Curriculum Fairs for Homeschoolers

Curriculum Fairs provide homeschooling families an opportunity to see, hear, touch, and if needed smell materials they would like to utilize in their home in the near future. The downside to allowing homeschooling families this opportunity is that many people go in with hungrier eyes, and purchase way too many resources for their young child's brain at the time.

Fear not. It is still wise to browse and have the privilege to see these resources up close. The more hands-on experience you have with specific materials and curriculum, the wiser the decisions you can make for your child's educational goals.

One thing to be said is that you can go into a curriculum fair with hundreds of vendors, and not purchase anything. Yes, that might sound silly, but it can be done. The reason is because your time as well as the money you have to spend on curriculum are valuable resources to you - even commodities at times.

It is wise to acquire a listing of vendors that will be attending the homeschooling curriculum fair. This allows you to really research these companies ahead of time, browse their websites, request catalogs if you're interested, and delve into the materials they offer that you children might be using soon.

Many times, you'll find that you can quickly check off several companies that might not interest you, for instance: if your child is entering second grade, you probably have no need to speak with companies that cater to high school programs. So, the task of seeking wisdom from the fair becomes one step closer to not being daunting. Horray!

Know what you do want to look at. Know what you would like to teach or what your children would be interested in. If you go into a curriculum fair without any expectations of where you want to spend your time, you'll probably never get there. There is an abundance of material to see. Make sure you know what you really need or want to look at for each child before walking in to the fair. You can specify a company and what kind of subject you're looking for, and dive into the search, but it is wise to have a general guideline for yourself of what areas within the fair you want to get to.

Many people have a need of urgency to purchase items right away, I know, because I have done this, and then regretted a purchase later, having spent money that wasn't utilized to its fullest. Leave your credit card at home, if temptation really gets to you. The one offer that most of the curriculum vendors do offer is free shipping. However, many companies also offer free shipping with a specific order amount. So, weigh what is most important to you in terms of spending your money wisely. If you can curtail yourself and put items down saying you like it, but will just write down the information for later, you're probably safe. The bottom line is that you can always make that purchase later. Curriculum vendors don't disappear after the fairs. They're still around - they have great presence.

Catalogs are your friend. Many vendors offer catalogs for browsers to take and mark down items as they're searching for teaching tools. This is of great benefit to you because you can make your own notes, flag pages within the catalog of items you like, or write down your own comparisons of other products on the spot. Don't hesitate to grab catalogs. You can always pass them along to someone else in need if you're not interested.

Bring with you pens, paper, and pre-stamped address labels. This will allow you to leave your name and contact information with vendors that you really do like and have a means of getting in touch with. They often will mail you supplemental catalogs that you would have otherwise needed to request on their website or via telephone. It's good to be in the know when new products are coming out, especially if it corresponds with a program you're already working with.

Talk to the vendors! Most of them are homeschoolers too. They have all been through the same experiences we have - doubts of what curriculum to choose, what to buy in the end, and can often read these "feelings" on your face as you enter their vending space. Don't hesitate to ask questions. You'll realize that you have made yourself more knowledgeable and utilized your voice to really obtain the information you needed during the curriculum fair - even if you didn't make one purchase.

Spend your time and money wisely. Good luck.