Retired Sonlight® Books, a list...

I mentioned in my last post that a few other ladies and I worked together to make a list of books that Sonlight® used to schedule in their core curriculum and have now been retired. Some have been retired because they have gone out of print, others have been replaced with newer or more exciting books, and I am sure there are a host of other reasons. I thought I would copy the list of books here in case you are looking for some good books for your kids to read or for you to read together as a family. Most of these will fit that bill nicely.

Sonlight®~ Discontinued Book List (Updated May 2013)

Here’s how we’ve gone about compiling this list:
Prior to 2012, if a book had been moved to another Core, in general, we’ve not included it in this
list, typing up only the titles that have remained dropped. Quite a few books were dropped out
and then added back into SL Cores, at regular intervals, over the years – we’ve only included the
titles that have remained dropped.

Electives, or Science titles have not been noted, unless they were a science biography. We have
not included a separate listing for Core 6A titles.

We have worked through the catalogues:
 2001 Catalog
 2004 to 2012 Catalogs--- and a jumble of personal notes to come up with this non-exhaustive list of discontinued Sonlight titles.

Then I poured pored over the 1994, 1995, 2000, 2002, and 2003 catalogs and
provided about, an extra 165 titles. (All those tiles with this little squiggle ~ between
the title and the author are my hours of work).

[This is a note from the Australian Mom, Chelle,  who compiled all this information] Thanks to an elusive☺ NZ mum, and Vicki (US) for allowing me to blend details from their individually created lists into mine, and streamline everything into one list for others to also use.

Also to Tara, from SL forums, thanks for allowing us to incorporate a good portion of her work
into this list. (All of the titles with the author’s name in brackets, have been her generous
contribution.) Much appreciated.

If you would like this list in a word document format, please email me at:
sldownunder {dot} g {at} gmail {dot} com (Please read “request for use” end note on pg.11)
Other discontinued Sonlight® titles may be found on Nicola'sSonlight® Books Arranged in Well Trained Mind 4 Year History Cycle post
Also be sure to pop over to Brenda’s Pinterest to see the collection of visual pins, of discontinuedSonlight® titles, she is creating for ‘on-liners’ benefit.
Chelle


Core P3/4
Fiction, Fairy Tales, and Fun for Little Learners
A Robert McCloskey Collection (3 Stories) (swapped for Make Way for McCloskey. 8 Stories)

Core P4/5
Exploring God’s Word (Level Pre.K or Core B):
25 Stories for Little People ~ cassette
101 Favorite Children's Songs ~ cassette
A Bear Called Paddington – Bond
A Family Treasury of Little Golden Books - (Buell)
A Treasury of Children’s Literature – Elsen
Children’s Choice Bible – Chancellor
Curious George ~ Rey (early edition used in 1994-1995)
Emperor's New Clothes ~ ?
Family Time Bible moved to Core P3/4
Ken Taylor's Favorite Bible Stories ~ Taylor (earlier edition of Family Time Bible in Pictures)
Let's Talk about Animals ~ published by Ladybird
Mother Goose Classic ~ Volland edition
My First Encyclopedia ~ Watson
Noah's Ark ~ Spier
Opposites ~ Tyler and Gee
Peter and the Wolf / R Maltby Presents the Orchestra's Instruments ~ 2 cassettes
Real Mother Goose – illust by Blanche Fisher Wright
Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy World ~ Scarry
Right Choices – Taylor
Shapes ~ Usborne
Tall Book of Fairy Tales, The ~ Vance
Tall Book of Nursery Tales, The ~ Rojankovsky
Treasury of Little Golden Books
Ugly Duckling, The ~ ?
You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You (same pub as 20th Century Children’s Treasury)

Core A-Intro to the World: Cultures (Previously named Core K or Core C):
A Boy, A Dog, A Frog ~ Mercer Mayer
Alice's Adventure in Wonderland (Illustrated Condensed) ~ Carrol
Apple and the Arrow, The - Buff
Capyboppy – Peet
Chimney Sweep's Ransom: John Wesley ~ Jackson
Family Under the Bridge, The – Carlson
Granny Han’s Breakfast (Groves)
Hero Tales (Jackson)
Johnny Appleseed (different author) - Kellogg
Johnny Appleseed (different author) - Holland
Kidnapped by River Rats: William and Catherine Booth ~ Jackson
3 http://www.last-in-line.info/
Core A continued….
My Book about Hudson: Hudson Taylor ~ Miller
Poems to Read to the Very Young ~ Frank
Stop that Ball – McClintock
Winnie the Pooh - Milne
Wizard of Oz - Baum


Core B- Intro to World History, Part 1 (Previously named Core 1)
Bandit of Ashley Downs: George Mueller – Jackson
Fables – Lobel
Flight of the Fugitives - Jackson
Follow My Leader – Garfield
From Arapesh to Zuni ~ Lewis (Replaced with From Akebu to Zapotec)
Half Magic ~ Eager
Heidi (condensed version) – Spyri
Hero Tales. Vol. III ~ Jackson
Hidden Jewel, The: Amy Carmichael ~ Jackson
Leah's Song ~ Clifford
Now We are Six ~ Milne
Prince & the Pauper (abridged ed.) - Twain
Queen's Smuggler, The: William Tyndale ~ Jackson
Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest – McGovern
Shoeshine Girl - Bulla
Thieves of Tyburn Square: Elizabeth Fry – Jackson
To the Top - Kramer
Velveteen Rabbit – Williams

