Check out their website-A Beka has representatives that travel for “Home School Materials Displays” where they have EVERY product available for viewing, for EACH grade-not just a sample, either, but the full product. If you order at one of these displays, you do not pay shipping either which can save you a fair amount of money.

At the displays, they also have some free materials-catalogs, DVDs, pamphlets, Scope and Sequence, etc.

Another option is to find a curriculum fair-HSLDA’s website usually has these listed under upcoming events, or they might be mentioned in homeschool magazines. If you are a member of a homeschool support group, see if you can organize a night where everyone brings their curriculum for others to view so they can get an idea of what they like.

Rainbow Resource has a free catalog that is HUGE-like a phone book, seriously. They list materials from various different publishers and resources and usually have a picture and good description, though it is not the same as viewing.

Some material providers will send you samples if you ask.

Otherwise look in your phone book for educational supply stores or teacher supply store, ask them if they carry homeschool curriculum, many do.

If you have no luck finding a place where you can look them over there http://www.christianbook.com lets you see sample pages from most of the books, (and if you are not Christian, don’t worry, they carry many items that are secular). You can also try http://www.rainbowresource.com and ask for their print catalog. While you can not see the items first, you can read very detailed descriptions of each item, these descriptions seem to me to be non-biased, often pointing out the weaknesses as well as the strengths of the items.

Be sure to check into return policies, that way if you get something you know you will hate, you can send it back.

Another good way to see curriculum is to join a support group and ask people what they are using or have used in the past, most will be happy to show you both what they love, and what they’ve hated!

There are also home school teacher stores; not every area has one, but you can check.

Another option would be to attend a home school convention, just about every state hosts one every year; if you missed the one in you state visit one in a neighboring state, these conventions have many vendors who will come and show their books/curriculum’s as well as workshops that relate to all aspects of home schooling.

If your home school group, or state organization does not always keep a list of contact numbers/e-mail addresses for this, just type in home school conventions, you may get the information that way.

Good luck.