Sonlight Cores 3 and 4

We used Sonlight’s American history cores starting when my boys were in 4th, 2nd and K.  We did use these over two years, and had so much fun!

Some things we added, and things we considered:

Simply Stated, by Kreative Simplicity.   We started this around when we started with the colonists, usually doing a state per week.  We went mostly in regions, more or less going from east to west.  I did combine some states, and spent longer on a few as well (Colorado, Minnesota, and North Dakota).  I liked this study, as the book suggestions were fantastic and more of a living books approach, and we could do it fairly fully in roughly 20 minutes a day.

Simply Presidential, also by Kreative Simplicity.  We started this about halfway through Core 3, and did a president per week *instead* of doing a state.  This study was incredible.  

We added a number of the books in the You Wouldn’t Want to... series, checked out from the library.  

We also added additional books in the Once Upon America series.  Though I think Hero Over Here is no longer part of the Core, so it wouldn’t be “additional” anymore.  There are some great ones -- Close to Home, Hard Times, Child Star, Pearl Harbor is Burning...

Things we did not choose to do:

Cantoring the Country.  This looks great, and we enjoyed Galloping the Globe, but I decided not to use it because it was just so involved.  I would have struggled to pare it down to a manageable level.

Trail Guide to US Geography.  We used this for a little while, but it was just too much with the ages of my kids at the start.  Only my oldest could do it independently.  If my daughter reads earlier than my second son, and Richard & Trina are in 2nd and 4th when we start Core 3, I will undoubtedly use Trail Guide then.  And if you use it, the CD is a must :)

I will add to this post as I think more clearly about what we did and didn’t use.

Comments on my original blog:

Johanna - 

Welcome to the blog world, Debra! I always enjoy seeing your posts on the Sonlight e-mail loops because you answer so thoroughly! I have gotten a lot of ideas from you that I am holding onto, since my oldest is still 5!  Feel free to check out my blog (http://thejosknow.blogspot.com here.)  I post about homeschool, but also life in general!

Friday, January 23, 2009 - 08:36 AM