Core C-Intro to World History: Part 2 (Previously name Core 2):
A Child’s Garden of Verses (Stevenson)
A Little Princess - Burnett
A Poke in the I - Janeczko
Alexander the Great – Green
* Alexander the Great ~ Wepman (SL lists the authors as Wepman & Ash. We were unable to find a book written by both
of these authors. We found 2 separate titles:
1: Alexander the Great : Empire Builder ~ Maureen Ash
2 :Alexander the Great (World Leaders Past & Present) ~ Dennis Wepman, Arthur M .Schlesinger
Ben & Me - Lawson
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Fleming
Explorer's News – Johnstone
Fine Print: A Story About Johann Gutenberg ~ Burch (also used in, then drop from, Core 6)
Florence Nightingale ~ (author not detailed in catalog)
Gladys Aylward ~ Swift
Hans Brinker, Condensed ~ Dodge
How our Bible Came to Us ~ Daney
Indian in the Cupboard – Banks
4 http://www.last-in-line.info/
Core C continued….
Joan of Arc ~ Stanley
Kildee House – Montgomery
Little House in Rocky Ridge - MacBride
Magellan – Brewster
Old Ramon – Schaefer
Ordinary Princess, The – Kaye
Shadrach – DeJong
Swiss Family Robinson, Condensed ~ Wyss
Treasure in an Oatmeal Box ~ Gire
Trial by Poison: Mary Slessor - Jackson
Trojan Horse, The – Little
You Can Change the World ~ Johnstone (updated to the new book called Window on the World, same author)
2012 Switch:
Ginger Pye – (Estes) (moved to Grade 4-5 reader package)

Core D-Intro to American History: Part 1 (Previously named Core 3):
A Twister of Twists, A Tangle of Tongues ~ A Schwartz
American Adventures I – Greenberg
A Drinking Gourd - Monjo
Bold Journey – Bohner
Boone, Wilderness Explorer ~ Retan
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? – Fritz
Columbus ~ D'Aulaire
Erie Canal, The – Stein
Every Day With God – Nichols (?)
Fish do the Strangest Things ~ Hornblow
Flight of the Fugitive ~ Jackson
Giant Treas'ry of Brer Rabbit ~ JC Harris
Hannah - Whelan
Hopeful Trout & Other Limericks - Ciardi
Imprisoned in the Golden City: Adoniram & Ann Judson – Jackson
In God We Trust – Crater & Hunsicker
Insects do the Strangest Things ~ Hornblow
Landmark History of the American People {replaced with From Plymouth to the West, updated version of Landmark Book--Boorstin}
Martha Washington (Childhood of Famous Americans) – Wagoner
Mother West Winds Children - Burgess
Paddle-to-the-Sea - Holling
Poem Stew - Cole
Secret of the Andes – Clark
Silver ~ Whelan
Story of the Lone Star Republic, The - Stein
Story of the USA, Book 1--Franklin Escher
Story of the USA, Book 2--Franklin Escher
War of 1812, The - Morris
2012 Switch:
The Story of Eli Whitney - (Latham) (switched from Hist to advanced reader)

Core E-Intro to American History: Part 2 (Previously named Core 4):
A Bundle of Beasts ~ Hooper
All Sail Set – Sperry
American Adventures 1 – Greenberg
American Adventure 2 - Greenberg
American Wars: World War 1 – Stewart
An Arkful of Animals - Cole
Behind Rebel Lines - Reit
Bolivar – Guyatt
Bully for You Teddy Roosevelt - Fritz
California Gold Rush (Landmark) ~ McNeer
Canada ~ Sabin
Canada the Land - Kalman
Cheaper By the Dozen – Gilbreth
Churcaro: Wild Pony of the Pampa – (Kalnay)
Day it Rained Forever, The ~ Gross
Dog Jack - Biros
Every Living Thing ~ Rylant
Flame Across the Susquehanna – Banner
Great Depression, The ~ Stein
He Free Britain's Slaves: William Wilberforce ~ Ludwig
If You Lived at the Time of the Great San Francisco Earthquake – Levine
Landmark History of the American People {replaced with, From Ft Sumter to the Moon, updated version of Landmark Book--Boorstin}
Light Princess, The ~ MacDonald
Learning About God From A to Z - (Erickson)
Monitor and the Merrimac, The – Stein
Mr. Blue Jeans: The Story About Levi Strauss - Weidt
On the Banks of Plum Creek ~ Wilder
Prairie Boy's Winter ~ Kurelek
Simon Bolivar: The Liberator – de Varona
Shoes for Everyone – Mitchell
Story of the Golden Spike (SL pub) - Stein
Story of the USA Book 2--Franklin Escher
Story of the USA Book 3--Franklin Escher
Where the Red Fern Grows ~ Rawls
World War I - (Kent)
Zooful of Animals, An – Cole
2012 Switch:
Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt (Hist to Read-Aloud)
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (now a Read-Aloud)
The Great Turkey Walk (now a reader)
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (now a reader)

Core F-Eastern Hemisphere (Previously named Core 5):
101 Differences Between Cats and Dogs!
A Glorious Age in Africa – Chu & Skinner
Aladdin &  Other Favorite Arabian Nights Stories – Smith
Ancient China - Cotterell
Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions ~ Musgrove, illust Leo & Diane Dillion
Beat the Story Drum, Pum-Pum – Bryan
Captain Cook ~ Humphris
China: History to 1949 ~ Mc Lenigham
Coral Reefs ~ Johnson
Disease Fighters, The: Nobel Prize for Medicine ~ Aaseng
East to the Shifting Sands ~ Poynor
Eastern Hemisphere Explorer – Densmer
Eric Liddell: Something Greater Than Gold – Benge
Eric Liddell: Men of Faith ~ Swift
Escape to the Jungle – (Sim International)
Exploring Planet Earth - Tiner
Faces: Australia Through Time – Faces Magazine Vol.III
Gandhi: Peaceful Warrior – Bains
Genghis Khan & The Mongol Horde – Lamb
Gengis Khan (World Leaders Past & Present) - Judy Humphrey
Incredible Journey, The - Burnford
India: The Culture - Kalman
India: The People – Kalman
Island of the Blue Dolphins, The – O’Dell
John Newton: Angry Sailor ~ Strom
Louise Braille - Davidson
Mongols, The – Nicholson
Rascal – North
Rat Catcher's Son, The - London
Remembering God's Awesome Acts - Mortimer
Seabird – Holling
Ships, Sailors and the Sea – Usborne
Slave Ship, The ~ Sterne
Stories from Arabian Nights ~ Lang
Story of Islam, The ~ Kanm
Story of Africa & Her Flags to Colour, The ~ Faul
Tales of a Korean Grandmother - Carpenter
Throwing Shadows ~ Konigsburg
Torches of Joy - Dekker
Traditional Africa ~ Addison
Unreached People Groups DVD
Walkabout ~ Marshall
What They Believe: Islam - Berry
White Queen: The Story of Mary Slessor - McFarlan
With Daring Faith: A Biography of Amy Carmichael ~ Davis
Wolves of Willoughby Chase, The – Aiken
Young Man in a Hurry ~ Clinton
Your Place in God's Plan ~ Holtzmann
2012 Switch:
Teresa of Calcutta (from Hist to Read-Aloud)
Mary Slessor by Benge (from Hist to Read-Aloud)
The House of Sixty Fathers (now a Reader)
The Hobbit (now a Reader)
Call It Courage (to Read-Aloud)
Mission to Cathay (to Read-Aloud)

