Sonlight Science ?

[bnwhitaker]

I cant seem to find much on it?

 

If you used it did you like it why or why not?

[Ameena]

We use it, and it's okay. We tweak it a lot - swapping out books that are too religious for us, and we don't do the science experiments very often.

[mumto2]

We used it for K through 2 ( I think it is A,B,C now) and loved it. My son adored the discover and do dvds. Would watch them for hours if allowed. I liked the supply box. No hunting for odd things and getting stuck with a dozen useless ping pong balls. Many of the early books were Usbourne when we used it as I remember it. They would do their reading then answer the questions on Monday through Thursday, on Friday they did their experiments. If they did not work the dvd showed what should have happened so they "saw" the experiment either way.

 

The main complaint is that the books do not coordinate with the experiments. People say it is too choppy. My kids loved the fact that what they were going to learn was a surprise.

 

The only reason we stopped using it was we moved to the UK and stopped SL for a few years.

 

 

[km123175]

I'm following this discussion. We are a secular family, and Im wondering how much religion is integrated throughout the various levels.

[mumto2]

Just looked at the catalog. Up until level F I think it would be fairly secular. The books appear to be mainly Usbourne or TOPS so secular. There is a biography each year. For instance Isaac Newton is one. He was a Christian so I would imagine that would be part of his biography. How it was handled I can't remember. The dvd could have Christian references but I don't remember any. Obviously when it switches to Apologia it becomes Christian.

 

Sorry I can't remember more.

[Ameena]

The only book I've found so far in the lower cores for science that isn't secular is the Dinosaurs Unleashed book in Core C science. But it's easy to swap out another book on dinosaurs instead.

[Samiam]

We are using Sonlight B science this year. It was just ...okaaay.

 

It's choppy each week, but not choppy overall, if that makes sense. What I mean is you stay on one general topic for a LOOOONG time. We did Animals for what felt like forever. I think it was actually 12 weeks...we ended up moving on before we were actually done with animals....to human body...which seems like another 15 weeks or so and we've moved on to the next unit before finishing that...to Astronomy. Why move on? Yes, each day was a different animal, or a different body part but O.M.G....it got boring already.

 

The first three days of the week are do the same thing, do the same thing, do the same thing. For example, if we are talking animals, it's read from this book, usually a Usborne Enclcylopedia, and then do 1-3 questions on the worksheet. Day 2, same thing, different animal. Day 3, same thing different animal. Day 4...STOP the train...that's experiment day...woohooo...but wait, the experiment has NOTHING to do with what we've been talking about...for this particular unit, it was like 10 weeks of magnet experiments. Then Day 5, which is considered optional, is again, completely different. 25 weeks or so into, and Day 5 for every week is talking about germs, how we get sick, etc. We've literally read two pages, once a week, from a Usborne book that is about 30 pages long...a thin little book taking ALL year to read.

So Day 1-3 Same general subject, same thing process each day. (and will be on this subject for 12-15 weeks)

Day 4. Experiment day, completely different subject

Day 5. Optional day, completely different subject.

 

The one thing I do like is the worksheets. LIke I said, it's 1-3 questions a day, and different types of questions. Matching, fill in the blank, pictures, etc.

 

But we won't be coming back. I've read rave reviews for Sonlight Science. Just do NOT get WHY the experiments would have nothing to do with the main weekly subject. I mean, for Human Body, there are SO many experiments one could do. Which is what I did...we stopped Day 4 with Sonlight, and then I just did my own experiments.

 

I'm actually selling Sonlight Science B..if you are interested, after all this..haha :tongue_smilie: .

 

As far as secular, we are as well and I didn't find anything in the student's perspective that was religious. Usborne books are certainly not. The teacher /parent pages have lots of religion in them , in terms of Sonlight giving you tips on what to say, conversations to have, etc...but I never used those pages. So it's very easy to remove the religion from the program.

[happymomofboys]

I cant seem to find much on it?

 

If you used it did you like it why or why not?

 

I've used Sonlight science all along, mostly because I like the book choices and having them scheduled out for me. We use the activity pages, but rarely do the experiments. Like another poster said, the experiments rarely relate to the topics being studied. My boys do, however, read the experiment books and they LOVE the Discover and Do DVDs. My kids enjoyed skipping around and not reading the same book every day, but I end up using the IG as a checklist rather than an actual schedule most of the time. My oldest would have been doing Sonlight Science G next year, but I don't like how Sonlight handles origins, so we're switching to Intellego Unit Studies and CK12 combined with living books from the library.

[Kathryn]

We are using Sonlight B science this year. It was just ...okaaay.

 

It's choppy each week, but not choppy overall, if that makes sense. What I mean is you stay on one general topic for a LOOOONG time. We did Animals for what felt like forever. I think it was actually 12 weeks...we ended up moving on before we were actually done with animals....to human body...which seems like another 15 weeks or so and we've moved on to the next unit before finishing that...to Astronomy. Why move on? Yes, each day was a different animal, or a different body part but O.M.G....it got boring already.

