Sonlight Core D/E + SOTW 3/4 - anybody done both?

[InLieuofPreschool]

I have a rising 4th and 3rd grader (and two toddlers).  We are finishing up Story of the World 2 this year, and we all LOVE the series.  We mostly just do the map work, I read the chapter, and they do the coloring pages while I read.  We only add in extra activities occasionally, and sometimes pick up topically related library books.  

 

Yesterday, I happened upon Sonlight Core D and Core E IGs (2 years of American History) used at the local homeschool store and couldn't resist since I've always wanted to try Sonlight because we. are. readers. AND I've been trying to figure out how to fit in American History, too, so it was like it was just meant to be.  (I hope, anyway!)  

 

The thought of not continuing on with SOTW 3 and 4 is super sad to me though, and I know my oldest will at least want to listen to the audiobooks if nothing else.  I'm just wondering if anyone has paired Sonlight Core D with SOTW 3 and/or Core E with SOTW 4?  Has anyone made a schedule matching them up?  Or did you just work through both simultaneously?  Is it crazy to think we could make it through both?   

[Ausmumof3]

Sonlight does story of the world in 6th grade so I imagine most people following Sonlight all the way through wouldn't be doing story of the world earlier? You could possibly mix and match but the sonlight cores tend to have a lot of reading already so it might just be too much.

[Zoo Keeper]

Sonlight user and SoTW user here....

 

I would *not* try to do all of both.  Let one program be the main dish, and add some sides of the other.  You could do SL 4 days a week and *just listen and color* to SoTW  at a pace that works for you on the 5th day. Do not stress about finishing all of the SOTW book each year. 

 

  Or you could do SoTW  and add in *some* of the SL books as readers and read-alouds at a pace that works for you (leave out the Landmark books and some of the other bigger readings). Do not stress about finishing all of the books you thought you wanted to.  The reading is to enrich, not enslave.

 

I also would not try to pair it all up exactly chronologically.  Something in your head might explode.  ;)  It's okay to let the kids make the connections, you don't have to connect all the dots for them.  My younger children feel smart when they recognize people/places/events that they have heard about before.  "Hey, Napoleon's in THIS book. too!"

Edited March 24, 2017 by Zoo Keeper

[8Arrows4theLord]

Sonlight cores G & H use the Story of the world books as their history spines. I have however done a little of what you are asking. We are finishing up core E this year. Here's a few ways I added SOTW 4.

 

-*Get the SOTW workbooks- we used a lot of the maps in there. Sonlight's maps are not good. We also used the worksheets, questions, and activities in them. Great books!

-Pick and choose the parts of SOTW that match what you are doing in Sonlight

-DO NOT try to do all of the lessons in both unless you want to extend the books for 2+ yrs. (it took us 2 yrs. to get through E with supplementing)

-Sonlight has a fair amount of reading in the Landmark books, Children's Encyclopedia of Am. Hist., and the Usborne World Wars book

-Core E drags the Civil War out for a very long time and skimps over other time periods- Perfect use for SOTW

-We often did SOTW work on Fridays, instead of the optional day 5 work.

-Skip the Sounding Forth the Trumpet books- they are dry and need a lot of editing. My kids hated them.

-Enjoy the wonderful readers! :wub:

 - one warning about some of the E readers: a few can be disturbing to young children. Here are a few that are good books but should be previewed first: Bruchko, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, Old Yeller, & Shades of Gray.

 

Enjoy your school year! :001_smile: