Sonlight - What do YOU do?

[ednkirstin]

So, we're going to be trying out Sonlight for the first time next year. I just bought 2 cores and they arrived in the mail this week. The problem is (if you can call it that), my kids are DROOLING over the books and want to read NOW. I'm concerned that if I make them wait until the school year that they won't be as interested in them and some of the excitement will wear off. I've just never had to tell them they can't read a book that I bought for them to read...KWIM?

 

So my question is...what do YOU do? Do you let the kids read? Would you let them start early? :confused: We're doing a lot of home construction this summer, so I'm really not in a position to start school in the summer (the part that involves me), because I'm going to be busy doing other things. HELP!

[REv1053]

Most Sonlight cores have a few readers that are out of place historically. I would let the kids read those ones if they want. Otherwise I'll let the kids look, and browse any books they like. If the kids read a book now that is interwoven into the history portion, I just let them know we are going to read it together again later. So far nobody has complained about reading it twice.

If they are picture books, then I'll let them read whatever they want and we will read it again later. But it looks like you have older kids....

 

Good luck keeping them away from the books!

[boscopup]

I've put the Sonlight books on a high shelf until we get to them. Once we've read them, they go on the regular shelf so they can be read again if desired.

 

My son will read anything ahead, and it drives me a bit nuts. That's why we switched to Sonlight instead of continuing with SOTW 3 and 4. He'd already read ahead in the series and finished it, at least twice. And I just felt silly reading it slowly through the school year when he'd already read it on his own a couple times, and he could tell me details from parts we hadn't gone over yet together.

 

Of course, my plan for Sonlight backfired on the Story of the USA book 1 (Core D), as I told him to read chapters 4 and 5 one day when I didn't have time to read aloud, and he read the rest of the book. :tongue_smilie:

 

At least it's a good problem to have! :D And my son has still enjoyed the books that I've held back, once we got to them. :)

[Paisley Hedgehog]

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[mschickie]

We hold back from reading any of them. I usually order around mid/late June so I end up getting the books the beginning of July. July is normally so busy dd does not mind holding off. We also require her to do daily reading so she usually has a series of books already picked out that she wants to get to over the summer. This year she is doing Harry Potter (right now in Gobblet of Fire) so that keeps her busy.

[frugalmama]

We're holding back too - dd is a read it once and that's it kiddo, so I've been distracting her with her Rainbow Magic Fairies books :D

 

Plus I need time to pre-read all the books for content.

[RachelFlores]

I think it depends on your child, some hate re-reading a book, some don't mind. If your kids will not re-read books, look through the core and pick out some books you think wouldn't be a big deal if you read them out of order and give those to your kids. If they don't mind re-reading, let them read whatever they want, but warn them they WILL be re-read. I think witholding some of the books might create more interest as your kids anticipate getting to read them through the year, so it might not be a bad thing to make them wait.

[mommymilkies]

I'd never 'hold back' my dc from reading a book. Who knows if that enthusiasm will be there when time comes for them to read it "for school"? Summer provides more time for leisurely reading, not like the crunch-time of the normal school year. Anyway, you might be really really glad that they've pre-read the books when you get there in the schedule. It may allow you a much needed break later in the year :D

 

:iagree: And if we do reread the book, comprehension goes up with subsequent readings, so I don't worry much about it.

[chicagoshannon]

Buy the Sonlight summer epreading lacks and let then read those. Lol. Seriously I put them up and read for school. We take numerous trips to the library and only a short summer break.

[Element]

I don't know how Sonlight is set up, but could you let them read the books to themselves now and then do them as a read-aloud the second time? We do this all the time. Comprehension and understanding seem to double whenever we read a book together. Ds also really enjoys the discussion that happens during read-aloud time so he never minds rereading books with me. If anything, I think it helps if he has read the book to himself first.

[EmiLeeStephens]

I say let them read them!! MOST of that information will be retained! Plus with our Sonlight experience, they could read a different book when it comes to that part of the curriculum. Another idea is to look for books with similar author's and or content and check them out at the library!

[Building Up]

I let them read the nonfiction history books, but I put the fiction titles out of sight. I figure that rereading the nonfiction will only increase retention, but I prefer to share the excitement of a first reading of the fiction books. My oldest always reads the Read Alouds by herself sometime after we've read them together, but I don't allow her to read them before we read them as a family.

 

I have also been known to hide SL books when they arrive...until it is time to read them...

[Dinsfamily]

I let them read to their hearts content and we reread them when they hit the schedule again. My dc enjoy reading them more than once.

[Lymeade Mom]

I have my sonlight books for next year in a box in the garage. However, in your case, I'd give them a couple readers and maybe try to start the first read-aloud. Even if you can't read much of it at a time, just a few chapters every once in a while might help.

