WP & SL Users, wanna help me think?

[kolamum]

I'm debating what I'm going to do with my eldest {he'll be 13} next year. I'm debating one of the following:

 

Using Core W, mainly for the literature, & using WP Quests Cores for the notebooking, hands on projects & non-fiction aspects. Then the following year we'd use Royals & Revolutions {I think, it looks like this core matches up some to W as well, but I'm worried about trying to fit THAT much into one year, kwim?} The downside is that'd be a lot of money to fork out at once if I can't find specific cores used. There's also the fact that the Quest's dont match up as well to W, at least I'm finding it difficult to figure out from Scope & Sequence for W, which means excess work for me. The other downside is that Core W doesn't use the same Spines as G & H do, & some of the Bible portions we wanted to use aren't there either. The later not being as much of an issue as the former.

 

Using G & Ancient Quest, then H & Medieval Quest. I'd match these up as I go along using WP as the core & snagging the literature from SL's cores. The best I can tell from the Scope & Sequence I could work in Royals to this idea as well. Thus we'd accomplish it all in 2 years. the downside is that I'd still have a bit of planning & reorganising to do. The upside is I'd get the best of both worlds which would be perfect for my child. The cost would be a little less because I could spread it out some, all though I'm still not sure about that. It really appears to me that both Quests & Royal spread out over the entire of Core G & H.

 

I also debate matching up Both Quests to G & skipping H & just using Royals {my son would be 14 by then} for the following year. This would be expensive next year, but not so much the year after. Also, if things run over some that's okay because we can mix with Royals a bit too. Is it a big deal to miss H?

 

I spend 3 years doing Quest, Quest, Royals. The upside is we'd cover those three cores which are loaded with lovelies. I could still use the SL readers & read alouds for Adventure reading. The downside is that I really don't want to do Quest, Quest, Royals because where we live children are done with highschool at grade 10. They go on to college for 11 & 12. Then university, if desired, from there. Dh & I, for now, are of the opinion that if our children can gain more from taking courses outside of the house at 11 & 12 then we're fine with that. My guess is, that in the end, they'll take some and be home for some so I am planning things out through Grade 12. Even with that I won't be able to complete all Cores That I was hoping to do with them if I spend 3 years with those three items. Kwim?

 

I'm learning towards option #2 because it seems like it should be the easiest & less expensive, but I'm a little stressed about lining up the Quests & Royals with SL. Sl seems to go Chronologically where as WP seems to be set up by theme. Kwim? So I'm hoping it won't be too difficult to match up. Anyone done this & all ready have it figured out?! :lol:

 

I'm probably trying to put too much effort into this. My 12 year old, 13 next year when we start, is very hands on in regards to his learning. He'll love all the hands on projects with WP as well as the notebooking. I think that combining the non-fiction from WP with the lovely SL Literature will give me the best mix.

[Bensmom]

Option two, hands down. Of course, I probably like this option best because it best matches what we will be doing;)

Yes, it will take some reworking on your part, but combining programs always does. I thought of using W as the core (was that your option one?), but I think that W is a VERY full program (2 years in 1) and if you add WP, it would be soooo full that you would need to spread it over two years anyway (and thus just go with G/H). Overall, it doesn't seem too tricky to add WP hands-on components to SL G........but then I've never actually tried this combo. Haha. Maybe some WTMer will be able to share. I'm all ears.

 

Every year, I go crazy stressing over trying to make the "best" educational decisions. I think it is important to remember that the goal is learning, and your ds will learn the necessary things with any of the options you mentioned. Pick what fits your budget and time needs best, relax, and enjoy the experience :)

 

[kolamum]

Thanks BensMom, I've been stressing out over this whole situation for some time now. I think my biggest reason is that when I aimed to do Core F this year {which we actually combined with WP CAW for a better experience} I didn't consider the long term like I normally do. As in, the long term goals I originally had for my child in regards to which cores where I wanted him to finish up. ha So then I was scrambling trying to decide if I could wrap it all up in the time frame I was thinking or not. I was going to change my ideas & do Core W, but before I jumped in head first I wanted to check WP's World History Cores to see if they'd be better spines or not. I actually like Option 2 best & figure if I have to go longer then 2 years, so be it. It's not going to be the end of the world. Ha!

 

CalAndAlsMom

Core G & H were 6 & 7. Both got a major overhaul with the dropping of nearly all their books & using new ones. G/6 was redone last year & H/7 was redone this year! :)

[kolamum]

Every year, I go crazy stressing over trying to make the "best" educational decisions. I think it is important to remember that the goal is learning, and your ds will learn the necessary things with any of the options you mentioned. Pick what fits your budget and time needs best, relax, and enjoy the experience :)

 

 

I needed that timely reminder. I've been a bit of a fruitcake with this whole situation.

I'm curious, will you use WP or SL as the spine? I was planning to use WP as the Spines & work in the SL literature.

But if I use SL as the spines & work in the WP then I think we can do the 2nd option over 2 years.

 

I've actually even considered doing Core G & skipping H in favor of Royals. I was looking into Core H & it seems to back track a bit into Core H & then move all the way up into WW2. Which was another reason I debated going with W. If I went with W though I'd only use it for the literature & the notes/info on the books. :)

 

Anyway, thank you very much for the timely reminder. I need to lay the worries & nonsense aside & when the time comes to order things go with the plan. :D