Sonlight History and Science pros and cons?

[Jennifer in NH]

I'm thinking of using Sonlight History next year, Core 3 for a 3rd grader and a 1st grader who has been doing history right along with his big sister all along. I've never used Sonlight. We've been doing SOTW. My plan is to do SL and supplement with SOTW. Any successes or opinions?

I'm also thinking of using their general science core. My DH and I are very math and science oriented (he is an engineer and I was a geologist before I became a SAHM). For some reason my science experience has not translated into a solid science curriculum for my dc. I dread thinking up experiments, and I seem extremely unorganized. Would Sonlight be a good fit?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Jenny

[one l michele]

I'm thinking of using Sonlight History next year, Core 3 for a 3rd grader and a 1st grader who has been doing history right along with his big sister all along. I've never used Sonlight. We've been doing SOTW. My plan is to do SL and supplement with SOTW. Any successes or opinions?

I'm also thinking of using their general science core. My DH and I are very math and science oriented (he is an engineer and I was a geologist before I became a SAHM). For some reason my science experience has not translated into a solid science curriculum for my dc. I dread thinking up experiments, and I seem extremely unorganized. Would Sonlight be a good fit?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Jenny

I didn't care for Sonlight's Science, we use My Worlds Science instead. We aboslutely love Sonlight's History, Readers, and Read Alouds. One thing I would suggest is to look at the age recommendations of each core, Core 3 being ages 8-11 at start) and try to keep as close to those as you can. I used Core C this year (recommended for 5-7) with my then 5 & 7 y/o's and the older one definitely pulled more out of it.

[OnTheBrink]

I didn't like their science, either. I don't care much for Usborne books, I thought the drawings in the student pages were unclear at times and I prefer a focused science curriculum, not one that jumps around all over the place.

[Laura Corin]

I looked at their science and found it very bitty - the experiments didn't seem to relate to the readings in the year I looked at.

Laura

[Chris in VA]

I know Sonlight science has tons of fans, but unfortunately, I must agree with the other posters that it wasn't for us. We tried first grade and it was not a good fit.
What subject or subjects are you looking to cover? Are you ok with young earth or Christian influenced courses? That would tell us more.

[chiguirre]

Since you have a 3rd and 1st grader, you might like Winterpromise American Story 1 more than SL3. It is a bit younger and has crafts incorporated in it.

http://winterpromise.com/american_story_1.html

For a free American history plan that's really good, look at:

http://www.ourlosbanos.com/homeschool/history/americanhistoryindex.html

For science, I'm planning to use SL for the next couple of years, but it is notorious for being choppy. I like Usborne books and the dvds and since my goal is just general exposure to science, I think it'll be okay. YMMV

[Pata]

We love Sonlight history and read alouds and plan on using Core 1 next year with SOTW 1 instead of CHOW. I plan on continuing this combination, but I've hear it's hard to do with Core 3 & 4. I know from being on the forums that there are several people out there that use SOTW with Cores 1-4, so I think that it will just take alittle bit of work on my part but it is certainly doable. As for Sonlight Science, we opted not to. I also have a science background (BS in Biochem), so I put together my own plans using the WTM suggestions. You can see them at my wesite, there's a link in my signature. Hope that helps!

[Debra in CO]

Jenny,

I love SL's Cores! We're about halfway through Core 4 now (with my 5th, 3rd and 1st grader), and I'm using Core A with my preschoolers. I've used (or am using) Cores A-4 with my kids, and I've used Core 5 and Core 100 myself :)

Just be sure to look at the age ranges. Core Levels are NOT grade levels.

Science - well, I suspect SL is changing their science program some, based on all the questions they were asking last fall on their forums. I hope so. I do like SL science. Sort of. I have a love-hate relationship with it, I guess. Which level are you looking at? Science 3 is very different from K-2 (or is it C-2 now? I can't keep up!) We've used Science K-3 and 5. My opinions?

K-2 - I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Discover and Do DVDs. I like some of the rest of the materials. I hate some of the rest of the material. I love that they have scientist biographies in every level. Some of the books are just old and outdated, but my kids have mostly been okay with that (excepting the Universe book in Science1).

Science 3 - we really enjoyed this year. The first 2/3 of the year is focused on biology, and we got a lot out of it. Most of the rest of the year goes through a single Usborne book, front to back, so while you are jumping a bit in topic, at least you aren't jumping from one book to another and back again.

Science 5 - my oldest is doing this currently, more or less on his own. I think it is organized well. He may be jumping around from one resource to another, but it is logical and doesn't seem to be erratic (K-2 were, uhh, definitely erratic). He's really enjoying it, which says a lot.

