ByGrace3 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I keep coming back to SL for next year, but I have heard mixed reviews about using it without the LA, which we will definitely not do. Is SL without SL LA just a glorified reading list as I have heard or is it extremely great and beneficial without using SL LA? thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 We used Core K and modified Core 1. We used SL LA for the first half of Core K and I didn't find it beneficial because it didn't fit my educational goals. A SL core is a reading list with a schedule and comprehension questions (for the read-alouds & readers, I'm not sure why they don't include questions for history). Have you looked at the core samples and read the 21 reasons not to buy Sonlight? Those two things really helped my decision whether to use SL or not. Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 Thanks, I have looked at the samples and read the 21 reasons. I love the lit base, my one concern is the lack of Biblical integration. I love the idea of TOG but seems super teacher intensive and perhaps too much for a first grader. I love the fun feel of SL for first grade, but I fear once I add all the other stuff I want to add (math, Abeka phonics, FLL, WWE, AAS, HOWT, elemental science) I might have been better off sticking to a simpler/cheaper history/ literature program. Or maybe just use the book list . . . but if I am going to buy all the books why mot just buy the core? :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tylianna Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I am not using sonlight this year, but I am using the reading lists with the schedules. I did not like the LA, and I decided to go with SOTW instead of core 2 this year. I like the books that they have for reading, and I like the fact that they have comprehension questions already laid out for me. You can easily do the reading without the LA, just don't buy the LA schedule guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieF Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 You can print out the first 3 complete weeks of any Instructors guide so that should help you decide Stephanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I started three years ago with the entire complete newcomer's Core package. We struggled through LA for the first year and disliked it. The second year, I switched LA programs and used SL for history, read alouds and readers. Is it a glorified reading list? Well, yes, but it is also a schedule which saves me a great deal of time and effort and cuts down on second guessing, which is invaluable to me. The comprehension questions, while we don't always use them, are good and helpful. I priced buying the SL list of books on Amazon.com (using the b3, g1 free deal on many) last year, plus buying just the IG from SL and came out ahead financially with SL, plus all of the books came in one box. Some people don't mind doing their own scheduling or have the time and confidence to do so. I don't have any of the above with four kids and two part-time jobs. lol This year, I bought the basic SL Core 4 for less than $400 and used their no interest time payment option. It meets our needs very nicely. :001_smile: YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I have used many SL cores (4/5, K. part of 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 100 and 200) and have tried SL language for many of them only to quite the language a few weeks into it. But to focus on your question, I don't think you need the language to get what the core is trying to get across. In the early cores, the language focuses on grammar and some literary devices. What they pull from the core is a sentence from one of the books you are reading. That is all SL language uses from the younger cores...a sentence or two. No discussion on the book and the historical aspects of it. For the older cores and the language classes, you will be asked to write English type papers using one of the readers from the core, but I don't remember history being the bases for the writing. The cores teach history/social studies which is different from the SL Language curriculum. You do not need the Language to get the full benefit from a core. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jentancalann Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I've used the LA along w/ a core a couple of times, but I just don't like it. I'd much rather do a core alone and add in my own everything else. I don't find it to be only a reading list. I mean, its scheduled and I don't have to think about the best way to order the books, there are questions that make them think about what is read (even in the history portion in core 4), and there is vocabulary, mapping, and timelining. I admit we only map occasionally, but everything else we use. I believe the reason history questions are not typical in a core is because the reading can be narrated back (cm style), which is why there is a summary of each history portion read. SL makes history come alive. It helps us build relationships w/ characters in different times and places that will stay with us forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I use SL without the LA and don't feel like we're missing anything. We do use the readers, though. They are just great books for the dc to read. The readers (and, therefore, the LA) don't even correlate with the cores until Core 3 to accommodate various levels. For instance, we're using Readers 2 intemediate with Core 1. The core includes a 36 week schedule of Bible, history, read alouds, and readers schedules. There are notes and questions for each section including history. The LA would add an LA schedule, activities, and worksheets based off of the readers. Since we use other LA resources, I don't have any need for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 we use SL without the LA and I don't consider it just a reading list. It's part of our history and literature. We discuss the books. Sometimes I use the questions/vocab info given, but often we just discuss and see where it leads us to connect the dots to our other readings/studies. I looked at the LA again this weekend but again ruled it out for us. We have done Cores 1,2 and 3 now without the LA and will use 4 as well next year. We put together