Sonlight vs wtm

[4myblessings]

Hi everyone! I am trying to decide between going with the wtm structure for my 1st grade son or using Sonlight. I loved Sonlight but after reading wtm I feel drawn to her methods and book recc. I am a little worried that wtm is not structured enough for me. I had fiar for the first half of k and didn't care for having to gather materials and the openness of the schedule. I am also confused about the literature portion. I am doubting my ability to do without a box curriculum. Any tips would be great! Or if there are other threads you can point me to....thanks so much!

If not Sonlight, then:

Fll,wwe,hwot,stow,apologia, singapore

[iafrmgrl77]

:lurk5:

[staceyobu]

I think either option will be great. We used the package deals from Sonlight for pre-k and kindergarten. In first grade, we did sotw instead. However, I've considered going back to sonlight for 2nd.

 

I don't think sonlight is that different from WTM suggestions for the early years. The first four years of sonlight somewhat follow the history cycle (world 1, world 2, american 1, american 2). This is a more classical approach than the community helpers, state history, american history that you typically get in school. Using real literature to teach with is also suggested in the WTM. Also, they use CHOW in grade 1 and 2, which is narrative history just like SOTW.

 

Personally, I would recommend using FLL and WWE instead of Sonlight's LA. I've never heard much good about sonlight's LA.

 

I think one thing that a box curriculum like Sonlight does is help you figure out how to structure your day when you are starting out. You can just check off their boxes and know that you have accomplished *enough*. This has been hard for me to figure out on my own, because I always wonder if we are doing too much or not enough.

[PentecostalMom]

We combine the two, as best we can anyway. I have done all of the "putting it together" as well and prefer SL with all of the books chosen and gathered for me. We do veer from the schedule at times, but overall it keeps me on track with little effort.

 

Sonlight's LA has been revamped for this year, but you can always modify or add if you feel it necessary. We are already using FLL and WWE which I plan to continue because I like them and my dd loves them! We will also do SL's LA.

 

Also, SL sells and provides schedules for HWOT, so if you plan to use that, their schedules are free. You can find those here.

 

They also sell and use Singapore.

 

We will be Doing Core B this fall for 2nd grade, which is the first 1/2 of ancient hisory, actually recommended in WTM for 1st. However, life events prevented us from using it this past year, we stretched Core A over a little more than a year.

[4myblessings]

Thanks so much for your help! Do either of you do the note booking suggested by swb?

[Dinsfamily]

Hi everyone! I am trying to decide between going with the wtm structure for my 1st grade son or using Sonlight. I loved Sonlight but after reading wtm I feel drawn to her methods and book recc. I am a little worried that wtm is not structured enough for me. I had fiar for the first half of k and didn't care for having to gather materials and the openness of the schedule. I am also confused about the literature portion. I am doubting my ability to do without a box curriculum. Any tips would be great! Or if there are other threads you can point me to....thanks so much!

If not Sonlight, then:

Fll,wwe,hwot,stow,apologia, singapore

 

I do a little of both. I use SL for Bible, history, and lit. I have supplemented with SOTW in the past when my oldest was begging for more history reading (he loves CHOW) and I didn't want to zoom through the core. I use FLL and WWE instead of SL LA and Noeo for science. It all comes together beautifully. SL makes our school day so enjoyable that I won't be changing it anytime soon, but I like the classical feel of our other subjects.

[PentecostalMom]

I did science notebooking this year for science. Next year we are doing SL Science A (we let dd choose between A and B and she chose A) and will do notebooking along with it, just a more simplified version.

 

For history, we do coloring pages and I have purchased the Evan-Moor Ancient Civilizations History Pockets to do alongside Core B. Dd really loves drawing and writing "stories" (usually 3-4 sentences) so she does that either while I am reading or afterward. Her spelling and punctuation are not very good yet, but I don't correct them. I think the love for writing is more important than mechanics for this purpose.

 

There is a "Core Tips" CD provided by SL that has other suggestions.

[ALB]

I use Sonlight for a reading list! I think it looks great, but I don't think I would do well with a boxed curriculum.

