Would you use SL if . . .

[ByGrace3]

your child had major problems with comprehension. My dd6 really struggles with comprehension (whether she or I are reading). She is hit or miss so I know she can, she just struggles with details (really focusing to get the details). This has made WWE and even SOTW an issue. She does better with lit books when she is more engaged. Sometimes she can tell me almost word for word, so I think it is more an interest thing than a problem, I am just not sure what to do about that. I am trying to decide between SL and BP for next year and this issue really makes me wonder if SL would be frustrating. I would add in WTM writing and notebooking as well as hands on, but would it be enough? We do love SL books. I go back and forth between thinking SL would be disastrous with her comprehension issues or great to help her improve :001_huh:

[3peasinapod]

Okay, this is my opinion on it, but purely circumstantial. I have found that SL has increased my kids' comprehension a lot. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion (not positive) that they do so well with the WWE selections because of their exposure to sometimes difficult literature. SL is great in that they will schedule an easier, fun book after a difficult selection. Like reading Understood Betsy and then Henry Huggins. Both great books, but one takes a lot more attention.

 

If you go with SL, please, please make sure you order the right core. :001_smile: I recommend the middle of the age range or the high end for each core. I did Core A (stated age range of K-2) with a K'er and a 1st grader, and much of it was over my K'er's head. Now we are doing Core B (stated age range of 1-3) with a 2nd and 3rd grader, and they are pulling out so much great information and wisdom from the readings this year. I do add library books to flesh out things more, so keep that in mind if using for the end age range of each core.

 

ETA: I had to check to see how old your child was. For a 6yo, I would choose Core A. If you are using this for 2nd grade, you could go with Core B, but Core A will still be really good for her. Since you're worried about her comprehension, Core A would be good. I hope I've helped!

Edited November 30, 2011 by 3peasinapod

[ByGrace3]

Okay, this is my opinion on it, but purely circumstantial. I have found that SL has increased my kids' comprehension a lot. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion (not positive) that they do so well with the WWE selections because of their exposure to sometimes difficult literature. SL is great in that they will schedule an easier, fun book after a difficult selection. Like reading Understood Betsy and then Henry Huggins. Both great books, but one takes a lot more attention.

 

If you go with SL, please, please make sure you order the right core. :001_smile: I recommend the middle of the age range or the high end for each core. I did Core A (stated age range of K-2) with a K'er and a 1st grader, and much of it was over my K'er's head. Now we are doing Core B (stated age range of 1-3) with a 2nd and 3rd grader, and they are pulling out so much great information and wisdom from the readings this year.

 

ETA: I had to check to see how old your child was. For a 6yo, I would choose Core A. If you are using this for 2nd grade, you could go with Core B, but Core A will still be really good for her/him. I hope I've helped!

 

Thanks for the input. This is the thing. I do not want to use core A :tongue_smilie: We have read most of the books already, and the history is not enough/not at all what I want at this point. It would be for next year for 2nd. We already did ancients this year, and we pull from SL for a reading list so have read many of Core B already, leaving the only SL option as Core C/2. I have heard so much about being on the upper end, but dd is a pretty good reader and does well with lit read alouds (just not WWE and SOTW) :tongue_smilie:

I am deciding between SL and BP, which schedules many of the same books . . .

 

ETA: also, part of my reason for liking SL is I like the look of Core D and then E for 3rd and 4th grade, putting us back on the 4 yr cycle for 5th . . . for whatever that is worth :)

[3peasinapod]

Thanks for the input. This is the thing. I do not want to use core A :tongue_smilie: We have read most of the books already, and the history is not enough/not at all what I want at this point. It would be for next year for 2nd. We already did ancients this year, and we pull from SL for a reading list so have read many of Core B already, leaving the only SL option as Core C/2. I have heard so much about being on the upper end, but dd is a pretty good reader and does well with lit read alouds (just not WWE and SOTW) :tongue_smilie:

I am deciding between SL and BP, which schedules many of the same books . . .

 

ETA: also, part of my reason for liking SL is I like the look of Core D and then E for 3rd and 4th grade, putting us back on the 4 yr cycle for 5th . . . for whatever that is worth :)

 

Well that narrows it down! :001_smile: Can you check out some of the books from Core C from the library and read them first to see if your DD can handle them? Even though so many choose at the middle, sometimes upper, end of the age ranges, there are many who use it at the lower end too.

