Tuesday, March 17, 2009

High School Credits for Sonlight® Cores (Through 2012 editions)

Many parents I talk to ask me how to translate the Sonlight® Core Programs into high school credits. I am not an expert on this, nor do I have any special insights or training into granting high school credits. But, I have graduated two children who used Sonlight® for high school and I can offer some idea of what is possible. My two children we accepted into state universities and a Christian college without any problems. They went on to state universities and did very well.

This is not any kind of official advice, just one mom giving you a place to start as you consider translating Sonlight® cores into high school credits. You may also want to check this post on creating high school transcripts. You may also want to read this post on making a "Contract for Grade" as a way to give grades for non-test classes.

Core 5: Eastern Hemisphere and LA 5
[I do feel this course is high school worthy. My older boys went to public high school starting in 10th grade and these studies are way more than they did for world history, but use your own judgment. You may want to add extra research or more in depth writing]

• World Cultures or Eastern Hemisphere or Eastern Hemisphere Geography: 1 credit
• English: 1 credit [If you increase the difficulty and expectations of the writing assignments and make sure they do the research in the Eastern Hemisphere Explorer]
• Geography: ½ credit if you student does all the mapping assignments and does a bit more research on the areas studied
• Bible: ½ credit

Core Alt 7 or 7 with LA
[I do feel these are both high school worthy. My older boys went to public high school starting in 10th grade and these studies are way more than they did for world history, but use your own judgment. You may want to add extra research or more in depth writing]


• World History [Alt 7] or Modern World History [Core 7]: 1 credit
• English: 1 credit [You may want to break this down into composition and world literature, ½ credit each, but I just called it an English class]
• Bible [an elective]: ½ to 1 credit depending on time spent

Core 100-American History in Depth (up through 2012--the format was changed in 2013)

• American History : 1 credit
• English : 1 credit [You may want to break this down into composition and literature, ½ credit each, but I just called it an English class]
• Bible [an elective]: ½ -1 credit depending on time spent

Core 200- History of God’s Kingdom  (up through 2012--the format was changed in 2013)

• Church History or Western Civilization or World History [depending on what you child needs and what type of college, secular or Christian, they are applying to]: 1 credit
• English [You may want to break this down into composition and literature, ½ credit each, but I just called it an English class]
• If you child just does only literature part, you may want to call it Classic Literature and give 1 credit for it, and perhaps give ½ credit for composition.
• Bible: 1 credit
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Another mom I know counted Core 200 this way:
Western Civilization: 1 credit
English 1: Introduction to Classic Literature and Composition: 1 credit
Bible 1: Christian Apologetics: 1 credit

Core 300- 20th Century World History  (up through 2012--the format was changed in 2013)

• World History, Modern World History or World History 20th Century: 1 credit
• Modern World Literature: 1 credit
• English : 1 credit
• Bible study: 1 credit
*As a note, I would give this if the student has done most of the writing assignments. If they did considerably less, I would give 1 English credit and maybe ½ credit of World Lit.

Core 400: Government/ Civics(up through 2012--the format was changed in 2013)Total of 2-4 credits, using any of these combos, depending on what you covered, what writing was done, if you did the Bible, etc]

  • American Government or Advanced American History: 1 credit
  • Civics or Political Science or Constitutional Law: 1 credit
  • US History and Constitution: 1 credit
  • Honors American Government and Civics: 1 Credit
  • American Literature: 1 credit
  • English: 1 credit
  • Bible: 1+ credits [Depending on time spent and depth of discussion with parent/mentor]

Core 530: British Literature

• British Literature: 1 credit
• English or Composition: 1 credit

For More High School Helps

5 comments:

  1. Jill, Thank you SO much for this. This is exactly what I've been looking for, especially the contract information. I may be sending you pm's on the Sonlight board asking specific questions. Thank you for taking the time to help other coming behind you. May God contiune to bless others through you.
    ~Shelly (Awoodfam6 on the SL boards.)

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  2. Hi Shelly,

    I am glad this was helpful.
    Feel free to email me as well bluegrassjill@gmail.com or visit my Sonlight web page at www.sonlight.com/jillevely

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  3. Now I wonder if I could use Core 5 for a high school elective credit, having my student repeat the course, but with all the map work and more research.
    I'm short on electives and live outside the US with limited access to resources, so that is why I'd consider such a thing.
    (I don't have any accounts, so I'll post as Anonymous, but I am on Sonlight forums. )

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  4. Hi,

    I would think so. I did Core 5 with my youngest children when they were 4th and 7th grades. Then, later, when the youngest was in 9th, we re-did it. He was not ready to go to higher level cores [we already did Core 100] so we went back. It was a great decision. He understood the material, cultures, implications and so forth.

    For us it was a great decision. I counted it as "World Cultures" 1 credit and did the LA portion and counted it as English I. He did an in depth research project and I assigned a bit more research as well. We did skip a few books and added a few higher level books. A Chance to Die [Biography of Amy Carmichael] by Elisabeth Elliot was one I particularly remember as well as Material World.

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  5. Awesome breakdown! I'm using Cores 200 and Core 5 this year (along with Core K with my Littles). I'm very concerned for my Core 200 student as this is his Grade 10 year, and I'm sorry to say I have very poor records of his grade 9 year.. it was a messy school year (renos, chaos, etc...). I wanted to have a plan to do a better job at record keeping, as he's a university minded kid. :o)
    This has blessed me - thank you!
    Shannon

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