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MommyD
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| Posted: March 12 2008 at 10:33am | IP Logged
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I'm torn (again). FYI, my kids are a very bright 1st grader and a bright but STUBBORN Kindy. We've been using SOTW 1 this year and I don't think it is working for us. DS isn't remebering anything that we read a month ago.
I love the idea of "classical" education. We're doing really well with all of our memory work and his reading is excellent.
I'm thinking of switching to Sonlight next year but I really love the idea of learning history "in order".
I would love to hear any thoughts about either program.
Melissa
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folklaur
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| Posted: March 12 2008 at 10:47am | IP Logged
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I love Sonlight. My oldest dd18, because she was my first, was my guinea pig when it came to curriculum. I am sad to say that we bounced around and tried all kinds over the years, as I searched for the "perfect" one.
There isn't one.
But I can say, if you ask her, "What was your favorite?" She will say, without hesitation, "Sonlight." She has also used MODG, Seton, and STAA. She chose to do Sonlight's Core 300 this year on her own (and it is not an easy Core.)
I liked the idea of studying History in order too. But, in practice, I think it appeals mainly to Moms - we like it to follow a "logical progression," I think... I don't think kids care all that much - they still "get it." As long as you have a good timeline.
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Meredith
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| Posted: March 12 2008 at 12:31pm | IP Logged
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We use Sonlight mainly for their booklists which are outstanding and fit nicely into a "Classical" historical timeline such as TWTM. Sonlight has been good for many reasons for us, but we're too eclectic to say we use ANY program in it's entirety or to a schedule 
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Meredith
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MommyD
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| Posted: March 12 2008 at 12:52pm | IP Logged
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Meredith wrote:
| we're too eclectic to say we use ANY program in it's entirety or to a schedule |
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And I would say that about myself but I don't think I'm doing it well  . I feel a little...tense, I guess, all of the time. We read things and I think, dang, wish I had gotten to the library to pick up xyz.
I'm trying to decide how much of this is silly "Mommy guilt" and how much of it is valid. These kids really are bright and I don't want to look back and think I hindered their progress, ykwim?
With Sonlight, can you order the readers from one core and the history from another core? How hard or easy is it to combind children for certain subjects?
Melissa
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folklaur
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| Posted: March 12 2008 at 1:30pm | IP Logged
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The basis of Sonlight is their History. You can get Science, LA, too - but the "Cores" are History (and Lit, and reading.)
Combining children is one of the things that makes Sonlight so attractive. You would have NO trouble combining a K & 1st grader (I will likely be combining a 1 & 4th grader, in Core 3....4th grader (who is super, super smart) will do LA3, and 1st will do LA1 with 1st grade readers...probably.... ...and she won't be in on all the Read-Alouds...I will get age appropriate ones....but we will all cover the same time period. You probably won't have to make any drastic adjustments with children so close in age. )
Core levels are not grade levels. For instance, Core C is designed for grades K-2 - then you adjust up and down for the reading level of individual students for the Reader/LA portion. Sounds confusing...it isn't once you get the print catalog and see it laid out.
And...I never follow the IG as written. We are of the eclectic-persuasion also . But I LOVE having the IG as a guide. But I am not a box-checker, and can easily skip what I don't want to do. Some people feel like if it is listed, they MUST do it. Everyone is different.
HTH,
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: March 13 2008 at 7:35am | IP Logged
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I'm with Laura. You could easily try one SL core for both children and they have a pretty great return policy if you decide its not for you. I would recommend choosing to the K student's level rather than the 1st grader, since SL tends to cover advanced topics even if the books don't seem that advanced. I used core K with a first grade boy years ago and it was a great fit. That child has been on a heavily modified SL diet ever since and he's in 9th grade now. There's plenty of opportunity for memorization of scriptures in particular in an SL core and you could easily add in Catholic prayers for more memory work. The rest of my children get a mesh of SL and FIAR, growing into SL more and more as they get older, but never as its designed. The manuals do not work well for large families when the children are not close in age, imho.
I will say we tried the classical method and its not for us, so now you know my bias.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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Willa
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| Posted: March 13 2008 at 1:20pm | IP Logged
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I find the total Sonlight to be "too much". If you can ignore check boxes then it might work great and I know it does for many people, but I get scattered and the boxes get to be mental clutter.
I love their booklists, though -- many years I have used Sonlight books and then kept more classical for the "core subjects" -- writing, Latin, math. Plus, of course, I don't use their religion program as written since I am Catholic.
Story of the World is billed as classical but chronological history certainly isn't the only way to do classical. The essence of "classical" traditionally is the classical languages -- Latin, and often Greek -- and an emphasis on writing and reading and speaking well, tied in with living a virtuous life (since saying things well without doing well is rather useless and even dangerous).
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Willa
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4Real Forums : Philosophy of Education
Topic: Sonlight vs. Classical Education
