I want to switch to SL...

[JadeOrchidSong]

"told dh last night that I'd realized I actually *would* sacrifice *enjoying* hs'ing for the sake of the 4-year history cycle"

 

I had to get to this point myself and it was not easy. Still isn't as I sit before a spreadsheet and figure out how to give my upcoming high schooler a world civ credit using SL (if you know, tell me!).

 

I don't know if you read the having time to make bread thread I started but lots of moms u/stood my dilemma. I needed to be a better mom, not a better homeschool mom. My family of 6 couldn't take the pressure of my planning and planning and purchasing and seeking resources, etc all for the sake of rigor. SL has a reputation of being less rigorous and sometimes that brings about some guilt for me. But when I sit back and think, it's getting done. And isn't the program that's actually getting done the most rigorous for a family? I mean I have xxx on the shelf but it's so much work there it sits :)

 

And the switch, I have to testify to...has really helped.

 

I personally (if you don't agree fine, but I can say what I want in my reply here ;)))

I personally...can plan our meals better and be in general a happier mom if I'm not stressed about planning the next 9 weeks, gathering books and putting into a pretty format my kid's can understand and do consistently.

 

Now, don't get me wrong. It's still hard work and it's even a bit expensive. I still discuss with my kids. I have great couch time with them and we talk!!!!! but it's about their books. Really getting into what they think about what they've read. No 4 yr cycle though. No nice pretty maps to hang up ala TOG, no printed worksheets ala WTM SOTW activity pages so I get a little panic attack when I read about those things but boy oh boy sista.

 

My kids are loving the books. I'm reading ahead of them consistently because they're interesting books not make me fall asleep tomes and I don't have to worry about a schedule. And they're loving doing the school because they're enjoying it.

 

I get to do all that planning for my preschooler who wants to make puppets and butterfly letters :))))) which we never did when mommy was always on the computer finding school books.

HTH I see you've got a plan...but your title said you wanted to switch and the times using SL were great for you...thought I'd give my 2c's

:iagree:I have to remember this when I am tempted by TOG. I do want to enjoy my family and I don't want to chase books!

[Colleen]

Although I haven't read the missionary tales, that's not what bothers me at all. It's the idea that we're going to pray for THESE people as we study them but not for European countries or American states, implying that we're somehow better than them. That they have little of value to be studied on their own, but they have value because they are potential converts. TOG may be a little heavier-handed on this than SL, but it's something that bothered me about both currics.

Yes, this is what I meant. Sonlight's philosophy is by no means "We're better than they are" or "They have little of value to be studied and are merely conversion subjects". There are a handful of books, though, that imo convey that impression. One example is Window on the World, used in Core 2. Nice photos, good potential for geography lessons, but I can't tolerate the bottom-line tone and message so I don't use it.

Dh is a history major, & when I complained about the lack of "fair time" spent on eastern countries, he said that there was simply less going on there. He'd had a course in Chinese hist, I think, & he said basically, nothing changes for centuries. There's just not that much to learn or focus on.

But in the process of studying it myself, I've found that to be a western stereotype that's completely unfounded, except in the dearth of education we receive in ps.

 

I agree with you. Our hyper-focus on Western civilizations comes at the cost of neglecting fascinating history elsewhere. I appreciate the book A Glorious Age in Africa (used in SL Core 5) as it brings to light, albeit briefly and not in less than riveting prose, oft-neglected empires.

 

And while I can appreciate the pragmatic reasons for separating a study of the east from the west, I'm afraid...the result tends to be "separate but inherently unequal." Studying them at the same time highlights similarities that, imo, helps the east to be less mysterious & OTHER. I think that's important--not that it be done MY way, but that it be done WELL, however it's done. I'm just not sure that's possible in a curriculum designed to CHANGE "those people."

I hear you. I think anyone, using any curriculum, has the potential to fall into these mindsets of which we speak. (Case in point, most of what's used in classical ed circles affords minimal attention to non-western cultures.) Any curriculum is at the mercy of the user's preconceived notions and preferences, in other words. To that end, I've found SL's rather malleable approach to my benefit all these years.

 

Well, enough of my philosophizing. Real life beckons. Harrumph. It has a tendency to do that...;)

Edited July 8, 2011 by Colleen

[lovemykids]

"told dh last night that I'd realized I actually *would* sacrifice *enjoying* hs'ing for the sake of the 4-year history cycle"

 

I had to get to this point myself and it was not easy. Still isn't as I sit before a spreadsheet and figure out how to give my upcoming high schooler a world civ credit using SL (if you know, tell me!).

 

I don't know if you read the having time to make bread thread I started but lots of moms u/stood my dilemma. I needed to be a better mom, not a better homeschool mom. My family of 6 couldn't take the pressure of my planning and planning and purchasing and seeking resources, etc all for the sake of rigor. SL has a reputation of being less rigorous and sometimes that brings about some guilt for me. But when I sit back and think, it's getting done. And isn't the program that's actually getting done the most rigorous for a family? I mean I have xxx on the shelf but it's so much work there it sits :)

 

And the switch, I have to testify to...has really helped.

 

I personally (if you don't agree fine, but I can say what I want in my reply here ;)))

I personally...can plan our meals better and be in general a happier mom if I'm not stressed about planning the next 9 weeks, gathering books and putting into a pretty format my kid's can understand and do consistently.

