New Homeschooler - all the curriculum I ordered seems too easy

[Guest CHS2014]

I am a rookie Homeschooler. We made a last minute decision (the night before school was to start) to pull our 8 year old, second grader out of public school. I quickly ordered Sonlight Core B & C - one year world history, along with the third grade readers. We are about to begin our 5th week of homeschool and I am so disappointed with this curriculum choice.

 

I was expecting the readers, read alouds and the history to be more integrated. My daughters readers have been about coming to America, life on the Prairie, etc. The read alouds so far have been about the Island of Capri, Homer Price and The School Story. The history is ancient history. We have enjoyed all of the books but this is not what I was expecting at all. I thought the literature selections would coincide with the timelines of the history. The most frustrating part is that the readers are far too easy and the language arts is very light. To correct that I have been using First Language Lessons Level 2 and Writing with Ease Level 2. I like both of those much better but both feel too easy for my daughter. We just started with Spelling Power because the sonlight spelling was not challenging. She is in her second week of Spelling Power at the fith grade level and doing very well.

 

We are also using Teaching Textbooks grade 3. She is doing extremely well with it but I suspect the level may be too easy as well.

 

We took her out of public school because we felt she was not challenged enough in first grade. Now I fear that I am not doing any better for her. I would greatly appreciate any and all suggestions.

[maize]

I know many people use teaching textbooks a grade ahead, but it sounds like you are already doing that. The first few weeks of most math programs are meant to be review, so maybe you could just accelerate ahead until you hit something new and challenging. If you want to look at a different program entirely there are many, many good math options. We like Math Mammoth around here, but Horizons, Singapore, and Math in Focus are a few of the excellent programs available. 

 

I have not used Sonlight, but I thought it was possible to choose the level of reader to go with the core, so perhaps the one you picked was just below your dd's level? Will they allow you to trade in for a different level of readers? My personal opinion is that if your dd is enjoying Sonlight it is fine to just continue with it, not every subject needs to be challenging, and enjoyment of reading and learning is worth a lot.

 

Really it sounds like you are doing already what any good homeschooling teacher does--adjusting the teaching to the needs of the child. If your dd is a strong speller, a program like Spelling Power should be just fine as she can work to her level.

 

Just remember that you are in charge of your homeschool, not the curricula you use. You can adapt, skip elements, accelerate, as necessary.

 

Welcome on board!

[MrsH]

Sorry it's been disappointing so far! Do you know what you're looking to accomplish, academically? If not, it might be helpful for you to stick with the curriculum (at a faster pace or skipping sections as appropriate) while you figure that out.

 

I generally recommend this article: http://simplehomeschool.net/should-i-homeschool-or-not-part-one/ to newbies. Since you found this board, you may have already decided that you like aspects of a classical education. In that case, I'd take a slow-ish read through the well trained mind. Worry less about grade and more about sequence.

 

Then go take some field trips and enjoy!

[mohini]

Don't be discouraged. It's probably good that your dd is breezing through these first days hschooling. It will build her confidence. In the meantime you can find some more challenging materials and figure out where her interests and abilities are so that you can cater to her better.

 

For something cheap, good and totally different from Sonlight, check into CLE. I use CLE Math along with TT.  My dd is using TT 1 year ahead but is challenged by CLE on grade level. She does TT in the afternoon when everything else is done and it's fun - but I know it also reinforces concepts she's learned.

 

CLE LA is also comprehensive (includes spelling, grammar, etc..) and I use it alongside WWE and have used it with FLL - though when I did we did not use the WKBK, IMO CLE LA grammar is slightly more advanced than FLL though FLL is probably more meticulous. The best part - CLE is inexpensive and can be purchased in chunks. You can see samples here

http://www.clp.org/store/by_grade/4

 

If you like the WWE style, but want a bit more creative writing, you might try CAP. - And to add to history you might try a VP self paced ancients course (they're having a sale now $99 - which is half off) That would be a great addition to your reading.

 

Good Luck!

 

 

[Kidlit]

In my opinion, FLL and WWE can be deceptively simple.  I think these foundational skills are ones that are best taken slowly and thoroughly.  Then again, you know your child better than anyone, so maybe it IS too easy for her.

