In an effort to reduce my stress level while dh is away for a year :wah: I am looking for a prepared literature based curriculum. I don't want workbooks and textbooks... I want literature packages with a schedule for the entire year. I am looking at Sonlight, but am wondering if there are other options.

Right now I am looking at either Core 2 or Core 3. I'd love Core 3, but I am afriad it would be a bit much for Austin and Nate. But, I could do Core 2 and do Science 3 (because we want Science 3). Austin and Nate could each have readers on their own levels, too, with that option. BUT... we really would like ot do Core 3 - but I'm afraid it would be too difficult for Austin, and Nate especially.

With either of those options, then PreK from SOnlight for Adam and Lauren... and the math and the extra consumables and necessary resources... we are talking between 1300-1500. Now... that would be for all 4 of my kids for the entire year, so it's not really too bad. I have about $125/ month budgeted for curriculum, but I don't have the upfront money right now...

I want it all laid out for me. I want all the books to be in my possession. I want to not have to go to the library to hunt down books that the library may or may not have. sigh... I love WTM, but I would love it more if someone came out with a literature pack to go with each SOTW.

So... are there any other literature based curriculum options? I just need to see what all is out there!

ETA: We are planning on using Singapore Math, so math isn't an issue. Also, I could continue on with Intermediate Language Lessons for Austin's grammar/language and with First Language Lessons for Nate's language studies. So I mainly want a history and science based reading program with readers for the kids at their reading levels (1 and 3).

FIAR is awesome and really fun and easy and literature based!! :)

I was wondering the same thing. I love the concept of Sonlight.I like how everything is laid out for you. I just don't love all the history book selections, for our family. It would be neat if there was something like Sonlight, but with more "living History " Books.

If you do sonlight, I would suggest looking at the used boards, as many times you can buy a whole core greatly reduced.

We're just about done with Core 3 with our 4 and 5 year olds, and we haven't had an issue. It's pretty easy to find books at the library at a lower level if necessary, but I haven't found it to be so. The readers are actually easier than the 2 advanced readers. The part of the program that appears to be the most difficult are the spine (Landmark) and some of the read alouds are longer/more involved, but if your children are used to longer read aloud sessions, this shouldn't be a huge problem.

Core PreK should be a good fit for your younger two.

I would not recommend doing Core 2 or Core 1+2, mainly because you've covered most of Core 2 last year using SOTW. It really only goes in depth up through the Industrial Revolution, and the rest is covered very quickly. If I were to jump into SL world history, I'd start over at the beginning with SL1. This has a distinct advantage as it's highly likely you can do it with all four kids at once, with some minor EASY modifications for Austin and Lauren. If readers are a problem for you, PM me and I'll be happy to give lists and lists, but I truly don't recommend SL's LA, so as far as I'm concerned, have no worries about LA matching up.

As far as consumables, I thought the ones in PK were cheesy and didn't use them anyway. And the others we've done orally. I wouldn't buy extra copies of anything except the dictation worksheets, if you plan to use them.

Let me know if you have more questions.

We are doing core 3 right now. Landmark is definitely a more difficult book for my kids to sit thru. The readers have been a good fit for Bryce, not too hard, not to easy. I always buy my cores outright. I do not want to have to seal with the library and school books LOL.

I can't remember how old you kids are, but like Wendydagny said, I wouldn't start with core 2, it's in the middle of world history. If you want to do world history, start with 1.

Thanks everyone.

We are about half way through SOTW 2 right now, so we'll end up around 1600 when we are done with it. I don't really want to go back to 1 - because I really think Austin, especially, needs to learn about the US history now. That is why I am leaning towards Core 3. And thanks, Wendy, for letting me know that the readers are easier than ythe advanced Core 2 readers. That takes some of the frustration out for me. I am thinking I will not do their LA, but rather do some Daily Grams and make sure we cover parts of speech while doing the readings. Spelling - I am going to use IEW's program, which I think will help Austin a lot. It's mastery based, so he can't move on to the next lesson until he masters the one he's working on. And they are presented on CD, orally, so he can listen and then write them out... and also this puts it on him instead of me! lol We will continue with Analogies (Ridgewood Analogies after he's done with Primary Analogies), and Wordly Wise, and HWT. Independent stuff he can do without me being all over him. ;)

I did read somewhere that Sonlight is going to be offering "Inspiration" software. This is something I have been wanting to get for the kids for a while - the kids' version is called Kidspiration. So I think I might wait to order until I see what they will be adding and changing for the new year. It comes out soon.

