Your First Homeschool Year: What to Buy (Almost Nothing)
Start with the boring things
Paper, pencils, a decent pencil sharpener, a clipboard, a printer, and a library card. That is most of a first year for a five year old, and it costs less than one boxed curriculum.
Buy one good material per area
Number rods, sandpaper letters, a set of colour tablets. One at a time, chosen when your child is ready. Not a full catalogue in September.
Skip the complete kits
Boxed kits feel like a plan and usually become storage. Buy the specific item you need for the week you need it, and let the rest wait.
Spend on the printer
If you are using printables, a reliable printer and cheap paper will do more for your year than any manipulative. Keep a folder of what you print and reuse it.
Budget for outings, not objects
Museums, farms, forests, the post office. Days out are remembered and cost less than a shelf of curriculum.
Buy nothing in the first month
Start with what you have, notice what is missing, then buy. Most first-year purchases are made in a panic and regretted by October.
Try it with your child
Montessori Kids has six hands-on activities for ages 4+. One-time purchase, no subscriptions.
Get it on the App StoreRelated guides
Montessori Homeschool vs a Traditional School Day
How a Montessori homeschool day differs from a traditional school day, what to borrow from each, and how to keep records without recreating a classroom at your kitchen table.
Montessori vs Traditional Classroom: A Teacher's View
A practical comparison of the Montessori and traditional classroom for teachers: planning, management, assessment, and what actually transfers if you switch.
Montessori vs Traditional Kindergarten: A Parent's Guide
The kindergarten year is usually the year families leave Montessori. Here is what the Montessori kindergarten year actually contains, and how it compares with a traditional one.