our own LA stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 We use SL Core 1 as our history and literature. We don't use the LA and we are very happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 We're using SL Core 1 right now and I dropped their LA about halfway through. Well, I still use the spelling words, but that's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 We use SL without the LA (or science for that matter) too. I adore it, it makes my life so easy. History, geography, read alouds, and readers all in one package (we aren't doing the Bible this year because we already had something else on the go, but I'd like to do it next year). It is all scheduled for me, and I become paralyzed by overplanning so I love it - it actually gets done! The books lead to great discussions, and I like having some reminders/accountability from my IG for timeline figures and mapping activities. Most importantly, it has added the joy back to our homeschool. I had pared down to basics (reading, copywork, spelling) when we were moving/pregnant etc. and homeschooling just wasn't FUN. Sonlight makes it fun :). Many people claim it costs a lot, but it doesn't. The IG is a small portion of the price, the rest is BOOKS. Glorious, wonderful BOOKS. That you get to keep. I love books :). Well worth it to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer2911mom Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 A lot of you are commenting that you don't use/like the LA. Can you please provide specifics on why you don't like the LA? Do any of you use the LA as a supplement to other things? Is it worth it from that standpoint? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackenziefoust Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 You can print out the first 3 complete weeks of any Instructors guide so that should help you decideStephanie thanks for posting this. great suggestion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Cornelia Snook Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 We dropped the LA a few weeks into Core 1, as well, and didn't order it for Core 2, which we are working on currently. We love Sonlight and plan to continue with it...but not the LA! I use FLL and WWE instead. ANY LA is tricky for us, because even though DS is almost 8 years old, his handwriting is horrible and he hates to write. Makes copywork a real problem. My reasons to dropping it? Hm...it seemed a little too advanced for my son at the time, and he had not had any previous LA instruction such as what is a verb, noun, etc. He went from public preschool and kindergarten to Core 1, and when I ordered Core 1, I didn't know that I needed to order the readers according to his LA skills, not his reading skills (he was an early reader). Plus, there was the writing difficulty! I prefer SWB's much more straightforward approach to LA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 thanks everyone! I am feeling better about using the core for next year. I love how it just looks like fun! I had feared at first that it would not be hands on enough for dd, but she loves books and if I use a hands on science and math, I think we will be fine. So excited! Q for you all you SL users, how much time in a day does SL core take you (younger ages, dd will be 1st grade next year) I do struggle with the cost for a lit/history program, but as a pp mentioned, look at all the books you get! I love books and really want that for my kids. Plus, after dd I still have ds and dd2 to use it. . . THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I've found Core 1&2 LA to be too weak as a stand-alone, which isn't a big problem right now, given DD's age/grade level, but not what I want for her long-term. When a child ASKS for a grammar book at the teacher's store, you know the LA you're using is missing the mark! I plan to keep Sonlight for history/literature (especially since I was able to get the IG for 3&4 cheap and our public library actually does well for the American History readers/readalouds), but to do MCT Island as our primary LA program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gfengel Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Is it a glorified reading list? Well, yes, but it is also a schedule which saves me a great deal of time and effort and cuts down on second guessing, which is invaluable to me. :iagree: We tried the LA 2 for a short, short time and really didn't like it. We were working on Core 1 with LA 2 Regular for my ds and LA 2 Advanced for my dd. It was too advanced for my ds and not advanced enough for my dd. Also, we are secular homeschoolers and Bible work was just something we didn't want to focus on, but we do use the history, geography, read alouds, and readers. (My son skipped about the first 2/3 of his readers because they were all Bible-oriented.) Each day we spend about an hour to an hour and 1/2 doing that portion of our work. In place of the Sonlight LA, we have used Grammar Island for my dd and FLL/WWE 2 with my ds. Those, particularly FLL/WWE, have been a good fit for us. Good luck to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 You can print out the first 3 complete weeks of any Instructors guide so that should help you decideStephanie Where can you see the first 3 weeks? I only found a couple of pages, and they are from 3 different weeks. I would love to see a better sample. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jentancalann Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 On the SL homepage, toward the bottom right, is a picture of an IG that says "Sample the first three weeks of any instructor's guide". Click on it and you will be able to choose which guide you want. They will then send a link to your email that you can download. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 On the SL homepage, toward the bottom right, is a picture of an IG that says "Sample the first three weeks of any instructor's guide". Click on it and you will be able to choose which guide you want. They will then send a link to your email that you can download. Thanks....talk about being blind. I always look at the packages, and hadn't scrolled to the bottom of the home page to see that HUGE :D Button. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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