Core G-World History: Part 1 (Previously named Core 6):
A Boy’s War - Michell
Adventures of The Greek Heroes – Mclean & Wiseman
Air Raid – Pearl Harbor! – Taylor
Ancient Egypt ~ Nickelson and Watts
Ancient Greece ~ Clare
Ancient Greeks in The Land of the Gods, The – Descamps-Lequime
Anne of Green Gables - Montgomery
Archeology: The Young Scientist - Usborne
Augustus Caesar's World - Foster
Between the Forest and The Hills – Lawrence
Big Red - Kjelgaard
Case of the Baker Street Irregulars ~ Newman (Listed as boys reader)
Children's Homer ~ Colum
Cleopatra - Stanley
Condor of the Andes, The ~ Wagner
Daddy Long Legs ~ Webster (Listed as girls reader)
David Livingstone: First to Cross Africa With the Gospel - Worcester
D'Aulaires' Book Book of Greek Myths
Eagle of the Ninth, The – Sutcliff
Everything You Need to Know About World History Homework – Zeman & Kelly
Fine Print: The Story of Johann Gutenberg – Burch
Freckles ~ Stratton-Porter
Girl of the Limberlost, A ~ Stratton-Porter
Hawk That Dare Not Hunt By Day, The – O’Dell
Hitler - Wepman
Ink on His Fingers – Vernon
Isobel Kuhn ~ Dick
Johannes Kepler: Giant of Faith & Science ~ Tiner
Marie Curie ~ Birch (different publication to book being used in Science C)
Martin Luther: Hero of the Faith ~ Nohl
Middle Ages, The - Caselli
Monk Who Shook the Word, The - Davey
Morning Star of the Reformation – Thomson
Napoleon - Carol
North To Freedom ~ Holm (this book is still included, now called "I am David")
Nothing Daunted ~ Repp
Otto of the Silver Hand – Pyle
Scarlet Pimpernell - Orczy
Science Discoveries: Isaac Newton & Gravity - Parker
Story of D-Day, The ~ Bliven
Story of Mankind ~ Van Loon
Story of Music, The – Usborne
Treasure of the Snow, The - St. John
* Twenty and Ten ~ Bishop (moved to core A)
Vasco de Gama: Adventures in Discovery ~ Knight
White Queen: The story of Mary Slessor ~ McFarlan
White Stag, The - Seredy
World of Columbus and Sons, The – Foster
2012 Switch:
The Great and Terrible Quest (to Read-Aloud)

Core H- World History: Part 2 (Core 7 post 2005, which is different from Core 7 below)
Abraham Lincoln's World--Foster
A Jar of Dreams – Uchida
Catherine The Great (Landmark) - Scherman
Captain Cook Explores the South Seas (Landmark) - Sperry
Dark Frigate, The - (Hawes)
George Washington's World - Foster
Great Expectations--Dickens
Kidnapped Prince, The --Cameron
Napoleon and the Battle of Waterloo (Landmark) - Winwar
Painless Poetry - (Elizabeth)

Core W-World History
Augustus Caesar's World--Foster
Betty Greene: Wings to Serve--Benge
Eagle of the Ninth, The-Sutcliff
George Washington's World--Foster
Otto of the Silver Hand--Pyle
World of Columbus and Sons, The--Foster

Core 100 (American History in Depth, previously named Core 7, before 2005)
A Gathering of Days - (Blos)
A Jar of Dreams - Uchida
Adventures of the Greek Heroes ~ McLean and Wiseman
After the Dancing Days - (Rostkowski)
* Black Like Me ~ Griffin (Moved to Core 400)
Blue Willow - (Gates)
Called to Die: The Story of American Linguist Chet Bitterman - Estes
Christy - (Marshall)
Constance ~ Clapp
Custer and Crazy Horse ~ Razzi
Down Ryton Water - Gaggin
Dragonwings ~ Yep
Early Thunder – Fritz
Earthquake at Dawn - Gregory
Four Million and Other Stories ~ O'Henry
Frank Delano Roosevelt - Freedman
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - (Konigsburg) (switched to Core E Reader)
Gentle Ben ~ Morey
Gold Bug and Other Tales, The ~ Poe
Greeks, The ~ Usborne
Green Book, The - (Walsh)
Guns for General Washington – Reit
Henry Hudson: Master Explorer ~ Weiner
Home Ranch, The - Moody
Joni - Eareckson
Julius Caesar: Roman Dictator, illustrated ~ ?
Light in the Forest, The ~ Richter
Loner, The - Wier
Martin Luther King Jnr: A Man to Remember - Darby
Mrs Mike ~ Freedman
My Side of the Mountain - (George)
Nothing to Fear - (Koller)
On to Oregon – Morrow
Patty Reed’s Doll - Laurgaard
9 http://www.last-in-line.info/
Core 100/7 continued….
Pony Express, Cobblestone (1981): - Nankin
Piercing the Darkness ~ Peretti
Red Badge of Courage, The - (Crane)
Rifles for Watie - Keith
Robert E. Lee ~ Roddy
Samuel F.B. Morse: Artist With A Message - Tiner
Smokey the Cowhorse ~ James
Sounder - (Armstrong)
Stout-Hearted Seven - Frazier
Streams to the River, River to the Sea - (O’Dell)
Time Enough for Drums ~ Rinaldi
Trails to Posey ~ Cook
Tut-ankh-amun and His Friends ~ Aldred
Two Tickets to Freedom ~ Freedman
Uncle Tom’s Cabin – Stowe
Up a Road Slowly ~ Hunt
Young Scientist Book of Archaeology ~ Usborne
Wait for Me, Watch for Me, Eula Bee - Peck
We’ll Race Your Henry Ford - Mitchell

