MeganW Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 We are currently using Sonlight's P4/5 just for the readalouds & schedule. We have been combining 2 weeks worth of reading into 1 week, just b/c my kids are older than the intended audience, but they have LOVED it and gotten so much out of it! For next year for Core A, do I want old or new? We will NOT be using their Language Arts program or math. I am primarily interested in scheduled readalouds, bible, history/cultures/social studies stuff, etc. Also, does the 4 day schedule include everything the 5 day schedule does, just rearranged? Or does the 4 day eliminate some things? (We do CC, so we only school 4 days a week, but school year-round, so I have time.) If it's all included, I'll order the 4 day, but if there is more in the 5 day, I might as well order that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singbanshee Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 (edited) The new core has taken out some of the harder, meatier books and replaced them with what I think are a little more appropriate for that age. It was a pretty big jump between 4/5 and A. My best advise is to just make sure your kiddos are at the upper range of the core and you will do fine. The 4 day has less books. The new schedule will have a seperate book for day five that's not read on the other days. The old IG has the 5 day book scheduled all of the days so it's really different in the new IG's Edited March 30, 2012 by singbanshee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 We are currently using Sonlight's P4/5 just for the readalouds & schedule. We have been combining 2 weeks worth of reading into 1 week, just b/c my kids are older than the intended audience, but they have LOVED it and gotten so much out of it! For next year for Core A, do I want old or new? We will NOT be using their Language Arts program or math. I am primarily interested in scheduled readalouds, bible, history/cultures/social studies stuff, etc. Also, does the 4 day schedule include everything the 5 day schedule does, just rearranged? Or does the 4 day eliminate some things? (We do CC, so we only school 4 days a week, but school year-round, so I have time.) If it's all included, I'll order the 4 day, but if there is more in the 5 day, I might as well order that. If you are certain you do not want the LA, then order now. LA will be included as part of the Core After April 2nd. The 4-day schedule contains less than the 5-day, some of the 5-day books are not included. However, we do a 4-day schedule as well and we just read the other books on another day when we are actually doing school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Since your kids are at the older end of the recommended age, I'd recommend you purchase the OLD IG and choose either the 4 or 5 day package based on whether you want the extra books. In the old guildes, the 4 day schedule is printed on one side of the page, with the 5 day schedule printed on the other side. We always followed the 4 day schedule but ordered the 5 day package, and used the extra books for "fun" reading or over holidays. The "old" Core A is a fabulous 1st grade curriculum. Since SL seems to be promoting Core A as their "kindergarten" curriculum, they appear to have removed some of the more difficult books to adapt the curriculum to its intended audience. But I used Core A three years ago with a gifted 1st grader and we had a wonderful year. If I was intending to use Core A for a 5 year old or wanted to use SL's LA package, I'd recommend buying the new IG next week. But if I was using it as a 1st grade curriculum, with older kids, or if I didn't want the LA, I'd buy the older version today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3peasinapod Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Since your kids are at the older end of the recommended age, I'd recommend you purchase the OLD IG and choose either the 4 or 5 day package based on whether you want the extra books. In the old guildes, the 4 day schedule is printed on one side of the page, with the 5 day schedule printed on the other side. We always followed the 4 day schedule but ordered the 5 day package, and used the extra books for "fun" reading or over holidays. The "old" Core A is a fabulous 1st grade curriculum. Since SL seems to be promoting Core A as their "kindergarten" curriculum, they appear to have removed some of the more difficult books to adapt the curriculum to its intended audience. But I used Core A three years ago with a gifted 1st grader and we had a wonderful year. If I was intending to use Core A for a 5 year old or wanted to use SL's LA package, I'd recommend buying the new IG next week. But if I was using it as a 1st grade curriculum, with older kids, or if I didn't want the LA, I'd buy the older version today. :iagree: Definitely! I say get the old Core A IG. The newer books seem to be not as meaty, as the PP said. Family Under the Bridge, The Apple and the Arrow, Capyboppy, The Wizard of Oz were cut, and they were wonderful! We did the old Core A with a K and 1st grader, and the 1st grader got so much out of it. If you like the looks of some of the newer books, you could easily just add them in when you have extra time, maybe during a vacation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Since your kids are at the older end of the recommended age, I'd recommend you purchase the OLD IG and choose either the 4 or 5 day package based on whether you want the extra books. In the old guildes, the 4 day schedule is printed on one side of the page, with the 5 day schedule printed