Advice, please, on Sonlight F

[Di3kids]

I have used Sonlight some years ago (what would be Core A, B, and 100 now) and was considering Core F-Eastern Hemisphere for my 12 and 15-year-old daughters. I've heard some dissatisfaction with SL because of some "changes" and issues with the company. Can anybody fill me in on this?

 

Also, with some supplementation, do you think it is meaty enough for high school? Last year we did Omnibus III for older dd - she's smart but it was grueling to read much of the literature. I was trying to keep up with her, but, honestly, reading "Of Plymouth Plantation" or "Foxe's Book of Martyrs" from cover-to-cover was not something I looked forward to. I want my children to be challenged, but I don't want them to dread the books they are reading. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Also posting on K-8 board.

[Jen the RD]

There was some discussion about this a while back. I've linked the thread to help you read the responses and see what the OP actually decided to do. I followed the thread because I was considering doing this myself with my 9th grade dd and 5th grade ds. I am using many suggestions from the thread to make a world geography/cultures/mission course that suit the levels of both my dc.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=366758

 

 

HTH,

Jennifer

[Candid]

Reading that thread exhausted me!

 

Here's my caveat: I left Sonlight after Eastern Hemisphere because I was disappointed in the zero level of critical thinking brought to some really interesting books.

 

I think it would be easier to use Eastern with your son and get a geography text for your older daughter. Cull out a few of the suggestions from the other thread for her or even have her read the read alouds on her own.

[Heather in VA]

I am using this core right now with my 5th grade daughter and it is absolutely NOT high school level, especially the way they have changed EHE. It is SO much easier than when my children did it. The reading level of the books and work required is a good level for upper elementary/middle school NOT high school.

 

I saw some samples of the EHE and I definitely see how it isn't high school. What I was wondering is how you felt it (just the EHE) would be for a geography study for a middle schooler? It looks like you could use it with research instead of having to read all the fiction from the Core itself. Is that true?

 

Heather

[mumto2]

I am a SL user. My dd14 and ds12 both love SL. We left for a few years due to a move to the UK. We no longer do American History as a separate subject. We ended up skipping eastern explorer too. So no real experience with that core. I suspect you could do it with serious supplementing. We came back to SL and are doing 7(the second half of world history) all together with dd doing Church History on her own. It is not ideal. I do regret skipping the eastern explorer--I had looked forward to it. But dd was just too advanced at that point.

 

Perhaps your older dd could work on the SL British lit course? That would be easier then supplementing. The link to the previous thread is one that I have already bookmarked. Sorry I can't give better advice. I would talk to your older dd and find out what she wants to accomplish--geography, world religion studies, world lit--and then decide how to supplement.

[krisperry]

Ack! That was my crazy thread *blush* Here is what I ended up with and I feel good about it for 9th grade.

 

EHE - ALL of it. Some of the questions I turned into essay questions. All the projects have to be bigger ones. (no animal reports :tongue_smilie:) She is not allowed to use the World Book. She has to find the information on the internet/ in books and cite the resource. She learns quite a bit more than just what is in the EHE with the open ended research (rather than being restricted to one source)

 

Mapping - I beef this up a bit by copying the mapping pages before she fills them out. She is quizzed on the mapping section using my blanks.

 

Tests - I choose some of the information from the EHE and have her complete my own tests. One per section studied.

 

Since I have younger children, she reads aloud any of the nonfiction readers to the younger kids. We do Sonlight secularly so I've dropped any mission stories.

 

To the nonfiction read-alouds, I've added for her (so far):

Material World

Women in the Material World

 

She watches quite a few Netflix documentaries and is require to give me either an oral summary or written summary. For the Pacific Islands, she watched Pururambo

 

She is required to watch Student News / News. 3 times a week she gives me oral / written reports. Extra credit is earned if she can relate a news story to anything she is currently learning.

 

We discuss a LOT. I was an anthropology major though and find it quite fun.

 

Literature:

I ended up keeping quite a bit of my list. But I found a wonderful World Literature book & Teacher's Guide that is full of short stories (none are abridged). They are placed in historical context and the critical thinking and essay questions at the end of each are superb. I decided to use half novels and half of the World Literature book. Here is my schedule:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtefHkOTSNcmdFBUUVU0czBET3ZpSE0zQXpvQ0JXalE

 

For an additional credit, she is also completing a World Religions course:

World Religions (2009): A Voyage of Discovery, Third Edition

Other than the introduction, the Catholic publisher has been fine. I'm impressed with the book.

[krisperry]

I am using the older core btw.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

We did the old Core F last year, the program at that time could've worked as an early High School course if you included all it's components. From what I have seen of the new changes it is no longer hard enough for high school.

 

My son was 11 when he did it, we didn't do a couple of the Choose Your Own adventure assignments. We did add in some other culture related events in our area instead. It was hard work but he did great.

 

The new one is much easier, more in keeping with the suggested age ranges.

[Heather in VA]

Honestly, if you aren't doing the books and you aren't doing EHE, then what is left??? You could have a geography study but you would be doing it all yourself, so you would be better off with a different curriculum.

 

I guess I misunderstood. I thought the EHE was the geography study with the worksheets that are in the sample. But it sounds like things are more integrated than I thought.

 

Thanks

Heather