Core 200-History of God’s Kingdom (Previously named Core 8):
A Taste of Chaucer (SL pub) – Malcolmson
Americas’ Favorite Poems – Pinsky
Bartholomew Fair ~ Stolz
Black Beauty – Sewell
Beauty – McKinley (listed as girls lit)
Bridge to Terabithia – Paterson
Canterbury Tale, The - Chaucer, retold by McCaughrean
Don't Check Your Brains at the Door ~ Mc Dowell
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Weir of Hermiston - Stevenson
Emperors Winding Sheet, The - Walsh
Fire Upon the Earth - Langford
Flames of Rome, The - (Maier)
Flying to the Moon – Collins
Good Wives – Alcott (listed as girls lit)
Hang Tough, Paul Mather – Slote (listed as boys lit)
Hatchet – Paulsen
Hawk and the Dove, The – Wilcock
In His Steps - Sheldon
Jackaroo ~ Voight
Little Men – Alcott (listed as boys lit)
Little Women – Alcott (listed as girls lit)
Pride and Prejudice - (replaced with annotated version)
Quo Vadis – Sienkiewicz
Separate Peace, A--Knowles
Summer of the Swan, The - Byars
Taste of Chaucer: Selections From the Canterbury Tales ~ Malcomson, editor
Trumpeter of Krakow, The - (Kelly)

Optional Titles for Research Paper for the Core 200 Year:
Thirty Days to Understand Church History ~ Anders-Lundsford
This was John Calvin ~ Van Halsema
Who Moved the Stone? ~ Morrison
William Booth ~ Bennett
Optional Resources for Research Projects
Becoming Orthodox ~ Gillquist
Catholic and Christian ~ Schreck
Catholicism and Fundamentalism ~ Keating
Church of Rome at the Bar of History, The ~ Webster
Common Ground ~ Bajis
Evangelical is Not Enough ~ Howard
Faith Alone ~ Sproul
For the Life of the World ~ Schmemann
Gospel According to Rome, The ~ MeCarthy
Not By Faith Alone ~ Sungenis
Not By Scripture Alone ~ Sungenis
Roman Catholicism: Evangelical Protestants Analyze What Divides and Unites Us ~ Armstrong

Core 300-20th Century World History (Previously named Core 9):
Darkness at Noon - Koestler
DK 20th Century Day to Day – Schlesinger (CD-Rom)
DK Visual Timeline of the 20th Century, The ~ Adams
Exodus ~ Uris
For Whom the Bell Tolls - (Hemingway)
I Had Seen Castles ~ Rylant
Let One Hundred Flowers Bloom – Jicai
Life During the Russian Revolution ~ Sherrow
Mammoth Book of Eye-witness History ~ Lewis
More to be Desired than Gold ~ Wilson
Mother Jones: Fierce Fighter for Workers’ Rights ~ Pinkerton Josephson
My Life in Advertising & Scientific Advertising – Hopkins
Permanent Book of the 20th Century, The - Lewis
Robert Frost: Selected Poems
Run Baby Run - (Cruz)
Spy Who Came in From the Cold – Le Carre
War of the Worldviews – DeMar
What Everyone Should Know About the 20th Century ~ Axelrod and Philips
Youth Walk Vol.1 – Walk Thru the Bible Ministries

Core 400-Civics/American Government (Previously named Core 10) :
America's Caesar ~ Durand
Belle Prater's Boy ~ White
Crazy Lady ~ Conly
Crucible, The ~ Miller
Day They Came to Arrest the Book, The ~ Hentoff
Dry Divide, The ~ Ralph Moody
Giver, The ~ Lois Lowry
Godless Constitution: The Case Against Religious Correctness, The – Kramnick & Moore
Institutes of Biblical Law, The ~ Rushdoony
Julie of the Wolves ~ George
Jungle, The ~ Sinclair
Lies My Teacher Told Me ~ Lowen
Moby Dick ~ Melville
Never Before in History ~ Gary Amos and Richard Gardiner
Our Right to Drugs ~ Szasz [Optional Title]
Outsiders, The ~ Hinton
Shadow of the Almighty ~ Elliot
The Discovery of Freedom ~ Lane [Optional Title]
Tools of Dominion ~ Gary North
Tree Grows in Brooklyn, A ~ Betty Smith
Walden and Civil Disobedience--Thoreau
When in the Course of Human Events ~ Adams
Where the Broken Heart Still Beats ~ Meyer

 530-British Literature
No changes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Request for Use:
** Please be considerate and do not copy and redistribute the details off this list as your own work. If you decide to recreate this list, or use portions of it, to place in amongst a list of your own design; in your own document, on a post, in a tweet, on pinterest, or as a whatever ( ?) …… ☺

Please give credit to the Sonlight® moms/mums who contributed to, or worked on the original:
Jill (Kentucky – US),
Vicki (US),
Tara (SL Forums),
Chelle (NZ)
Thank you ☺

Tiny Libraries...