 

We're all learning as we go!   :thumbup1:

[GrammarGirl]

I would give it a few more weeks to see if the difficulty level of the math increases. I have read that many people find Sonlight reading to be "behind." My DD would have been in their 3rd grade readers after finishing A Beka K phonics. Perhaps just use library books for her reading so you don't need to spend more money. FLL and WWE do seem easy, but they really help with attention to detail and develop such important skills.

[solascriptura]

I am a rookie Homeschooler. We made a last minute decision (the night before school was to start) to pull our 8 year old, second grader out of public school. I quickly ordered Sonlight Core B & C - one year world history, along with the third grade readers. We are about to begin our 5th week of homeschool and I am so disappointed with this curriculum choice.

 

I was expecting the readers, read alouds and the history to be more integrated. My daughters readers have been about coming to America, life on the Prairie, etc. The read alouds so far have been about the Island of Capri, Homer Price and The School Story. The history is ancient history. We have enjoyed all of the books but this is not what I was expecting at all. I thought the literature selections would coincide with the timelines of the history. The most frustrating part is that the readers are far too easy and the language arts is very light. To correct that I have been using First Language Lessons Level 2 and Writing with Ease Level 2. I like both of those much better but both feel too easy for my daughter. We just started with Spelling Power because the sonlight spelling was not challenging. She is in her second week of Spelling Power at the fith grade level and doing very well.

 

We are also using Teaching Textbooks grade 3. She is doing extremely well with it but I suspect the level may be too easy as well.

 

We took her out of public school because we felt she was not challenged enough in first grade. Now I fear that I am not doing any better for her. I would greatly appreciate any and all suggestions.

Doesn't Sonlight have a good return policy? I would look into that first before getting too discouraged.

[Roadrunner]

Welcome.  :001_smile:

Before you jump into buying new things, think about what type of programs you are going to find appealing to teach. Are you looking for traditional LA, or do you want a bit of whimsical in it? Are you sure you need readers? If your child is reading, why not just give her/him good books to read? I see your child is an eight year old. As homeschoolers the grade your child is in doesn't matter, but eight year olds are usually third graders, so maybe that's why FLL 2 and WWE 2 seem easy. Skills taught in WWE aren't usually taught in public schools, so I would keep working on WWE at it and pick up something else for writing as well. 

TT seems to be the program best suited for kids who struggle in math. If you have a strong math student, you want to migrate away from it. If you don't mind juggling a lot of books, Singapore is a strong program. If you prefer one book at a time, there are other options. Also think about if you child needs constant review or not. Kids who require ongoing review would do well with more spiral approach rather than Singapore's mastery approach. 

 

Pick up the WTM book for ideas on how to integrate literature and history. 

[Dolphin]

As you have TT, this is what we did when we started. DS just took every quiz until he scored less that 90%. If he was under 90% we went back and did the lessons. Once we hit 2 in a row of that, we slowed down and did a lesson a day. I supplemented with a chapter of Life of Fred each day. Also, starts simple, but really taught my ds some great math concepts.

[Guest CHS2014]

Thank you all for your gracious and helpful replies. I really appreciate all of your suggestions and encouragement. I plan to investigate the specific recommendations.

 

To answer a few specific questions. Yes, she is an older second grader. It is a birthday cut off issue. Our goal for homeschooling this year is to provide a richer, more challenging experience than she would receive in our public school. We have had children in public school for the past 16 years. Our oldest just graduated from college, we also have a high school senior and an eighth grader. We have been hardcore public schoolers since 1998. Sadly, we have watched our schools decline over the years and most specifically the last five years. Our school district is large. We have 11 elementary schools with an average of 850 students in each K-5 school. Our 4 year high school now has 5,000 students. My bright, advanced, very quiet student was constantly overlooked because as her first grade teacher said last year, "she does everything so well I sometimes forget she's here!" (She said with a grin and a chuckle!) so as we sat in the very crowded classroom at back to school night alarm bells went off in our hearts and heads and we knew the time was now to make a huge change.

 

I have read The Well Trained Mind and was very inspired by it. I was also intimidated by it. So I decided to follow Susan Wise Bauer's advice to start off with a box type curriculum. Now that I am actually "doing the work" I see that I could have probably pulled it all together using WTM as a guide.

