If you use, or have used, Sonlight - I am interested to hear your thoughts/opinions. I am considering their "Core" packages for my Kindergartener and 8th grader next year. Thanks!
I've only tried to supplement our history with World History Pt1 from Core6, so take this with that salt. I found the IG difficult to follow. I had to *really study*, stop and figure out how to use it. Once I did, I suppose it's easy enough - a lot of flipping to find what I needed, and a lot of things I knew I wouldn't use. Core6 is for, obviously, 6th graders. Trying to use it for my almost-4th grader was highly unsuccessful. To that note, I've read from others who were highly displeased at the higher level of readers... and of some of the material introduced in those readers. (One of the 3rd grade LA readers talking about missionaries to prostitutes, or the K level reader talking about a girl beaten with a stick and locked in a cage for talking about Jesus. Those are the specific examples I've heard.) It LOOKS like it could be a good program, with the right kids. It didn't work here. I highly recommend looking into EACH of the individual books - via Amazon or something - before buying. JMHO
I don't use a core package but I do use their English program & I supplement my history from their reading list. I have no problem with the way it is set out (but I am an English lit major so am working in my strong area). However the program as set out is very academic & quite intense. We rarely do everything. There are so many books I am happy to cut out ones that don't work for us ~ ie dd thinks they're really boring or I have issues with content. Sonlight itself says you don't have to do everything so use your own discernment. The cores do not match the grade levels & the readers contain both easy & harder books. I have been very happy with how the program works for us but my 8th grader reads very well & is a visual learner. I don't think it would work so well for a kinesthetic/hands on type learner.
I have a 2- sided coin with SL. I used the Core 1 (purchased used) in grade 1 and didn't care for it. We liked more hands on activities to go with our reading, and it seemed to lack that. We just tried it again for grade 6 (Core 5 - eastern Hemisphere). It worked this year for several reasons. 1 - it was exactly the subject we were looking to study. 2 -- it included several elements I wanted to hit this time, namely map work, timelines, and narrative response to the readings. Then I just looked up art projects at Crayola.com that fit the locale were are studying to add on some supplemental matieral. I also picked up some of the Trail Guides as supplements as well. To sum up - I like it more for older grades - it hits more on what I have trying to do, but for elementary (grades 5 and under) I like to have more hands on and activities, so I use BF books with supplements or make my own curriculum study (there is a lot on the internet that is free if you are up to the task). I just use the recommended books from SL and BFB as a guide. I don't know if I will use SL next year (we are doing western civ and I plan on working with a 7th grader and 4th grader at different levels) and I have some ideas of my own to use. I hope this review helps!
I agree that it would have been suited for an older child. In addition, we're very kinesthetic-visual learners here as well, so that may have been part of our problem. All in all it LOOKS like a great program, and just didn't work for us. I'm sure it will work quite well for someone else, especially with a mid-grade child.
We love Sonlight. I will say though, that my kids and I do tons of activities... that are not in Sonlight. I just come up with them and we do them. We did Frescos and archeology digs and stamped hieroglyphics etc. They are not great about the hands on stuff. It is not hard to add that in though. They do pick out great books. The Missionary stories were a slight problem with my kids as well. I pre-read nearly everything though, so we skip some things. My kids are the kind of kids that can sit and listen to me read for hours. I have not found their limit for read aloud time. It is a little weird. We did their history and lang arts, readers and read alouds. I did my own Science, but next year I am debating getting their Science or looking at some Apologia. We really like the program, but it doesn't fit every kid.
I love Sonlight too. Like others have mentioned, sometimes the content is too mature. . .I actually do Core 2 with my 3rd grader and started out that way intentionally for that reason. (Likewise, I'm doing Core K with my 1st grader.) Consequently, I haven't run into anything yet that I've been uncomfortable with for her age. . . I love Sonlight and like pp said, we do lots of activities that aren't in there as well. I really believe that Sonlight has the best reading list put together and that it is worth the while to check it out regardless of what you decide to go with.
Generally SL recommends using the Core one less than the grade....for example, my 4th grader is doing Core 3 (and loves it....although we have modified but are still using the books just not following the IG). I'm not sure if we'll do Core 4 exactly or if I'll just order selected books. I had hoped to use it for all the kids but my oldest is a SL type kiddo but my younger two are NOT....and never really will be so I can't quite justify the full blown Cores since I won't be passing them down (or teaching them together....that failed miserably this year.) Overall, though, I would LOVE to be a SL kid myself. I pre-read alot of the advanced readers! Just got my new SL catalog in the mail. It really depends on the kid. My oldest is a history/reading girl so its a good fit. My other two are not (at least at this point). Core 3 (Early Am Hist) is the first core where the readers go with the history...some friends I know didn't enjoy the younger cores because of this....but others didn't find it a problem.........again probably depends on the kiddo.
Thanks for all the great info. I am excited about getting started with this in the fall. I was also wondering about the amount of hands-on activities. I had been looking at KONOS as well, but thought maybe it was TOO hands on and too time consuming. I love the idea of the lesson plans. I spend way too much time planning at the moment. We have always used an eclectic mix of curriculum, so this is a change for us, but a good one I hope!
I find that it's moderately easy to incorporate hands on things. We actually do a history scrapbook as we go through our courses. At the lower grade levels, there are actually activities in the Usborne books that they use. (Not on every page or with every lesson. . .but enough.) But what I find by using this approach is that my dc ask about things. . .which provides fodder for our hands on stuff. If they don't ask, that's something I simply read but don't dwell on. ;-)
What do you mean by scrapbooks? Do you take pictures and put them in, or what? Is it like notebooking?
I ordered the core plus for my girl when she was in K. I love/hate it. I love and appreciate it b/c I was introduced to Horizons which we love, and the phonics program she excelled in, but I spent $800 on it! Yikes! The readers were ridiculous. There were words in some of those books I didn't even know how to pronounce. I agree, I might glance at it again when she's older, but not now. WAY too costly.
