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teachingmyown
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| Posted: May 19 2009 at 12:36pm | IP Logged
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For those of you who have done both, does Winterpromise give more specific guidance on a daily basis? I am looking through the catalog and their "walk through a day". It sounds like it gives more specific "do this, do that" directions as far as activities, lessons, etc than Sonlight which just tells you what to read and leaves you to go to the appropriate study guide to get more in-depth discussion and activity ideas.
I ask because with Sonlight, I found it too easy to not do any more than just read and wonder if I would benefit from more hand-holding but with the same approach.
Am I making any sense? Can anyone help?
__________________
In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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stacykay
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| Posted: May 19 2009 at 2:42pm | IP Logged
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I can't help you, Molly, as I have the same question, sitting on the fence between the two. I am definitely feeling the need for more "hand-holding" this year. 
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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folklaur
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| Posted: May 19 2009 at 4:48pm | IP Logged
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I am not sure I can help, but I will try. I have used both programs, so I think I could answer...but I am not entirely sure I understand the question.
The format of the daily schedule in the IG is almost identical.
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stacykay
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| Posted: May 19 2009 at 5:21pm | IP Logged
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I haven't used either, yet, (and I don't want to steal Molly's thread and question  ,) but I am wondering if the difference b/t SL and WP is the "what to do besides reading?"
My boys aren't colorers, but they do like to create "stuff" out of clay, boxes, paper, tape, glue, paint, or whatever they find laying around. So would they feel like I am just reading to them and that's it, if we do SL? Is there any guidance in either one for discussion questions, timeline creation, craft ideas, and so on. And with a specific list of what is done each day?
That's sort of where I am at in my questions. I don't know why I am feeling this need for an already written out plan for next fall. For 9 years I have written my own curriculum and chosen my own resources, because nothing was just exactly the way I wanted it, and I feel compelled to "tweak" everything!
Maybe in a nutshell, I just don't want to have to think "too hard" this next year.
Thanks!
God Bless,
Stacy
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: May 19 2009 at 6:35pm | IP Logged
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I am sorry. I had a feeling that I wasn't being clear. I am typing and reading in between mad dashes out the door to dentist appts and baseball games. Anyway...
From the Winterpromise catalog:
Today you'll read through a lesson from the Time Travelers text, then discover colonial "tools and gadgets", enjoying all the photographs of tools used by merchants and tradesmen.
Today you'll take time as a family to enjoy hearing about Sam collier's amazing tale of Jamestown in "Blood on the River"
Today you'll work on a Time Travelers activity, making a replica of Jamestown.
Picture study today will have your student working on...
Map work for today is...
and so on.
So, if the IG for WP and SL are the same, where is all of this listed? I will admit that when I pull out my SL IGs, I usually don't get much further than the reading for that day/week. Sometimes we turn back to the history guide or reader guide for the discussion questions and I will go over vocabulary, geography, etc, but I don't feel prompted to do so by the main lesson plan page. I was wondering if and where WP prompts you specifically so that you aren't picking things randomly to do. (Yes, I know I am showing my total lack of discipline and follow-through! )
Also, can you tell me about the independent study schedules. This looks really handy, especially for the older kids!
I love Sonlight, but usually feel like I am getting from it all that we should which is totally my fault. I am just hoping that WP will help keep me on task.
Thanks!
__________________
In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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folklaur
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| Posted: May 19 2009 at 7:43pm | IP Logged
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first, 
second, honestly....I don't think WP holds your hand anymore in that respect than SL does. SL is easier - because there *are* comprehension questions to refer to - there is nothing like that in WP. You have little cards that you can cut out with various, "Tell about a charater" or similar prompts to encourage narration. But again, you are on your own to remember to do it.
One of WP's biggest UGH-factors for me is the AMOUNT of books they schedule in a single day. I think it is ridiculous. I tend to read the IG horizontally as opposed to vertically. So, it is a constant tweak.
Many of the hands on stuff, for say, AS1 that I have are from an activity book. They suggest what you do - but it is just plugged in as a suggestion - you would still decide what day to do and and have to do the necessary prep work.
I think - wrt what you are talking about - that SL is much more "hand holding" than WP. SL has a LOT of resources there - it just takes some time to really remember to use them so it becomes a habit. I still forget. It works much better when I set some time aside before the school week and pull out the pages I need to have handy. That big binder is a killer for me - and if I have to do numerous page flipping, I will just skip it, which ends up not using the program as much, and all we are doing is reading and not much else. 
However...I like WP because I like the more age appropriateness of the books. And because we do a lot of out of the house activities too, so I am always behind with a straight SL schedule (except for K so far. I am doing SL Core K / Sci K / LA1 with dd6 - and it is a joy, and it is not a burden timewise at all. I *LOVE* it so far.) I was not keen on the WP alternative - of HIH and reading all 4 volumes of the SOTW - plus the Stories of Great People set did not impress me.
did that help at all? I can keep going - if you think I might say something helpful
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: May 19 2009 at 8:05pm | IP Logged
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Very helpful! I just love to hear you talk though, so add anything you think is relevant! 
Are the independent study schedules not that helpful then? I liked the idea of a separate sheet to hand to a child, maybe use it as the basis of a workbox.
Can you compare for me "equivalent" levels between the two program that you have seen, such as the American history courses? I am also wondering if just using one of WP's more unique courses such as the Sea and Sky or Children around the World would be a nice deviation from our usual approach.
My mind is jumping all over the place. I think, therefore, that I will stick with what I know I like.
Really, Laura, keep talking. It is SO hard to make decisions based on reading a catalog.
__________________
In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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folklaur
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 2:06am | IP Logged
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teachingmyown wrote:
| Very helpful! I just love to hear you talk though, so add anything you think is relevant! |
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awww, you are sweet.
I am working on a post..but it is starting to get long and it is after midnight and I am getting a little sleepy and choppy in my description. So I will have to finish it in the morning, when I start making sense again. 'kay?
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stacykay
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 8:33am | IP Logged
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This definitely helped me, Laura! Thank you!
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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Topic: Winterpromise vs Sonlight question