 

Like you mentioned, her comprehension may be solely because she is not engaged in the story in WWE, as it is a seriously small snippet.

 

Try to check out some of the harder Core C books:

-Good Queen Bess

-Ginger Pye

-Red Sails to Capri

-A Door in the Wall

 

I haven't read them yet (doing Core C next year), but trying to go by what I've read on the SL forums.

 

Is the BP you are talking about BiblioPlan? I don't know much about BP, but I am actually quite drawn to it, as it helps to mesh all children into one topic. I know how difficult the decisions can be. I have heard problems with BP just getting your hands on the books recommended in the guide.

Edited November 30, 2011 by 3peasinapod

[SebastianCat]

Do you have access to CHOW (A Child's History of the World) that you could borrow from a friend or through the library? That would be the clincher for me to decide whether to use SL, especially Core C, with a 2nd grader. CHOW is written in a very conversational tone, but there are almost no pictures, and it's one of two main history spines.

 

As for Read Alouds, I'd pre-read Red Sails to Capri and A Door in the Wall. Red Sails to Capri starts out very slow, but by the end my kids were on the edge of their seat and loved it. A Door in the Wall is pretty dry. If she can handle CHOW and those two Read Alouds, then you should be fine doing Core C next year.

 

I would also look at the book lists before considering Core D, and pre-read several of those. There is a big jump in length of reading, the concepts covered (much more abstract, more verbose), and there are some very difficult events in Core D (like death, serious injury, etc., dealt with in a more mature way). Obviously, you're two years away from considering this, but I'd just pre-read several of the books (like the Landmark History spine, Johnny Tremain, Calico Bush, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond) before deciding.

 

Hope that helps!

[MerryAtHope]

I also think SL helped improve my dd's comprehension, ability to listen and focus, and so-on. However, I wouldn't do C with a 3rd grader struggling with comprehension. I would do B for 2nd, C for 3rd, D for 4th, E for 5th. But, I know that throws off the cycle! However...would it be the end of the world to do one 3 year cycle either in middle or high school? Or, do 1 4-year cycle and do things like a geography focus, another US history, and then a year of government & sociology or psychology or other specialty interest?

 

Just a thought! Merry :-)

[ByGrace3]

Well that narrows it down! :001_smile: Can you check out some of the books from Core C from the library and read them first to see if your DD can handle them? Even though so many choose at the middle, sometimes upper, end of the age ranges, there are many who use it at the lower end too.

 

Like you mentioned, her comprehension may be solely because she is not engaged in the story in WWE, as it is a seriously small snippet.

 

Try to check out some of the harder Core C books:

-Good Queen Bess

-Ginger Pye

-Red Sails to Capri

-A Door in the Wall

 

I haven't read them yet (doing Core C next year), but trying to go by what I've read on the SL forums.

 

Is the BP you are talking about BiblioPlan? I don't know much about BP, but I am actually quite drawn to it, as it helps to mesh all children into one topic. I know how difficult the decisions can be. I have heard problems with BP just getting your hands on the books recommended in the guide.

 

 

I will check those out, thank you! I have a couple of them I think. And yes, BP is Biblioplan. It actually schedules a good number of Core C books, so either way I would be reading most of them. As far as getting the books for BP, I think I would buy them to have them on hand like SL. I am not very good with getting books back to the library. :tongue_smilie:

 

Do you have access to CHOW (A Child's History of the World) that you could borrow from a friend or through the library? That would be the clincher for me to decide whether to use SL, especially Core C, with a 2nd grader. CHOW is written in a very conversational tone, but there are almost no pictures, and it's one of two main history spines.

 

As for Read Alouds, I'd pre-read Red Sails to Capri and A Door in the Wall. Red Sails to Capri starts out very slow, but by the end my kids were on the edge of their seat and loved it. A Door in the Wall is pretty dry. If she can handle CHOW and those two Read Alouds, then you should be fine doing Core C next year.

 

I would also look at the book lists before considering Core D, and pre-read several of those. There is a big jump in length of reading, the concepts covered (much more abstract, more verbose), and there are some very difficult events in Core D (like death, serious injury, etc., dealt with in a more mature way). Obviously, you're two years away from considering this, but I'd just pre-read several of the books (like the Landmark History spine, Johnny Tremain, Calico Bush, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond) before deciding.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Thanks, I will certainly look over those. I actually asked a friend tonight who has CHOW and I am going to borrow it to take a look. I do think CHOW vs SOTW will be a big decider for me for which to go with.

