Sonlight in the Younger Years

[Willow Creek Academy]

I am new here so I hope you don't mind if I jump in. I was wondering about experiences, both positive and negative, with Sonlight in the earlier years. Specifically P4/5 and Core A.

 

I had looked at SL extensively in the past but chose a more eclectic route and would like to spend less time planning and more time enjoying my kids. I feel like half my day is spent pulling things together. I have looked at many posts on these boards but see very little regarding the younger cores to gleen insight from.

[WeeBeaks]

We enjoyed our younger years with Sonlight. I did them with my older two children and started on the third (we still use a lot of the books with my third and will continue with my fourth when she is ready).

 

I left Sonlight because I had trouble combining kids rather than truly disliked the program, although I did dislike their LA component quite a bit for my boys.

 

If you want to spend your time sitting on the sofa reading lots of good books in the younger grades, it might likely be a good fit for your family.

 

Their book choices we have always loved, and still use their book lists. I incorporate many of their books in our 4-year history cycle.

[Willow Creek Academy]

We enjoyed our younger years with Sonlight. I did them with my older two children and started on the third (we still use a lot of the books with my third and will continue with my fourth when she is ready).

 

I left Sonlight because I had trouble combining kids rather than truly disliked the program, although I did dislike their LA component quite a bit for my boys.

 

If you want to spend your time sitting on the sofa reading lots of good books in the younger grades, it might likely be a good fit for your family.

 

Their book choices we have always loved, and still use their book lists. I incorporate many of their books in our 4-year history cycle.

 

Did you find the books 'too hard' or 'too grown-up' for the age level? I used CLE for the most part with the olders (dear step-daughters now in PS in aanother State) and never had to deal with that issue. I am looking for something to keep it fresh for me more so than the kids. I also want to incorporate Classical into it all

[WeeBeaks]

Did you find the books 'too hard' or 'too grown-up' for the age level?

 

No, we didn't feel that. I haven't used CLE so can't compare.

[taffnus]

We did - find the books a little too difficult to follow. We did a mix of P3/4 and P4/5 for K and then Core K for 1G. We left at the beginning of 2G. I couldn't keep my girls interested for the length of time it took to read all the books and then had to skip a number of them just for lack of interest or because they were too difficult. I loved most of the books and can't part with the ones I never got around to reading. I figure I'll fit them in as the years go by. I know SL is a great fit for some families and I truly believe it's a great program but it didn't work for us.

[hopeallgoeswell]

We have used P 3/4, P 4/5, Core K, LA K, and Science K (all old versions, now "A"). All of my kids LOVED the P 3/4. P 4/5 had some flops in it that were the same for each of my two who have been through it (Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit and Uncle Wiggily's Storybook), but the great books outnumber the flops!

 

Core A with LA A and Science A were toooooooo much for my 1st dd her K year and made her hate school for a while. We did the first 12 weeks over 16 weeks and sent the program back. Even though she was advanced and motivated, I think it would have been a better 1st grade year for her. The content was not the hard part, it was the quantity of it all.

 

I did learn that, for us, going horizontally across the IG is better for everyone's sanity. We can't stand getting a new book out every 5 minutes:lol:.

 

We do different things (TWTM and Charlotte Mason) for the older kids because it fits my learning and teaching philosophies better. I will definitely keep my P 3/4 and P 4/5 IGs to use for any future children because for those ages, snuggling on the couch reading is best for us!

[G5052]

We left Sonlight when read-alouds and long discussions became difficult to manage, but we enjoyed what was then Cores K-4. We gone more done with Sonlight than Mom-planned, way more.

[petepie2]

My kids loved Uncle Wiggily and Brer Rabbit!

 

I've used p3/4, p4/5, Core A, and Science A. There's a huge jump between p4/5 and Core A. My DD did fine with Core A in kindergarten. My DS is going through it now for kindy, and a couple of the books have been a bit difficult for him. We are hanging in there, though. I just have to be very animated when I read and give extra commentary when I think it's needed.

[Mommy22alyns]

I used P 4/5 for Sylvia's K year and Core 1 for Rebecca's 2nd grade year. I also tried LA K and 2 int.

 

It was sweet and delightful for Sylvia, though she probably would have liked some actual activities. The LA was way too simple as she was already reading. She zipped through Readers 1 (she was reading Ramona books on her own for fun - I placed her WAY too low!). Core 1 with Rebecca was flat-out boring and uninspiring. We read the books - now what? Rebecca needs activities. The LA was a terrible bomb. The readers were too easy and the LA did not give much direction ("Have your child write a book report." HOW?). We dropped the LA after 20 weeks, which is why she's behind in WWE. The science was okay; I liked the supply kits and Discover & Do DVDs.

