SL vs. VP

[Niranut]

I think we are leaving Sonlight, but would like to share our story and get any feedback from more seasoned homeschoolers on things I may be missing or not considering.

 

We have been with SL since the beginning of our homeschooling journey.  We've done P3/4, P4/5, Core A, and are now on Core B.  I also bought Core C and have it ready to go, but...

 

We started Core B last year with my oldest, but didn't get too far as we were traveling for half of the year and focused on life experience instead of history.

 

So this year, we pulled out Core B again, and I'm glad this is how things worked out as now my youngest is also able to keep up, so all 3 of my kiddos (ages 6yo, 7yo, and 8yo) are able to share a core for the first time.  But...

 

We also added in the Veritas Press online self paced history this year and I am finding it so much more organized and my kids are really retaining and getting history with minimal effort all around-- it's just presented really well, in short lessons, and all 3 of my kids share the class and know the material equally well.

 

The big issues I've had with SL in these early years is that the IG has you go through the books in a kind of convoluted, haphazard way-- skipping around, or reading a short passage every Friday (I really wish the 5-day schedule was a true 5-day schedule and not the 4-day schedule with a few add-ons for the 5th day...).  P4/5 was our first "real" IG, and yet we were hopping around the books, when it was just as easy to read through them front to back.  Then came Core A-- also hopping and jumping around for our overview of history.  We get a little out of it, but not as much as I'd like for the money we spend on the IG's.  And now we're in Core B and not really getting to anything exciting history wise until several weeks in.  

 

I often read that the SL cores get good a few cores from now.  But I don't want to buy a few cores now just to bide our time til we get to the "good ones"...  For those with SL experience, when do things get a little more cohesive?  

 

For us right now, we do not do SL Bible, as that too just jumps around too much.  Memory verses are from here and there.  The devotional book in Core B is nice, but we went through that quickly enough.  So we added in the VP online Bible course-- and my kids are now really learning (and memorizing) their Bible, from the beginning to the end (we also supplement with materials specific to our denomination).

 

We tried Sonlights language arts at the K level, both before and after its renovation, and were equally unimpressed.  So we just work through the ETC books and our handwriting books, and then add in AAS and FFL/WWE when appropriate.  

 

I never did give SL Science a try, as I never was able to get a complete materials list from anyone (i.e. what I can buy in the kit AND what I need to provide myself).  We live overseas and "common household materials" is very relative.  So we ended up with Apologia and their complete experiment kits.

 

And then there's the read alouds, which we love.  We always read way more than what is included in the core and are way ahead at all times, which is nice since it allows us to read sequels or other titles.  We often pull from the reading lists over at Ambleside and also VP.

 

Which leaves us with SL History.  I already have the books and IGs for Cores B & C, and we are reading the books as we go through our VP class.  But I find the IG a bit overwhelming in its organization and am having a hard time getting past that.

 

Anyone else out there having similar issues?  I feel like I've already made my decision-- go with VP history and supplement with SL books.  All other subjects are already non-SL already.  But I also feel sad to leave...  

 

Am I missing anything?  Are there other things I should consider?  And when is it in the later SL cores that things begin to mesh a little better?  Is there a certain core/cores where people come back when their kids are older?  Or maybe we will continue with our love of VP self-paced courses and just stick with them.  

 

Thanks for listening.  I appreciate any feedback or thoughts.

[ByGrace3]

I love SL readers and read alouds, the history not so much. The IG? Nope. I have found that VP history with SL readers and read alouds is perfect for us.

[TheAttachedMama]

Hi there! I recognize you from the sl forums. (I'm Cathy_Ohio on there.).

 

I posted a similar thread awhile back. (Basically asking for permission to use something other than sonlight. lol ) Sonlight is what initially got me excited about homeschooling! So it seemed wrong to switch to something else. It was scary to venture off on my own. There are so many things I like about sonlight: the format of their schedule, their book picks, etc.etc. but I was often annoyed by *some* aspects of the program.

 

However this year we ended up using SOTW for history and RSO for science, and it has been THE best himeschool year ever. I made my own little core schedule with two days of history reading and two days of science reading per week. I also included sonlight readers and read alouds. We have been enjoying school so much more this year. It's everything I love about sonlight....without all of the stuff I don't love. ;). So go ahead: Do your own thing!

[PeterPan]

I used VP with my dd first with the printed materials and then again when they came out with the self-paced online.  They're VERY flexible, as you're saying.  It's so easy to take the SL books you love and weave them in.  I used book lists from SL, TQ, you name it.  What I did was start with my pile and make post-it notes for what VP card they corresponded with.  Then I put them on the shelf in order by the post-it notes.  When we started a new card, it was easy to pull the books and have a pile.   :)

 

SL's draw was that emotional side, and I think you have to break free from it and do what's really best for your kids.  Later down the road that emotional tug for me was with TOG.  It's really neat, just doesn't happen to fit my student!  Maybe someday, sigh.  I'm just saying there's always something like that and to recognize how they're getting at you and do what you think is best.  It's also not accurate to think you're missing something.  Expectations vary with people, and frankly kids vary.  Some kids make a lot more connections than others.  If VP is making things gel for your kids, roll with it!   :)

 

PS.  Did you see the Detweilers are going to be speaking at a few conventions this year?  

[merylvdm]

I homeschooled with SL all the way through - my youngest has now decided to go to school (high school) but I used all the cores. We started when we moved to the US and my kids were 8th, 5th, 2nd and 3 years old when we started homeschooling. So we started with the upper cores. I did do the younger ones with my youngest and what you are describing rings some bells but by that stage I was so busy coping with 2 high schoolers and a middle schooler that I wouldn't have been too bothered by anything I don't think!

 

But - although I used SL all the way - I adapted it to us. I added extra Bible. I added more "formal" geography (over a few years we went through every continent using a variety of resources). We did use SL science and it worked fine for us. I added in extra art appreciation and music appreciation. And economics. And computers. 

 

So basically what I am saying is - you need to make it work for you. For us it was Sonlight and ... For you it sounds like it will be VP and SL and maybe others stuff too. That's the beauty of homeschooling. And you may find that you tweak for each child too - I would have loved to do the same for each child - but that just didn't work so I had to do things slightly differently for each.

 

If you do decide to go back to SL ever - SL 5 (the Eastern Hemisphere one - not sure what it is called now) is quite unique and worth doing.

[Niranut]

Thanks so much for all of the feedback-- all most appreciated!  I think I was getting a bit hung up on the whole IG thing, which was making SL history difficult for us.  What we've ended up doing is more of our own version of SL History, in that we use the books alongside the VP self paced course, and it's working really well.  It's been very freeing for me not to feel tied to the IG-- not an easy thing for me as I'm a lover of checking boxes...  Not sure where our homeschooling journey will take us, but we are having our best year this year, so I'm going to continue to go with what is working for us and just know that it may or may not look like what I plan for :) 

 

Thanks again!

[Ausmumof3]

This is pretty much what we and every successful sonlight user I know ends up doing it - using it as an awesome book list. I love there choice of materials mostly but the layout is messy so just having the books and getting through them at your pace is fine. For us that meant two years per core with other interesting rabbit trails along the way.