 

I also think SL helped improve my dd's comprehension, ability to listen and focus, and so-on.

 

Good to know. Thanks!

 

However, I wouldn't do C with a 3rd grader struggling with comprehension. I would do B for 2nd, C for 3rd, D for 4th, E for 5th. But, I know that throws off the cycle! However...would it be the end of the world to do one 3 year cycle either in middle or high school? Or, do 1 4-year cycle and do things like a geography focus, another US history, and then a year of government & sociology or psychology or other specialty interest?

 

Just a thought! Merry :-)

 

It is really not so much about the cycle. . . as I have considered using Core F after E, but the thing is we have already done ancients this year so B is not an option, and I don't want to do A.

 

 

Thanks for all the input! It is especially helpful to know which books to look through.

 

When you say those are "harder" reads in Core C, is that in reading difficulty/mature content? How would it compare to any we have read or plan to read?

 

This year some of the SL books we have read are: Understood Betsy, The Year of Miss Agnes, The Great Wall of China, Tuts Mummy Lost and Found, Archaeologists Dig for Clues, Greek News, and are planning to read many of the others Detectives in Togas, Little Pear, Mr Popper's Penguins, Homer Price, and more. We have already read some like Charlotte's Web. Dd is reading Ann of Green Gables for her free reading right now.

[morosophe]

My son is doing Sonlight Core C this year for his second grade, and I am planning to switch to Biblioplan next year, so I understand how you can feel torn between two potentially great programs.

 

I do recommend CHOW over SOTW whatever you pick, particularly for a child who is having comprehension issues. Yes, the illustrations are minimal, but the writing is so well-done and simple to understand that it almost doesn't matter. I can always find plenty of pictures online for my son, if the information isn't in Usborne's World History. (Frankly, I'm really not crazy about the Usborne products. Still, they do have a lot of pictures.)

 

My son had far more trouble with Understood Betsy than with anything we have read this year. Then again, I think he had trouble caring, because that one is more of a girl's book. Your daughter may have the opposite problem with The Door in the Wall or Castle Diary, those being more boy-centric books.

 

An issue that hasn't been raised yet is that Core C actually carries you from after the fall of Rome to the modern day. Then you're supposed to do two years of U.S.-only history, and then their geography thing. In other words, C would take you farther than you need to go in history for a four-year cycle. I just wanted to point that out.

[ByGrace3]

My son is doing Sonlight Core C this year for his second grade, and I am planning to switch to Biblioplan next year, so I understand how you can feel torn between two potentially great programs.

 

Hearing this shouldn't get me so excited! ;) Would you mind telling me why you are switching? :bigear:

 

I do recommend CHOW over SOTW whatever you pick, particularly for a child who is having comprehension issues. Yes, the illustrations are minimal, but the writing is so well-done and simple to understand that it almost doesn't matter. I can always find plenty of pictures online for my son, if the information isn't in Usborne's World History. (Frankly, I'm really not crazy about the Usborne products. Still, they do have a lot of pictures.)

 

My son had far more trouble with Understood Betsy than with anything we have read this year. Then again, I think he had trouble caring, because that one is more of a girl's book. Your daughter may have the opposite problem with The Door in the Wall or Castle Diary, those being more boy-centric books.

 

That's good to know. Understood Betsy was a little challenging (certainly more than The Year of Miss Agnes), but overall dd and ds really enjoyed it (after the slow start anyway!) ;)

 

An issue that hasn't been raised yet is that Core C actually carries you from after the fall of Rome to the modern day. Then you're supposed to do two years of U.S.-only history, and then their geography thing. In other words, C would take you farther than you need to go in history for a four-year cycle. I just wanted to point that out.

 

Yes, thank you, I am aware of this. I think if we use SL core C next year, we would probably plan to use D and then E for the next 2 years to bring us back around to start the cycle again for 5th.

[morosophe]

Hearing this shouldn't get me so excited! ;) Would you mind telling me why you are switching? :bigear:

 

 

Not at all! I'm switching (as my .sig tries to suggest, but there's only so much space there, y'know?) because I've got two more coming along, and I really don't feel like dealing with the hassle of having to deal with multiple Sonlight cores, or modify them to fit two (and eventually three!) students. Also, I feel like Sonlight has given me a really good grounding in a good method of doing history with living books (at least for grammar stage), so I feel confident enough to go on with the more skeletal nature of Biblioplan.

