Well I could cry happy tears. I’ve been so intimidated by literature based curriculum while simultaneously wanting to incorporate more living books vs textbooks into our homeschool. This was SO informative and clear. Thank you so much!
Oh! I am so happy to hear that. We absolutely LOVE the literature-based approach. So much so that we are currently using it for geography, science, health, AND history right now. I'll be honest, it does take us a bit longer to get though the "curriculum", but the learning is so deep and we are enjoying the journey so much! If you want to see how it actually looks in our everyday homeschool, here is my latest review of our "family subjects" which are all literature-based: ruclips.net/video/nMbMucXinrA/видео.html
We’ve thought of doing sonlight science but not taught of doing an hbl or full package!!! It depends on if we can do hands on, if we can do hands on we do!!! We like a gentle language arts!!! We do our own book based science at the moment and we are loving it I’m also enjoying making it our own.
Honestly, the Sonlight Science is what drew me to Sonlight as well... but then, I never actually got the science! So I have never actually used Sonlight science. But love their HBL and we don't need too much hands on, so that works great for us.
I'm sure you are not :) I purchased our B+C of Sonlight and our last BF course that way. Sometimes, though, with the amount of time I spend finding all the piece, I wonder if I would just be better off purchasing new and then selling after we are done.
Can the regular and advanced readers be purchased together with HBL D? I would be combining my boys and using slightly different readers would work out better, since one child is two years younger. Also, are the regular and advanced readers on the same topic as each other and also with the subjects in the history element on the HBL?
The regular and advanced readers are the same, except the advanced readers are more challenging (so both children would read the regular readers and your older child would have a few harder ones to read). Does that make sense? So if you wanted, you could just get the advanced readers and your kids could share. Personally, I have the advanced readers and preread them to determine which my younger 2 would read.
I have an 8 1/2 year old boy who is still learning/struggling to read and really isn't THAT interested... just more frustrated (kinda like me - oh dear- because it's my fault) and a girl who will be 7 at the end of September. (I also have a newly 4, a 2 yr old and a newborn). I feel like I'd like a curriculum focused around reading stories, because it's the seat work for them and I that makes us frustrated. But I'm also worried about THE TIME and getting behind, because I have a lot of distractions. I'm thinking Logic of English for reading/LA, Math-U-See and maybe Sonlight or My Father's World or Simply Charlotte Mason... I want history/geography and literature to come alive and be enjoyable. Oh and science too! Any recommendations for my situation, especially considering the readers may be above my child's level, but having the content be at his age? We did an all in one curriculum this year for 1st and 2nd grade which we didn't finish and felt overwhelming to me. It was Seton homeschool.
I will admit, I have no experience with teaching kids to read (as my kids were all beyond that when we started homeschooling), but I think that a literature-based curriculum could be really great for them. I really love Sonlight, and would probably do that (the HBL ... History, Bible, Literature, and the science). Then you could get Math-U-See from them as well (I don't have experience with that math, but I've heard great things about it). Then, you would just need to pick up the readers at the right level for your kids (whichever that level is). With kids your kids' ages, I would probably start with Level B. I think it would be perfect for the 2 of them. But, feel free to call Sonlight and talk with them. They are happy to help! I don't know anything about Logic of English, but I've heard good things too. I've also heard so much about All About Reading for teaching reading. Hope this helps!
This was so helpful thank you for sharing this. I’m already thinking of what I want to do for next year which will only be year 2 for us. I really like the literature based programs. Do you happen to know if they ever do any sales on their curriculums?
So, I'm not exactly sure about sales. Except maybe Sonlight and Bookshark do something around March... I believe. Otherwise, I would get onto the email lists and socials of any of the companies you are interested in purchasing from. You can ask those groups directly, or keep your eyes open for those good deals. Glad this video was helpful!
It is hard to justify with one child. Maybe, look for used curriculum? Get into the Sonlight resell group. Even put in a ISO and see if anyone has one that they can sell to you next year. I even get some incomplete sets sometimes and then look for used books to add or at the library.