I have not used Science 4 or 6, so I can't form an opinion on those, except that they appear to be more focused than the K-2 levels.

HTH,

Debra
Mom of five, ages 2-10

[Jennifer in NH]

Thanks for the help. I think the Science aspect is not a for us. I have a feeling that I just feel panicky right now because we aren't really following any set curriculum in science. This year we have been doing Astronomy. We have so many science books around here and dvds(plus the telescope), and I realize that dd and ds already know so much through me just telling them or reading to them. I think I just want the work of planning the lessons to go away!;) Next year I was planning on starting chemistry with them and although I have 4 years of college chemistry floating around my head I cannot think of how to put it together....yet. My kids LOVE science and are not put off by a challenge. I have to remember that they don't need to know how to draw the molecular structure of benzene...yet!:D

as for History, we have already gone through SOTW 1 and 2. I've looked over SLs core 3 history package and it looks very good. Both kids love being read to, our best part of the day is my reading to them. So it sounds just like more of what we do now, but with all the books (or most of them) already available. I've ordered SLs catalog so I will devour that when it gets here.
Thank you again!
Jenny

[siloam]

I'm thinking of using Sonlight History next year, Core 3 for a 3rd grader and a 1st grader who has been doing history right along with his big sister all along. I've never used Sonlight. We've been doing SOTW. My plan is to do SL and supplement with SOTW. Any successes or opinions?

I'm also thinking of using their general science core. My DH and I are very math and science oriented (he is an engineer and I was a geologist before I became a SAHM). For some reason my science experience has not translated into a solid science curriculum for my dc. I dread thinking up experiments, and I seem extremely unorganized. Would Sonlight be a good fit?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Jenny

Jenny,

I have a love hate relationship with SL. I love it and hate that I can't use it! ;) Actually I am happy with what we are doing now, but it took a while because *I* really did enjoy doing SL.

In all seriousness I did Core B, C, 1 and 2. It worked fine for my oldest but my 2nd dd is a kinesthetic learner and sensitive. And not someone who just wanted hands on, but must have them daily. By the time we were doing Core 2 I was re-writing the whole thing to add in simpler texts and hands on. Nor did I want to hold my oldest back because she is the history buff of the family.

My concerns for you is that Core 3 in particular has an advanced spine text. Take a look in the catalog at Landmark History of the American People. It is listed as a read aloud for grades 5 to adult. It was too much for my younger kids and it might or might not be too much for your 1st grader. Many people do have younger kids follow along and do fine, or you might be able to use Landmark just for your oldest and the co-spine, Story of the US for both (but warning, Story of the US is a...workbook, so if you are a die hard living book person you might not like it).

You can also take a look at Core 1+2, and still have room for your oldest to do all the upper cores:

Core 1+2 (1, 3)
Core 3 (2, 4)
Core 4 (3, 5)
Core 5 (4, 6)
Core 6 (5, 7)
Core 7 (6, 8)
Core 3+4 (7); Core 100 (9)
Core 5 (8); Core 200 (10)
Core 100 (9); Core 300 (11)
Core 200 (10); Core 400 (12)
Core 300 (11)
Core 400 (12)

Another option:

Core 1+2 (1, 3)
Core 3 (2, 4)
Core 4 (3, 5)
Core 6 (4, 6)
Core 7 (5, 7)
Core 5 (6, 8)
Core 3+4 (7); Core 100 (9)
Core 6Alt (8); Core 200 (10)
Core 100 (9); Core 300 (11)
Core 200 (10); Core 400 (12)
Core 300 (11)
Core 400 (12)

Note I don't have 530 British Lit on the schedule because while it would be nice to have it is only Lit and writing. No Bible, history, or LA. It is equal in volume to just the Literature portion of 400, American Literature. Most people on SL consider it gravy, nice but not necessary.

By start with Core 1+2 you reduce the chances that the Core 3 spine will be a problem.

Heather

[thundersweet]

Right now, we are using core C with my 6yo and core A with my 3yo. Actually, I guess I am doing core C and A with my dd. She loves ds's A so much she insists she be included. I had a love/hate with the science as well in the beginning. We are now back to doing science C. Out of the things we have tried, dd actually prefers it. It must be the Usborne books. I do not care for them but dd really likes them. Maybe order it with your core and see what you think. She even takes a fun science class once a week but still says she likes SL better. Not sure why! :)

Sandy

[LG Gone Wild]

I am using SL Science K and 2. My kids really like it. Perhaps I didn't do enough research on other curriculum to know that it's choppy. I don't find it that way but oh well. My kids really love the DVDs and the activity sheet questions.