 

I think for this semester we will just stay the course (and I will try to chill out a bit ; -) ). At the rate we are flying through the books we will finish by Christmas. We started using Teaching Textbooks in June as a way to stay fresh over the summer so she is on track to finish that in December. This will give me time to investigate other math programs. I do want to add more writing to what we are currently doing because I think she can handle it and I think she needs it.

 

Thank you again for all of your kind replies!

[kiwik]

Remember you are not obliged to do everything and if you finish part way through the year you can just start the next level or switch to something else.

[fourisenough]

Thank you all for your gracious and helpful replies. I really appreciate all of your suggestions and encouragement. I plan to investigate the specific recommendations.

 

To answer a few specific questions. Yes, she is an older second grader. It is a birthday cut off issue. Our goal for homeschooling this year is to provide a richer, more challenging experience than she would receive in our public school. We have had children in public school for the past 16 years. Our oldest just graduated from college, we also have a high school senior and an eighth grader. We have been hardcore public schoolers since 1998. Sadly, we have watched our schools decline over the years and most specifically the last five years. Our school district is large. We have 11 elementary schools with an average of 850 students in each K-5 school. Our 4 year high school now has 5,000 students. My bright, advanced, very quiet student was constantly overlooked because as her first grade teacher said last year, "she does everything so well I sometimes forget she's here!" (She said with a grin and a chuckle!) so as we sat in the very crowded classroom at back to school night alarm bells went off in our hearts and heads and we knew the time was now to make a huge change.

 

I have read The Well Trained Mind and was very inspired by it. I was also intimidated by it. So I decided to follow Susan Wise Bauer's advice to start off with a box type curriculum. Now that I am actually "doing the work" I see that I could have probably pulled it all together using WTM as a guide.

 

I think for this semester we will just stay the course (and I will try to chill out a bit ; -) ). At the rate we are flying through the books we will finish by Christmas. We started using Teaching Textbooks in June as a way to stay fresh over the summer so she is on track to finish that in December. This will give me time to investigate other math programs. I do want to add more writing to what we are currently doing because I think she can handle it and I think she needs it.

 

Thank you again for all of your kind replies!

Sounds like a good plan. I would take a look at a new grammar/writing program (written by a member if this board) called Treasured Conversations. It might be a nice option to use following FLL 2/WWE2.

[SevenDaisies]

Thank you all for your gracious and helpful replies. I really appreciate all of your suggestions and encouragement. I plan to investigate the specific recommendations.

 

To answer a few specific questions. Yes, she is an older second grader. It is a birthday cut off issue. Our goal for homeschooling this year is to provide a richer, more challenging experience than she would receive in our public school. We have had children in public school for the past 16 years. Our oldest just graduated from college, we also have a high school senior and an eighth grader. We have been hardcore public schoolers since 1998. Sadly, we have watched our schools decline over the years and most specifically the last five years. Our school district is large. We have 11 elementary schools with an average of 850 students in each K-5 school. Our 4 year high school now has 5,000 students. My bright, advanced, very quiet student was constantly overlooked because as her first grade teacher said last year, "she does everything so well I sometimes forget she's here!" (She said with a grin and a chuckle!) so as we sat in the very crowded classroom at back to school night alarm bells went off in our hearts and heads and we knew the time was now to make a huge change.

 

I have read The Well Trained Mind and was very inspired by it. I was also intimidated by it. So I decided to follow Susan Wise Bauer's advice to start off with a box type curriculum. Now that I am actually "doing the work" I see that I could have probably pulled it all together using WTM as a guide.

 

I think for this semester we will just stay the course (and I will try to chill out a bit ; -) ). At the rate we are flying through the books we will finish by Christmas. We started using Teaching Textbooks in June as a way to stay fresh over the summer so she is on track to finish that in December. This will give me time to investigate other math programs. I do want to add more writing to what we are currently doing because I think she can handle it and I think she needs it.

 

Thank you again for all of your kind replies!

