Question about chosing a Sonlight Core

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

How easy is Sonlight to combine kids that are a grade apart? How do you chose what core to do? Lets say you had a K and a 1st grader, what would you do?

[Boxing Hare]

I have my kids do the oldest one's core. The cores are based on age range, so it's really not a problem. If your youngest can keep up with the oldest, then do that core. If not, have your oldest do the younger's core. I really don't think there is a right or wrong way to do it. You can always add/remove books if you need to adjust.

 

Actually, it just dawned on my daughter today (!!) that she was doing a core "meant" for 5th graders.

[Ellesmere]

nm

[VBoulden]

I'd go with the Core 1. You don't want the oldest kid bored and the younger one will be fine either way. :D

[MerryAtHope]

I've combined 2 grade levels apart, it can work out very well! Go with a core that is for both ages/grade levels. Core A is good for K-2nd grade, and would be a good choice. Sometimes going with the older one's grade can work, but some years might be a stretch for the younger--for us it worked best to choose within both kids' abilities.

 

Merry :-)

[allie911]

This past year I used Sonlight Core 1 (now called B I think) for my Pre-K'er and 1st grader. It worked great! They both loved learning about ancient history. I did replace Sonlight's recommended Child's History of the World with Story of the World b/c we prefer the latter. My 1st grader did much more of the narration for SOTW, and both answered the review questions. The Read-Alouds have been great for both ages.

[SnMomof7]

Oh, this is super-easy to do with a SL core! For a 1st and K, I'd go with Core A. We have been doing an older version (Core K) with a grade 2, and PK4/5 here. They both absolutely adore the read alouds, the history is a bit tough for the just-turned-five-year-old, and a bit easy for my grade 2 girl. I think it is absolutely perfect for grade 1. My 5er girl just sits in for what she is interested in because at her age it can be very informal.

 

I think Core B (used to be core 1) might be too much for your little one if you want him sitting in for most of the core. Core A on the other hand is very rich even for grade 1.

[JMDRAD]

How easy is Sonlight to combine kids that are a grade apart? How do you chose what core to do? Lets say you had a K and a 1st grader, what would you do?

 

That would be super easy!! I'd go with Core A or B. Keep them together in the content subjects such as history, science, read alouds, etc. Have them work at their own level in the skills subjects like reading, math, grammar, etc. I plan to do that with my K-er and 3rd grader this year. We are studying Core D with SOTW vol 3. I'll pick up pictures books here and there that correspond with our studies for the K-er.

[texasmama]

I have always combined my boys in my older son's Core. This has worked well for us for three years. My younger son (two years/grade levels lower) is very smart and confident, which is part of why having him follow the older son's Core works for us. I started him on his "grade level" of readers the first year and the second, then had him read one level down beginning this year (older son's readers from last year) but switched him to the older son's Core readers mid-year. Confused yet?:tongue_smilie: My goal was to have the younger grow into the older son's complete Core since the readers are all linked to the historical period. Next year, both boys will be sharing Core 5.

 

If your kids are close in ability, then I would chose based on the older one, but I don't think there is a "wrong" decision to be made here.:001_smile:

[Prairie]

That would be super easy!! I'd go with Core A or B. Keep them together in the content subjects such as history, science, read alouds, etc. Have them work at their own level in the skills subjects like reading, math, grammar, etc. I plan to do that with my K-er and 3rd grader this year. We are studying Core D with SOTW vol 3. I'll pick up pictures books here and there that correspond with our studies for the K-er.

:iagree:

[heartlandsahm]

Hm...great post, I wish I had this problem! We just finished Core 1&2 this year for DS 8, and DD will be 5 in Oct.

 

Bummer...if I had thought that far in advance, I really didn't know too much about Sonlight then, we could have done only half of Core 1&2 or done Core 1 only, instead of trying to catch him up :-(((((.

 

Any tips on keeping them close together? I think not as DS is advanced and DD is not reading yet :-).

[texasmama]

Hm...great post, I wish I had this problem! We just finished Core 1&2 this year for DS 8, and DD will be 5 in Oct.

 

Bummer...if I had thought that far in advance, I really didn't know too much about Sonlight then, we could have done only half of Core 1&2 or done Core 1 only, instead of trying to catch him up :-(((((.

 

Any tips on keeping them close together? I think not as DS is advanced and DD is not reading yet :-).

 

I think they are too far apart to truly combine in a Core, but my 5 year old's history, literature and Bible consists of listening in during her brothers' readalouds. I don't require it, but she picks up a lot just be being in the room. This goes for other subjects, as well, since we are all together all day doing "couch school" in our open floor plan living/kitchen/dining area. All that to say that I don't know that I would be concerned about your 5 year old doing her own Core at this point.

[heartlandsahm]

I think they are too far apart to truly combine in a Core, but my 5 year old's history, literature and Bible consists of listening in during her brothers' readalouds. I don't require it, but she picks up a lot just be being in the room. This goes for other subjects, as well, since we are all together all day doing "couch school" in our open floor plan living/kitchen/dining area. All that to say that I don't know that I would be concerned about your 5 year old doing her own Core at this point.

