# Sonlight



## doulanobles (Aug 15, 2006)

Anyone use this? What is your take on it? I know it's on the spendy side but we are involved with a local homeschool program with the public school, so they allow us a $500 stipend per kid per year. Thanks!


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## cindyc (Nov 12, 2005)

Well, we actually did use it at first. It was good, but we had so many kids at so many different levels, that it became difficult to manage (and afford). We still use the readers with the younger ones, and they really enjoy that. It was a good experience.

Cindyc.


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## RockyGlen (Jan 19, 2007)

cindyc said:


> Well, we actually did use it at first. It was good, but we had so many kids at so many different levels, that it became difficult to manage (and afford). We still use the readers with the younger ones, and they really enjoy that. It was a good experience.
> 
> Cindyc.


Ditto! Now I use Sonlight history books for literature in grades 5 and up. I pick and choose their assignments as Sonlight would have them spending 3 hours a day on just history and reading. I love their reading recommendations, but most of the books are available through the library. I use the Joy Hakim books for 5th grade, but with the teachers guides by Joy Hakim instead of the Sonlight guide.

We loved all the books with Sonlight. We did not love it for anything but history and reading - it just seemed to skim over too much for me. 

The two years we tried to use it, I had 3 kids in three different grades. Dh would not let me combine the kids as he does not feel that they all learn what they need if we are working in a "middle ground." By the end of the two years, I wanted to quit homeschooling I was SO burnt out. I would love it for one child, although to be honest my kids and I both got tired of the reading out loud - it felt babyish to them and I had a sore throat at the end of every school day.

But the books can't be beat!


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## Happy Palace (Sep 21, 2007)

I love, love, love Sonlight! We used it exclusively for the first two years that we homeschooled. I have tweaked it some, adding other things and trying unit studies. I have read so many wonderful books with Sonlight that I had never even heard of as a kid! I think the expense is well worth it (although if you keep every Core like I do, you start investing in a LOT of bookshelves!). 

I wasn't crazy about their natural-language approach to English & grammar and did switch over to Rod & Staff for that. My girls love to curl up on the couch and read together (usually until Mom has no voice left, but my dh likes me kinda throaty anyway). I have combined cores, but my kids are 3 years apart and I think it's too much. Like RockyGlen said, they don't always learn best in the "middle". If your kids are close in age though, it works wonderfully. Next year I'll have two of my three using Sonlight (my oldest & youngest - the middle one has a different learning style than the others and I will do unit studies with her. The following year, she will be back at Sonlight). 

The most wonderful thing about Sonlight for me is access to their forum board. Once you buy a core you get free access for a year. I have learned so much from experienced Sonlighters and have been encouraged over and over and over from Mom's (and Dad's) who have BTDT and are more than willing to share. They offer public access to their choosing forum, so you can check it out and see what people recommend.


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

I have done PreK-6th grade with SL. I loved it at first and then spent a couple of years trying to fix it to fit our family. I finally realized that it is not designed to be used with a large family and keep the mother sane. I love the approach, just couldn't make it work with 5 kids in four levels. Realistically, to do it right you need 2 hours a day per level. Since I loved the literature rich learning, I found another curriculum that looks and feels a lot like SL but is designed for an entire family to use at the same time, it does not, however, offer package deals, you have to collect your books yourself (which having all the SL books for 7 levels was not a problem, I just plugged in the SL books and found several were already included, I have to purchase very few books).

If you have one or two children, don't feel you must check every box, and love literature, I would recommend Sonlight highly. If you have more than two children, I can give you another similar option.


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## RockyGlen (Jan 19, 2007)

Cheryl in SD said:


> Since I loved the literature rich learning, I found another curriculum that looks and feels a lot like SL but is designed for an entire family to use at the same time


I do beleive that teasing us like that is against the "be nice" rule....come on, woman, which curriculum is it???


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

It is BiblioPlan for Families. Based on The Well Trained Mind/classical style. This is our second year with it and we LOVE it. The link has sample weeks.

I will try to play nice after this.


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## JennNY (Aug 10, 2006)

I have done Sonlight up to 6th grade. I agree w/the other comments, Sonlight is great! I loved every min. of it. But, I was only doing 1/2 kids at the time. It is very difficult to keep it up w/ a large family. I have 6 children.

What I have started doing now is a modified Sonlight. I have all the teacher manuels and a ton of the books, so I just have them do the History part of the curriculum... at their own pace. I love the books! 

If you don't do anything else, just get one of their catalogs and use the books they have listed for each grade. They are great literature!

Jenn


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## doulanobles (Aug 15, 2006)

What wonderful input...thank you! I have 2 kids ages 10 and 8. I think they could share most things except my 10 year old is an incredible reader. She's reading on an adult level now pretty much but still likes it when I read aloud. I was also considering Tapestry of Grace. We like to be finished with school by 1pm ( we satrt at 9am) so I'm not sure how the time compares. I'll keep studying! thanks again1


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