GWOB Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I just bought a Sonlight core. And Sonlight science:tongue_smilie:. Backstory: When dd11 was preparing for ps K, I considered homeschooling. Dh and I chose not to hs because we really were in a great school district. Fast forward to our move halfway across the country. Public school didn't work out for either dd11 or ds8, so we chose hsing. While researching hsing for dd11, the very first programs I found were AO Lifepacs (big theological NO), Sonlight, and WTM. Three years later when homeschooling became a valid option, I chose WTM. I always liked Sonlight, but could never bring myself to justify the price. Present day: I have threatened to purchase Sonlight at least a million times. While I love WTM, I have come to realize, after 3 years of hsing, that I am a horrible planner. I love teaching but hate planning. I love so many things from WTM, but I need some serious help in the whole planning department. A couple of weeks ago I had a candid conversation with both by dh and my dc. Dh and I am convinced hsing is best for the family, but I just need help planning. I asked the dc what they wanted out of school. I gave them 3 options: Sonlight, Further Up and Further In, and AWOA. Both dc chose Sonlight. I was happy to try AWOA (even though I tried MFW and it was a fail;)) due to price. Dh pretty much talked me into Sonlight, touting the BOX OF BOOKS!!!!! I agreed (due to a craptastic local library). Anyway. I ordered Sonlight core D+E (old 3+4) with Sonlight science E. Dd11 has wanted to do American History for a while. She is a great student. Ds8 is a bit accelerated. Finally, the real question! Tell me what I need to know about Sonlight. Give me your tips. What do I need to know about doing this core with a super student 11yo and a kinda advanced, super-reader 8yo? Give me the nitty-gritty about Sonlight. Tell be I'm not crazy and stupid! Thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbakos Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I would (x)post this on the SL forum boards. There is a wealth of information and advice there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anmom Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 This is our first year with SL and all I can say is that we love it and it works for my family beautifully! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuzor Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I will be ordering my box from them soon. P4/5 and Core B and science B. I considered them when we started in K but decided to go another route. I am considering SL agian because I like planning but reality is that I could use the five to ten hours a week that I spend planning doing other things around the house and spending time with my family. I am so eager to order I can't even tell you. I will be ordering around March or so. I have to save my pennies. I can't tell you much because I am in your same boat with the exception that you have ordered I have not. So I will be keeping an eye on this forum. Good luck to you and your family Sonlighting. I hope its a good fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Last year was my first year of homeschooling and we used Sonlight for history, geography and literature. We really enjoyed it and I think it helped my adjustment to being a teacher. At first I was skeptical about reading a little from several books each day, but the schedule keeps me on track and we LOVE the book choices. My 9 year old son sneaks his Sonlight history books to bed and reads them until the wee hours of the morning. He always wants to do the Sonlight reading first because he's not a morning person and wants to start the day with his favorites. He's started taking the read-aloud books after I stop reading and reading them during his free time. We end up weeks ahead in literature and just add in other books that relate to something we're studying. Some people complain that SL doesn't have enough hands on, but if you have a child who likes hands on activities, it's pretty easy to find resources (lapbooks, field trips, models). My daughter is less auditory and I may need to do that need year when she starts K. SL has a LOT of reading, especially if you're doing more than one Core. We moved read-aloud books to bedtime and, since I no longer require my son to read to me daily, readers are often done during an afternoon reading time or in waiting rooms. Oh, don't forget to use a map and find the places mentioned. I'm shocked at how much my son has learned about geography just by finding places on the map after our reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 We've used Sonlight for years and really enjoy it! Thoughts on getting started: If possible, give yourself the weekend to put your binder in order (they have a video on the SL site if you need help/ideas), read through the appendices & first week of IG where there are extra notes, familiarize yourself with the books you'll be starting with and so on. I like to put the books on the shelf in order of use according to type--so history books in order of introduction, readers in order, read-alouds in order. There's a one-page sheet at the front of the guide that tells you what week each book is introduced, so this is easy to do, and it makes finding your books each week much easier! Once you are set up, Sonlight is very open and go. Something else worth noting: Sonlight tends to alternate harder books with easier books. And they especially tend to load the first several weeks of a core. So, if everything seems like too much when you get started, don't worry, the whole year won't be that way. Consider doing the first week or two at half-pace and easing into the core--that can help! We like to break up the day by doing lit. read-alouds before bedtime. Enjoy! Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWOB Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Thanks for the tips everyone! I've been drooling over SL for ages. My kids are excited, and so am I. I will try to figure our the SL forums and ask over there. Again, thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGHEALTHYMOM Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 (edited) Glad you asked about how to implement Sonlight... I need to get started on our first year of it too. I too looked at it for many years, bought many books from them, and loved them! Now that we are not in a group for any classes, and I have to do all of the Planning, had surgery last August and did not get much done, I was feeling discouraged. We did read many of the books aloud ( I have 7 children and am expecting a baby in May now). I have read that some Cores can take 2 years and that is reassuring to me. :grouphug: Videos and the Sonlight Forum are great resources too. I debated over it for a few months not knowing if we could actually do 2 Cores and decided not this time. I did buy some of the guides PK3-4 and workbooks: Reader Guide and readers for 2nd-3rd grades and we already had many of the books. I am using CHOW for history and we have studied history in depth before, so that was a transition. Living books have the history in fiction form as well. I need to spend some time looking more at the writing because I liked the IEW classes we participated in and have tons of their materials. I have ordered more school supplies too including School House Rock for Grammar songs, and the Alphabet Island program we are in the 2nd year of is a joy in the mornings with dd8 and dd6. It is a struggle especially with our 14yr. old son right now. I have to push him to read the Core Readers and he is well able, but still enjoys me reading aloud as well. dd12 is doing the Core as well. I couldn't lump our 8 yr. old in on the Core, but we read History together. Edited January 20, 2012 by TGHEALTHYMOM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 We no longer use it because my kids are older now and are doing mostly local and online classes, but we used six cores and they definitely kept me sane. We got WAY more school done than when we did Mom-planned because sometimes I fell down on the job and/or didn't have the right book at the right time. It was one of my "no regrets" choices when mine were younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armom Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 This is my first year doing Sonlight also. I am doing two cores with my children. We have working since July and about 2/3 complete but we are just now into a good pattern for each day. The best thing I would say is to remember that the IG is a guide only. You are the teacher and ultimately decide what gets done and when. I started out checking off every box and stressing, and now we do what we want in the day and finish the other things as needed. I do skip a occasional writing assignment or two. We are still lacking in utilizing the timeline figures, but making progress. We love the books Sonlight uses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CupOCoffee Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I am also a long-time Sonlight user, currently both kids are studying American History using Core3/4/100. I work outside the home, and have a chronic illness as well -- I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Sonlight tells us what to do every.single.day! I don't really have anything to add, as others have answered pretty well! I just wanted to say that we have thoroughly enjoyed our years with Sonlight, and even faced with being unable to purchase a brand new Core for this year, my son begged me to try to find "something like Sonlight". I was able to piece together Core 100 for him, and we are utilizing some things from the Library, on line sources, and he is even re-visiting Core 3/4 RAs as readers, he loves it! ~coffee~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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