 

Thanks! We sound like we school similarly, and I really have no plan to start DD on a Core. We'll really tackle reading this summer and enjoying it together, and I'll just get him started on independent things when we need one-on-one time.

 

Interesting that you post the open floor plan, this is what we do as well, but our house is not huge. I was starting to wonder if we should make our 4th and spare bedroom into an official school room?

 

Hm...

 

Thanks!

[texasmama]

Thanks! We sound like we school similarly, and I really have no plan to start DD on a Core. We'll really tackle reading this summer and enjoying it together, and I'll just get him started on independent things when we need one-on-one time.

 

Interesting that you post the open floor plan, this is what we do as well, but our house is not huge. I was starting to wonder if we should make our 4th and spare bedroom into an official school room?

 

Hm...

 

Thanks!

 

Sounds like a good plan for your little. :001_smile: We have a pretty large open area, but I love it. I think I would be claustrophobic in a "school room". This way, all three kids get some benefit from what the others are doing. Often I will have one kid looking over my shoulder while I am doing math with another or the 5 year old piping up with parts of speech definitions or finishing the dictation sentence for me while I work with her brothers.:lol: I kind of like the controlled chaos that is our homeschool environment.:D

[Mom0012]

How easy is Sonlight to combine kids that are a grade apart? How do you chose what core to do? Lets say you had a K and a 1st grader, what would you do?

 

I have kids who are two grades apart, so this year they are in 5th and 3rd. I have always used the core in between their grades and it has worked well. In your case, I think it will be even easier to combine. Sometimes I feel the core I use is a bit much for my younger one at the beginning of the year. I would use Core K if I were you and they should both really enjoy it.

 

Lisa

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

So after reading what everybody has to say, I am thinking to start with core K then just start the next core when we finish one (we school year round) That way it won't be to much for my younger son but my older won't be "held back" for long. I will keep doing his grade appropriate math, phonics/LA and stuff like that. In fact I already have his 1st grade MFW items and half of his math for 1st. Thanks for all the input :D

[funtoteach3]

All these ladies have done a wonderful job explaining the combining SL. We've combined our 2 oldest that are two years apart for four cores and it was perfect for both. I have even added my youngest that's six years younger than my oldest to sit in on some reading for Eastern Hemisphere and core 6 World History and added in his own reading level for readers and a little history. We would leave him out of some of the history/RA if it was too mature for him. Now we just do two cores now. You could do the same core all the way up since they're so close in age. Best wishes!

[Tess in the Burbs]

my kids are back to back grades and they are together for SL Core and Science. We do it to the oldest one age. The youngest has been fine. Some books haven't appealed to her as much but others have been favorites for her. It's been fine. She's a year below the youngest recommended age but it's working for us.

[AngelBee]

Hm...great post, I wish I had this problem! We just finished Core 1&2 this year for DS 8, and DD will be 5 in Oct.

 

Bummer...if I had thought that far in advance, I really didn't know too much about Sonlight then, we could have done only half of Core 1&2 or done Core 1 only, instead of trying to catch him up :-(((((.

 

Any tips on keeping them close together? I think not as DS is advanced and DD is not reading yet :-).

I had combined a 2nd grader, 4th grader, 11th grader, and 2 Pre K's into CORE 3.

 

It takes a bit of work, but it can totally be done. :)

 

I just adjusted my objectives to fit each child. Found coloring sheets to go with topics for littles. Less reading required for 2nd, core done as written for 4th, additional resources for 11th such as reading things from SL100 core that we already owned. (Not the CORE just parts of it)

 

I did the same for science.

 

For LA and math they were separate.

[Donna T.]

My sons are three years apart in age. We are combining them in Core 3+4 but each use their own SL Science. I pull extra books from Core 100 for my oldest and add readers from Core 3 (the ones that are not in 3+4) for my youngest. Both use the Core 3+4 LA but in different ways. It has been very easy to adapt the LA for both of them. We use other things for LA also.

 

We've done Cores K, 1, 2, and now 3+4. I plan to keep them together for the Core but separate for the Science for the next few years.

 

It's going great!

[Dinsfamily]

So after reading what everybody has to say, I am thinking to start with core K then just start the next core when we finish one (we school year round) That way it won't be to much for my younger son but my older won't be "held back" for long. I will keep doing his grade appropriate math, phonics/LA and stuff like that. In fact I already have his 1st grade MFW items and half of his math for 1st. Thanks for all the input :D

 

I just wanted to reassure you that you won't be holding your oldest back in the least. I used Core K for my advanced 1st grader this year and it was great. Some of the books are very thought-provoking and mature. For instance, we ended up having a mini-lesson on types of governments and a discussion about dictatorships and oppression when we read The Apple and the Arrow. We're now just starting Core 1/B for his 2nd grade year and enjoying it a lot. I think we could spend many extra weeks talking about Egypt. I hope you enjoy your choice.