 

Now we're using MFW Adventures and everyone likes it much, much better. I think SL is best used as a book list to supplement whatever else you're doing. The girls are reading the 4-5 readers now because I think they're excellent books.

[oneddmanybooks]

Did you find the books 'too hard' or 'too grown-up' for the age level? ...I also want to incorporate Classical into it all

 

I definitely felt that a few books (in each core we used) were in the wrong core (meaning I felt they should have been in an older core). I'm remembering Twenty and Ten (Nazis), The Apple and the Arrow, and especially Mary on Horseback. I often felt the same way about the missionary books (preread those!).

 

I did not care for the Berenstein Bears Science and Nature book.

 

I wasn't thrilled with the children's encyclopedia used in Core A.

 

We used most of P4/5 and Core A. We used some of Core B.

 

I definitely wouldn't buy the P4/5 IG again, but it has been revised since I bought it, so it might be more worth it now.

 

We enjoyed Sonlight and had some "Sonlight moments." SL has some great readers and read-alouds. I do not care for their approach to history. I have not used their science or LA. I am enjoying Heart of Dakota much more than SL, although we are using the 4-5 readers and really enjoying those.

[oneddmanybooks]

... I think SL is best used as a book list to supplement whatever else you're doing. The girls are reading the 4-5 readers now because I think they're excellent books.

 

I agree.

[MerryAtHope]

Years ago we did the PreK core which was kind of a mix of the 3/4 and 4/5 cores, and also A. My kids enjoyed both of these a lot. We actually did PreK before there was an IG and just read the books when we wanted. They read and reread many of these until they were about 10! A we stretched over 2 years and added in other fun books and projects--so I kind of had the best of both worlds, part eclectic, part scheduled! When I had things I wanted to do, we did them, and when not...we followed the SL schedule. It worked out very well here.

 

Merry :-)

[morosophe]

I am loving Sonlight. Of course, we've done Core 1 and are working on 2, so it's a little different. I don't really get Sonlight's pre-K/Kindergarten stuff; I think it's a little too busy and cluttered, and I can understand how the horizontal/vertical thing could drive people crazy. (I went with Five in a Row for kindergarten instead.)

 

I wouldn't really start with the classical model of studying history until first grade anyhow, which is about what Sonlight does... So I guess I'm saying, I held off until first grade for Sonlight, used Core 1 (which is now B, I think), and I'm very glad I did so?

[Kathryn]

I am new here so I hope you don't mind if I jump in. I was wondering about experiences, both positive and negative, with Sonlight in the earlier years. Specifically P4/5 and Core A.

 

I had looked at SL extensively in the past but chose a more eclectic route and would like to spend less time planning and more time enjoying my kids. I feel like half my day is spent pulling things together. I have looked at many posts on these boards but see very little regarding the younger cores to gleen insight from.

 

I bought P3/4, but we didn't "do" it. We just read the books in addition to many, many others. The summer he was 4.5, we did LA-K at the rate of 1 day per scheduled week. Then we started kindergarten with him in September (he turned 5 two months later in November) with Core P4/5, LA-1, and some other subjects (math, logic, foreign language, art, extra language arts, etc.). A previous poster mentioned the P4/5 IG; it has been heavily revised and we really enjoyed doing it as written. We are currently doing first grade with Core A, Science A, and LA-2.

 

I LOVE how easy Sonlight is to use. At the beginning of the year, I scheduled our other subjects and put them in with my Sonlight IG. I also went through and penciled in on the IG what the history and science topics are. The only prepwork I do now is to read on Sunday night what we'll be going over in math and spelling that week and order supplemental books from the library for the following week. I haven't found the books choices to be advanced at all, but we've always been very open with him about difficult subjects and he's enjoyed being read to out of books without pictures for quite a while.

 

Last year with P4/5 was a perfect kindergarten, in my opinion. He loved every book. He wanted to read the sequels (even "Milly Molly Mandy, a "girl" book). He still frequently pulls the P3/4 and P4/5 books off the shelf to read himself. Like I said, we do supplement a lot this year with Core A for first grade. I look ahead in the IG and order books from the library corresponding with the history/social studies or science topic. DS also frequently wants to read the sequels to books. None of this is "mandatory." It all goes on his bedside table for him to read before bed or during his brother's nap. I also get history videos from the library corresponding to our time period/subject. I have him do a history narration of each topic before we move on to the next one which I then type up and he illustrates for his "portfolio." I haven't done the same with science, but he has the activity sheets for that that he can look back on.