I will have kiddos ages 9 to 13 next year and am looking at sonlight or bookshark for the first time. Which level did you use with kiddos that age range? Thanks!!
Those are the exact ages of my 4 kids! Wow! We are finishing up Sonlight B/C and moving into Bookshark D/E right now. I’m hoping D/E will only take me 1 year (B/C took us 1 1/2 years, but we were brand new homeschoolers and I like to supplement A LOT). My 9 picks things up pretty easily and my 13 year old struggles a bit, so the 10/11 age is where I shoot for. I think with a 9 year old, you probably don’t want to do F as I hear the content can be a bit mature. I would probably do D, E, or D/E. I like the level we are at for my kids… hope that helps.
@@CalmintheChaosHomeschool WOW, this sounds so much like us. My almost 9yo picks things up in Language and literature so quickly, while my almost 13yo struggles a lot with writing, answering questions about lit/lang etc. I was thinking b/c for them because neither the youngest or oldest has done much history and my middle loves history and especially loves ancient history. We supplement a lot as well, so I might pick up a few more things for my older (his reading level is very high, he just doesn't excel in talking/writing about what he reads). I am very much looking forward to F, but agree, it would be too much for my youngest just yet. I am glad I am not too far off thinking that I will do B or B/C and maybe add in a few books from level W for my 13yo.
@@SmithsInTheMaking I’m sure there are a ton of great books to pick up for your oldest to read that involves ancient history. Also, Sonlight’s level 5 books are pretty great (not history related but very interesting… we get all the ones we can from the library for my older girls to read in between their history books).
Do you use any of these curriculum? Do you have a favorite? Or, which of these are you interested in trying?
Well I could cry happy tears. I’ve been so intimidated by literature based curriculum while simultaneously wanting to incorporate more living books vs textbooks into our homeschool. This was SO informative and clear. Thank you so much!
Oh! I am so happy to hear that. We absolutely LOVE the literature-based approach. So much so that we are currently using it for geography, science, health, AND history right now. I'll be honest, it does take us a bit longer to get though the "curriculum", but the learning is so deep and we are enjoying the journey so much! If you want to see how it actually looks in our everyday homeschool, here is my latest review of our "family subjects" which are all literature-based: ruclips.net/video/nMbMucXinrA/видео.html
We’ve thought of doing sonlight science but not taught of doing an hbl or full package!!! It depends on if we can do hands on, if we can do hands on we do!!! We like a gentle language arts!!! We do our own book based science at the moment and we are loving it I’m also enjoying making it our own.
Honestly, the Sonlight Science is what drew me to Sonlight as well... but then, I never actually got the science! So I have never actually used Sonlight science. But love their HBL and we don't need too much hands on, so that works great for us.
I love beautiful feet books, learning language arts through literature... have been using for over a decade!
Wow! That's a long time. And you still love it. That's saying a lot.
Yes! BF Books, LLATL and Saxon over here! Homeschooling became so simple once I stopped curricula hopping and just stuck to tried and true.
Great round up of solid literature-based curriculum options!
Thank you!
Am I the only one who buys the manual and then buy second hand the literature?! 😂
I'm sure you are not :) I purchased our B+C of Sonlight and our last BF course that way. Sometimes, though, with the amount of time I spend finding all the piece, I wonder if I would just be better off purchasing new and then selling after we are done.
This was very helpful and informative. Thank you!
You are welcome! Glad it’s helpful to you.
Can the regular and advanced readers be purchased together with HBL D? I would be combining my boys and using slightly different readers would work out better, since one child is two years younger. Also, are the regular and advanced readers on the same topic as each other and also with the subjects in the history element on the HBL?
The regular and advanced readers are the same, except the advanced readers are more challenging (so both children would read the regular readers and your older child would have a few harder ones to read). Does that make sense? So if you wanted, you could just get the advanced readers and your kids could share. Personally, I have the advanced readers and preread them to determine which my younger 2 would read.