 

Then, I would look at the Cores they would have done last year and check out some of those books from the library to read all summer long. If you can make a long list, you could say-"when you've read these, then I'll let you have a couple of the Sonlight books for next year. " Sonlight even has a summer reading and most of them are in my library, so we are using that list this summer. :)

[freeindeed]

I let them read to their hearts content and we reread them when they hit the schedule again. My dc enjoy reading them more than once.

:iagree:

This works for us, too.

[MerryAtHope]

I act horrified, say no, those books are for school and that they are not supposed to like them. Then I smile and say, "you'll just have to wait," just like they would have to wait to go on a vacation or whatever.

 

However, we go to the library more in the summer and always have a read-aloud going...so it's not like they are book deprived! Waiting builds anticipation for the new core!

 

Merry :-)

[lillehei]

I act horrified, say no, those books are for school and that they are not supposed to like them. Then I smile and say, "you'll just have to wait," just like they would have to wait to go on a vacation or whatever.

 

However, we go to the library more in the summer and always have a read-aloud going...so it's not like they are book deprived! Waiting builds anticipation for the new core!

 

Merry :-)

 

:iagree:

[MinivanMom]

I act horrified, say no, those books are for school and that they are not supposed to like them. Then I smile and say, "you'll just have to wait," just like they would have to wait to go on a vacation or whatever.

 

However, we go to the library more in the summer and always have a read-aloud going...so it's not like they are book deprived! Waiting builds anticipation for the new core!

 

Merry :-)

 

I love this!

 

I put up the read-alouds, but I let my kids go ahead and dig into the readers.

[WeeBeaks]

On some cores, the books are the first in a series. You could let them read the book from the core and then sub subsequent books in the series if you don't want to reread them during the school year. Boxcar Children, My Father's Dragon, Dolphin Adventure. Gosh, I know there were more but can't think of them clearly right now.

[Dinsfamily]

On some cores, the books are the first in a series. You could let them read the book from the core and then sub subsequent books in the series if you don't want to reread them during the school year. Boxcar Children, My Father's Dragon, Dolphin Adventure. Gosh, I know there were more but can't think of them clearly right now.

 

This is another thing we do. Ds has already read several Encyclopedia Browns after reading the one included in Grade 4-5 Readers. He'll just read the next one in the series when he gets to the it in the schedule. We also add "by the same author" books.

 

The Littles, Wizard of Oz, In Grandma's Attic, and Third Grade Detectives are a few more I can think of off the top of my head.

[sewingmama]

My kids always want to read whatever we get straight away - it's just the excitement of having something new. I just put it away till I'm ready to use it - my kids have not lost their enthusiasm yet - in fact it makes them want to read it more. :D Mum, are we going to read it today? No. Mum - when are we going to read that book? Not today. Mum - I really want to read that book - Soon. Then I bring it out and they jump up and down and come running :lol:

[happymomofboys]

My oldest is a good reader, but even after all those wonderful Sonlight books he's usually too "busy" to sit still and read for pleasure. He reads what's assigned and enjoys it, but that's pretty much it. I couldn't bear to tell him no if he actually volunteered to read one early.

 

My youngest, however, loves to read the Usborne books over and over again. He's allowed to read them as often as he wants with the understanding that he'll have to read them again when they're assigned.

[black_midori]

We just started Sonlight Core B this year, with Grade 2 & 3 readers - the kids (and I) were all SUPER excited when the books came in!! The kids were so interested in checking them out, and I was so interested in making sure that they were excited about our upcoming school year, that I let them flip through the books with me while I was setting them out to organize. I then read 1 book with them & let them each read 1 book on their own, with the caveat that these were part of school work & would need to be read again later on in the course of our school year. They were both VERY happy to be allowed to read a bit - and are excited to read the rest this year! :) So, I think it was a win.

 

However, after that first mad dash of excitement day the books were put up & away - I won't bring them out again until we are actually ready to use them in the program (otherwise they will devour them before we get that far!). I think they will be fine reading them again - my 2nd grader especially LOVES to re-read books!! :)

Edited May 27, 2012 by black_midori

[ednkirstin]

Thanks everyone for your input! I've let the kids read one book, but I think I'm going to pack them up and head to the library ASAP to find some other books they'd enjoy reading. That should be enough to distract them and satisfy their desire for a good book. :)

[NCBlueberry]

Usually my son just wants to peruse the books so he pulls them out flips through it and then I put it up. If it's something he doesn't think he can wait on, I may give in if it's a reader that's out of order or that I think he'll want to read twice, but I put the rest up similar to what Merry said. Then we make a trip to the library and get as many other books as he wants. I want him to look forward to what's coming up in the next year.