joannqn Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I'm still at a loss for what to do with my 5 year old next year. I'm considering Timberdoodle's Kindy core. I like some of it, like the phonics. But I'm disappointed that the art has only 4 projects for the year, and the math manipulative thingies seem silly. It seems like something is missing or like it isn't enough. I looked at Sonlight and never felt right about it for my older kids. I just had...it's hard to describe... a block against it. A feeling that it was wrong each time I looked at it. I almost feel that same kind of thing about Timberdoodle for DS5. But Sonlight looks good to me this time...like just what I need. The only problem is that looking at the cores, P4/5 looks about right for his readiness while Core A looks right in some parts but mostly like it would be too much for him. The thing is that he really should be kindy next year (he'll turn 6 midyear) so I don't think a preschool program would be a good idea. What do you think? Do P4/5 and call it kindy? Make Core A fit? Find something else? If I had the money, I'd consider getting the P4/5 now and doing it over the summer to get him ready, but I don't. I never had this much trouble deciding with my older two. But they were ready, calmer, etc. I've done very little with DS5. He doesn't like being read to much. He doesn't like to sit. He's not good at fine motor skills things. He knows some of his letter names, some of his letter sounds, and can spell/read some CVC words (thanks for Reading Eggs). He's pretty good at math skills so I'm not concerned about that at all. I know I should be doing more with him but without a plan (ie. Sonlight's core) I feel lost when thinking of doing anything with him. I'm not good at doing preschool on my own...it's too much work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecclecticmum Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 We used Core P4/5 last year with Grade K LA, ETC Phonic Primers and Singapore Maths K. Most people I know seem to use P4/5 as kindy. The way I see it (going by the age guides) is Core A would equal Grade 1. So would be for an average Grade 1 student, an advanced K Student or a remedial/slow Grade 2. Thats just my opinion though :p. We used Handle on the Arts Supplements for Crafts and extras (they have supplements for Sonlight cores). We would be using Core A this year, but it wasn't for us, we have enough literature that buying more books just to have r/a etc was pointless to us. Heres my "Honest Review of Sonlight" from another forum I am on: have though about doing this for a little while now. I LOVE Sonlight, love the idea, love the books, love the workbooks, love the look of the schedule. Hate actually doing it. Thats the truth. We use P3/4 (just a reading/activities list) for hte two littlies, and P4/5 as a K program for A. I feel like all I am doing all day is checking the boxes and jumping from one book to another. We open one book just to tell an itsy bisty rhyme, then jump to the next book, where we read one page, then to the next book etc. I love the actual books themselves. My kids know If you give a Mouse a Cookie line for line, etc, and my daughter loves doing "Science" (currently Berenstein Bears) but after a few weeks it just gets annoying jumping around. I love the workbooks (like ETC and Developing the Early Learnner) and love how they are scheduled. But the rest of it NOPE. Doing a hindsight moment, I would purchase the books, and workbooks, and not the IGs. I would work my way through ONE book at a time for as much as they wanted read that day. And I would decide on the amount of pages in workbooks to cover everyday. SL LA K Is an AIO program, meaning your LA is very tied in to your writing. Now a child like mine, whom still likes writing the way SHE wants, and mostly likes writing with sidewalk chalk in big letters, is not going to do well in this program. IMO they would retreat back. My daughter does NOT want to copy her address out 3 times when writing even the word "Road" between the giant handwriting book (special one we got) is hard enough. I know its hard for people just getting into homeschooling. But looking back, it would be very very easy to "wing it" with your own schedule for these 2 pre-k years. I WOULD suggest getting the SL items from the PreK levels WITHOUT the IGs. They are mostly all beautiful books (with the exception of Uncle Wiggly, but thats my own personal raison detre (sp?) of annoyance, others may like him lol) . I would also recommend getting the full ETC primers, Teachers Manual, Picture Cards, Wall Chart and Activities books. Use the ETC as your main program followed by books from SL programs (read however you want) and developing the early learner. For younger children, I would suggest SL P3/4 books, and the Explode the Code Wallchart & Activities book. Be Silly, have fun, and do it your own way. We have now prrrpphed off the IG guide, and are just using the two programs at our own pace, how we want, and its much much more fun! If you are stuck for ideas of silly/fun stuff to do, I would recommend Handle on the Arts P4/5 supplement, its fun just fix it up according to book instead of week and your all good (Another way is just to print it out, and cut it up by individual books and stick the pages inside the books for easy reference. I hope this review helps xxxx So you know I have lots of links etc on my blog for resources :) I love Sonlight, and wish it worked for us (I continually stare at the website) but it didn't, this doesn't mean you wouldn't be happy with it. And I adore Sonlights customer service, So I tend to try to make a big order of items they have that I need every year (few lit, maths etc). :grouphug: Good Luck with your decisions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom&nana Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Many people on the SL forums will recommend doing Core A for 1st