 

The one thing I'm going to change is that we won't be doing their Language Arts past this year, and I probably won't do it for first grade again. It was fine using the K level for pre-school, and the grade 1 for kindergarten, but it's just not working for us for "real school." The "natural" approach to grammar and composition just doesn't work for my son, and that's all we're using it for since we already use phonics, handwriting, and spelling programs. My son needs explicit instruction in this area.

[EmilyGF]

We bought SL PK 4/5 last year for DS 5.5. We didn't do it at all (maybe 3 weeks?) and it drove me nuts.

 

This year, I brought it out to help me spend quality time with my DD barely 5. I'm enjoying it and my two other kids (3 and 6.5) insist on listening to all the stories with us. We've been using it consistently for just over 4 weeks.

 

I think it was a flop last year because I expected it to be "academic" and it isn't. I like it this year because it really helps me be purposeful about spending time with my middle child who otherwise can fall between the cracks. We didn't like Uncle Wiggly last year but even my 3 yo is sitting through it this year.

 

We're using a different program for my 5 yo to learn to read.

 

Emily

[3peasinapod]

We have done P3/4, P4/5, K (A) and now halfway 1 (B). We love it. We did all of them except B with 2 girls, 1 at the low end of their range (Core A with a K'er) and one at the mid range (Core A with a 1st grader). With that experience under my belt, we are now doing B with a 2nd and 3rd grader (mid range and high range of their recommendations).

 

Honestly, most everyone on the SL forums will tell you to do P4/5 with a K'er and Core A with a 1st or higher. I heartily agree. They get so much more out of the core at the higher ends. We are loving Core B with our 2nd and 3rd graders, and I have dropped no books. We did a different curriculum last year and ended up dropping at least a third of the books (what a waste!), and we came back to SL this year. I couldn't have made a better choice.

 

One of the reasons it works for us is I love to have the excellent choices for core books, and it is easy for me to add a book or a project here or there. We love to read, and our girls' comprehension and listening skills are phenomenal. They rarely have problems with harder passages on narration, and they rarely have problems with comprehension questions. They have been raised with SL, and it has helped them tremendously in this regard.

 

There were a few books in P3/4 and Core A that I didn't like and dropped, but there are so many rich, filling books that it didn't matter I didn't like 1 book here and there.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say (sorry so long) is to choose carefully. Many people drop SL because they chose a core too high for the kids even though SL recommends it. Actually, they have corrected their catalog to say on each core something like (for core A) for advanced K'ers, 1st, and 2nd graders. It is very true.

 

We don't use their LA.

Edited November 9, 2011 by 3peasinapod

[Running the race]

I've used all the levels from Pre-K through 100. Definitely the best part of our homeschooling experience.

[momofgmd]

I have used Sonlight cores K (now A) through 5 (now F). I really could not be happier. My oldest two started with Abeka, but when my oldest was in 2nd and the next dd in 1st, I started using Sonlight. What a change! We actually enjoyed doing school! My youngest ds started Sonlight with Kindergarten. He learned to read with Sonlight. I credit my kids' love of books with all the great books we read with Sonlight. They each also have a great ability to listen and comprehend what is being said. Once again, I think Sonlight has a lot to do with that.

 

That being said, I don't care as much for Sonlight's LA. I use it, but the longer I'm using Sonlight, the less I'm using their LA. The kids read the readers, but I have them doing other writing assignments and grammar work with Growing with Grammar. I love Sonlight's science, but I ended up switching this year to the AIG science. It's more cost effective and easier to combine with all three kids. There are some books in each core with difficult subjects (bullying, war, poverty), but these books were great open doors for discussion on difficult topics that should be addressed. I don't think my kids have found a book they haven't enjoyed from Sonlight's read alouds. My oldest dd does have some she doesn't prefer this year in her readers. I know Sonlight isn't for everyone, but I do highly recommend it.

[Professormom]

Did you find the books 'too hard' or 'too grown-up' for the age level? I used CLE for the most part with the olders (dear step-daughters now in PS in aanother State) and never had to deal with that issue. I am looking for something to keep it fresh for me more so than the kids. I also want to incorporate Classical into it all

 

I can't speak to the CLE piece, but our 2 boys were fine with the Sonlight books. There were only one or two in the entire range of K4 through 4th, (that would be up through what they now call Core E) that had subject matter I thought they weren't ready for and those were the more missionary oriented books. I can remember them names of them, but I just pulled the couple of books out for when they were older. It was such a small number in such a large amount of books that it didn't bother me at all to do that.

