Naturalmama2 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 We have begun Cores F and C, and I feel completely overwhelmed. There is a lot of reading, especially when you add in all other subjects. Are there any suggestions to make it more "doable"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 (edited) What are the ages of your children? Those two cores combined should take about 5-6 hours for a parent, but depending on the age of the child you might be able to make adjustments in the workload. Is this your first year with SL? Edited July 18, 2011 by melmichigan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquilt Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 We will be using F and C starting next week. My oldest has already done C (back when it was Core 2) but my youngers haven't yet so I will be doing two Cores. I plan to use only one of the Bible plans (probably those from Core 2). I also am doing the four day schedules for both and am open to the possibility that we will take longer to complete both Cores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michelle l Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I'll be doing Cores B and G this year. It will be my first year doing two cores. One thing that might help would be to try to get some of the Read Alouds as audio books. You might also give yourself more leway with your Core C Read Alouds. Since they don't tie in with the history, it doesn't matter if you read them according to the schedule or not. You could even same some for the summer, or make them bedtime reading. I'm also toying with strarting Core B pretty quickly here with my dd, so that I can back off on it and give myself some wiggle room when school formally starts. I could get some of her core out of the way, then focus on Core G with my older two when school "starts" again, then pull her core back in once we're into our groove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running the race Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Do the 4-day schedule. Get audio books. At our house, my husband reads one of the cores to my daughter so I am spoiled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaOz Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 We have 4 cores on the go at the moment (plus a HOD guide which kinda counts as another core....). My older kids do their reading independently including my Core F student - she copes well with that. For the others, I have two 'blocks' of time with each student - one for their book work, and another where we do their readings together. I spend the morning session up till morning tea working with the younger kids individually for math and LA (and a few thing with my olders), then between morning tea and lunch is the time for taking the younger kids aside to do their readings with me (history, science, Bible and poetry). I do read-alouds at/after lunch. Most of the SL read-alouds are so good that my older kids often don't mind hearing them again if they have heard them before. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I am about 1/2 way done core A with my 7yr old and core P3/4 with my youngest. Next year we will be doing 4 cores. The oldest 2 will be doing core D and 100 combined (we planned to do this last year but dumped history and focused on 3R's while dealing with ds's issues), ds7 will wrap up Core A and start B, and youngest will be starting P4/5. I agree with using audio books if you are finding the reading to be too much. I also like to do some of the read alouds at bedtime/meal times rather than just during "school" time to give more time in the school schedule to complete other work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naturalmama2 Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 I have boys, 11 and 7. I used Sonlight when my oldest was in first grade and I was only teaching one. What are the ages of your children? Those two cores combined should take about 5-6 hours for a parent, but depending on the age of the child you might be able to make adjustments in the workload. Is this your first year with SL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naturalmama2 Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 I very quickly (after the first day) switched from the 5-day to the 4-day schedule. I haven't thought about combining them with Bible, but that is a good idea. I am betting that it will take us a good bit longer than 36 weeks to complete the cores. We will be using F and C starting next week. My oldest has already done C (back when it was Core 2) but my youngers haven't yet so I will be doing two Cores. I plan to use only one of the Bible plans (probably those from Core 2). I also am doing the four day schedules for both and am open to the possibility that we will take longer to complete both Cores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naturalmama2 Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 Good ideas! Thanks! I'll be doing Cores B and G this year. It will be my first year doing two cores. One thing that might help would be to try to get some of the Read Alouds as audio books. You might also give yourself more leway with your Core C Read Alouds. Since they don't tie in with the history, it doesn't matter if you read them according to the schedule or not. You could even same some for the summer, or make them bedtime reading. I'm also toying with strarting Core B pretty quickly here with my dd, so that I can back off on it and give myself some wiggle room when school formally starts. I could get some of her core out of the way, then focus on Core G with my older two when school "starts" again, then pull her core back in once we're into our groove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naturalmama2 Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 I bet that the libraries around here have some of the audio books. Thanks for the idea! Do the 4-day schedule. Get audio books. At our house, my husband reads one of the cores to my daughter so I am spoiled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naturalmama2 Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 Ok, I have it *easy* compared to you! I would love to be a fly on your wall and see you doing all of this. I bet you are super-organized! I am going to have my oldest read some of his history himself. That should help a lot. I think that I have been trying to do too much of it myself. I agree with you on the read alouds. They are wonderful books! We have 4 cores on the go at the moment (plus a HOD guide which kinda counts as another core....). My older kids do their reading independently including my Core F student - she copes well with that. For the others, I have two 'blocks' of time with each student - one for their book work, and another where we do their readings together. I spend the morning session up till morning tea working with the younger kids individually for math and LA (and a few thing with my olders), then between morning tea and lunch is the time for taking the younger kids aside to do their readings with me (history, science, Bible and poetry). I do read-alouds at/after lunch. Most of the SL read-alouds are so good that my older kids often don't mind hearing them again if they have heard them before. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naturalmama2 Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 I have been doing the read alouds at bed time. I also decided to drop the Core C read alouds for the time being and let him listen in with the Core F read alouds. He seems to enjoy the book we are reading - Island of the Blue Dolphins. Actually, we are all loving that book! I am about 1/2 way done core A with my 7yr old and core P3/4 with my youngest. Next year we will be doing 4 cores. The oldest 2 will be doing core D and 100 combined (we planned to do this last year but dumped history and focused on 3R's while dealing with ds's issues), ds7 will wrap up Core A and start B, and youngest will be starting P4/5. I agree with using audio books if you are finding the reading to be too much. I also like to do some of the read alouds at bedtime/meal times rather than just during "school" time to give more time in the school schedule to complete other work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naturalmama2 Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 Thank you so much for all of your replies! I am thinking that I may have too many things that I am trying to do with my boys. I need to look into all of it and see if we should make some changes in that area. I dropped the Core C read alouds and am having my youngest listen in with the Core F read alouds. I will probably read those books over the summer. He has enjoyed the Core F book we are reading so far. Of course, I am blessed with him that he seems to love any book that I read to him. I have also decided that we are simply not going to finish in 36 weeks. I think that I will take a week every 4 - 6 weeks and catch up on things. I will also incorporate some audio books as I find them. The bottom line is that I truly love Sonlight and want to stick with it. I appreciate the ideas that you ladies have shared with me. You have been such an encouragement!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Marmalade Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 We'll be doing 2 cores again this year. Last year we did Cores A and E, and it worked much better than I'd anticipated. We would start off our days together with Bible, and then DD would head off and do all her independant work while I worked with DS. The last thing he and I would do together would be his RA to cap off his school time. By then, DD was usually finished with her independant things and ready to work with me on her core work. I do have my DD doing her English, Science, Math and Reading all independantly, so that helps a lot. We're together for core work and spelling, everything else she does on her own and I check it later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naturalmama2 Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 That sounds like a really good plan. I noticed that you are using some of the same curriculum that we are using too. We'll be doing 2 cores again this year. Last year we did Cores A and E, and it worked much better than I'd anticipated. We would start off our days together with Bible, and then DD would head off and do all her independant work while I worked with DS. The last thing he and I would do together would be his RA to cap off his school time. By then, DD was usually finished with her independant things and ready to work with me on her core work. I do have my DD doing her English, Science, Math and Reading all independantly, so that helps a lot. We're together for core work and spelling, everything else she does on her own and I check it later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SewLittleTime Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 We have begun Cores F and C, and I feel completely overwhelmed. There is a lot of reading, especially when you add in all other subjects. Are there any suggestions to make it more "doable"? Hope you find something that works. We switched from SL b/c I just couldn't keep up with 2 cores. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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