I read this very intriguing article in USA today a couple of weeks ago that I thought you might be interested in.

Tiny Libraries Have People Thinking and Reading Outside the Box.

This is such a neat idea--individuals are making little boxes, like a big mail box, and turning them into free libraries. They work on the premise of  "Take a book, leave a book," says Todd Bol the founder of the Little Free Library movement.

This idea has taken off and Little Free Libraries can be found across the world, spreading the love of literature far and wide. some of these little libraries with just a handful of books have a great turn over. In Madison, Wisconsin Jenna Hansen has a Little Free Library in her front yard. In the past year and a half she says that "literally thousands of books have been in and out of here."

I love this idea. We have a neat library system in our small town where books from the county library are delivered to our local "Library in a Box" which is like a block of 30 lockers. We can go online and chose our books and they are delivered to the box. We get a call when the books are delivered. then we punch in a code at the box, the door opens and we get our books and go home. It is a great system and I have increased my library usage considerably since it was set up a couple of years ago.

But, maybe you live in a place where a Little Free Library would be practical? Would you like to be a Little Librarian? You can go to Little Free Library to find out more information. I actually have a limited number of children's books and would be happy to donate a couple to get you started.

Take care,
Jill

Sonlight's Early Readers--What level to choose?

If you are contemplating using Sonlight's early readers and language arts, and don't know what to choose, perhaps this may help you. Since the readers and language arts work together, I always recommend that you choose the language arts level that will meet your child's needs and then get the readers to match.

[As a note, these Reader/Language Arts packages can be mixed and matched with Cores P4/5 -Core C, after that, when you move into Core D and above, you always use the readers that come with the Core because they reinforce the history being taught.]

If you have a precocious reader, you may find that the language arts level you need to start with will have readers that are too easy. That is OK. The readers support the language arts and many of the LA assignments refer back to the readers.

Many people want to know what to do if the readers are too easy. My suggestion--use them in conjunction with the language arts and then let you child read their science, history, library books, sequels to books you have read, more books by a favorite author, etc. You don't need to worry about reading with precocious readers, but you do not want to skip laying  a firm foundation in language arts. Eventually their language arts skills will catch up with their reading.

So, here are my recommendations for which level to choose:

• Grade K Readers and Language Arts--LA introduces the most common sound for each letter and it teaches one letter a week. By week 6 students are reading and writing short words. They are reading Fun Tales [little Sonlight books] by week 10. Before you are half way through the year, they are writing sentences with capitalization and simple punctuation. It is best if a child knows their letter sounds when they start this program, but it is not essential. Move at a speed that is comfortable for your child--slowing down or speeding up the pace as needed.
• Grade 1 Readers and Language Arts--I recommend that children be able to three letter, short vowel words with fluency and confidence to start this level. Your child should also be able to write a complete sentence. [If your child can't, you can always go slow and work on writing skills, but I am just saying what you child should ideally be able to do.]
• Grade 2 Readers and Language Arts--At this level, your child should be able to read vowel-consonant-silent e words and simple multisyllable words with confidence and fluency. They should also be able to write more complex sentences and to be able to write 2-3 in one sitting. Sonlight says, "This complete Language Arts program gives you all the tools to help you teach children to form and organize their thoughts, construct basic sentences and write simple paragraphs. You will likely serve as their scribe."
• Grade 3 Readers and Language Arts--The reading level here has a wide variety of words and your child should be able to read long-vowel words and 5-6 letter words with fluency. The readers are short chapter books. This level teaches writing a 5 point paragraph, so they should have a firm grasp of writing sentences before starting this level.  
• Grade 4-5 Readers and Language Arts--It assumes the child can write a paragraph [taught in Grade 3 Language Arts] and the assigned readers are chapter books along the line of a Little House on the Prairie book. The assigned amount is more than in other levels too-usually reading 2-3 chapters per day, 5 days a week. There is continued work on writing paragraphs and more creative writing.  Sonlight says, "Perfect for students comfortable with writing sentences and short paragraphs without much hand-holding. You may still want to serve as their scribe on more challenging assignments."

 I hope this is a helpful overview of what level to choose. If you have specific questions, feel free to email me for advice or to set up a phone consultation.

Take care,
Jill
 

Death of Picture Books?

A good friend of mine, Gale W., sent me a link to a New York Times article from last year. It about broke my heart and actually, I had a few tears in my eyes as I read it.  The article?

Bob enjoying Make Way for Ducklings!

"Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children"

"Parents have begun pressing their kindergartners and first graders to leave the picture book behind and move on to more text-heavy chapter books. Publishers cite pressures from parents who are mindful of increasingly rigorous standardized testing in schools. 

“Parents are saying, ‘My kid doesn’t need books with pictures anymore,’ ” said Justin Chanda, the publisher of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. “There’s a real push with parents and schools to have kids start reading big-kid books earlier. We’ve accelerated the graduation rate out of picture books.” 

I have met these parents and thousands like them. Thousands you say? Yes. I have talked to tens of thousands of parents, homeschooling and traditional schooling parents, and have heard this same thing. It is heartbreaking. What about the great picture books that I shared with my kids when they were little? What about the common family culture and enjoyment you get when you share picture books like

• Bill Peet books
• Dr Seuss
• Make Way for Ducklings
• Classic Fairy Tales
• Berenstain Bears
• Harold and the Purple Crayon
• Peter Rabbit Stories
• Anything illustrated by Eloise Wilkin
• Go Dog, Go!
• Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel [Mary Anne]

I could go on. These are the very essence of childhood, the foundation for appreciating the arts, cultural literacy and making sense of the world we live in. Children and adults who will never go on a safari can experience one through picture books. And how about historical picture books such as the D'Aulaire books? These are wonderful for children of all ages. I still love these books and Scotty just about  wore out his D'Aulaire Greek Myth book when he was in late elementary/early middle school. 

