Sonlight and Learning Ally or Bookshare?

[6wishes]

Has anyone used Sonlight via Learning Ally or Bookshare and not purchased the books? I have a dyslexic that I would like to use sonlight with, but don't think it would work unless we used one of these two. If so, are most of the books found on these sites and available?

 

Thanks!

[OneStepAtATime]

No clue, but hopefully someone will respond with that knowledge.  In the meantime, I wanted to say "Hi" and best wishes.  :)

[Heathermomster]

Go to the two sites and search the titles. :D

[PeterPan]

Both services have searchable sites that you don't have to be registered to use.  I've been wondering something similar.  CHOW is one of your early spines for SL, and LA has it where BS does not.  BS has SOTW btw.  What's curious is it *may* be a different reader from Jim Weiss.  If your kids adore SOTW, that might be sort of a travesty, meaning it would be better to get it from the library or something.

 

Part of the deal with these services is their ability to give you immersion reading, where they give you a pdf of the book and it highlights the text as the audio plays.  The Kindle *device* can do this, but that feature is locked in and unavailable say on the ipad or other devices using a kindle app.  :(  I have not signed up for LA/BS yet.  I'm really curious to know how good their recording of CHOW is, because I've heard the quality varies.  If someone has LA, would you be a dear and download it or sample it and see what you think?  If it's super awesome and professional quality, it will be my reason for signing up for LA.  If it's wretched and slow and unengaging, then I might as well not.  

 

This is totally crazy, but ds is listening to TC history lectures on his kindle.  I kid you not.  He's got them going right now.  Somehow they loaded on (I bought them for dd15 to use on her ipad), and they automatically loaded onto his kindle.  They're engagingly presented, full of narrative and details.  Of course he also liked the 99 cent Winnie the Pooh deal of the day on Audible, hahaha...   :lol: 

 

Anyways, it wouldn't be the first time kids with LDs/SNs have been odd. If you go through the SL book list for certain cores, definitely post back with what you find out.  Both sites are searchable.  Actually my best hope was the national library service one.  They use professional readers apparently.  I just haven't filled out any of the paperwork yet, sigh.

 

[6wishes]

I will start looking myself, but wondered if anyone has traveled this road before and could offer a quick, yes, they had a lot, but not all, or no, only about 25%. I actually have subscriptions to both, so can check the one book you're asking about... 😀.

[6wishes]

On the CHOW book, it is a woman reading, which was fine (not a computerized voice), but unfortunately, this one did not come with the text to read along with (not all do). I would prefer the highlighted follow along text. Guess I'll have to get searching on the core I'm looking into.

 

On a side note, is it expected that kids start core 100 in 9th grade? I will have to work back on where we start as she'll be in 6th next year, and if we start into this program, I want to get us where we would need to be starting high school.

 

Thanks!

[SebastianCat]

On a side note, is it expected that kids start core 100 in 9th grade? I will have to work back on where we start as she'll be in 6th next year, and if we start into this program, I want to get us where we would need to be starting high school.

 

 

I can't answer your specific questions about the services you mentioned, but I am a longtime SL user, and yes, Core 100 is generally recommended for 9th grade.   Some people use Cores G and H as high school Cores, while some people use Core 100 in 8th grade.   It totally depends on your child, their reading level, and the maturity level of the content.   

 

If you aim to do Core 100 in 9th grade, however, that would put you at Core F for 6th grade, G for 7th (which is what my 7th grade DS did this year), and H for 8th.   Of all the Cores within SL, I would imagine that the Core F books will be the hardest to find, because of the subject matter.   Depending on your child, a better plan might be to do Core D+E in 6th grade, then skip F, then G in 7th and H in 8th.   

 

You may also consider asking your question on the SL user forums, which are now free, to see if anyone there has used the services you asked about.

[PeterPan]

As a total rogue, I'll point out that another user over on the HS board used SL 100 spiffed up with some other things that could be done with discussion (the You Decide series from Critical Thinking Press), added videos, had the dc add in TC lectures, did select essays from the TC course guidebook, and got 5s on the AP US History exam.  Don't lock yourself in saying there's only one way to do it or one time that it's right.  If you do the core straight, using only their assignments, there might be a time when it optimally fits your dc developmentally.  However if you use it as a *spine* and adjust it with some extras that fit the particular interests of your dc, you might create some magic where using core 100 really makes sense, kwim?  For instance, say your dyslexic turns out to have this super fascination with costume (like my dd) or biology or whatever, you might add in some things that supplement it in that direction and have it be deliciously appropriate for an older dc.  It's what you do with it.