Bigger w/extensions or Sonlight 3+4?

[sted]

I need help deciding on an Am. History program for next year. I really like the looks of HOD and will actually be using their Beyond program for my 6 and 8 yr. olds. Now my oldest daughter (10) actually falls into the CTC book skill wise but since she hasn't done any Am. History yet I was really hoping we would all do that this year. So my dilemma is this - Do I try Bigger w/extensions, adding of course my own math and grammar ? OR do I get Sonlight 3+4 and have her go through that. She does love reading although I've heard it can be somewhat overwhelming in SL? She is fairly independant. I think the deal breaker for me would be how much she (we) enjoyed the spines. The spines for HOD look pretty good but I'm wonding if they may be too easy for her, although I've heard mixed reviews on SL's Landmark book but of course can never locate a sample online to preview it. Also, if I used SL, does anyone recommend the LA guide as well?

 

Any help?

Thanks,

Shannon

[MIch elle]

but skipped the Landmark book. I think it's a wonderful book just too much for that age. We didn't read all the books in one year because my dc are not big readers. If your dc loves to read historical fiction than SL 3/4 is very good.

 

Have you looked at LosBanos history? It's free. http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/history/americanhistoryindex.html

[1shortmomto4]

I can not speak from experience on SL 3&4 but have a few thoughts on the HOD (I've used Beyond). Are you looking for an AM history program for just 1 year and that is why you'd use SL 3&4 this year rather than doing Core 3 and then Core 4? I know many SL users find using the combined cores very challenging and this may or may not be an issue for you. Beyond is the first of 2 years for Am History in the HOD scope so the youngers would then be doing Bigger the following year. One thing to consider - would it bother you to repeat Bigger the following year? Maybe not an issue but for some they prefer a year's break give or take. I've heard a lot of positive about Core 3 and 4 being people's favorites - just the list of the books are great but a few things to keep in mind when considering - if you dd enjoys some hands-on, you might prefer Bigger instead. There are scheduled notebooking, drawing and lite craft lessons scheduled throughout that add to the program. You could easily add the extensions and definitely have the challenge. You could take some of the book suggestions from Core 3 to use as readers with Bigger (Core 3 is the first core that ties the readers into the history portion). I find that the decision between using SL and HOD is whether a child enjoys notebooking (I have a child that struggles with writing so that is a challenge) and hands-on assignments versus a child that enjoys reading and being read-aloud to (don't forget this part) and retains most through that style. I would imagine that it would be easier working through 2 HOD programs at once, versus 1 HOD and the SL because of the read alouds in SL but no one said you had to do all of the read-alouds so probably doable, too. Another thing to keep in mind is whether you enjoy/desire that Bible be integrated within the program or something that is handled separately. HOD's lessons all integrate with the bible - she ties it all in through the history and the science but SL is stand-alone. For some it does not matter, and for some it does - just a matter of choice. I'm struggling with the same decisions to be made this year so thought I'd share a few things I've been working through to try and find the workable solution.

[Caroline4kids]

I have done some of core 3+4 and we are doing Bigger now. If it were me, I would do Beyond and Bigger with the extentions and then do Preparing next year. I have an 11 year old that is loving Bigger. The spines are not twaddle and I sometimes have my oldest read aloud the spine books for us all to hear (good practice). If you oldest participates in the Beyond readings too all the kids will have a great dose of American history.

 

Core 3+4 is a full plate and two HOD volumes would be much easier IMHO.

 

If you want more read alouds you could use some of the books from core 3 and 4 to supplement. It would keep you all on the same page without being overwhelming.:)

 

I love HOD, it has been more fun for the kids and I can keep on schedule easier.

[calandalsmom]

I prefer SL always to anything else.

 

That is my personal bias.

 

I think there is no better book list available than that of core 3 and core 4. For any child, those books should be essential childhood reading IMO.

[HollyinNNV]

I need help deciding on an Am. History program for next year. I really like the looks of HOD and will actually be using their Beyond program for my 6 and 8 yr. olds. Now my oldest daughter (10) actually falls into the CTC book skill wise but since she hasn't done any Am. History yet I was really hoping we would all do that this year. So my dilemma is this - Do I try Bigger w/extensions, adding of course my own math and grammar ? OR do I get Sonlight 3+4 and have her go through that. She does love reading although I've heard it can be somewhat overwhelming in SL? She is fairly independant. I think the deal breaker for me would be how much she (we) enjoyed the spines. The spines for HOD look pretty good but I'm wonding if they may be too easy for her, although I've heard mixed reviews on SL's Landmark book but of course can never locate a sample online to preview it. Also, if I used SL, does anyone recommend the LA guide as well?

 

Any help?

Thanks,

Shannon

 

I've done SL 3 & 4 and HOD Bigger. I far prefer Bigger! Here are the specific elements that make Bigger a better program for our family:

 

Better reading schedule

More coherent themes

Better reading selections

More balanced schedule

Preferred the output suggestions in Bigger more than SL

My ds has retained more from Bigger than dd did with SL, even though in general, dd had better retention skills at that age than ds.

 

HTH,

Holly

 

PS-I didn't use the Landmark in SL3. But, we did use it in SL4 and I LOVED it. DD-not so much. The thing to recognize about the Landmark is that it is not as much political history as social history. There is some poli hist. But, I like the Bigger spines much better.