Picture Books! Most of you know I am a grandma now, and oh how lovely it is to pull out the picture books again. Though my two granddaughters are still at the board books stage now, I get to share picture books with my niece Violet every week.  Old friends come out to meet me as we share these books. Curious George is still curious, The dogs still have the Big Dog Party in the tree that charmed me as a child, Mary Anne is still Mike Mulligan's best friend, the Pokey Little Puppy is still rolling "pell-mell" and on and on.

What a rich heritage to share with our children, our grandchildren, our nieces and nephews. The article went on to say--and this is the part that really wrenched my heart because I know it is true...

"Dara La Porte, the manager of the children’s department at the Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington. “I see children pick up picture books, and then the parents say, ‘You can do better than this, you can do more than this.’ It’s a terrible pressure parents are feeling — that somehow, I shouldn’t let my child have this picture book because she won’t get into Harvard.”


And this makes me cry.

Let us rob our children of the joy of picture books--let us rob ourselves of the joy of sharing picture books with our children, because of what? College???

Please!

We don't need more kids who can read at 5th grade level when they are 4 years old, we need more kids with imaginations who get to cuddle up with mom or dad on the couch to share great picture books. It makes me weep to think that we are so busy trying to get our kids ready for college that we miss the joy of childhood and family and relationships along the way. I am not saying that the death of the picture book is going to destroy families as we know them, but this trend of pushing and pushing and pushing our kids through childhood is not good.

And this next quote, should come as no surprise:

"... Laurence is 6 ½, and while he regularly tackles 80-page chapter books, he is still a “reluctant reader,” Ms. Gignac said.Sometimes, she said, he tries to go back to picture books.
“He would still read picture books now if we let him, because he doesn’t want to work to read,” she said, adding that she and her husband have kept him reading chapter books" 

Oh, how I long to take Laurence into my office and let him read the myriad of picture books I have on the lowest shelves, just waiting for young friends.  I would love for him to be able to read the "Barely There" books by Steven Cosgrove which enchanted Chad all those years ago, with their flowery language and intricate artwork.   How I wish I could make his parents understand how they are depriving their 6 year old son of the magic of books and the wonder of reading, but forcing him to always WORK to read.

Big brother Chad reading a picture book to Kari and Scotty.

I can read hard-technical books, just like Laurence can read chapter books, but I also love to read juvenile fiction and to re-read the Little House on the Prairie Books and I read The Great and Terrible Quest, every single year--sometimes twice a year. Does that make me a slacker? I guess you don't have to worry about me getting into Harvard, though, since I am already a college graduate.

It is just not my Grandma/Momma heart saying this. The article goes on to say,

"Literacy experts are quick to say that picture books are not for dummies. Publishers praise the picture book for the particular way it can develop a child’s critical thinking skills. 

“To some degree, picture books force an analog way of thinking,” said Karen Lotz, the publisher of Candlewick Press in Somerville, Mass. “From picture to picture, as the reader interacts with the book, their imagination is filling in the missing themes.” 

Many parents overlook the fact that chapter books, even though they have more text, full paragraphs and fewer pictures, are not necessarily more complex. 

“Some of the vocabulary in a picture book is much more challenging than in a chapter book,” said Kris Vreeland, ...“The words themselves, and the concepts, can be very sophisticated in a picture book.”


I believe this. I believe in picture books and the ability to educate, enchant and engage children in a way that a chapter book cannot.

Here's to the picture book. May it never die.

Take care,
Jill

For some great ideas of picture books to read to your children, or for older children to read to themselves, I have to recommend Sonlight's Preschool Collections.

Fiction, Fairy Tales, and Fun for Little Learners 

I helped develop this curricula.  Amy and I worked together to create a program for young children that incorporates lots of great picture books, some activities and a few games. This is a great program for 3-4 year olds.

Exploring God's World

I was privileged to be able to write hands on and developmental activities for this program. Sonlight trusted me with the awesome task of adding these type of activities. I consulted state standards for 4-6 year olds, interviewed a few early childhood teachers, read lots of books and articles in order to come up with meaningful activities with a purpose.

A few Blog posts that might be interesting for you:

• All Chocolate Chip Cookies are not the Same

• Creating a Common Culture through Reading

• Is Reading that Important

• How to Raise Boys that Love to Read

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

 

 

How to Raise Boys Who Love to Read...

There was an excellent article in the Wall Street Journal by Publisher Thomas Spence on this subject. If you have been disgusted by all the Goosebump/Captain Underpants and other gross books that are marketed to boys, you will love this article.

One thing I think it left out, though, is to get children interested in reading, we need to show them that reading is interesting. If kids don't like to read--read to them. I dare anyone to read Robert Lewis Stevenson's Kidnapped to teen or younger boys and not have them beg for you to read another chapter. And try reading Huckleberry Finn aloud to a your children and notice their engaged faces and questioning minds.

Reading books aloud to your children can create a family culture, can allow you to talk about subjects that might not normally come up in every day life, and to walk in another's shoes. Reading aloud bonds a family together.

The gist of the article is that boys are behind girls in reading. It says, "in some states the percentage of boys proficient in reading is now more than ten points below that of girls. The male-female reading gap is found in every socio-economic and ethnic category, including the children of white, college-educated parents."

The author, Thomas Spence continues: "The secret to raising boys who read, I submit, is pretty simple—keep electronic media, especially video games and recreational Internet, under control (that is to say, almost completely absent). Then fill your shelves with good books"

BRAVO! I could not have said it better myself other to add that parents can read TO their children, even when an child does not want to read for themselves. It raises cultural literacy, vocabulary, listening skills and a host of other skills.


Mr. Spence finishes with this final comment: "I offer a final piece of evidence that is perhaps unanswerable: There is no literacy gap between home-schooled boys and girls. How many of these families, do you suppose, have thrown grossology [reading gross books] parties?"

