No matter what homeschooling style you have. Homeschooling requires some form of material. We use books, activities, time outside and toys often. But most of the material we use is based on interest and often digital. Digital products offer a ton of great features. Some are free and others cheap. There’s no end to different types of workbooks and activities. All you need is a good printer and some ink and paper and you are good to go.
Why Should I Buy Digital Instead of Physical?
But why go digital? I love flipping through real physical books. That’s part of the reason we go to the library about once a week. The thing is, books are expensive. There are also parts of the textbooks I don’t use. Especially the mixed curriculum books. Last year I bought two different mixed curriculum-themed books for 2nd grade. Turns out Aiden really didn’t like either of them. We did a page here and a page there but it felt like a collision waste of money.
As homeschoolers, you may find yourself teaching 5th-grade math to your second grade while trying to teach them how to read. We are confined to grade levels like they are in school. If your child excels you can easily pull ahead in one subject while they might struggle in another. At The end of the school year, you may have purchased a whole bunch of stuff that didn’t work out.
This is one of my favorite reasons for digital. If you want to do a study on the solar system you don’t need a huge in-depth textbook. You can grab something free off of Pinterest, go to the local planetarium and grab a couple of books from the library. And there’s no cost. Or if your child loves the subject get a telescope and start stargazing and figure out what big text you actually want.
Related Post: How to Homeschool When You Have No Clue Where to Start
What’s the Best Way to Find Good Quality Digital Products?
Obviously, you can find some here. We have free and paid workbooks available to you ranging from preschool through elementary age.
We usually grab free stuff ourselves on Pinterest.
And wait for sales with bundles or collections around July and August.
How to Handle Printing?
We have a simple inkjet print. It’s got to be about 10 years old from HP. We don’t have to have a full ink cartridge to print. If we’re using black and white (which is most of the time) the color cartridge doesn’t even have to be in. It’s not a feature I’ve found in newer printers, unfortunately.
The ink is one of the main things you should think about before making a printer purchase. How much is the cost and can I get a generic one and it will still work? Amazon offers subscription services for a lot of office products that make them cheaper if you use lots of ink. Otherwise, check what’s in your local box store and make sure there’s a big cartridge that’s affordable.
Your other option is usually a service for printing. Yes, it may cost you a little more but things like having it bound or just done for you may be worth the extra. I’ve used Office Depot when I want something printed and bound. It’s not as expensive as you might think. Ask if they have discounts for school. You may see 10-25% off for school work.
What Do You Do with the Copies?
I love to keep what we’re working on with us. It means if the mood strikes at the park we might be doing the day’s or week’s worth of work. Especially if nobody is around to play right then.
We use a thin folder with three prongs and pockets. I grabbed ours from Walmart. And keep them in my bag.
I also have one for me. It holds any instructions pages, finished work (that hasn’t been filed in the portfolio yet), or extra stuff for the next week (just in case we want to get ahead). I keep my paper log and reading list there too. As well as a few sheets of plain paper for notes.
What’s Available Right Now?
If you’re looking for some amazing material right now there’s an incredible collection of homeschooling products for all ages available for the next few days only. You can check out the previous one today as well as more information here.
(Full listing of products, webinars, and freebies)
Why I Love Digital Products and You Should Too
As price becomes a major factor for all of us digital is a cheap or even free option for homeschooling families. Let me know in the comments below what you feel about digital products and who your favorites are. And let me know if you buy the collection I’ll send you a free gift as a thank you for purchasing through my link.
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