 

I understand what it's like living in a large school district. Mine serves 170,000 kids and has 132 schools. My elementary school has over 1700 kids. Several years ago (when ther were a couple hundred less children) there were 15 kindergarten classes. Funny thing is my husband went to this school when it was much smaller and it was a great school. The district has just gotten too large and kids are just numbers here.

 

Here is what I would do in your situation. Are you enjoying Sonlight? If not, I believe they have a great return policy. Return the package and buy what you want. If you are enjoying Sonlight keep it and use it. When you finish move onto to something more challenging. Many people (myself included) try to do too much when they start homeschooling. If you are enjoying Sonlight, just relax and enjoy the time together.

[Mswin15]

I thnk Sonlight is a good place to start for a last minute decision. We used it for K4 and K5 for my oldest. I used readers 2 grades ahead for her. I'm sure they will exchange yours to get you at a level that is appropriate. I'm not familiar with the cores now because we are doing something different but I would enjoy the wonderful literature selection and not worry too much about history integration. I know it is popular to do so in some circles but if you hold fast to it you end up reading a lot of mediocre historical fiction at that age and especially with ancients. The books and literature rich environment is what is so great about SL. I wasn't crazy about the LA program when we did it. If I were you I'd stick with WWE and FLL and find a great phonics/spelling that you enjoy. WWE seems easy but the skills it builds are fantastic and difficult and not taught in public schools. Add some poetry reading/discussion on your own. I wouldn't hop around math too much if you can help it. I'm not familiar with TT but I'm sure it is similar to other programs with a lot of review at the beginning. At least give it a year and make a better decision once you have some experience and aren't in the initial home school whirl wind.

Resist the urge to jump ship and try to tweak what you started. One of the biggest changes for me was learning to see the value in work we were doing that isn't easily measured. School typically has a lot of "work" to show you how much they have accomplished. I found at home I didn't have as much to show but the time we spend reading and talking about great books, as well as poetry and exploring the world around us in less conventional ways (sketching a rock vs doing a rock worksheet) is so much more valuable and beautiful. Use the tools (books) SL has given you and go deep with them and most of all enjoy!

[CyndiLJ]

Being a new homeschooler is one of the most confusing places to be.  There are SO many choices, so many differing approaches, and so much to consider.  Trust me, it gets easier, but allow you and your daughter this time to relax and ease into this.  You've made a good choice, both to homeschool and in curriculum, even if the levels of Sonlight prove to be a little on the easy side, it won't hurt to work through it for the moment while you get your "sea legs".  It sounds as if your daughter is a strong learner, and you don't need to worry unnecessarily about her losing ground while she reads the books.  Work with what you have while you begin the process of learning how to do this.

 

While you are using Sonlight, take the time to investigate all sorts of other curricula.  Evaluate what you want homeschooling to look and feel like for her.  You might decide to go eclectic and try a variety of things, or you may decide to go the worktext route or work specifically with one curriculum publisher.  Whatever you choose, give yourself permission to make a few mistakes along the way.  We all have, and we all learned from them.  A few years in, and you will find yourself making fewer mistakes because you'll have a much better sense of what will work for you.  

 

For now, take a deep breath, and take the time to educate yourself more about what possibilities are out there.  She'll be fine with Sonlight while you  spend the next couple of months researching, and you'll eventually come up with something better suited.

 

Congratulations, and use this board as a resource!  It helped me SO much when I first started, even though we were totally not classical in our approach!  Lots of wonderful homeschooling moms here to offer support.

[redsquirrel]

My first thought was that she is old for second grade, and you say she is. My kids adored FLL2, but they were 7, and there is a big difference between a 7 and an 8 year old.  I have an 'old' now fourth grader, with a Jan birthday, so I understand your conundrum.

 

 

Yeah, the first year can be a challenge, especially if you start after doing some public school. I promise it gets better!

 

FLL2 can feel a bit young for an 8 year old, but it is teaching appropriate skills. Don't be afraid to either skip to FLL 3 OR just make FLL2 work for you. Don't require unnecessary repetitions, when she's got it, she's got it.  FLL 3 and 4 are more challenging so you could always stick with FLL2 and just enjoy grammar for this year.  Same with WWE2. WWE3 and 4 both ramp up quite a bit, and you might find that WWE2 becomes more of a challenge as the year goes along. Have you read SWB's article about why WWE works the way it does? I think it is on PDF at Peace Hill press. If you don't understand the importance of narration, dictation and copywork it can feel a little bit odd.