If you want help choosing great books for your children, I suggest ordering a Sonlight Curriculum Catalog
or email me. Even if you don't intend to homeschool, you can't beat Sonlight for being a great place to buy wonderful books that will even interest boys.

Take care,
Jill

For some more posts on Reading:

• Renewable Entertainment
• Is reading THAT important? [preschoolers]

• A Novel Idea- Learning Through Books
• All Chocolate Chip Cookies are NOT the same--Read to your Kids!
• Soap, Creativity and Reading
• Creating a Common Culture [by reading to your kids]
  

Is reading THAT important?

You probably think I am going to say yes, but I'm not.

GASP!

Yes, it is important. Yes, it is the foundation for learning. Yes, it is a magnificent tool. BUT, I am increasingly discouraged and saddened when parents think it is the ONLY thing. They think that reading trumps physical activity, trumps chores, trumps interpersonal relationships; they think that it is the measure of successful homeschooling and parenting.

And, on some level I totally understand. I mean, it is easy to quantify so it makes us feel good about ourselves if our 7 year old is reading at a 5th grade level, and makes us feel bad about ourselves if our 10 year old is reading at a 2nd grade level. It is easy to measure-- so we measure our kids against the "norm." We can't easily quantify and measure helping or relational skills so that I can 't say that my 7 year old is interacting relationally at a 5th grade level or that my 10 year old is doing chores at a 2nd grade level. The most we can say is they "are mature or immature for their age."

But, honestly, I talk to parents all the time who think their four year old should be in first grade because they can read at that level. Or, I have had people tell me their two year old is reading and thus should be in a kindergarten [or higher] grade level.
I want to scream...

• Can they jump on one foot?
• Can they tie their shoes?
• Can they fold towels?
• Are they kind to others?
• Can they throw a ball?
• Can they use inside voices in the house?
• Do they whine?
• Do they mind you?

People are so much more than reading. Children are so much more than reading. I know kids who could read at 2 or 3 and their parents encouraged it a lot--to the exclusion of many good activities. After all, their child could read so they had it made. Years later I seen that many of these kids have very little interpersonal skills or are extremely lacking in coordination. Now they may have been that way even if they hadn't spent their toddlerhood reading, but I am not so sure.

I have also seen preschoolers who are physically active who are not encouraged to learn to read. They are not prohibited from learning letters and sounds if they want to, but even if they are, the parents encourage lots of outdoor play and they do a lot of working along side Mommy and Daddy. These children seem better adjusted when they get older.

Yes, they learn to read somewhere between K and 2nd grade, but they seem to be more active, more interactive with others, more helpful and imaginative. They are not caught reading a book when everyone else is eating ice cream and playing tag. I am not saying that is always bad, but is reading everything? Is it more important than relationships? And, they usually are at the same level in reading [according to numerous studies] by the time they are in 3rd grade as the early readers.

As for 3 year olds that can read at first grade level. They are still 3 years old. They still need lots of play and exercise to complement their reading time. They need fresh air and sunshine. They need to help parents with chores and to learn to share with other children and to mind.

There are LOTS of lessons they need to learn before they are ready for first grade curriculum.

I know that many of you might not agree, but even if you don't, if your child is an early reader, please remember what age they are and don't rush them into mature material just because they can read. Please help them develop in areas they don't excel at so they can become well-rounded individuals.

Reading is not everything.

Take care,
Jill

Another post you might be interested in. Three Things Preschoolers Need.

For more of my Pre-School thoughts and suggestions:

• Results of a Scientific study-Why you should keep your pre-schooler home
  
• Play is work-Is Preschool Necessary?
• Tools or Toys? A lesson from my Dad
  
• How to tame your toys--Some practical advice
  
• Ideas to Keep Preschoolers happily occupied
• The Top Three Things You Need to Know if You Have a Pre-schooler

Renewable Entertainment...

On the homeschooling front--I am pumped. I just got back from a four day brainstorming event at Sonlight Curriculum in Littleton, Colorado and it is exciting to see what changes they are making to our booth designs and the new incentives they are offering to booth visitors in 2010. I am not sure I am supposed to say anything just yet, but with my first convention only 2 1/2 weeks away, it will be public soon.

One of the highlights of the meeting was when Sonlight President Sarita Holzmann talked with us. She shared her heart and her vision for the future. What an inspiring woman! She spoke of how learning with real books opens the world to our kids and how real stories grip their hearts. She said that books open the mind and create kids that love to learn and love to think.

One of my favorite quotes was when she said, "Books are Renewable Entertainment." Amen! I thought of the many books I have read again and again, enjoying them and gleaning from them each and every time. Renewable Entertainment--how politically correct, green and true all at the same time.
Many of us know how much a book has impacted our lives and I am sure if I took a poll, each and every one of you could mention a book that made you a better person. Sometimes living through another person's injustice moves us to compassion or to action. I am thinking of Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry and The Endless Steppe and how they affected my children and I when I read them aloud.

Other times we are transported to another time or another culture. Many of us will never travel to foreign lands, but we can still understand much about the people who live there by reading books. And none of us will ever visit ancient Egypt, but through books we can live among the people of that time.

Books. Sonlight Books. Renewable Entertainment. It was a great event.

Take Care,
Jill

Photos-- top to bottom:

• Me in front of the Sonlight Office in Littleton
• The ten Sonlight Consultants who attended the brainstorm session--Left to Right: Karla from Idaho, Jennifer from Wisconsin, Tonya from Virginia, Kelly from Louisiana, Lynn from Oregon, Nancy from California, Gale from Illinois, Judy from New York, Sandy from Texas and Me, from Kentucky.
• Linda [of Sonlight] and Me

A Novel Idea--Learning through Books...

I love books!