 

Plus, I didn't even discover Biblioplan until I was just about ready to order for this year, and I didn't want to switch programs last minute. (I am one of those people who feels much better about a decision when I have had a long time to think about it. I hate buyer's remorse even worse than the feeling that I get when I see something I bought last week go on a great sale... or, more likely, decide to buy something only to discover that I've missed a great sale.)

 

I had heard of Tapestry of Grace and was considering it, but, well... It's expensive, and headache-inducing, and I'd rather not deal with it. I'll see how well I do with Biblioplan. (I have purchased All Through the Ages, by Christine Miller, and highly recommend it. It's a great resource for figuring out what materials are available covering particular historical periods/geographical locations for particular ages.)

[SebastianCat]

When you say those are "harder" reads in Core C, is that in reading difficulty/mature content? How would it compare to any we have read or plan to read?

 

This year some of the SL books we have read are: Understood Betsy, The Year of Miss Agnes, The Great Wall of China, Tuts Mummy Lost and Found, Archaeologists Dig for Clues, Greek News, and are planning to read many of the others Detectives in Togas, Little Pear, Mr Popper's Penguins, Homer Price, and more. We have already read some like Charlotte's Web. Dd is reading Ann of Green Gables for her free reading right now.

 

I think the books I suggested reading are "harder" in several ways - sometimes it's because the language/dialogue is difficult to understand, or the descriptions are written at a higher level, or the plot takes longer to develop. Also, the Core C reading assignments are longer than Core B, if you are following the IG. I was a bit surprised at that when we began Core C.

 

Hope that helps!

[3peasinapod]

I will check those out, thank you! I have a couple of them I think. And yes, BP is Biblioplan. It actually schedules a good number of Core C books, so either way I would be reading most of them. As far as getting the books for BP, I think I would buy them to have them on hand like SL. I am not very good with getting books back to the library. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

 

Thanks, I will certainly look over those. I actually asked a friend tonight who has CHOW and I am going to borrow it to take a look. I do think CHOW vs SOTW will be a big decider for me for which to go with.

 

 

 

Good to know. Thanks!

 

 

 

It is really not so much about the cycle. . . as I have considered using Core F after E, but the thing is we have already done ancients this year so B is not an option, and I don't want to do A.

 

 

Thanks for all the input! It is especially helpful to know which books to look through.

 

When you say those are "harder" reads in Core C, is that in reading difficulty/mature content? How would it compare to any we have read or plan to read?

 

This year some of the SL books we have read are: Understood Betsy, The Year of Miss Agnes, The Great Wall of China, Tuts Mummy Lost and Found, Archaeologists Dig for Clues, Greek News, and are planning to read many of the others Detectives in Togas, Little Pear, Mr Popper's Penguins, Homer Price, and more. We have already read some like Charlotte's Web. Dd is reading Ann of Green Gables for her free reading right now.

 

Understood Betsy is one of the hardest books I have read to the girls and Anne of Green Gables is pretty hefty too. If she is comprehending these books, I don't think she'll have trouble with Core C selections, but check them out to make sure.

[MerryAtHope]

I think the books I suggested reading are "harder" in several ways - sometimes it's because the language/dialogue is difficult to understand, or the descriptions are written at a higher level, or the plot takes longer to develop. Also, the Core C reading assignments are longer than Core B, if you are following the IG. I was a bit surprised at that when we began Core C.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Yes, the idependent reading assignments are MUCH longer, especially the first couple of books. Some in the middle of the year are more doable and wouldn't be a problem, but some might be an issue for a child who struggles with reading comprehension.

 

Also, the history gets more involved. There is a step up in maturity level because of content (in one read-aloud a baby is burned to death, there is discussion of human sacrifice--brief but there, when studying the Aztecs, and so on. Core E can also get heavy because of the topics--Civil War, WWI, Great Depression, WW II & the Holocaust, Civil Rights & discrimination, and so on.)

 

The spine for Cores D and E is Landmark, and this is written at a 5th grade level--again, a challenge for a child with listening comprehension issues. Now, much of the time my dd actually really enjoyed this book, but I had to work harder at times to help her understand it also. So...it's doable but could be a challenge.

 

HTH! Merry :-)