Question for Sonlight users

[Guest]

Just hypothetically, if I was ever looking at Sonlight again in the future . . . ;)

 

My kids are two years apart. I'm wondering if we ever went back to Sonlight, would it be recommended to have them in two separate cores, or have them both use the same core? (One would be at the bottom of the range and one would be at the top; both in the given range by Sonlight.) I know what the Sonlight website/catalog says, I'm just wondering what actual users think.

[SebastianCat]

I think it totally depends on the children and on the Core you are thinking about.

 

It looks from your siggy that your kids are 6 & 4. For that age range, you could combine in Core P4/5 or (maybe) in Core A. If you keep both kids in the recommended age range for the Core (....and 6 & 4 would be in the range for P4/5....) you can have better success.

 

But if the younger child is less mature or less ready for formal schooling, or if the older child is way ahead, that can make combining unsuccessful.

 

You'll find that there are BIG jumps in SL between certain Cores. There's a jump between P4/5 and A that many 5 year olds can't handle. There's another big jump betweeen Cores C and D that many 8 year olds can't handle.

 

We started using SL when my DS was in kindergarten, using P4/5 with a bunch of supplements. DD was 3 at the time. When he was in 1st grade, we did Core A (then called Core K) while DD went to preschool part time. When they were in 2nd grade & Kindergarten, we did Core B (then called Core 1) and I was very impressed with how well my DD did in that Core. Same results for Core C when they were in 3rd & 1st grades.

 

BUT.....when I started looking at Core D, I realized that my DD would get much, much more out of the core by waiting a year and not starting at age 7. So we took a year off from SL and have been studying state history all year. In the fall, we'll go back to Core D, when my kids will be 10 & 8.

 

So the long story is......maybe your kids would do great combined, maybe not. Some people think it's less trouble to do 2 separate Cores than it is to combine them together. I can't totally answer FOR you, but I hope that gave you some info to help decide.

[Guest]

Yes, that wasn't the answer I was hoping for, but this describes us:

 

But if the younger child is less mature or less ready for formal schooling, or if the older child is way ahead, that can make combining unsuccessful.

 

I will have to look at the cores a little more carefully, I guess. I really appreciate your help. :)

[Tess in the Burbs]

My kids are almost 2 years apart. The oldest child is a Dec birthday. The youngest is August...so she is young for her grade already. She has always been a year younger than the age range for any core we did.

 

We have done 1,2,3 and now 4. So Core E this year is the new name. My dd has always been ok in the core even being younger than they recommend but she is a good reader. for these cores it hasn't been an issue.

 

However, I have seen Core F and talked to a mom of a kid I know doing it at age 11 and know my younger child would not enjoy or be able to do the next core being so young. In hindsight if I had wanted to stay with SL I should have held off a year or done something else between world and American or take the next year or two to do something else and come back to SL.

 

So the ages of your kids and the core you want to do matter. It may be ok for the younger cores for a young child. But it won't work for upper cores and a young child KWIM?

 

Just saw your kids ages in your signature. You could start but will run into the same situation as I am come the Core F. Delay a year or do something extra between world/American or do something extra like geography before F. We are choosing to leave SL after this year for History but if my kids ages were a little older I would have stayed. I just rushed into it when they were younger b/c I knew they could do the reading. But now we have to go another direction. No regrets, we have loved our SL years.

Edited February 24, 2012 by tess in the burbs

[Guest]

My kids are almost 2 years apart. The oldest child is a Dec birthday. The youngest is August...so she is young for her grade already. She has always been a year younger than the age range for any core we did.

 

We have done 1,2,3 and now 4. So Core E this year is the new name. My dd has always been ok in the core even being younger than they recommend but she is a good reader. for these cores it hasn't been an issue.

 

However, I have seen Core F and talked to a mom of a kid I know doing it at age 11 and know my younger child would not enjoy or be able to do the next core being so young. In hindsight if I had wanted to stay with SL I should have held off a year or done something else between world and American or take the next year or two to do something else and come back to SL.

