appreciates a cheapskate. After all the mom you are buying a pre-loved resource from is also sourcing for other resources for her kids. So be respectful of other moms when you are shopping for pre-loved stuff.
2. Don't stop. Browsing different sites is a wonderful way of discovering what's new & what's useful for your kids. Plenty of the resources I have come across online, I have never seen them before in my time. 

I hope this has been useful for some of you. I am still learning as I go along & discovering plenty. I will share as I uncover the secrets. Hee... In the meantime, happy sourcing and share the love!