 

I just wanted to add that FIAR can be hard to plan for, so don't let that discourage you away from WTM. I think following SWB's plans as she has described them can really be open and go. Of course, you can add/ tweak any of it to suit your needs.

[4myblessings]

I use Sonlight for a reading list! I think it looks great, but I don't think I would do well with a boxed curriculum.

 

I just wanted to add that FIAR can be hard to plan for, so don't let that discourage you away from WTM. I think following SWB's plans as she has described them can really be open and go. Of course, you can add/ tweak any of it to suit your needs.

 

I was curious about using the list as reference. Is there any other resources you use to pick books for read alouds, readers,etc? Or do you mainly stick with swb's lists in wtm?

[skeeterbug]

If not Sonlight, then:

Fll,wwe,hwot,stow,apologia, singapore

 

I tried SL Core A, and I ended up adding all of the above to SL anyway. So now I don't order their IG, I just add some of their books to our reading list. I didn't want to use their LA, and ended up hating their science (actually- loved the science books and dvd, hated the science worksheets and the fact that the experiments generally had no relation to our reading for the week). I found that overall SL was such a small part of our day that I didn't want to spend oodles of money on it. We almost never stuck to the schedule either, reading ahead in most books, so I was trying to keep up with multiple weeks (being ahead a week with one book, right on schedule with another, etc.).

 

So instead of Core B, I made up my own SOTW schedule listing additional reading for each week, including many SL books. I pick a project or two out of the activity guide, and we do the mapwork. I have a list of read-alouds and readers and just tick them off as we go. No keeping to a schedule that wouldn't work for us.

 

Having said all that, I am glad that I had that schedule the first year. It's given me the confidence to know that I can do my own thing and we'll be just fine. And who knows, maybe I'll find myself using SL again at some point. :)

[boscopup]

I was curious about using the list as reference. Is there any other resources you use to pick books for read alouds, readers,etc? Or do you mainly stick with swb's lists in wtm?

 

The SOTW AG has a lot of good suggestions that your library probably has some of (mine usually had 2-3 per week). WWE will give you good read-aloud suggestions (those short passages can suck you in! :D).

 

I used WTM-style for first and second grade, and I don't regret it at all. It was very easy to use. SOTW was well loved around here. We switched to Sonlight recently because DS had already read through SOTW1-4 multiple times on his own (and was spouting off facts he learned), so I decided to do US history for a couple years. I was going to pull it together myself, but then I saw a cheap used Core D and decided to give that a try. My library had a lot of the books. We're on week 6 and LOVE IT. I haven't had any trouble with the multiple books, since they're usually reading a chapter or two at a time, which is what I regularly do with read-alouds. I also assign readers a chapter or two at a time, and that's exactly what SL does for the reader schedule. My son will sometimes read ahead a bit, but then he's done for the week until we catch up with everything else. No big deal. He reads enough every day that I'm not concerned with him doing SL readers every day.

 

I haven't used any of the lower cores yet, so can't compare those to WTM/SOTW. I will say that I am using WTM principles for the most part. We do not use SL's LA - they seem to have rather advanced expectations for writing compared to reading, and most kids have a higher reading level than writing. :tongue_smilie:Plus they revamp their LA so often that even if you like it this year, it might change a year or two from now to something that you don't like. I prefer to stick with something that I know what I'm getting now and years to come. When people talk about their experience with SL LA, it's almost meaningless because they've all used different versions. We happily use WWE, and I'll throw in some IEW next year. For grammar, we've used FLL, R&S, and KISS. I just do whatever I feel like on any given day. ;)

 

We're not using SL science yet, though I do think it would probably fit us well. Right now, we're doing Apologia Astronomy. I would caution you that Apologia is sometimes over first graders' heads. It's very wordy, and they tend to get lost easily. My DS is very math/science minded, and when I read Apologia out loud in first grade, his eyes glazed over. He didn't "get it" until he read it himself, and then he loved it. So now that we're doing Astronomy as part of school, he's already read the book, and it makes more sense to him. It's just the extra wordiness that causes this, I think. She'll mention some new vocabulary, then much later in the paragraph, she'll finally define it. Meanwhile, you've already defined it 3 sentences earlier because you could see that your child had no clue what that word was. :tongue_smilie:

 

We use Singapore Standards for math and love that. SL only sells US Edition, I believe.

