Sonlight vs.....AGAIN?????

Well time marches on.

As we wrap up this school year, I am excited about the changes to come. Well, it's hard to be "excited" w/ so much going on, but I am looking forward, let's just say.

The neighbor that I have homeschooled for 2 years is going back to public school.It would be more beneficial to the family for him to be engaged 8 hours a day at school, instead of coming over here for a short time of tutoring.

I really feel that God led us to homeschool him and we have been blessed in unexpected ways from it.

However, his special need is different from the special needs that my kids have, so it will be good to get back to only dealing w/ our crazy stuff.

And I have tried so many different things trying to find what works best. This child has low comprehension, so having him join our Sonlight Core didn't work out. Well my husband says I should have just kept reading aloud and letting him get whatever he got, but I was trying to address his learning needs and thought that there had to be something out there to fit him. I eventually just found the level where he worked comfortably and let him work there, building his skills. Pretty much, all the kids just started working on their own and we didn't do alot of group stuff.

As you may recall, I recently started using Five in a Row and Beyond Five in a Row. Each child has a scrap book and I print out things from enchanted learning.com that correspond w/ the story.

I thought it would help the neighbor remember what we read. I thought that by looking at the projects, he would recall the book and info. It hasn't really. My kids enjoy the scrap book, I guess, but they seem to just enjoy being read to. They do not enjoy the crafts like I thought they would. I am surprised. They rush to get done.

So I will continue doing what I am doing for now, but having one less student does make me start thinking again about curriculum choices. What curriculum has a lot of reading aloud(my dyslexic son especially loves being read to), no projects...? ;)

It has been really hard to keep up w/ the blog. I so would like to be a "famous" blogger w/ tons of comments and followers or an active forum participant whose every word is relished. ;)

But I don't have the inclination to put in the time to cultivate an internet following.

I write when I write. About what I feel like writing. Letting off steam, sounding off my opinions and recording memories...

There you have it.

And for those interested in the whole SL vs...

Part of this decision was $, part was needing to go from a "heavy" schedule to a lighter one. I love the idea of learning through making memories. We have a lot of fun memories from our time w/ SL. I still use the readers, and will try to continue to read the read alouds I have.

I am currently using Five in a Row unit studies, adapting them for an older crowd. I have an enchanted learning.com account and I print up corresponding pictures and sheets, which they glue into a scrap book. I also have 2 volumes of Beyond Five in a Row which I plan to utilize one of these days...

My oldest(end of 8th grade) is doing Starting Points from Cornerstone Curriculum. It teaches the student how to develop a world view.So far so good. He has already started it and will continue on w/ it for ninth grade.

Sonlight, My Father's World and even WinterPromise still catch my eye. But I am doing so much better w/ the FIAR. I find that I like adding to the curriculum.

From MFW, I bought Writing Strands and another LA book. My oldest loves it! I bought a lower level of it for my other kids. It is written to the child(except for the first 2 levels), it is very specific. Just what we need!!!!

I bought alot of items from SL because I qualified for free shipping, I think it is after $100. So it's not like I completely left.

One of the things I bought from SL was miquon math. I just started w/ the first book for JD,my dyslexia boy and JJ,the 8 year old. Neither will use the rods, but they like it otherwise. The pages are very "clean", not alot of busy pictures or writing. And the print is large enough for him to see clearly.

And in the fall, the neighbor who joins us currently is going back to school in the fall, so that will change things. So I may(ok, you know I definitely will!) revisit all my curriculum choices when it is time to buy again.

I haven't worried so much, I haven't written out potential long term plans on every scrap of paper I touch, so that is an improvement. :)