A New Year - Re-use/Re-cycle

Happy 2011! Best wishes for a fantastic homeschooling year to everyone!

Often a new year encourages new plans, new resolutions, even new curriculum. But, you might want to think before throwing out those textbooks that are dust-collectors. On occasion we dumped an entire curriculum that just didn't fit our family. However, we have also been able to re-use old textbooks in creative ways.

In fact, we were "green" long before it was re-defined. Thick, dust-laden collegiate textbooks were stacked three high with boards laid across to make shelving units. Dog-eared tomes became flower presses. Photos from old workbooks were artistically re-used in science project montages. Paperback Zoo Book pictures were cut out and pasted into home-made alphabet booklets for the littlest ones.

We also incorporated a compare and contrast approach with subject material. What does Textbook A offer that is similar to or different from Textbook B, or Reference Material C? Teach your child to use the index pages in the back of the book to search for specific information. Then compare and contrast the different resources. Or compare the material with online resources. Compare different viewpoints, how the manner in which information is presented has changed, how our understanding of science, medicine and technology has expanded. This approach helps a child understand that information is fluid.

You can always share or trade resources with another homeschooling family, or donate books, puzzles and games to a local shelter or library. Your cast-offs may become someone else's treasure.