Sonlight Enough for High School History/Literature?

[Josie]

Hello!

I am trying to map out our jr. high/high school journey, and I am wondering if Sonlight provides a good history/literature experience? We have used it for elementary, but I question it for upper levels.

 

I feel like we need tests to get them ready for college tests. I am considering using ABeka and adding in the books. Has anyone done this?

 

Any insight will be appreciated.

 

TIA,

Josie

[chelsea in TN]

I am using the lists in WTM. This year we used HO Anceints - which basically uses that reading list but has everything mapped out for you.

 

Next year I am going to use Lightning Lit by Hewit for Middle ages and the skakespeare tragedy program. I am planning to add in a few books from the WTM list as well.

 

We do not read the whole list. I just aim form maybe 60 %. I am lucky though I have a son who like the classic literature. My path for my mathy middle son may be much different unless his interest changes.

 

I also am using Holt’s World Literature and Spark notes (available on -line) to round out my oldest literature experience in Highschool.

 

As for Sonlight...

I just looked through all the lists quickly... IMO if you were to use Sonlight all the way through in HS - the only thing that sticks out is the lack of Ancient literature.

 

If you are not following the four year history cyccle of WTM - you could have your child read some of the ancient lit you feel is important over the summers.

 

HTH,

Chelsea

[Chris in VA]

You will get various opinions on Sonlight; I can only add my own experience.

 

We are using some of the 20th Century core this year, after using Omnibus (tweaked) for 2 years. It has been both good and disappointing. First of all, I was intrigued by the choices for literature, and so ready to find a resource to help us study the wonderful books in the core. Unfortunately, half the books don't have any study helps--nada. No discussion questions, no summary, no helps of any kind. "Just read and enjoy." I was stunned. Not as advertised, in my book.

As far as the history, while I really enjoy the 20th Century Day-by-Day (they use the cd-rom, we use the actual hardbacked book), it does not provide, in my opinion, enough rhetoric level work--simply reading about the events in chronological order does not go deep enough. The commentary on the book/cd-rom that is contained in the teacher's guide is interesting, and occasionally calls for higher-level thinking skills, but the author uses such sources as Wikipedia (!) and other questionable resources to come to his conclusions. While I am ok with using internet resources, I was rather appalled to find that out.

We do not do the writing assignments, but they look ok. We also don't use some of the other books. Perhaps that would change our experience, but I doubt it.

I am now just trying to finish the year with ds. I feel I made a mistake in using this core.

 

One good thing is that others seem to feel the same--Sonlight will be redoing this core next year. I say, avoid it now, and maybe revisit in the future. I'd go for TOG if I were going to do it again, or find a secular publisher and try that. We are now using other lit guides that go more in depth, and require more. Not sure how I'm going to sell this puppy--maybe on the Sonlight forums.

 

I don't know about the other cores--I have heard Sonlight 100 is excellent--that is a great possibility, as I totally trust the judgement of the person who tagged it so. I have Brit Lit for sale, also--I think it is better, but we won't get to use it. The reading list is very good, tho I'd cull a few titles. The style of commentary is not up to my own standards, but as with everything, ymmv.

[momee]

SL Core 200 is a new purchase for us. Our first attempt at Sonlight. I went with that over TOG (tried that at the rhetoric level for the first unit of yr 1). I needed something that was easiest on me, books included type program so you'll have to weigh my mindset with reading the rest of this post. We tried WTM way but also found that entirely too hard on mom to keep a momentum and discuss and choose books that we needed to cover.

 

To calm some of my concerns that SL may not be enough, I spoke with a high school literature teacher (English 10 to be exact). When I told her they were to read 27 lit choices she laughed. "There is no way! you'd see that in public school." I asked her about making my son read Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice. While her answer it varies with each student's ability to handle it, she said one literature professor told her she could wait to have kids read those in college.

 

She did say to make sure they're doing a variety of writing assignments and to consider going into fewer books deeper instead of going through more books at a shallow level. Writing usually forces kids to delve deeper into higher level thinking and critiquing of a book so include as much of that as possible. She called them "extensions" and said many are available over the internet.

 

Anyway, I feel we're in great shape for literature for this year with what I've seen so far.

 

As far as history, it's the History of the Church - so I'm sure it's more than he'd get at any public school before I even look at the program :) I can't speak to depth just yet but I know what we're doing so far, although it doesn't touch on the ancients as Tapestry did, I think what it does cover it covers well.