 

So the ages of your kids and the core you want to do matter. It may be ok for the younger cores for a young child. But it won't work for upper cores and a young child KWIM?

 

Just saw your kids ages in your signature. You could start but will run into the same situation as I am come the Core F. Delay a year or do something extra between world/American or do something extra like geography before F. We are choosing to leave SL after this year for History but if my kids ages were a little older I would have stayed. I just rushed into it when they were younger b/c I knew they could do the reading. But now we have to go another direction. No regrets, we have loved our SL years.

 

Thank you, this is very helpful in my planning. Lots to think about. :)

[Running the race]

I've used K-7 combining my two boys. It worked very well for us.

[Mom0012]

My kids are two years apart and we have always successfully used just one core. This is our 7th year with SL.

 

Lisa

[Mom22ns]

My kids are 2 yrs apart and have done Cores 6 & 7 (G & H) together the last two years. It has worked wonderfully. We did separate cores American history the year before, 3+4 & 100. We used the spine from 100 and read it aloud together, then each had their own readers. That was fun too.

 

There are lots of ways to combine, partially or fully with SL.

[mumto2]

My kids are 22 months apart for k,1,2 we did them together. I always timed it for the youngest and supplemented dd with veritas. Dd loved it and learned all the little details and my ds simply learnedly the basics.

They both enjoyed "sonlight school" and still call school where we cuddle up and read "sonlight school".

[Moxie]

I've always had my oldest two in the same core. This year, I had to start using two cores, one for the oldest two kids and one for the kindergartener. It's hard! I feel like I'm forever reading aloud and we're always behind. I recommend doing whatever you need to do to make one core work.

[krisperry]

My kids are two years apart and do not combine well. Personality conflict mostly.

 

Tyler (3 years older so too hard to combine, she does her own)

Hayden (lalalala loopy funny kiddo... takes for.ev.er. to do stuff/focus)

Greyson (super focus, get er done, extremely logical)

Isaac (very young acting for age, doesn't want to grown up)

Arwyn (very old for her age and gets frustrated with Isaac....)

 

So all 5 are in their own cores.... Personality wise Tyler, Greyson, & Arwyn would work super well together. but are too far apart in age. Same deal with Hayden, Isaac and the baby Edward. I literally spit out kids that were polar opposites every 2/3 years. Figures :P

[Barb_]

 

 

But if the younger child is less mature or less ready for formal schooling, or if the older child is way ahead, that can make combining unsuccessful..

 

Yes, that wasn't the answer I was hoping for, but this describes us:

 

We had two pairs of kids two years apart (the others were 3-4 years apart and not reasonable to combine). The older pair (now 17 and 15) were as described above. Combining was never a consideration. But the other pair (now 10 and 12) were much easier. The 12yo is our ADHD girl and has always been a creative, twitchy, late bloomer. The 10yo is quieter, studious, motivated and generally more mature for her age. They combined very well. It's better to think of your kids as 3 or 4 years apart if that is the grade level span. Hugs :)

[freeindeed]

My middle children are about 2 1/2 years apart & they do the same core, but they have separate science and language arts. We are currently doing Core D+E. We move through the core more slowly than what is scheduled...meaning we will take about 48 weeks to complete Core D+E, as opposed to 36 weeks. We will move on to Core F when we're done, even though my ds will only be 9. Once again we will take more time to get through the core, probably spreading Core F out over two school years. I am adding in some books that are on my ds9's level and also pulling in some ideas from Galloping the Globe (found here: http://www.christianbook.com/galloping-geography-learners-updated-revised-edition/loree-pettit/9781931397650/pd/397650) for him to do instead of the more difficult research found in Core F. So, yes, I think you can use one core. You just might have to "tweak" it some.:)

[MerryAtHope]

My kids were combined for several years, and it worked out well here. Merry :-)

[Lightly Salted]

Mine are 21 months apart, and we've combined in cores A-C so far.