By Mary
(Sharpsburg, GA)
Visitor Review:
We have been using Sonlight Homeschool Curriculum for one year. My daughter (eight years old) will be in the fourth grade. This past year I purchased the full Sonlight Newcomer package. Being a new homeschooler, this was the easiest (but not cheapest!) thing to do. Sonlight’s materials are all clearly laid out and easy to follow. Every single day is scripted for you. My daughter and I both liked this structure.
Our favorite thing about the program hands down was the history and literature component. Each and every book we read aloud (or that my daughter read alone) was of the highest quality. I never heard my daughter say she didn’t want to read or be read to. It also makes learning history so very easy, because it is enjoyable.
We did use the Language Arts and Science components sporadically, but now that I have some more experience, I will branch out and try things other than Sonlight. Relying on Sonlight for a full grammar education might not be such a wise choice.
The Bible curriculum went unused by my daughter. We had a devotional that we had already been using and continued with that. There was a CD included, however, that had catchy songs, so we listen to that frequently.
Sequential Spelling was what came with our package and I found that VERY effective. My daughter also liked the fact that you were never formally “tested”, but had a teacher assisted test each day.
Horizons Math was their math program and we liked that as well. It is very rigorous, and I would recommend not to worry about completing every single problem and drill they recommend. Your child could get bogged down quickly.
All in all, Sonlight is a great way to begin homeschooling.