I once cut out a comic that has a tiny little pastor sitting behind a small desk that has a looming book case behind it, towering above the pastor and the small lady he is talking to. We can only guess what she said, but he says,

“Books are not things of this world.” [Amen!]

Because of my love for books, I guess it was a no-brainer that when I got more experienced as a homeschool mom I branched out into designing my own literature unit studies with my kids. The year I did this the kids were in 9th, 7th, 5th and 1st grades, with a 3 year old thrown in for good measure! We did a study of animation and read biographies of Walt Disney and Bill Peet—and did some animation besides. We did a Robert Louis Stevenson study and read his biography and a few of his books—anyone for buried treasure? And we did a few other equally intriguing studies as well. WE all loved it!

But the planning about killed me.

So, the following year it was back to textbooks. A few years later I discovered a curriculum that was literature based, but had daily lesson plans. Amazing! I mean, I literally wept for joy. And that started my love affair with Sonlight Curriculum.

There are a lot more literature based curricula out in the market place now, and people ask me all the time why Sonlight is better or how it is different. I am not an expert on all curricula, but I can tell you how Sonlight is unique.

~Reading Great Books inspires children to do their own hands on activities such as drawings, writings, making pyramids out of sugar cubes and constructing beaver dams out of sticks and mud and so on. After reading a book on Samuel Morse my kids actually made a working telegraph system that ran between their bedrooms! I stayed out of their way and was called upstairs to stand in amazement when they sent messages the 40 feet-from one end of their attic bedrooms to the other.

Many curricula have plans for moms to spend lots of time and money preparing coordinating hands on activities. And some people like that. But I believe we just need to provide a learning-rich environment and great books—that's all you need. The kids will take it from there.

~Sonlight's goal [and my personal goal] is that of creating Ambassadors for Christ that are equipped to reach THIS generation. With Sonlight's broad base of books and their detailed IG teacher notes, children are taught to "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."

I know with the well rounded education they get from Sonlight that our children have been prepared to go to a our state universities, sit with people of varying backgrounds; not be judgmental, but seek to understand where the person is coming from, then show Christ's love to that person--as an Ambassador.

I found many curricula try to advance their own agenda, but with Sonlight the information is given to you and then it is up to you to interpret it to your kids. The study notes constantly remind us to measure what this person or nation did by looking to God's word. The notes are very balanced and lead kids to learn how to think critically and not to believe something just because it is in a book.

~And, I think the thing that makes Sonlight head and shoulders above any other curriculum is the Instructor's Guides [IG]! If you are convinced that the literature approach is the way you want to go, look at Sonlight’s Instructor's Guides. They are amazing--and another benefit, you can get all the books from Sonlight so there are no fruitless trips to the library and/or the book store. The editions match the IG right down to the paragraph and page number. The IGs save you so much time, and are so complete, they are unparalleled.

And that is why if you love books, love creativity and want to raise ambassadors for Christ who can think critically, Sonlight is the perfect curriculum.

Take care,

Jill

[Pictures, top to bottom: A picture of the kids the year I wrote my own unit studies-here we are at Gettysburg; the other two pictures are ones I like of the older boys reading to the younger kids.]

Homeschool? Me? I don't know everything...

And some mornings I wonder if I know anything at all.

I hear this question a lot:

"How can I homeschool, I don't know everything? I am not a teacher."

I want to ask you, “Does anyone know everything?” I mean, I probably know a lot of stuff you don’t know, and you probably know a lot of stuff I don’t know, and yet we are functioning adults and do quite well.

We do not need to know everything in order to teach our children. We can learn right along with them. And, we really do not need to teach them everything they need to know by the time they are 18. Haven’t you learned a LOT since you were 18? I bet you thought you knew a lot when you were that age and now you realize how little you knew then. More frightening yet, is how little you know now. It seems like the more we learn, the more we realize we don't know. But, maybe that is a discussion for another day.

Take heart! Teachers don’t know everything either. Doctors, lawyers, rocket scientists—they don’t know everything either. In fact, and this is the honest truth, I talked to a rocket scientist last year. She and her rocket scientist husband were going to homeschool their five year old so she called me for advice.

I was mentioning how she could teach using literature and how effective that can be. She didn’t know she should be reading aloud to their children! I mean can you believe that? Here is a rocket scientist, someone who we think should know it all, or at least know a LOT, and I was giving her advice about reading aloud to her children in order to develop language skills, family closeness and to transfer core beliefs. She didn't know that. She learned something new that day and so did I.

No one knows everything.

Also, if you really get stumped, help is pretty close. I have found that there are people in my community that can help if chemistry or calculus is more than you can teach. There are community college classes that students as young as 14-15 can take. There are co-ops and other opportunities—tutors if you need them and the amount of help you can get on line or with DVD's and the like is staggering.

Maybe one of the best lessons your children will learn is that "we are not quitters" and "you're never too old to learn something new." I think if our kids see that someone as ancient as mom or dad can tackle Algebra 2 for the first time, surely they can do anything they set their minds to.

You don’t need to know everything. What you need is a strong desire to enable your child to learn as much as he can in the time you have him home. You can help him pursue his desires and encourage him as he struggles though something that does not come easy. You can learn Calculus along with him if you need to, or have him take it away from home.

Homeschooling does not mean that you know everything or that you have to teach everything. I loved it when my kids would say, “You didn’t know that, did you Mom?” And I didn’t. We learned it together.

What a blessing, to learn along side of your children.

Sometimes you teach, sometimes you learn, sometimes you tutor or mentor and sometimes you bring in outside help.

You can do it. You can homeschool. Take the first step now and don’t worry about chemistry labs and foreign language. You can worry about that when the time comes. And when the time comes you will be surprised how many different ways there are to accomplish an incredible high school education without going to a traditional school. You can do it-I know you can.

Take care,

Jill

[Photos: High school student Cris with book written and illustrated by Cris; Chad and Dusty in middle school working on school work, Scotty learning outdoor cooking.]