grade. Also in the SL catalog Sarita says Core A is perfect for 6 and 7 years olds and advanced 5 year olds. I just started Core P 4/5 (only 7 weeks in) with a newly turned 7 year old and a 5 year old. It's a perfect fit for them, and a little challenging at times for the 5 year old. So when we move to Core A I'll have a 2nd grader (7 going on 8 years) and a 6 year. My 7 year old probably could have started in A, but I don't feel like she's under-challenged at all by using P 4/5. We are having a great time. :D Remember SL cores are not grade levels, and when I used it with my older dd years ago I much preferred her to be on the older end of the age range. They just get a lot more of out the core that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirstenH Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 The SL website even says P 4/5 is for "advanced 4s, 5s and 6s," doesn't it? I wouldn't get hung up on grade level with SL. Their programs are heavy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Most people recommend P4/5 for K and A for grade 1. I'll be using P4/5 for my almost 6 year old K'er next fall. As my friend said when I was debating this, P4/5 is more little kid friendly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Many people on the SL forums will recommend doing Core A for 1st grade. Also in the SL catalog Sarita says Core A is perfect for 6 and 7 years olds and advanced 5 year olds. I just started Core P 4/5 (only 7 weeks in) with a newly turned 7 year old and a 5 year old. It's a perfect fit for them, and a little challenging at times for the 5 year old. So when we move to Core A I'll have a 2nd grader (7 going on 8 years) and a 6 year. My 7 year old probably could have started in A, but I don't feel like she's under-challenged at all by using P 4/5. We are having a great time. :D Remember SL cores are not grade levels, and when I used it with my older dd years ago I much preferred her to be on the older end of the age range. They just get a lot more of out the core that way. :iagree: This was us last year. Now we are doing Core A for K/2nd and it is great for the second grader and somewhat challenging for the Ker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 P 4/5 is great for a kindy! That's what I used with Sylvia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Most people recommend P4/5 for K and A for grade 1. I'll be using P4/5 for my almost 6 year old K'er next fall. As my friend said when I was debating this, P4/5 is more little kid friendly. :iagree: I used P4/5 (or what they called it before P4/5 LOL) a long time ago with a 4yo, and it was WAY too much. I'll be using it next year with a Ker, and I think it will be just right. A is too much for a Ker, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneddmanybooks Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I'm still at a loss for what to do with my 5 year old next year. ... I looked at Sonlight and never felt right about it for my older kids. I just had...it's hard to describe... a block against it. A feeling that it was wrong each time I looked at it. I almost feel that same kind of thing about Timberdoodle for DS5. But Sonlight looks good to me this time...like just what I need. The only problem is that looking at the cores, P4/5 looks about right for his readiness while Core A looks right in some parts but mostly like it would be too much for him. The thing is that he really should be kindy next year (he'll turn 6 midyear) so I don't think a preschool program would be a good idea. What do you think? Do P4/5 and call it kindy? Make Core A fit? Find something else? .... I've used most of P4/5 and some of A. I would NOT recommend Core A for many/most kindergarteners. P4/5 is great for kindy!! Regarding the IG for P4/5....don't buy it! You don't need it and there is a very big chance the IG would drive you batty. ;) I haven't used Timberdoodle much but if you mix some math, the SL lit, and some Timberdoodle stuff, that sounds like a great kindy year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I'd do 4/5 as Kindy. Core A has some more difficult non-fiction choices particularly, it can EASILY be done as 1st. We've been doing A VERY slowly for K AND 1st, I wish we had 4/5 :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I did P4/5 as kindergarten and A for 1st grade and it was a great fit for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3peasinapod Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Same here, P4/5 with a K'er is perfect. We're doing it this fall. :) We did it before with a preschooler and K'er, and the K'er always retained and absorbed much more of the core than the 4yo. Also, if you plan on keeping on with SL, the cores get progressively more difficult for the young end of the range, especially starting at Core D. My friend did Core B with a 1st grade boy and they hated it and moved away from SL. We're doing B with a 2nd and 3rd grader (Core B is for advanced 1, 2, and 3) and we love it. We do add some things like hands on activities and notebooking and extra books, but that's just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeganW Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 We did P4/5 with my older kindergarteners this year. We used our own phonics (OPGTR), handwriting (HWOT), and math (RS, Miquon), and only used their schedule & readalouds. The readalouds from P4/5 were perfect for my 6 1/2-7 year olds. They got so much more out of them than they would have a year ago! We are going to use Core A for 1st grade. Again, we will sub out the skills and only use it for content subjects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakarimom5 Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I'm going to use P4/5 for my kindergartener next year. I have looked at Core A and it just didn't appeal to me at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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