SL focus... but not SL?

[SpicyPeanut]

I'm in a planning ahead kind of mood. 

 

The first curriculum that ever caught my eye was Sonlight.  I just love the time spent talking about other cultures, praying for other cultures etc.  I want my kids to understand that the world is bigger than our little neck of the woods.  Being a hispanic family, I also would like a curriculum that integrates our culture, American culture, and other cultures and not just throw them in as some sort of multicultural week or take a year to study other cultures kwim?

 

My issue with SL is the lack of activities.  I've considered tweaking, but I'm not very organized and worry that the tweaking won't actually happen without a plan. I've looked at MFW but some of their hands on stuff looks like too much work for me (I did mention I'm disorganized right?).  I've also read some reviews about some things in MFW that as a minority, I may not enjoy teaching?  I'm not sure, I think I have anyway. 

 

HOD looks easy to use (I love easy to use because then I won't get in the way) but there seems to be a whole lot of US History... I don't dislike US History in anyway and I want to teach US History, I just don't want to spend the majority of years teaching the history of 1 country... even if it is the country we live in. 

 

Is there ANYTHING that has the world focus of SL that does include some activities (without being over the top?)  I feel like there isn't much inbetween.  SL has nothing in the way of activities.... then there's stuff like WP that has a ridiculous amount that would completely overwhelm me.

 

**Another possibility is an EASY way to tweak sonlight to have activities that I don't have to spend my time searching, gathering and buying because I know myself... it just won't happen.

[ByGrace3]

what kind of activities are you wanting? Paper craft type activities (History pockets) or more involved activities/crafts? The Story of the World Activity books are good to add to SL. I tried to do too many project crafts in the beginning and while my kids love it, I was burning out. Now I go online pick a couple of "bigger" crafts each year. Little planning and everything is there for me. For example, maybe pick one topic a month and find a kit or project and add it in...or even one ever 6 weeks. Rainbow Resource has lots. We made an Indian teepee, a model of the Santa Maria, a Covered wagon etc...I find that as long as I plan in the summer and have the project read to go, we actually get it done. :) 

[SpicyPeanut]

I like thing simple :-) I also don't like wasted time and effort.  I'm a classroom teacher (teaching my last year at least for now) and I have done crafty projects that have taken a lot of time, money ane effort only to realize that the kids didn't end up learning any of the content.  I've also done activities that do work to help them to remember.  I don't think you need crafts every day, but it would be nice to DO something each day other than read.  Maybe create a notebooking page, draw a picture, create a foldable, play a simple game... some sort of reinforcement which I don't see in the SL samples. 

 

In MFW I see things that would drive me crazy (dress up and reinact something etc...) sounds like a LOT of work for me.  If my kids wanted to do that on their own... that's great but I don't want to organize it. 

 

I guess I'm looking for something with OPTIONAL activities so if we feel like it we can, but it's not central to the curriculum.  So if we're busy, or moving, or just feeling burnt out, we can have a minimalist week and be okay. 

 

SL seems to be the only curriculum I can find that has the ease of use I'm looking for that isn't written for a certain demographic (which I'm not).  I don't know if that makes sense.

[cbollin]

 

In MFW I see things that would drive me crazy (dress up and reinact something etc...) sounds like a LOT of work for me.  If my kids wanted to do that on their own... that's great but I don't want to organize it. 

 

I've used mfw for a long time.  I think the catalog just shows pictures of families who submitted pictures to the company of dress up stuff that family did. There really isn't a lot of dress up and reinact going on.  I think it's just cute pictures in the catalog.... ;)

 

one example of dress up that I remember when we did RTR.....  my husband was a nerd in high school who went to Renaissance fairs.  He got out his old "middle ages garb" out of a drawer and recited in old engilsh the prologue from Canterbury Tales.   that was not  in mfw to do... that was my husband wanting to be a nerd in memory lane.

