Tapestry
of Grace
An integrated, classical approach to educating your children.
The 4-Year Plan
--Adjusting the cycle to fit your family's needs
Planning Aids for the Busy Mom of Multi-grade Students
Print
a sample week to look at as you step through our explanation.
Costs
Costs
What does Tapestry cost?
- The basic price of a Tapestry Year-Plan is $150. (To see what you get in a complete Year-Plan in terms of content, and FREE new disk that is included in this new price, please click here.)
- You can also buy Tapestry by the unit. There are five separately-sold components for each Year-Plan: the BASE + Units 1-4. The BASE is necessary for full implementation of each unit for a Year-Plan. Each Year-Plan's BASE is specific to each unit (in other words, one BASE does not fit all Year-Plans). The price of each BASE and Unit component is $35 each.
- Tapestry of Grace is a PLAN of study, with many aids included for teachers and students of all ages. You will need to purchase resource books in order to implement the plan. See the books we recommend!
Costs of books needed to implement the Tapestry plans
Question: What’s the bottom line price for resource
books?
Answer: We would love to be able to give you a "bottom line" price, but there are simply so many options that it’s not possible. Of the recommended books on the Year 1 list, about 1/3 were in the author's public library. Even more were available for subjects covered in Years 2 and 3. Many of the rest were books she already had on her shelves. Friends lent her some books. She bought the rest. Marcia is aware that most of us are on single incomes, and purchasing resources can be burdensome. Remember, though, that this book price is the price of your child’s classics-based education. In life, it’s usually true that you get what you pay for. Here are a few thoughts from Marcia on purchasing, and on economizing.
Because I want you to use books already on your shelf, or choose books wherever you may happen upon them, I was reluctant to publish a list of "first choice" books. However, some of you are just starting, and such a list will serve you.
Question: Is it better to buy
books, or use the library?
Answer: That depends. If you have a large family, spread over a wide range of ages, this curriculum will serve you well, economically. You will be able to build a wonderful home library over the years by following my recommendations. In such a family, the books bought for the oldest child will be used over and over as younger children grow up. If you have fewer children to teach, or after you've built this library, you have three basic choices:
- Resell used books as your youngest child grows up.
- You could keep them all for your grandchildren!
- You may have a third option. If others are using Tapestry in your area, why not lend or rent the books (1/2 cover price) for a year? After two years, your books would be paid for, and two families would bless you for your generosity!
Tips: Advantages
to buying and ways to manage costs
First, even if you only have a few children, purchasing books vastly simplifies your life in both planning and executing the curriculum.
Next, Tapestry's Resource List includes information on what weeks the books referenced are to be used. You can purchase the books over the course of the school year, and so spread out the costs. Beware backlogs in the fall: publishers are busier then than any other time. Try to order as much ahead as you can.
Some books, especially Usborne books, come in "bind-ups"-essentially, anthologies. Most curriculum vendors assume that you'll want to separate your units, and sell the books separately. But you can save lots of money by buying anthologies and bind-ups, as long as you'll be doing the units included.
Question: Can I download the books you recommend?
Answer: Can you ever! Since we study the whole scope of history, most of the classics we recommend are in the public domain. Take a look at our links to free Year 2 classics online!
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