Ds8 can do the experiments himself. I like that it all comes in a box and nicely schedules so that there is little planning for me to do.

[Shannon831]

I would not do Core 3 with a 3rd and 1st grader. So far, we've always done a core that's a step behind grade level and that really seems perfect. If you really want to do American history next year, I would look at other programs. But if you want to do Sonlight, I would start with core 1 or core 1+2. hth,

[jg_puppy]

I am curious about why Core 3 is hard for a third grader. Is it the history and spines that are hard or is it the whole program including readers and read alouds? I was thinking about using a different program for history, but using the read alouds and readers suggested in Core 3 for my 3rd grader next year.

I would do Core 1 instead, but my husband would prefer that I cover American history before starting a history cycle with ancients.

Jan

[GVA]

I would not do Core 3 with a 3rd and 1st grader. So far, we've always done a core that's a step behind grade level and that really seems perfect. If you really want to do American history next year, I would look at other programs. But if you want to do Sonlight, I would start with core 1 or core 1+2. hth,

We just finished Core 2 in January with my 10 1/2 and 8 y.o. I had my older one read and write on SOTW somewhat along with the core after he finished all the readers (which he enjoyed BTW). My younger one is doing O.K. with Core 3, but it's a stretch and my older one is clearly grasping much more. I personally am glad we waited on this core until we did. I had the same debate you are when we returned to Sonlight two years ago whether to start at Core 3, but I'm glad now that we didn't. It would have been too much for my younger one, even though she's always loved being read to.

If you want American History, Winterpromise is definitely more appropriate for younger children.

BTW -- I was a research scientist/program manager for 15 years before children, and I do NOT like Sonlight's early grades of science. The experiments don't match up with the reading, and topically they jump around too much. The upper grade school program are not that way though, and we're going to do Sonlight Science 5 in the fall. We've done three years of BJUP Science and have loved it, but I wanted to do almost a full year of human body before my oldest moves on to 7th grade. I'm really looking forward to it!

[GVA]

I am curious about why Core 3 is hard for a third grader. Is it the history and spines that are hard or is it the whole program including readers and read alouds?
Jan

The spines and read-alouds are hard. The Landmark book they use as a spine is wonderful, but it's a harder read than either SOTW or CHOW. The IG offers ways to edit and explain it down to a child's level, but it's just a tough book. It their catalog they list it as a read-aloud for 5th grade and up, or independent reading for 6th grade and up. When you get your catalog, look at the reading levels of the books. For Core 6, they list SOTW as a read-aloud for grades 1st and up, if that helps you guage it.

I agree that our children generally benefit from having more difficult material read to them than they can read, but I'm still glad I waited on Core 3 until my younger one turned 8.

[Shannon831]

It's not so much that Core 3 is too hard for a 3rd grader, it's throwing the 1st grader in as well. As for just a 3rd grader by themselves, I think it's totally doable, but some parts of it (like Landmark) may be harder to get through. I think it's all about how much a kid is going to absorb. I feel, that at least for my kids, it would be a lot of work, for not as much return.

For example, my last 2 are 2 years apart. I still haven't decided when I'm going to start Sonlight with them. I really want my youngest to get just as much as the oldest, but I know that's not going to happen. So the happy middle would be to choose a core that lands right between the 2.

It could also be that when we did core 3, we did 5 day/advanced, with a 4th grader. So our workload was very heavy. That may be clouding my view of doing it with a 3rd grader.

I guess the bottom line is what is the goal for the youngest? If the goal is to keep them together, all the way through elementary school, then I would choose a core that's lower. If the goal is just to go through a couple of years of SL and then split them into different cores, then you could just have the first grader tag along for Core 3 and 4, then pop back to Core 1 and 2, or do something different. I would not want to head into cores 5 + with a child that's 2 years under the Core. That's just my personal preference.hth,

[jlovebaker]

gets a thumbs up from us (2 5ths and a 7th also using Campbell's Exploring Life for HS Bio). We haven't used SL Sci before and I like this - kids don't complain and is cohesive.

[Dinsfamily]

I am using SL Science K and 2. My kids really like it. Perhaps I didn't do enough research on other curriculum to know that it's choppy. I don't find it that way but oh well. My kids really love the DVDs and the activity sheet questions.

Ds8 can do the experiments himself. I like that it all comes in a box and nicely schedules so that there is little planning for me to do.

From what I understand from the SL forums, they made a lot of changes to SL science to make it less choppy and to align the experiments with the reading. It seems that many people are happy with it this year. I think they also changed the worksheets, but I'm not positive.

My boys love Usborne science books, so we are going to add in SL's selections to Noeo. Can't get enough science reading around here.