To share or not to share books--WDYD?

[Carmen_and_Company]

Okay, next both my dc left at home will be logic stage. Both read & comprehend above grade level, thus, will read the same titles the majority of time. Outside of spine titles, do you buy each child their own copy of a title or do your dc share the same book by reading at different times?

I plan to assign roughly 12-16 titles across all subject areas as required reading for the year.

What would you do?

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Hmm, if money isn't an issue (most classics can be picked up in pocket book form (Penguin Classics, etc) for only $3 or $4. I'd get them each their own copy. It could mess with a schedule (assuming you have one) if one has to wait for the other to finish. Plus, they might enjoy discussing the books they're reading at the same time. That's quite valuable.

Unless it's too cost prohibitive, I'd get them their own copies, and have "book club" meetings regularly to discuss the book. Maybe even include drinks and cookies, to make it like an official book club. :)

[StephanieZ]

I buy loads of books, but almost never duplicates. The only thing I buy duplicates of are consumable workbooks. My two older dc share loads of reading materials for SonLight and other stuff -- including text books for latin, etc. They share one computer. . . It would seem extremely wasteful to me to buy duplicates when not essential.

It is no problem to arrange to time-share reading materials, about an hour a day of our reading assignments are from shared materials and it's no problem; I guess if it were 3 or more hours a day from shared materials, it could get difficult to arrange to mutual convenience, but up to that, it's easy (for us). I think sharing is an important skill as is frugality, so I think for the principle alone it is worthwhile to plan to share when possible.

[MicheleinMN]

I now buy my children each his/her own copy of a book if at all possible. I didn't before high school, in jr. high/middle school (so logic stage) they shared books, and I had them read on different days. But for high school, I think they need to each have a book to make notes, and especially when it is a long book that they may need to read after school hours.

HTH,
Michele

[Marsha]

If they were scheduled at the same time, then I would buy duplicates...
If they were scheduled to be read at seperate times, then I wouldn't.

[Night Elf]

I would ask the boys how they feel about it. My answer comes from my own family experience homeschooling 2 children close in age. One doesn't mind sharing materials but the other is absolutely against it. Granted, he has Asperger's Syndrome which makes him different from his sister. However, my DH and I feel that schoolwork is something that is vitally important and we're not willing to sacrifice our children's educational objectives to save money. In other words, if my son will do better work with his own set of materials then it's our obligation and privilege to provide those materials to him.

[LadyAberlin]

have you every used paperbackswap.com? You could get duplicates from there and when they are done with the books just post them back on there. I love it. It might cut down on expenses. HTH

[Carmen_and_Company]

Thanks, I'll make sure that dd and ds have their own sets. I never had to deal with any of my dc reading the same literature selections during the same rotation as they all were at different levels of reading & comprehension. Hmmm, and dd, the middle child, does not share well, as she keeps her stuff nice & neat, and her younger brother does not.

Now, to hit the used venues as I have several OP titles that I need to find second copies of for ds, Blaze.

[Jen in DE]

I agree that it's best for them to have their own copies, so no one is rushed.