 

The first three days of the week are do the same thing, do the same thing, do the same thing. For example, if we are talking animals, it's read from this book, usually a Usborne Enclcylopedia, and then do 1-3 questions on the worksheet. Day 2, same thing, different animal. Day 3, same thing different animal. Day 4...STOP the train...that's experiment day...woohooo...but wait, the experiment has NOTHING to do with what we've been talking about...for this particular unit, it was like 10 weeks of magnet experiments. Then Day 5, which is considered optional, is again, completely different. 25 weeks or so into, and Day 5 for every week is talking about germs, how we get sick, etc. We've literally read two pages, once a week, from a Usborne book that is about 30 pages long...a thin little book taking ALL year to read.

So Day 1-3 Same general subject, same thing process each day. (and will be on this subject for 12-15 weeks)

Day 4. Experiment day, completely different subject

Day 5. Optional day, completely different subject.

 

The one thing I do like is the worksheets. LIke I said, it's 1-3 questions a day, and different types of questions. Matching, fill in the blank, pictures, etc.

 

But we won't be coming back. I've read rave reviews for Sonlight Science. Just do NOT get WHY the experiments would have nothing to do with the main weekly subject. I mean, for Human Body, there are SO many experiments one could do. Which is what I did...we stopped Day 4 with Sonlight, and then I just did my own experiments.

 

I'm actually selling Sonlight Science B..if you are interested, after all this..haha :tongue_smilie: .

 

As far as secular, we are as well and I didn't find anything in the student's perspective that was religious. Usborne books are certainly not. The teacher /parent pages have lots of religion in them , in terms of Sonlight giving you tips on what to say, conversations to have, etc...but I never used those pages. So it's very easy to remove the religion from the program.

 

We used Science A last year and I'd pretty much just say "ditto" for our experience. It just felt so choppy.

 

The religious aspect comes in the notes and in stuff like the dinosaur book and the anti-evolution DVDs.

[mumto2]

I think the dinosaur book has been removed. Don't see it in the new catalog.

[km123175]

Thanks that helped me a lot.

[alisoncooks]

This has been really helpful! I've been vacillating between Sonlight and Nancy Larson (due to NL's price) and this has helped.

Now to just buck up and fork out the $$.

[Professormom]

I just want to throw in that the choppiness has much more to do with the age level than the intent of the program, I think. SL uses usborne experiment books in those really young years and I have seen them mention that it was very difficult to find an age-appropriate experiment book that would coordinate. However, they do usually include activities that are subject-related.

 

The choppiness also used to be more of a problem with older versions of the programs. They revised most of their science programs a few years ago, so make sure you get one of the newer programs if you are buying used.

 

That being said, as you go forward through the years, everything starts aligning MUCH more than in those really young grades. Levels D (3rd ish), E, F, and G certainly line up nicely.

 

The book choices lean more secular, while the guide will have extensive notes on how to handle the 'secularness' from a Christian perspective. So it is pretty to easy to handle it whichever way you may wish. The books are usually good, drawing heavily on Usborne.

 

We loved the Discover and Do DVDs, once the kids hit about 3rd, I could just let them watch the experiment and then they could set it all up to try on their own. It was great to be able to hand over some independence there, especially since I was less than stellar about keeping up with the experiments (sheepish grin). The supply box was helpful in that regard as well.

 

Hope this helps. And good luck!

[Professormom]

Oh, one more thing on the choppiness. I forgot to mention that the five-day program will always have the last day of the week as a different topic. This is so 1) the four-day people don't miss things because they are not on the five-day schedule, and 2) some people like more variety in the topics they are studying and this is a way of letting those people 'mix it up' so to speak.

 

I didn't personally care for that extra day of different, so I saved all of those days and threw them in at the end of the year or the summer. I prefer science to be a bit more linear but YMMV. :-)

[km123175]

Professor Mom, thanks for that review of Sonlight's science. :) I love the idea of them setting things up on their own. I have one who would LOVE that, and I'm a rule-following direction reader and she's a "try it out and see" kind of kid. It would save our relationship for me not to have to be that involved with setting up experiments. :)

[km123175]

One more question - do the Discover and Do DVD's line up by topic (i.e. physics, etc.) or are they just integrated with the wide range of ideas presented for each Science Core. I'm interested in the DVDs, but not the whole Science thing because we've covered at least 1/3 of each of the ones that match my kids' ages.

 

Kimberly

[Professormom]

It is SO nice to hand off experiments.

 

Here is a pic of part of the toc for level 3, they do group by topic. That was a fun year as the TOPs books were pretty neat... Plus they liked growing radishes:-)

[Professormom]

Oops, forgot to attach:-)

[Samiam]

I just want to throw in that the choppiness has much more to do with the age level than the intent of the program, I think. SL uses usborne experiment books in those really young years and I have seen them mention that it was very difficult to find an age-appropriate experiment book that would coordinate. However, they do usually include activities that are subject-related.

