When spring rolls around, it gets harder and harder to keep young minds focused on staying inside and finishing up the school year. As warm weather beckons outdoors, it’s tempting to put off schoolwork and head outside! Here is a list of suggestions to carry you through to the end of the year so you can finish your homeschool year strong.
1. Plan an End-of-Year Party
Invite friends and grandparents. Let your children show off how much progress they’ve made over the year, and special projects they’ve worked on. Celebrate their hard work with loved ones.
Or go to a special place such as a museum or amusement park. Do something out of the ordinary to show your children you appreciate the effort they put in all year. By having an event to look forward to, you create an excitement about finishing on time.
2. Begin the Countdown
Count how many days are left in the school year. Then mark them off on the calendar and begin counting down. By creating a definite end date and seeing it get closer and closer, you create a sense of anticipation. Freedom from school is approaching—and tangible.
3. Speed Up
Offer to let your children work ahead in their assignments, so they can finish earlier. Keep working until everything for the year is done. If they finish ahead of time, they have just earned extra summer vacation days!
4. Order New Homeschool Curriculum
By ordering early, you can look through math and phonics workbooks and see how much overlap exists between the beginning of next year and the end of this year. If you find there is a lot of overlap, you might decide to skip those topics at the end of this year's workbooks and wait until next year to cover them.
Ordering early also creates a sense of excitement with a box of new materials to unveil and organize. Having tangible evidence things will be moving on—via Box Day—creates an incentive to finish the year.
5. Cover a Book Over the Summer
You might lighten your daily workload by choosing a Read-Aloud or a workbook to finish over the summer, making your days lighter now. Summers are often filled with hot afternoons, when it’s too hot to play outside. In that case, you have a captive audience for listening to a book or doing a few pages here or there in the workbook. You can also use some books for bedtime stories, do Bible books over the summer breakfast table, or listen to audiobooks on the way to and from swimming lessons.
6. Extend a Subject Through the Summer
Some parents like to keep certain key skills going over the summer such as math and reading. By choosing to spread some work out over the full year, you can lighten your end-of-year spring days so you can be outside more often without sacrificing any of the content.
7. Choose to Homeschool on a Different Timetable
Perhaps you really would rather be out and about, enjoying the sights before the summer crowds begin slowing down the lines and making fun places less fun. You might choose to finish up your year early, and resume sooner than normal in the autumn. Or you might wish to take off April and May and homeschool during the end of July instead.
8. Call It Quits
Remember that you don’t have to finish every assignment or every book. Schools rarely complete more than 80% of their textbooks. Teachers generally pick and choose which lessons from the books they want to cover. Much of the skipped content will be taught in later years.
If you really are having a hard time just getting through the school year, put your curriculum away and decide later if it’s worth coming back to. You may decide that you are simply ready to move onto the next thing.
There’s really no wrong way to homeschool.
If you’d rather finish up early, you can do that.
Perhaps if having an end-of-year party motivates your children, then that might be the option for you.
If life is hard right now and you just wish you had some time off to recuperate, then that might be the right choice for this year.
Sometimes, just having a plan to finish out the year is enough to help get that far. But, finishing the year is hard for many families, and you’re not alone. Remember, homeschooling is a journey not traveled in a single year. If you aren’t able to get everything done you wanted to this year, there’s always next year.
Summer Readers can be a great incentive for your kids to finish their curriculum! You get a mini Box Dayand something enjoyable to look forward to!
Each month the Sonlight team will choose a current family to highlight by sharing their #sonlightstories. If you’d like to shine a light on your family, apply here for a chance to be featured.
Meet the Bieda Family!
Brian and Julie Bieda knew they always wanted to homeschool their children Bianca (12), and Iron (10). After homeschooling for about four years, a friend recommended Sonlight, and the Biedas couldn’t be happier.
Julie was helping teach another curriculum when her friend mentioned Sonlight. Having heard about it but never seen it, her friend pulled out her Instructor’s Guides (IG). She gave Julie a peek inside explaining how she knew exactly what to teach each day. Julie thought, “This is exactly what I want!” When Brian saw their first order on #sonlightboxday, he said, “This is legit!!”
"I was so excited to discover Sonlight, and now that we’ve used it a few years, I still get excited about it every year!" -Julie Bieda
Switching to Sonlight
Before switching to Sonlight, the family was part of a homeschool group. It required constant preparations each week, and they struggled to see how it was working. Julie was encouraged to just “trust the process,” but she wasn’t seeing how it was going to come together. While Julie had heard good things about Sonlight, she knew it included a lot of books but not much else. After seeing an IG, Brian suggested they make the switch to Sonlight.