 

As far as using Sonlight for the grammar years, I was just telling my husband that I wouldn't have traded it for anything because not only did they learn a ton of history, but they also learned how to be decent people and how to love learning. :001_smile:

[Mom0012]

We've used SL since pre-K and will be finishing Core 5/F this year. I've already bought Core G and most of Core H as well as 100. I love Sonlight. Nothing is better to me than spending time reading with my kids and then having a discussion. As much as I still enjoy it now, those younger years were really special. My children love our time reading together and look forward to it. It's the real bright spot in our day. They have also learned a ton since everything is presented in a way that engages them fully. My son, especially, is constantly seeking out more history. I feel SL has given him a real love for that subject, in particular.

 

I've heard a lot of people complaining about the price lately, but I'd guess at least 80% of the cost is for all the beautiful books. Of course, there are ways to do it less expensively than buying directly from SL as well.

 

I do not use the LA and probably never will.

 

Lisa

[Mom0012]

Did you find the books 'too hard' or 'too grown-up' for the age level? I used CLE for the most part with the olders (dear step-daughters now in PS in aanother State) and never had to deal with that issue. I am looking for something to keep it fresh for me more so than the kids. I also want to incorporate Classical into it all

 

I think CLE math and LA are a nice balance to using SL for history, lit, reading, bible, etc. I guess some people feel some of the books are too grown up in the younger years, but I never felt that way and my children have never been upset by anything we've read. If you have a very sensitive child, I can see where their might be an issue with some of the books, but I guess I would just pull those.

 

Lisa

[KAM]

We have used P 3/4 and P4/5, but I never used the schedules. I just bought the books and we read them here and there. The books are great, I loved almost all of them. I am going to be doing P 4/5 again this year and I'm debating buying the IG this time, but I need to research that. I think last time the reason I didn't buy it was b/c there were complaints about the books being read in a very choppy manner- a page from a few different books every day. Drives me nuts to read like that.

 

Everything seemed pretty age appropriate to us.

[wintermom]

I've used SL cores P 3/4 through to core E. As others have said, we LOVE the special time reading and discussing the wonderful books. I've found, similar to another mom, that if you pick a core so that your child(ren) are in the mid to high age recommended, they get the most from the book choices.

 

I do appreciate the IG schedule, but don't always follow the daily readings as listed. I like to follow it more horizontally and do a week's reading with one book in a sitting. I'll do poetry once a week and Mother Goose once a week. I never followed the schedule for P 4/5 at all - just read and re-read the books. My 6 yo still pulls out books from P 4/5 to read with me, and my older dc pull them out to read silently. The P 4/5 science books are some of my all time favorites.

 

Core A, together with science A, and whatever LA and Math you use is a very full grade 1 program. I'm really glad they re-named it from core K, as it is too much for most kindergarden students.

[MathGirl]

I have mixed feelings about Sonlight. I liked some of the book selections a lot, as did my kids. Some of them were too "old" for the kids, imo. My oldest is sensitive and was disturbed by the concepts introduced in some of the PreK books. We also hated switching books every 5 minutes. But at the time I was too much of a box checker to deviate from the schedule.

 

I still have my PreK SL books and we'll be rereading them next year. However, I won't be following the SL schedule and I will omit some of the books altogether.

[CroppinIt]

We loved SL for younger years. I didn't find them until my oldest was 7, and I so wish we had. We've stuck with their general format, with some serious adjustments, since then. My kids still go back and re-read some of the younger books.

 

The only main gripe I had about SL in younger years was Usborne. I'm definitely not an Usborne fan, but I suffered through some of their books because I liked the entire program and didn't want to have to piece at that point. I've become more liberal in my edits since then. :-)

 

Before we found SL, we used FIAR so it was a natural progression. We loved FIAR too. In between we tried Abeka because so many people use it locally, but it just didn't work for us at all.

[MeganW]

We tried P4/5 last year, and it was a disaster. Just before I gave it to a friend, I decided to give it one more try, and what a difference a year makes! My almost 7 year olds (who are finishing kindergarten, so about a year behind typical kids) have LOOOOVED the books this time around. They understand them, think about them, act them out in their free time, etc. They GET it this time. I thought it was that I hated Sonlight, but actually, we just weren't old enough.

 

We are going to do Core A for their 1st grade year, and hopefully my 6 year old kindergartener will be able to do it.

 

That being said, the LA is way off the mark. By the time my kids were old enough to really get something out of the readalouds, they were far past "this is a letter A".