 

The choppiness also used to be more of a problem with older versions of the programs. They revised most of their science programs a few years ago, so make sure you get one of the newer programs if you are buying used.

 

That being said, as you go forward through the years, everything starts aligning MUCH more than in those really young grades. Levels D (3rd ish), E, F, and G certainly line up nicely.

 

 

Hope this helps. And good luck!

 

 

 

I think the "really difficult to find age-appropriate experiments" is a complete cop-out on Sonlight. Having look at oodles of other science curriculum for early elementary, and actually found ALOT of experiments myself online to match up with Day1-3 on Sonlight's schedule, there's really NO reason that the experments could not have matched up directly with what was being studied.

 

As far as the choppiness being a problem with older programs, I bought mine brand-new straight from Sonlight, in August 2012...so that is the newest version of the science. Still choppy.

 

When you say the older levels line up nicely, what do you mean? What are they lining up with??? Because they still do the Day 1-3, then Day 4 is different, and then Day 5 is different.

[PentecostalMom]

We are doing SL science as well, this is our 2nd year. We really like it becase it isn't too Christian. I have a strong dislike for science that tries to convince one to be old earth or young earth (a toally new concept to me in recent years anyway). We can teach it from whatever perspective we want. The books are good, my dc love to get them out and just read them and look at the pictures. We do science alternating 3-days one week, 2-days the next and it feels more cohesive. My dd loves the activity pages, cutting/pasting, etc. she can get out the pages and do it herself. We do some of the experiments, and others she finds things we like better. Right now we have ladybugs and tadpoles.

[skeeterbug]

When you say the older levels line up nicely, what do you mean? What are they lining up with??? Because they still do the Day 1-3, then Day 4 is different, and then Day 5 is different.

 

 

Curious about this too, are the older cores any better? We tried SL one year but I could not stand that the experiment didn't match the topic for the week. I'm okay with the 5-day not lining up, but why in the world should the experiment not match???? The books are great, so I get them all and we read them for pleasure. Wondering if the older cores are any less choppy.

[Kathryn]

 

 

 

I think the "really difficult to find age-appropriate experiments" is a complete cop-out on Sonlight. Having look at oodles of other science curriculum for early elementary, and actually found ALOT of experiments myself online to match up with Day1-3 on Sonlight's schedule, there's really NO reason that the experments could not have matched up directly with what was being studied.

 

As far as the choppiness being a problem with older programs, I bought mine brand-new straight from Sonlight, in August 2012...so that is the newest version of the science. Still choppy.

 

When you say the older levels line up nicely, what do you mean? What are they lining up with??? Because they still do the Day 1-3, then Day 4 is different, and then Day 5 is different.

 

 

Agree.

[km123175]

Are the Discover and Do DVDs organized around toipcs/concepts? And could they be used as supplemental to other programs. For example, could I just get them and let the kids explore with them? Or would they not work well in that way? How long is each demonstration and is there any "teaching" on the DVD?

 

I thought they might work well when the sitter comes while I'm working.

[Kathryn]

Are the Discover and Do DVDs organized around toipcs/concepts? And could they be used as supplemental to other programs. For example, could I just get them and let the kids explore with them? Or would they not work well in that way? How long is each demonstration and is there any "teaching" on the DVD?

 

I thought they might work well when the sitter comes while I'm working.

 

The DVDs are just demonstrations of the experiments (in the Usborne Science Actitivy books for the lower three and I think TOPS for the upper two). Even though we don't use Sonlight anymore, we have the DVDs since DS loves to watch them and he loves to read the Usborne books.

[Kathryn]

I'm following this discussion. We are a secular family, and Im wondering how much religion is integrated throughout the various levels.

 

The only book I've found so far in the lower cores for science that isn't secular is the Dinosaurs Unleashed book in Core C science. But it's easy to swap out another book on dinosaurs instead.

 

I think the dinosaur book has been removed. Don't see it in the new catalog.

 

Page 107, Science C. "Dinosaurs Unleashed: The True Story about Dinosaurs and Humans"

 

Also, besides the notes that constantly tell you how to explain things in a "Christian" way, Science D has "Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution," Science F has "Unlocking the Mysteries of Life," and Science G has "Evolution:The Grand Experiment" and "Icons of Evolution."

[mumto2]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page 107, Science C. "Dinosaurs Unleashed: The True Story about Dinosaurs and Humans"

 

I probably should not be allowed to try and read their catalog online! I do see it now. Sorry!

[EmilyGF]

I don't like Science B at all. The Usborne books are *boring*. The animal encylopedia was bad but the human body book was even worse - read two sentences about each organ or idea and move on. What?

 

"Living Book" science is hard because no one wants to buy 25+ books just for science which is what you'd have to do at this age to get books that even resembled having life.

 

We went through 20 weeks and then I realized we were all absolutely dreading it. Now we read Let's-Read-and-Find-Out and other truly living books from the library. The kids spend on evening a month, or so, doing science experiments from the kit, which was the highlight.

 

Emily