 

Teaching Textbooks is a funny beast. For the right kid, it is fantastic. But for many it is too simplistic. Seeing as you have already spent the $$ on TT, you might consider supplementing with something like MEP, which is free for the printing. But, why did you pick TT? Is it because you are not comfortable teaching math? That is its attraction for many. If you don't want to teach the math and prefer a DVD program I am sure there are others, but they will all cost you.  And if you don't want to instruct math, then MEP or SIngapore and a few others won't work for you because they are all teacher intensive.

 

You might consider watching the videos from Education Unboxed to see just how much fun it can be to teach math.

 

And if you want a more integrated history/reading program then I suggest Story of the World, the Activity Guide and the reading lists in The Well Trained Mind. The Activity Guide also has lots of reading suggestions, if you have a well stocked library it is very doable.

 

 

[Eagle]

If you want to add literature to correspond with history, an excellent (and free!) site is Classical House of Learning. http://www.classicalhouseoflearning.com

[CAmomof4]

I second what many PPs have said - do not rush out and scrap your curriculum and try to find another!  That one may end up not being ideal, either - really you could spend every year doing this, there are so many options out there!  No one curriculum is going to be exactly what you are looking for.

 

I had a nearly identical experience, although my DD was in kindy.  Pulled her at the last moment and jumped into HSing with Sonlight.  Quickly saw that it was not exactly what I wanted, long-term, but we did it, and it was still fun!  Sonlight is a great resource when you are starting out, they really hold your hand and let you see how they take different pieces and schedule them out to make a full year's work.  Take your reader package and try to exchange with them for a higher-level set.  They used to have a placement guide on their site, but since they've redone the website I'm not sure where to find it.  If your DD is a strong reader you should have no trouble picking anything up through 5th or 6th grade level.

 

FWIW, no one seems really crazy about SL's LA program!!

 

Just hang in there.  One of the hardest things for me to acclimate myself to was keeping my own end of the bargain - that is, making time each day to do the work.  There is a temptation to be too relaxed sometimes.  As long as you are progressing through, don't worry so much about grade-level classifications, or age-level materials.  You will find that the levels vary considerably between different curricula.  Just take your time, work with what you have, accelerate when you feel you're repeating too much or teaching something beneath her.  You can always add in throughout the year.

[TranquilMind]

The SL core you chose isn't integrated. Enjoy it. The books are fantastic. Integration is overrated.

 

Teaching Textbooks was an expensive choice. Sell it and buy Horizons if you want traditional math. Singapore if you are interested in learning a different presentation.

Calandalsmom is exactly right on this.  Just enjoy the books!  Don't worry about replicating school exactly as it is done in some building somewhere.  If your younger kids are happy, learning, and pursuing their interests, they will do fantastically well later, and be quite confident.

My college aged daughter and I just discussed this.  There was a period of time where I wasn't feeling well physically and didn't get a whole lot done.  My kids spent loads of time in active, creative play, like pretending every room was a different continent and re-creating battles or other historical events - or even just having fun with the soldiers capturing the Barbies, or something like that.  Sometimes, for days. 

 

Those years were the best of all, according to them.   That ability to have long periods of unbroken creative play - unlike in school, where everything is timed and regimented - really helped my kids, I believe.  They are academic beasts today, and have amazing attention spans, which I directly attribute to those "loose" times, among other things. 

 

So, like all Moms of older kids, I'd just say RELAX.  You will do well if you care.  If you find you can't teach a subject, you will farm it out to someone well qualified.  It all works out. 

[My3girls]

If you are looking for something a little more challenging, my 8 year old is using FLL, CAP Writing & Rhetoric Fable, Math Mammoth, Story of the World, and Intelligo for science unit studies.  For reading, we just use good literature selections.  Currently, we are reading The Cricket in Times Square together.  We supplement with Horrible Histories, Horrible Geography, Magic Schoolbus chapter books, and Usborne Encyclopedias.  Everyone is different, but these are definitely challenging her if you want to check them out.