At this point, it's too new to really know but I felt compelled to reply with our experience.

Hope this rambling helps.

[siloam]

Josie,

 

My point of view, realizing I have no older children, is that WTM probably recomends a more vigiorus reading schedule, more original works and classics, but SL makes my poor High School experience pale in comparison.

 

In the end that which gets done and done well is the best program, so if you need the schedule that SL provides I think it is a good choice. If you are able to work with a looser schedule then using the recommendations in WTM or a program like TOG, which are known for their questions and use of classics will result in an even higher level of education than SL.

 

Whether a child will score better using WTM than SL is hard to say. It seems to me like it would depend on the child, how the programs where implemented, learning styles, ect...

 

Heather

[Colleen]

If you've not already done so, you might post your question on the SL boards ~ on the upper level cores forum, for example. That way you'll here back from more people who have firsthand experience. I've used Sonlight since I began homeschooling 8 years ago and plan to continue doing so if my boys study at home during high school. I appreciate the book selections and a myriad of other aspects of SL. Having said that, I will likely add/replace several titles, and may "tweak" here and there in order to provide a more rhetoric-rich learning experience.

[readwithem]

Yes the study helps are very disappointing, aren't they?

 

Did you get the 20th Century book before it went OOP? How do you like it? I'm not going to pay OOP prices for it but I'm wondering whether it's even worth the $40 or $50 cover price.

 

Thanks Chris!

[Mandy in TN]

This year my ds is using the SL200 lit. He is also using Walch's Toolbook for Prose and Poetry.

 

This particular ds reads a lot and I am not concerned about comprehension or critical thinking skills; however, I wish he had some interest in discussing literary analysis with me. Alas, he does not. This is why he is using Toolbook. The writing prompts look wonderful, but there is no writing instruction (building good sentences, putting together a good paragraph, developing a well-formed essay). That said- ds is taking journalism at tutorial, so he is not using the prompts.

 

SL200 does contain questions that you could use as tests. There are students sheets without the answers and teacher sheets with the answers. These are mostly recall and comprehension. You would need to use the writing portion to get in literary analysis. Also, someone wrote up tests for the history section and they are available on the SL boards. So, if you wanted tests, between the IG and the boards there should be plenty for SL200.

 

A big plus and the reason I am using SL is the literature list. The books vary in difficulty, so you are not consistently pushing the limits of your child's reading ability. If everything I read was just at the edge of my understanding, I would quickly grow to dislike reading.

 

SL is reworking core300 and it should be out this spring. I plan for DS to use everything except the apologetics portion next year and I am looking forward to having the whole thing show up in a box!

 

HTH-

Mandy

[Chris in VA]

Hi Readwiththem,

 

Yes, I had heard there were a number of complaints and problems with the DK cd-rom, so we opted for the hardback book. I got it for about $30 on amazon, if I recall correctly--or maybe from here? lol

I think it's a keeper, because it is so interesting and engaging. The cd-rom would have been fun, because you get short films and that sort of thing on it--can actually hear Hitler speak, for example. We can do some of that with youtube, so it's not critical. We watched the Hindenburg explode, for one.

[Janice in NJ]

As most of you know I am a love, love, lovin' it fan of TOG. I love the way it organizes and administrates our homeschool. Three kids in three different levels just pushed me into a place of administrating and organizing allllll day long. TOG keeps me sane. Truly.

 

But I still love, love, love so many of SL's book suggestions. Great, great literature. TOG tends to be more great-books driven - especially in the first two years. My kids have welcomed those terrific SL novels. :) We are putting them to good use.

 

Anyway - as I looked through the SL American Lit guide (SL 400), I was very impressed. As with most programs, it really depends on the teacher, but a plan for a terrific jaunt through American Literature is all there - at least it looks like it is to me.

 

The longer I do this, the more I see what you gals have been telling me all along. The "program" is only a small part of an education. It's what you DO with the program that can make the difference.

 

Peace,

Janice

 

Enjoy your little people

Enjoy your journey

[Colleen]

nt

[Janice in NJ]

Older ds is 14 - currently a 9th grader.

Daughter in the middle - 13 - 7th grader

Younger ds - 11 - 5th grader

 

Sheesh. They are growing up quickly, eh?

 

Peace,

Janice