Top 10 reasons I ❤ Sonlight Curriculum

Near the back of a Sonlight catalog, there is an article called Reasons NOT to buy Sonlight. Those reasons include things like, “You want a Bible verse on every page,” “You don’t want your child learning about difficult things,” “You want to teach with worksheets.” These pages in the catalog cleverly sum up the opposites of Sonlight’s learning philosophy and allows the homeschool parent to truly evaluate whether Sonlight is the best fit for their family. Sonlight may not be for everyone; but for many, it can be the best decision you could ever make for your homeschool.

Our family has used Sonlight as our core curriculum for over nine years. Today, I want to tell you my top 10 reasons why I LOVE Sonlight.

1. Sonlight places an emphasis on learning together as a family.

I cannot adequately tell you how this approach changed the whole trajectory of our homeschool. Before we made the switch to Sonlight, I was picking and choosing my children’s curriculum. They each had separate, grade-level homework, including group subjects like social studies and science–with the occasional group read-aloud or art project. Homeschooling was…okay. It wasn’t until we began reading and learning together as a family that our homeschool became something we looked forward to and excited about! We started our mornings with Bible, prayer, and history together; did independent work for a while for math and English; then joined together again for read-alouds, Science, P.E., and extra-curriculars like art and music. Learning as a family unit was like the glue that held our homeschool together. Together is the key.

2. Missions is not just an afterthought.

If the new concept of learning as a family was exciting, Sonlight’s emphasis on missions truly expanded our hearts for people of the world and continues to do so nine years later! Missions and a global perspective is a huge focus in the curriculum starting in primary school and throughout highschool. From the interesting Peoples of the World book to numerous books in the Christian Heroes series by Janet and Geoff Benge, our lives and minds have been enhanced by the different cultures represented and the wonderful missionary stories we have read about. To further their cause for world missions, every other year or so, Sonlight partners with a missions-based organization to raise funds for the gospel to be presented in unreached countries and people groups. Our favorite and one that our kids still talk about often is the Lost in India project from several years ago. We had so much fun watching the videos, doing projects, learning, and raising money for Mission India! Sonlight’s focus on missions is a precious gift that keeps on giving.

3. Sonlight is highly academic.

Honestly, this is not some easy curriculum your kids will blow right through. Sonlight is packed (and I mean packed) with tons of books and information that takes real critical thinking and time. Questions are sure to arise, family discussions will occur, and minds will be broadened by the reading and assignments. But kids will learn to truly think for themselves and know what they believe and how to convey their thoughts. The language arts program in itself is rigorous and will challenge and further your student’s writing abilities. Sonlight has tested my students’ abilities as well as my own on several occasions. And because of the challenges both academically and spiritually, I feel confident that my kids are about ready to take on the world.

4. Books!

Box day is the best! Sonlight chooses such wonderful books that I would never have thought to add to our homeschool. Sonlight families end up with a rich and vast supply of reading material to fill up a home library! The reading alone takes a good amount of time each week; but I guarantee that these books are some of the best pieces of bound paper you will ever read in your life. Your kids will love reading! And chances are, they will often beg you to read “just one more chapter” of their read-aloud. So many stories throughout the years have had me trying to read out loud through tears. From The Sign of the Beaver to Burying the Sun, these are books that will stir your heart and imagination, and ones that you will look forward to reading again with the youngest members of your family.

5. Family learning continues after school hours.

Honestly, this can be said of most homeschools! 🙂 But as it pertains to Sonlight, the great array of books and thought-provoking conversations that the curriculum provides will have your family enjoying “school” into the evening. Your whole family will see learning as a lifestyle, not just for a set number of hours a day. Many days in our homeschool, it feels as if we are learning and working together all day long. School work may be over, but the conversation continues naturally, even while cooking and doing laundry. It’s all about family togetherness and a love of learning!

6. The planning is done for you.

No more endless searching the internet for reviews on which books are the best or what your child needs to be studying for their grade level. No more researching and planning for the perfect lesson. No more writing the subjects and page numbers into your homeschool planner unless you just want to (I use a separate planner for my younger kids and to keep track of other things.) Sonlight has it all laid out in a wonderfully organized teacher’s guide. Switching to Sonlight gave me more time to do the things I love and took the stress out of homeschooling! And in highschool, students have their own guide they can follow themselves. This has helped my teens become more independent and responsible for their own education–with my oversight, of course.

7. World history and Geography is a priority.

Growing up, I don’t remember world history being taught in my public school. Perhaps things have changed a bit, since the world has grown smaller and more globalized. With Sonlight, you can expect a global perspective from a Christian worldview. You will learn about how and why kingdoms rise and fall throughout history and how it correlates to modern society. You will learn the histories of countries and see how humanity has changed, yet hasn’t changed at all. Throughout our years with Sonlight, we have learned about countries I had never heard of in my life, and about people that I didn’t even know existed. Sonlight has certainly opened my eyes to the world around me, and I am thankful that my kids are growing up with this kind of perspective.

8. Sonlight science is challenging.

As I stated already, Sonlight provokes students to truly think for themselves. Sonlight’s science programs require time and effort, just like the rest of the curriculum. But what I appreciate most about them is that popular scientific theories are not shoved in a corner; instead, they are consistently compared and contrasted against a biblical worldview. Topics such as evolution can be difficult for many Christian homeschoolers, so they choose to stay away from it altogether. Yet, how can a student learn to defend their worldview if they don’t know all of the theories out there? Sonlight science programs encourage critical thinking skills early on. When my kids were younger they thought it was silly how many scientists thought humans evolved from monkeys. Today, they still think it’s silly, but now they know why they think this way. It is because they have a firm grasp of biblical truths as well as real scientific evidence that challenges this broad assumption. From a young age, kids can learn to distinguish between different ideologies. All of this is done through a biblical lens, bringing us back to what the Bible tells us to be true.

9. A biblical Christian worldview is central to Sonlight’s philosophy.

I feel like I know Sarita, the maker and owner of Sonlight. She has talked to me on several occasions through her commentary in the teacher’s guides, interacting and even arguing with the authors of some of the books in her own curriculum. She poses questions that cause the reader to ask, “Is this author correct in their thinking?” “Does this agree with what the Bible says?” Acquiring and maintaining a biblical worldview is central to Sonlight’s philosophy, even if it goes against a chosen author’s viewpoint. Sonlighters learn to engage in dialogue with their curriculum and question other’s views, as well as their own. This is especially important for growth and spiritual maturity. My homeschoolers are teens now, and I have certainly seen how Sonlight has helped them to see the world through a biblical lens.

10. Expect to grow spiritually.

Looking back over the years we have used Sonlight, I can see exponential growth in not only my kids, but our whole family. Sonlight has challenged us to read the Bible first every day and to pray for the people we are learning about. The Bible program is very rigorous; and just like Sonlight’s love for missions, God’s word is also not just an afterthought. Bible is a complete subject with not only family Bible reading scheduled, but also student reading, devotional books, in-depth Bible studies, and books that challenge one’s worldview. Some of our favorites include Why Pray?, Live like a Jesus Freak, Case for Kids, and Don’t All Religions Lead to God? These books and more have helped shape who our children are today; and I am very thankful for Sonlight and all that it has meant to our family.

Curious to know more about Sonlight? Visit www.sonlight.com to learn more! Homeschooling in general? Give me a holler! And if you are already a homeschooler, comment below about what you love about your curriculum choice. Yay for homeschooling! 🙂

Anna De Lay

I am a wife, homeschool mom, musician, and songwriter; but most importantly, I am a daughter of the King. My heart’s desire is to draw closer to God and bring other people with me! Truly, there is no greater joy.