Posted in My Homeschool FAQs

These are my notes from a talk I did at a local Homeschool Parents Support Meeting last year on Sonlight Curriculum & why I love it!

Type of Curriculum -  Christian Literate Based Program.
On the webpage they call it Literature Rich Homeschooling
and state that “Sonlight puts together the worlds greatest
literature for your kids to discover what has happened to
bring our world to where we are today.”  It is taught in
chronological order helping kids understand the order of
things and how one events effect another.  There is a
large focus on social history not just dates and facts.
Because the kids are reading books about characters that
lived through different times they get emotionally involved
in the stories and are affected on a deep emotional level. 
(Mom's are too!)

What is Literature based? - Means you read “real
books” instead of text books to gain a knowledge of.
According to http://forms.donnayoung.org/help/lessons.htm
Real Books are non-fiction or fiction books that are written
by experts in their field or very talented writers. There are
no lessons, just lots of pages. Historical fiction would fit this category.

What subjects are covered?  Sonlight offers it all! 
History, Literature, Language Art, Bible, Math, Science,
Art.  It is set up like a cafeteria plan where you can pick
and choose what you use.  I use everything from Sonlight
except Math.  The Core of Sonlight is History.

What Grade levels is it appropriate for?  Preschool - 12
I start using it in 2nd grade.

Is it good for teaching multiple ages at one time?  Yes. 
Especilly if your children are only a few years apart. 
You can order one CORE and then separate language
arts, math etc.

Flexibility - 
    a.  You can buy as much or as little as you need.
    b.  You can buy the teachers manual only and get
        many books from the Library. (the catalog even
        tells you which books are usually available from
        the library.)   
    c.  They offer 4 & 5 day schedule in the teacher    
        manual.

How much prep time is there weekly?  Very little.  I
spend about 1 hour per week prepping for the next week.
You can even order a package of Science supplies
specific to the science you're doing.  If you need a cork
and a paper clip it will be in a bag for you!

How long does the curriculum take daily?  Currently I
spend 2 to 3 hours and my son spends 3 to 6 hours.  Time
will vary from year to year.  (we are doing Core 4 this year.)

How much does it cost?  Varies widely depending of
what you order.  I pretty much order everything each year
and spend approx.  $600.00 per year.  You can do it for
significantly less if you use the library, used book sales
and share with friends.   

How do you purchase?  On the webpage at http://www.sonlight.com

Things I LOVE about Sonlight.
    a.  Couch Time!  I love the hours I spend with my kids
    reading and learning together.
    b.   Sonlight creates a love of History.  I just read an
    article in the paper about the majority of history
    teacher in the US  have never study history and how
    this is taking a toll on todays students and the
    average kid will tell you History is  boring.  I had to
    laugh when I read this because I am learning    
    history right along with my kids and we are  LOVING
    it.  My son cannot believe the anyone cannot  love
    history. 
    c.  Sonlight creates thinking kids.  Many times you
    will read 2 books in a row with opposite opinions.
    Creates lots of discussion with Mom & Dad.
    d.  Makes me a more interesting person!
    e.  Sonlight Forums
    f.  Sonlight support online. 
    g.  The look on my kids faces when the Sonlight box
    comes!  It is like Christmas in July!


What my 10 year old son loves about Sonlight.
    a.  The books are good.
    b.  The books are fun to read.
    c.  My parents read to me.
    d.  The books teach me about God.