I have an 8 1/2 year old boy who is still learning/struggling to read and really isn't THAT interested... just more frustrated (kinda like me - oh dear- because it's my fault) and a girl who will be 7 at the end of September. (I also have a newly 4, a 2 yr old and a newborn). I feel like I'd like a curriculum focused around reading stories, because it's the seat work for them and I that makes us frustrated. But I'm also worried about THE TIME and getting behind, because I have a lot of distractions.
I'm thinking Logic of English for reading/LA, Math-U-See and maybe Sonlight or My Father's World or Simply Charlotte Mason... I want history/geography and literature to come alive and be enjoyable. Oh and science too!
Any recommendations for my situation, especially considering the readers may be above my child's level, but having the content be at his age?
We did an all in one curriculum this year for 1st and 2nd grade which we didn't finish and felt overwhelming to me. It was Seton homeschool.
I will admit, I have no experience with teaching kids to read (as my kids were all beyond that when we started homeschooling), but I think that a literature-based curriculum could be really great for them. I really love Sonlight, and would probably do that (the HBL ... History, Bible, Literature, and the science). Then you could get Math-U-See from them as well (I don't have experience with that math, but I've heard great things about it). Then, you would just need to pick up the readers at the right level for your kids (whichever that level is). With kids your kids' ages, I would probably start with Level B. I think it would be perfect for the 2 of them. But, feel free to call Sonlight and talk with them. They are happy to help! I don't know anything about Logic of English, but I've heard good things too. I've also heard so much about All About Reading for teaching reading. Hope this helps!
This was so helpful thank you for sharing this. I’m already thinking of what I want to do for next year which will only be year 2 for us. I really like the literature based programs. Do you happen to know if they ever do any sales on their curriculums?
So, I'm not exactly sure about sales. Except maybe Sonlight and Bookshark do something around March... I believe. Otherwise, I would get onto the email lists and socials of any of the companies you are interested in purchasing from. You can ask those groups directly, or keep your eyes open for those good deals. Glad this video was helpful!
@@CalmintheChaosHomeschool oh email lists is a great idea. Sonlight looks so great, but so expensive since I only have one child I’m homeschooling.
It is hard to justify with one child. Maybe, look for used curriculum? Get into the Sonlight resell group. Even put in a ISO and see if anyone has one that they can sell to you next year. I even get some incomplete sets sometimes and then look for used books to add or at the library.
I will have kiddos ages 9 to 13 next year and am looking at sonlight or bookshark for the first time. Which level did you use with kiddos that age range? Thanks!!
Those are the exact ages of my 4 kids! Wow! We are finishing up Sonlight B/C and moving into Bookshark D/E right now. I’m hoping D/E will only take me 1 year (B/C took us 1 1/2 years, but we were brand new homeschoolers and I like to supplement A LOT). My 9 picks things up pretty easily and my 13 year old struggles a bit, so the 10/11 age is where I shoot for. I think with a 9 year old, you probably don’t want to do F as I hear the content can be a bit mature. I would probably do D, E, or D/E. I like the level we are at for my kids… hope that helps.
@@CalmintheChaosHomeschool WOW, this sounds so much like us. My almost 9yo picks things up in Language and literature so quickly, while my almost 13yo struggles a lot with writing, answering questions about lit/lang etc. I was thinking b/c for them because neither the youngest or oldest has done much history and my middle loves history and especially loves ancient history. We supplement a lot as well, so I might pick up a few more things for my older (his reading level is very high, he just doesn't excel in talking/writing about what he reads). I am very much looking forward to F, but agree, it would be too much for my youngest just yet. I am glad I am not too far off thinking that I will do B or B/C and maybe add in a few books from level W for my 13yo.
@@SmithsInTheMaking I’m sure there are a ton of great books to pick up for your oldest to read that involves ancient history. Also, Sonlight’s level 5 books are pretty great (not history related but very interesting… we get all the ones we can from the library for my older girls to read in between their history books).
Really appreciate this video
Glad it’s helpful.
Thank you!
You are welcome!
Five in a row is missing
Thank you for adding that! I agree!