 

One idea is given in RTR.  The idea was that to start the school year the mom dressed in a sheet in toga style and pretended to be a tutor hired.   I didn't do that. either time I did RTR.

 

but those are so few and far between in mfw....  and in no way was central to the curriculum at all. I"m curious what you see in mfw on that -- is it people's blogs, or the pics in catalog  or the actual lesson plans?   I must have missed all of that in the last 11 years of using mfw...

 

in terms of minorities and teaching mfw...  that's a new one for me to hear.  I'm not sure what that means honestly.  but then again I"m white so I might not understand it.

I know I met an African American staff family at mfw. 

I found that mfw gives books from one than just one point of view in history.

 

I'm one of those who has done minimal effort in crafts in mfw and still had fun. there's usually one big picture a semester and then smaller stuff once a week in some of the years.  I winged it.  scaled back.  ECC has the most crafts, but even then, we scaled back. 

 

I don't know if any of that helps or not.   just wanted to give that point of view.

 

oh wait.... a link might help to show how I scaled back a craft in ECC.. the idea was to have craft related to US culture -- quilt.  I used paper scraps, and the other pic is of sand art:   I poured colored sands onto sticky paper

http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=164&start=25#p39584

 

and this is my Brazil costumes in ECC..you have to scroll down a bit on the post...    those are felt squares from craft stores with glued on stuff.   We decorated those for the stuffed animals.

 

http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=161&start=50#p65898

 

now, that's my style of crafts in MFW...   I'll link a few more ... if I find them...

[kolamum]

You know you're not suppose to do all the activities with WP, right? You're suppose to pick one or two that would work for you.

 

Also, be aware that SL's Culture Core only focuses on what's known as the 10/40 window of unreached people in the world. They do stretch a little beyond that, but not to either of the America's, all though there is a book about Canada based on an Eskimo Tribe. There's no European countries covered. The book selection for what is covered is great, but we were disappointed that not all countries were covered. 

 

You can check out an entire week free of the WP theme here to see if it would be too hard for you to skip some of the projects. All though honestly the projects for the WP theme are more in regards to gearing up for a celebration of each country. You can choose to do some or not. For the UK we went all out with a little tea party prior to evening footy games. With places like Ireland we watched a few films about landmarks, enjoyed discussing some of their legends & had Irish stew. Then we had ones where we met in the middle too & did a pinch more, but still not as "all out".

 

Depending on the age of your children as well would depend on how involved you have to be in regards to the projects. The idea is for the children to do them, & you can just hand them the activity planning sheets & information & let them choose how much or how little to do. Another thing to keep in mind is that int he back of your guide there are extra plans to extend some countries for an additional 2-3 weeks. You could also try out a longer study of WP by choosing one unit from their sister site. Just a thought.

 

 

OR, you could do SL & consider their Activity CD. We've never used it so I can't say how much is or isn't on there. I always think about ordering it, but somehow never remember to. :lol: I know others have it & say it's just right for them. Or what if you just used the SL one & picked up books of activities for countries around the world? That'd be pretty easy way to go about it too. :D

[cbollin]

there it is... the simplified craft in RTR weeks 1 and 2...  one picture on one of them.. and a written description of the other. 

http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4809#p63400

 

but my wax tablets were nothing as complicated as the lady who posted a pic below that. I wish I had pic of that.  it was rolled out playdough and a toothpick.    my point is a wide variety of craft styles can use mfw... the very good (like the lady with the wax table in that link) or the lame -- have fun, clean up and move on type... like me  :)

 

hoping that my keep it simple ideas can help you a bit.   I don't know if MFW is going to work for you or not. 

[PeterPan]

I like thing simple :-) I also don't like wasted time and effort.  I'm a classroom teacher (teaching my last year at least for now) and I have done crafty projects that have taken a lot of time, money ane effort only to realize that the kids didn't end up learning any of the content.  I've also done activities that do work to help them to remember.  I don't think you need crafts every day, but it would be nice to DO something each day other than read.  Maybe create a notebooking page, draw a picture, create a foldable, play a simple game... some sort of reinforcement which I don't see in the SL samples. 