 

Basically, the SL question would be SOTW vs. SL, not all your other choices vs. SL. You can do SL for history, read-aloud, readers, and do all of your other choices alongside it. That's what I'm doing now. SOTW is very easy to use though. I just did one section with oral narration 3 days per week, and on the last section of a chapter, I threw in mapwork (I love the SOTW AG mapwork for a 1st grader, btw!). The hardest part is looking up books at your library and making sure you reserve them on time. I'm having to do that with SL this year too, but next year, I'll just buy all the books for Core E. Having the books in hand makes a world of difference.

[skeeterbug]

Basically, the SL question would be SOTW vs. SL, not all your other choices vs. SL.

 

:iagree:But I wouldn't have understood that at the beginning of my homeschooling journey, nor would I have understood that had I not done a year of SL.

[ALB]

I was curious about using the list as reference. Is there any other resources you use to pick books for read alouds, readers,etc? Or do you mainly stick with swb's lists in wtm?

I do buy several of the recs in the SOTW AG. Mostly I pick picture books that I think will help the history reading come to life. For our literature, I don't try to keep on track with what we're learning in history. I purchase many titles that are on Sonlight's lists, as well as titles from other lists. My goal for read alouds and readers is to expose my dc to wonderful, well-written, engaging stories, not just to reenforce our history. I anticipate that as we move into US history/ more modern history, our literature list will include more books that fit into our history time period. For now, they are just really good books that are age appropriate for my dc!

[iafrmgrl77]

We actually do Sonlight history here, with WWE and FLL for LA, as mentioned in several of the previous posts. It works well, and although I have done the WWE workbooks to this point. I am considering getting the Complete Writer text and making my own assignments to go with the Sonlight readers.

 

As also mentioned earlier, you really don't have to choose "between" Sonlight and WTM, as you can use Sonlight IN your WTM-style homeschool. In fact, we were part of a Classical Conversations community for a couple of years, and I found that it went beautifully with Sonlight.

 

People are always mentioning that they don't like the way Sonlight schedules their readings, with books broken up over several days, but you don't have to read them the way they are scheduled. You can read all of one read-aloud, check that off, and then go back and read the portion of the history text that goes with that book, etc. Doing this, you are still utilizing the very handy fact that Sonlight has already sorted out which read-alouds go with which portions of your text books. I highly recommend this for someone starting out. It will build your confidence in your ability to organize your own curriculum and/or schedule, should you choose to do so later on.

 

We are heading into Core D this fall, and while I am considering going a different route (I am wanting a little more of a HIStory focus in our history), I still recommend to all of my friends who ask and are just starting out that they try Sonlight. It is a great place to start for those who want some freedom in their scheduling but aren't quite confident in their ability (or just plain lack time!) to sort out the whole spine, reader, read-aloud thing themselves!

[Dinsfamily]

My library had a lot of the books. We're on week 6 and LOVE IT. I haven't had any trouble with the multiple books, since they're usually reading a chapter or two at a time, which is what I regularly do with read-alouds. I also assign readers a chapter or two at a time, and that's exactly what SL does for the reader schedule. [/Quote]

 

The choppiness comment is usually directed at Core A and the P Cores. Occasionally people complain about Core B but it is much better and Core C is even better. It is very easy to fix in the early years by using the IG horizontally instead of vertically. One of the great things about SL is how easy it is to alter to fit your style and the needs of your family.

 

The hardest part is looking up books at your library and making sure you reserve them on time. I'm having to do that with SL this year too, but next year, I'll just buy all the books for Core E. Having the books in hand makes a world of difference.

