This year, our first grade year, I had a hard time deciding what curriculum to use. We knew that we wanted to use Classical Conversations but we weren’t use it was to be our only curriculum and I didn’t want to be unprepared in case it didn’t do for us what we wanted.
As you know, that is not the case and we have just adored our Classical Conversations experience. However, I did not know this as the school year started so I was prepared with another full curriculum “just in case.”
I purchase Core A from Sonlight used to use along with our curriculum. We started out the beginning of the year using it as stated by Sonlight and, I have to say, it is a great curriculum as well. I would have stayed with it if we had not been so happy with Classical Conversation.
There are several similar ideas between the two curriculum’s; however, they are both rigorous and they do have different ways of going about the educational experience they give.
Sonlight Core A is a “broad overview of world history” and I thought it would be a great way to explore some things that we were not studying in Classical Conversations along with the rest of our history.
I LOVE the books that Sonlight uses. They pick such wonderful books and I have no regrets from purchasing the curriculum. We have used Sonlight for our Bible study, sticking with their Egermeier’s Bible Story Book which covers the entire Bible in Bible stories broken down into easy reading for the child. We have been very happy with this book and how it has been covered by Sonlight. I am looking forward to using this with my son in a few years. The Sing The World CD has been fun for both children and they have found they are memorizing Bible verses without realizing it.
We started the year following the real aloud course in the Sonlight IG; however, we found this was too much along with our Classical Conversations, Math, Reading, and additional courses. So, we decided to use the Read Alouds as our night time reading and that has been a VERY successful way of integrating some GREAT literature into our day without being rigorous or overwhelming. We first kept one read aloud during the day and a second in the evening but, as we have integrated more history book corresponding with our CC schedule into our day we have moved solely to the read alouds to our bedtime reading. We are very happy with it and love having the next reading available and ready to go.
I think both curriculums are great but it was just too much for us. However, we will continue to supplmement with Sonlight as we have not been disappointed. Avarie loves the science, the read alouds, and the we purchase the Book of Time and are timelining the Sonlight books and our CC history material and find that fun to see how far apart they are and sometime how close they are. It is a great book. If you are looking for some great books to include in your homeschooling, Sonlight has made some great choices that we are very happy with.
We really like Sonlight. This is our first year using them and we’re doing Core B and Core D+E. Awesome literature choices. I can’t imagine adding another curriculum to it though. 🙂 I can see why two was a little much to get done.
I love both of them very much. They are both great. It is hard to choose really. We chose Core A because if I stick with the Sonlight as a Real A Loud supplement, Core B will coincide with what we are studying in Classical Conversations next year. I’m still trying to figure out how to do both basically. I just think they are both great and don’t what to give it up. Crazy, I’m sure. But we’ll see. It’s still in the plans, just trying to work out the particulars. Glad to hear you are liking them. They are such wonderful literature choices. Doing two has to have its challenges as well. Thanks.
Good memories, huh? That’s what I hope for,my kids. I just love Sonlight and ralely may stick with integrating both together. Next year the Classical Conversations cycle 1 will basically coincide with Core B so that the plan right now. I’m very excited to plan them together and see how we do. What a great program I feel blessed to have found it.Thanks.
I know…I considered the same thing. That’s actually why we did Core A this year so that we would be ready to pair up Core B or Core B-C with Cycle 1 of Classical Conversations. I still don’t know. I’m leaning toward Charlotte Mason HUFI curriculum next year which will pair up with Cycle 1 for the World History and Apologia Botony to pair up with the Biology. You know how CC moves so fast, its difficult to completely keep everything with it and go into depth so I’m hoping to highlight the other stuff and go into depth with the stuff that we want that goes with the main curriculum. I think that’s how we are going to do it. I’m excited but I do think about the pairing and how I want to do it. Best of luck to you. Look forward to hearing how you do it if you decide to share 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for sharing this. I’m glad you have found a curriculum that fits your family and still find time to enjoy the literature of Sonlight. My dad read many Sonlight titles to us as bedtime stories as well. I have fond memories of that [smile]. May you continue to enjoy learning together!
~Luke
Luke Holzmann recently posted…Literature, Language, and Vocabulary
Good memories, huh? That’s what I hope for,my kids. I just love Sonlight and really may stick with integrating both together. Next year the Classical Conversations cycle 1 will basically coincide with Core B so that the plan right now. I’m very excited to plan them together and see how we do. What a great program I feel blessed to have found it.
Thanks.
thanks for share!
I love both of them very much. They are both great. It is hard to choose ralley. We chose Core A because if I stick with the Sonlight as a Real A Loud supplement, Core B will coincide with what we are studying in Classical Conversations next year. I’m still trying to figure out how to do both basically. I just think they are both great and don’t what to give it up. Crazy, I’m sure. But we’ll see. It’s still in the plans, just trying to work out the particulars. Glad to hear you are liking them. They are such wonderful literature choices. Doing two has to have its challenges as well. Thanks.