Kidspiration is well worth the money. It really helped Dagny learn to organize her writing.

Heather - I don't have anything to add to the good advice you've received, but wanted to throw in another vote for Sonlight. We really like it, it suits our military family well. Chris is gone so much of the time that it's a relief to have so much already planned for me. I don't feel tied to the schedule, but it's nice that it's there. We use the science and LA, too.

Speaking of military - would you believe that Chris is stuck on the west coast right now? He was due back tonight after 6 wks away - the children have faithfully counted down the days. Then we got 'the' phone call - the plane has issues, whatever that means. He doesn't know when they will be home. If I had a dime for every time I've received one of those calls, we could buy our own plane. :(

Wendy, I wondered if you had used Kidspiration with your kids. My mom sent me the link a few months ago and we downloaded the trial. My boys LOVED it. I can see how it would help them organize their thoughts for writing. My mom uses the 'older' version for herself, too, which I find neat. Anyway, my boys have been begging me to BUY it for them, but I hadn't had it in the budget - but if Sonlight is going to offer it, then I can get it at the discount and free shipping wiht the Core that I buy.

And Lisa, that is exactly it. I don't think I will feel tied to the schedule, but it will help all of us, and take the stress of planning off. I didn't think it would be too much stress, but just thinking about getting things together for next year sent me straight through the roof. I think I will calm down after dh leaves and we get into a routine, but right now I am up at all hours trying ot envision how life will be on a daily basis. Now, if I could convince 3 of my children that 5:30-6 am is NOT AN ACCEPTABLE rising time.... that would help immensely. Lauren could go all day long without a break. Not me... I need MY nap, especially if I am expected to be even remotely coherent and pleasant at that ungodly hour every morning. yawwwwwn

OK, so I am doing Core 3. I am still unsure if I will order for Lauren and Adam yet. Teetering between PreK and K... but I think we would enjoy a year of really laid back shorter reading like in PreK then have math at their levels (so that all 4 can sit and do math at the same time at the table), and handwriting at their own levels, too.

Decisions, Decisions!

I'd go with PK in order to have a better chance aligning them in 1/6 and 2/new 7. (Easy if you follow PK with K and skip 5 to do later). But that's only if you're going to stick with SL.

Thanks everyone.

. Spelling - I am going to use IEW's program, which I think will help Austin a lot.

You threw me for a second calling it IEW, LOL but we are using Phonetic Zoo this year and it was my best curriculum switch of all. Bryce is spelling so much better this year, I am amazed. It relieves the stress of one thing I am not responsible for. Bryce dosen't even study the words, ever. I think he gets enought practice just hearing them. Every once in a while he really struggles on a lesson, when that happens I take the cd with us in the car and we listen to the "corrections track" 2x's thru. It's worked every time. Becasue it's worked so great for us, I'm leaning on trying the DIVE cd's for Saxon 5/4 math next year. Bryce really seems to enjoy being completely responsible for spelling, and it's really helped motivate him. I wonder if he would enjoy math more if he had the cd's...

Regarding Sonlight 3 - Do you think the Core 3 books would be ok for a 7 yr. old? I really like the Core 3 selection, but haven't given it much thought, because I assumed it was too hard. What do you think?

I think it really depends on the child. My 5 year old is listening in on core 3. I'm not sure how much he's getting out of it, but he likes to listen LOL. We are taking core 3 slow, doing cores 3 and 4 over 3 years. I think it's a lot of information for my 8 year old to digest, which is why we are going slow.

Wendy, thanks so much for thinking ahead for me! I really do want to align up what they are learning about as much as possible, and that would be perfect. That was what I had planned on doing wiht WTM.... I guess Sonlight 5 and 6 are using SOTW also... so it would be so much easier to do that! Thanks again.

Kelly, I keep forgetting it is caleld something different. I listened to a sample on their website, and thought it would be perfect to self motivate.

Oh, I just bought the Teaching Structure and Style dvd set from IEW. That will also be interspersed. I did find some lessons for using IEW writing at www.iewlessonshare.com (I think that was it). Anyway, you guys might want to take a look.