Another Sonlight question... timing of core D&E

[MiniBlondes]

I have been planning next year so that I'm ready to buy in April for my 9 months of no interest ;)

 

Anyway... next year my girls will be 8 and 10. I was going to put them in Core D&E. Then I was going to make the younger one repeat the core again the following year, while my older child went on to Core F. I was reading the other thread about Core E and it made me concerned that this Core will be too advanced for my younger DD next year.

 

I have a Core B&C as well. I had intended on using it this year but I was concerned that it was too babyish for older DD. She is advanced and highly gifted and I didn't want to hold her back too much. Should I put DD8 in Core B&C next year instead? I am terrified about running 2 cores at the same time. I can't even begin to imagine how much time that will take!

 

Thoughts?

[lifesadream83]

Not sure about running two cores at the same time but my dd8 started with B+C this year and we slowed to B because it just sped through topics so quickly. For that purpose I would not do another condenced year of history. I would much rather her do the two year pace and get the most out of it even if we pick up the pace through some topics and not others. Most people who use SL keep their kids towards the upper recommended age of each program anyway I have heard this is especially important for Core F. With D+E I would check the reading levels of the books on scholastic's book search site to see how well each dc would do with the books themselves. As far as holding dd8 back ... I think this would only occur if you got her the wrong reader package. Once you get to D the readers all tie into the history.

 

Sorry if that is not much help..... My best advice would be to start them both in D and progress from there unless there is some pressing reason you have for doing the one year version.

[MiniBlondes]

Thank you for your input. I was going to do the condensed year because we are sort of doing American History this year with Roadtrip USA and Presidential Study.

 

Maybe I should stop what I'm doing and do Core B&C anyway? Then proceed with D next year? Ugh... I'm so confused.

[mumto2]

I have never done the American history core as written--we moved to the UK at that time and it seemed a bit silly. More important to study what we were looking at. We have read many of the books and enjoyed them.

 

We loved Cores B and C. Absolutely loved them. I would not miss them. You can always suppliment the older. Or adjust for the younger. Whichever seems easier to you after you see what you have ordered. For me SL is totally about being together and enjoying the great books. I will admit that I have never resisted tweaking a bit.

[boscopup]

Since you only have two kids and no little ones running around (unless your sig doesn't include them), I think doing two cores would be easily doable. I'm running two cores now (with a 3 year old), though the lower core is only P4/5, so takes little time. Still, even the upper core (D) doesn't take me a lot of time. I still read other things aloud during the day because I have that extra read-aloud time.

 

I would not do D+E with an 8 year old. Core D has been perfect for my 8 year old, and I look forward to doing Core E next year. I don't think I'd put the older one in B+C, unless you have other things to beef it up. I know my son would probably be bored doing that core at age 10.

[MiniBlondes]

Thank you! Do you think that D would be okay for both next year?

[boscopup]

I think so, though the readers will be easy for the 10 year old (they're easy for my 8 year old, and I'm using the advanced readers). It just means you have plenty of time to do non-history literature as well. ;)

[SebastianCat]

I am doing D with my 10 and 8 year olds this year, and it isn't "too easy" for my 10 year old. He mentioned to me that some of the readers are easier than what he's used to, but he did learn from them and they were interesting.

 

The Landmark spine is written at an adult level, and there are a lot of books with violence and death involved. That has been my 8 year old's main comment about Core D this year....."Mommy, it seems like in every book we read, someone dies!"

 

I would not do D+E with an 8 year old.

[lifesadream83]

My opinion... If you have B&C... and you haven't used it... why would you spend the $ on another one? Personally, If they were mine... I would use B+C whenever... just make sure you have the appropriate aged readers/LA for each dc. When they finished that I would move on to D then E ...etc... You can school them together with the cores... they are only 2 years apart. It would make your life easier... you could also just get D+E and do 2 cores at the same time next year if you really wanted to... but that to me is just extra work and $$.. I am not sure when you school year changes over either or if you are just really looking for a change but this is what it would look like....

 

 

7 & 9 I am assuming that would be 2nd & 4th? So if you started them with B+C in January and those were there respected grades... They are both perfectly in the SL recommended age and grade level.

 

I would continue on with D then E like I said before... That would not only keep them both in the recommended age & grade group but would also put your youngest being at 11 by the time they reach F which is the Highly recommended age to be before starting F (due to content and research from what I understand). Even if you don't start with B+C I would still say to start next year with D. BUT if you are likely to keep switching curriculum I would go D+E that way the get the year of American History not just half of it before jumping to something else again.

 

You could even wait until next year to use B+C and save some money. They would just take a break from American History for a year :) and then return to it.

 

 

I curriculum hopped last year like crazy trying to find what worked for us. First it was a matter of content and then it was a matter of always needing to hit the library. I was pleased to find SL... If your kids like crafts I would recommend you go through the Usborne World History Book if you are going to start B+C and every few pages they have a "how to make" little section... if you wanted to add an activity every week or so my dd has loved them.