 

Now, don't get me wrong. It's still hard work and it's even a bit expensive. I still discuss with my kids. I have great couch time with them and we talk!!!!! but it's about their books. Really getting into what they think about what they've read. No 4 yr cycle though. No nice pretty maps to hang up ala TOG, no printed worksheets ala WTM SOTW activity pages so I get a little panic attack when I read about those things but boy oh boy sista.

 

My kids are loving the books. I'm reading ahead of them consistently because they're interesting books not make me fall asleep tomes and I don't have to worry about a schedule. And they're loving doing the school because they're enjoying it.

 

I get to do all that planning for my preschooler who wants to make puppets and butterfly letters :))))) which we never did when mommy was always on the computer finding school books.

HTH I see you've got a plan...but your title said you wanted to switch and the times using SL were great for you...thought I'd give my 2c's

 

Thanks for sharing this. I will keep this in mind when the grass looks greener in TOG land.

 

Sometimes I think SL is not enough, but then I see what we are actually doing and it is plenty. I would still like to pursue something "more academic" with my sons when they get older...but the girls love SL... so I guess we will just enjoy it when we use it, and leave it at that. It's fine.

 

I am so excited to do pre-school for the last time this year. I want to take time to smell the roses and have fun with it!

 

 

That *does* sound fickle...let me explain. I *don't* like reading aloud--even the time I'm recounting to you, we didn't finish the books. I like the discussions that arise in the middle of and after reading.

 

SL would be cheap for me IF I did core 1 or 2--I have (old) versions of those. It would be *relatively* cheap (I THINK) to do another core because we own so many of the books already. But relative to buying a whole core, not to doing what we already own. That cost would be prohibitive for US for NOW but in the greater scheme of things...well, not $1k/kid, kwim? :lol:

 

 

 

I could totally imagine doing the US history cores along side world history. That would probably be my ideal, within the appropriate years of the 4 year cycle. this is a great idea...we do this often

 

 

 

Although I haven't read the missionary tales, that's not what bothers me at all. It's the idea that we're going to pray for THESE people as we study them but not for European countries or American states, implying that we're somehow better than them. That they have little of value to be studied on their own, but they have value because they are potential converts. TOG may be a little heavier-handed on this than SL, but it's something that bothered me about both currics.

Disclaimer; um, yeah, we do not pray for these people as we study them. That’s kind of an absurd thought. LOL. We just pray for all people equally. If I saw that in an IG, I would simply ignore it. :rolleyes:

 

Dh is a history major, & when I complained about the lack of "fair time" spent on eastern countries, he said that there was simply less going on there. He'd had a course in Chinese hist, I think, & he said basically, nothing changes for centuries. There's just not that much to learn or focus on.

 

But in the process of studying it myself, I've found that to be a western stereotype that's completely unfounded, except in the dearth of education we receive in ps.

 

And while I can appreciate the pragmatic reasons for separating a study of the east from the west, I'm afraid...the result tends to be "separate but inherently unequal." Studying them at the same time highlights similarities that, imo, helps the east to be less mysterious & OTHER. I think that's important--not that it be done MY way, but that it be done WELL, however it's done. I'm just not sure that's possible in a curriculum designed to CHANGE "those people."

 

 

 

See, I think SL is worth a second look just because of the cool people who use it. Anything that works for you MUST be an excellent curric...*happy sigh*...even if we can't use the same curric, it's SO good to hear your thought, etc! :001_smile:

 

 

I think that any slant of an educational source can be very easily pointed out as being wrong, sine you are the teacher it is your job and right to bring up questions and dig into the thought processes. Different opinions can then be brought to the table. Ultimately, you can find out what it is that your child feels about the matter and then you can go from there if you feel the need to alter anything. I see your point though- why use the materials in the first place if you can find something much better. For me, it is easier to have a starting point and then work from there. I sometimes let my children simply go off of the schedule, research things themselves; pick and choose the books they want to read as well. Time permitting, we get back to the schedule and do what will work for us. You don’t have to use all of a SL IG. There is way too much there anyway. I don’t know how anyone does the entire thing in one year, plus everything else.

 

 

Yes, this is what I meant. Sonlight's philosophy is by no means "We're better than they are" or "They have little of value to be studied and are merely conversion subjects". There are a handful of books, though, that imo convey that impression. One example is Window on the World, used in Core 2. Nice photos, good potential for geography lessons, but I can't tolerate the bottom-line tone and message so I don't use it.

I agree with you. Our hyper-focus on Western civilizations comes at the cost of neglecting fascinating history elsewhere. I appreciate the book A Glorious Age in Africa (used in SL Core 5) as it brings to light, albeit briefly and not in less than riveting prose, oft-neglected empires.

 

I hear you. I think anyone, using any curriculum, has the potential to fall into these mindsets of which we speak. (Case in point, most of what's used in classical ed circles affords minimal attention to non-western cultures.) Any curriculum is at the mercy of the user's preconceived notions and preferences, in other words. To that end, I've found SL's rather malleable approach to my benefit all these years.

 

Well, enough of my philosophizing. Real life beckons. Harrumph. It has a tendency to do that...;)

 

 

This is so cute. I am going to search for, and then emerge myself in reading your posts... when I have the time. I love your explanations; they have such an air of eloquence.

Edited July 8, 2011 by lovemykids