What you just described is VP, and it's that way for precisely that reason.  

[shawthorne44]

I don't remember where I saw it, because I'm not particularly interested in the extra projects.  But, I am pretty sure I've seen a facebook group of nothing but people suggesting extra activities they liked.  

I don't know anything about this company at all, but I was looking at the Homeschool Buyers co-op list and I saw they had "In the Hands of a Child" pre-K for $39.  It looks like add-on projects.  Not to sonlight, but just general topics.  They had other grades, that was just the one on sale.  

[kitten18]

I like thing simple :-) I also don't like wasted time and effort. I'm a classroom teacher (teaching my last year at least for now) and I have done crafty projects that have taken a lot of time, money ane effort only to realize that the kids didn't end up learning any of the content. I've also done activities that do work to help them to remember. I don't think you need crafts every day, but it would be nice to DO something each day other than read. Maybe create a notebooking page, draw a picture, create a foldable, play a simple game... some sort of reinforcement which I don't see in the SL samples.

In MFW I see things that would drive me crazy (dress up and reinact something etc...) sounds like a LOT of work for me. If my kids wanted to do that on their own... that's great but I don't want to organize it.

I guess I'm looking for something with OPTIONAL activities so if we feel like it we can, but it's not central to the curriculum. So if we're busy, or moving, or just feeling burnt out, we can have a minimalist week and be okay.

SL seems to be the only curriculum I can find that has the ease of use I'm looking for that isn't written for a certain demographic (which I'm not). I don't know if that makes sense.

You should definitely look at the SOTW activity guide (you can get Barnes and Noble to order it for you to look at in the store before you buy it). Each chapter has a map, coloring page, and a few other suggested activities.

[LindaOz]

what kind of activities are you wanting? Paper craft type activities (History pockets) or more involved activities/crafts? The Story of the World Activity books are good to add to SL. I tried to do too many project crafts in the beginning and while my kids love it, I was burning out. Now I go online pick a couple of "bigger" crafts each year. Little planning and everything is there for me. For example, maybe pick one topic a month and find a kit or project and add it in...or even one ever 6 weeks. Rainbow Resource has lots. We made an Indian teepee, a model of the Santa Maria, a Covered wagon etc...I find that as long as I plan in the summer and have the project read to go, we actually get it done. :)

 

 

Yes to this.  We use the SOTW activity book along with SL and we have always kept a journal/notebook that the kids write in, draw in, add maps to, etc related to the readings. 

 

Or you can do a spontaneous re-enactment of what was read - send the kiddos of for ten minutes to come up with a skit - no prep required by you.  Film it!! :)

 

Or have each child draw a scene from the reading and others guess (or recognize) what was drawn about.

 

Or make models of things read about. 

 

Or google 'topic' printables, or 'topic' activities, or 'topic' coloring. 

 

Or cook something relevant to the culture being read about and have an afternoon tea or a feast.  My kids love doing this.

 

Just some ideas :-)

[quietchapel]

Between the SOTW activity guide and the Core Tips CD from SL, you'd have plenty of ideas for hands- on. I have picked at most one project a month from the core tips cd, and it has worked well. For example, from Core B there was a suggestion to have the kids try to glue back together a bunch of broken dishes/pots/etc. in conjunction with Archaeologists Dig for Clues. To me, that seemed practical and fun at the same time. It has been amazing to me what they will do on their own after reading the SL books. That is not a replacement for intentionally interacting with the material, but it is valuable, IMO.

[mama27]

What you just described is VP, and it's that way for precisely that reason.  

Can you link me to exactly what you mean cuz I have looked at Veritas Press 34 times and can't understand it for some reason.

[SpicyPeanut]

Thank you :-) You all have given me a lot of helpful suggestions.  I'm thinking I'm going to step away from the decision for now (I have a lot going on at work anyway).  Maybe I just need to get my hands on some curriculum.