on the other side. We always followed the 4 day schedule but ordered the 5 day package, and used the extra books for "fun" reading or over holidays. The "old" Core A is a fabulous 1st grade curriculum. Since SL seems to be promoting Core A as their "kindergarten" curriculum, they appear to have removed some of the more difficult books to adapt the curriculum to its intended audience. But I used Core A three years ago with a gifted 1st grader and we had a wonderful year. If I was intending to use Core A for a 5 year old or wanted to use SL's LA package, I'd recommend buying the new IG next week. But if I was using it as a 1st grade curriculum, with older kids, or if I didn't want the LA, I'd buy the older version today. This. Order now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 One thing to note - if you're not planning to order a whole core, you can get the IG for core A without the LA. LA isn't integrated with the IG until core D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeganW Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 One thing to note - if you're not planning to order a whole core, you can get the IG for core A without the LA. LA isn't integrated with the IG until core D. But only if I buy today or tomorrow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 But only if I buy today or tomorrow? No, I was talking about the new cores. At that level, LA is included in the core package as of April 2, but it's not included in the IG. You can buy the IG by itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 The "old" Core A is a fabulous 1st grade curriculum. Since SL seems to be promoting Core A as their "kindergarten" curriculum, they appear to have removed some of the more difficult books to adapt the curriculum to its intended audience. But I used Core A three years ago with a gifted 1st grader and we had a wonderful year. If I was intending to use Core A for a 5 year old or wanted to use SL's LA package, I'd recommend buying the new IG next week. But if I was using it as a 1st grade curriculum, with older kids, or if I didn't want the LA, I'd buy the older version today. I was just thinking how much I love the "new" Core A for K. It might make me reconsider it enough to purchase the new IG next week even though I just placed an order for other old IGs today. It is the only core where I am thrilled with the changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I would get the old version or add in the books they are dropping. We absolutely loved some of the books they are getting rid of this year. Core K was a wonderful year for us. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I was just thinking how much I love the "new" Core A for K. It might make me reconsider it enough to purchase the new IG next week even though I just placed an order for other old IGs today. It is the only core where I am thrilled with the changes. Yeah, I have waffled back and forth between P4/5 and Core A for DS2, and I think Core A will still be a good fit for first grade for him, even though he'll be on the older side of that grade level (November birthday). The new books would be good (like Curious George and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs), but some of the books still there I don't think he'd be ready to really understand. I'm trying to even imagine him sitting through Little House in the Big Woods (new) and the Boxcar Children with understanding. He has listened to James Herriot's Treasury (we got it from the library and he loved it so much I have had it on my "to buy" list for a while). I think I'll still plan on P4/5 for K and Core A for 1st, even with the changes. My friend pointed out that P4/5 books were more "little kid friendly", and that's what I need. I think the new Core A would have been fine for DS1 in 1st grade. Though even he tuned out Little House in the Big Woods when I tried to read it that year. We never finished it. :tongue_smilie: I have Family Under the Bridge already, and we read Wizard of Oz recently (DS2 did like that one), and I can get The Apple and the Arrow and Cappybobby from the library. :) In fact, I'm keeping a list of the changes so I can add in any dropped books that I would like us to read. I'm using an old Core D, but I'll go ahead and do the new Core E next year, as I like the changes (except the Marshall books, which I'd just skip). I'm a week-by-week Sonlighter, not moving on until we finish our week. So I prefer the notes behind the schedule layout. I also kind of like the 4-day with optional 5th day thing (though I think it's awful for people who want an actual 4-day week). So most of the changes work for me. If the new Core D IG were still $60, I would be tempted to go ahead and upgrade, but alas, it will be $100, and I'm not using their LA for this child. So I'll stick with my old IG and just move the notes from week to week as we go along. I won't be surprised if they pull LA back out again at some point. It's been in and out and now in again. The LA1 actually looks like it'd be almost appropriate for DS2 (except they expect WAY too long a dictation passage for that age). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeganW Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 No, I was talking about the new cores. At that level, LA is included in the core package as of April 2, but it's not included in the IG. You can buy the IG by itself. Oh, that makes all the difference in the world! I didn't understand that I didn't *have* to buy the LA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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