 

YES! I know that a lot of people save money by just getting an IG but having the books on the shelf makes a big difference to me! Our library system is great but the timing on when held books might come in is unpredictable. Some of that has to do with all of the other homeschoolers in our city who want to use the same books. I'm too much of a perfectionist to read books out of order and too unorganized to get our books back on time (what a combo!). Having all of the books and a schedule with discussion questions (which they just updated to be more narration-style) is worth the cost. We save the library for supplements and pleasure reading.

 

The SL books are really great so even if you go with SOTW, check out the catalog for a reading list like so many PPs have said. There are so many gems hidden in there.

[Kathryn]

I tried SL Core A, and I ended up adding all of the above to SL anyway. So now I don't order their IG, I just add some of their books to our reading list. I didn't want to use their LA, and ended up hating their science (actually- loved the science books and dvd, hated the science worksheets and the fact that the experiments generally had no relation to our reading for the week). I found that overall SL was such a small part of our day that I didn't want to spend oodles of money on it. We almost never stuck to the schedule either, reading ahead in most books, so I was trying to keep up with multiple weeks (being ahead a week with one book, right on schedule with another, etc.).

 

So instead of Core B, I made up my own SOTW schedule listing additional reading for each week, including many SL books. I pick a project or two out of the activity guide, and we do the mapwork. I have a list of read-alouds and readers and just tick them off as we go. No keeping to a schedule that wouldn't work for us.

 

Having said all that, I am glad that I had that schedule the first year. It's given me the confidence to know that I can do my own thing and we'll be just fine. And who knows, maybe I'll find myself using SL again at some point. :)

 

I could have written this post! We are on week 36 here and then I'm done with Sonlight. I'll use it as a book list (though having looked at the posters at my library of a newberry and Caldecott books, I think it's more like I'll be using them as a book list since most of the books I like from Sonlight were on those posters!). We're going to be using Tapestry of Grace and Story of the World and our own read-aloud choices.

[haystackholly]

Ever consider Veritas Press? http://www.veritaspress.com

[3peasinapod]

I use a mixture of both. I use SL for history, lit, and a smattering of geography. I use SL readers, but we use WTM LA and MM or CLE for math. I love what we're doing. I don't care for SL LA; I feel I need a bit more hand holding, especially as the kids get older.

[4myblessings]

I looked briefly at veritas press. Now I am going to have to look at it more in depth. You are feeding my curriculum addiction! Lol!

[godsaggie]

Thanks to the OP. I am gleaning some wonderful ideas here. It's funny because I actually wanted to switch from WTM to SL. But I do love both methods.

[ByGrace3]

We are doing both. :) I really like the idea of the classical cycle. It makes sense to me. WTM writing and LA makes sense, and I see it working already. We used SOTW as a spine this year and added in SL books (as well as VP and TOG) and while it was a pretty good year, dd is not a huge fan of SOTW. So, while I love the classical cycle, my goal is to facilitate a love of learning in the early years. Next year we will be using SL as a spine (pretty certain anyway!) :tongue_smilie: and I got SOTW 2 on audio, that way we will still use SOTW but it was be an addition, and not the core of our history. Fun read alouds and a ton of projects will be central this year. We will still be using WTM LA (WWE, FLL, AAS) and MM for math, ES for science (though I considered and would be fine using SL science, my dd just begged to keep with ES!) and I will add narrations and notebooking to SL to give it a WTM feel. I think we will use SL Core D and E alongside TQ (and if the audios of SOTW go over well we will listen to 3 and 4 those 2 years). We will narrate and notebook through them as well (using the TQ notebooking pages).

 

I have gone back and forth so many times with Biblioplan (WTM but with a SL feel) and SL. Each week it is something different, but I know in the end it eventually look very similar when I am done tweaking no matter which I choose!) :lol:

 

I think we will jump back on the actual 4 year cycle for the logic stage, but for this first cycle, love of learning and developing a love for reading is more important as far as history goes. For us, that meant a slight change in the way we were doing it. But I don't think it has to be one or the other. Take the things you like and work for you and don't be afraid to make it your own.