“That is one of the strongest features - the guide. To be able to have day-by-day planning, even our daughter can go and grab the books and tools that are needed. She brings it to the table, and all preparation is done. She’s invested in that process.” ~ Brian Bieda
Julie echoes this, “Last year I got very sick for a week with COVID, but my kids were able to look at the Instructor’s Guide and do nearly all of their work together.”
Strong Foundations
Sonlight’s IGs make homeschooling easy, but the Bieda family also has a special trick. Using sticky notes as bookmarks, they write the pages to be read each day. Then the kids can just open up and start reading. With a streamlined routine, they’re usually done with school by lunch.
This year, the Bieda kids are doing HBL E together, and they share language arts and science too. They did discover the kids needed to be in separate math levels, however. When Iron was struggling to keep up, they had him slow down and repeat some work over the summer. This gave him the confidence needed and the skill to move forward.
Both Brian and Julie agree, “The advantage to homeschooling is that you can repeat subject matter if necessary. With Brian being a public school teacher, he sees kids pushed to the next grade when they’re not really ready or don’t know what they’re learning. A good foundation is necessary to help you learn new things.”
Sharing Homeschool Perks
The Bieda family loves that they know what their children are learning and that Julie gets to be their primary teacher. While they’ve experienced highs and lows in their homeschool journey, they focus on their end goal.
"We really enjoy homeschooling our kids. It gives us the best opportunity to invest in their future as far as preparing them for the adults they’re going to be one day. The way things have changed culturally throughout the last couple of decades, this really gives us the chance to guide and direct them in the way that they should go." ~ Brian Bieda
Sharing conversations about their personal family history and how it connects to the events the kids are studying is important to the family also. This adds value to their days as conversations are not only educational but also relational. The children have also had the chance to participate in activities they wouldn’t have been able to if they weren’t homeschooled.
“We have a lot of people who can’t understand why we would want to homeschool our children. We both knew we wanted to be raising our children with a Christ-Centered World focus. I am so thankful to see that progression, thoughts, and little things they’ve learned. It’s really neat to get to be a part of it and watch your children develop critical thinking skills. Ultimately, not homeschooling was never an option.” ~ Julie
Selections, Musings, and Opinions
Both Bianca and Iron love homeschooling. Bianca states, “I like doing school as a family and reading books together.” She is a total bookworm and loves to curl up with a book. Iron is a big fan of Sonlight’s science experiments. They’re perfect for a child who, “Loves playing in the dirt and digging.” The family’s favorite books include:
Poetry. Just uttering the word poetry may evoke dread and terror! Maybe you, along with many others, have secretly thought, “I don’t get poetry! What am I missing?”
Confession:There was a time when I didn’t know why anyone would want to get poetry until the day a college friend lovingly opened her handwritten poetry scrapbook collection. I politely listened as she read her favorites aloud to me. Many years later, I finally understand what possibly possessed my friend to take the time to handwrite her favorite poems.
Today reading poetry feels like an indulgent treat!
How Poetry Can Be a Treat
Poetry encourages a moment to stop, rest, and ponder amidst our busy daily lives. Poetry may express the poet's dreams, memories, hilarious and sometimes ironic events, imaginative whimsical ideas, and deep emotions and experiences. Reading poetry provides the opportunity to enjoy playing with words and sometimes even dance with language.
Poetry comes in all shapes and sizes! From the the short and structured haiku, to long poems covering many pages, to the beauty of Shakespeare’s sonnets, or to the wisdom of the Psalms, there is a poetic form for everyone!
Sometimes readers of poetry lose patience with a poet. Understanding poetry may be overwhelming because, in the brief format, each word counts. Yet reading poetry aloud and taking the time to consider the rich meaning and beauty of a poet’s work yields the reward of identifying with another person’s perspective and a deeper understanding of our own emotions and experiences.
Good news! Sonlight approaches poetry as poetry appreciation—learning to listen and hear various ways to combine words. Sonlight creates an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of words that will eventually spill over into appreciating other art forms. Sonlight includes poetry for every learning level but does not include discussion questions, allowing you and your child to play with words and consider writing and poetic form from an utterly creative place.
How to Help a Young Learner Enjoy Poetry
Sonlight begins the journey of the poetry with rhythm and rhyme through A Treasury of Mother Goose Rhymes in the early learning years. Mother Goose classic rhymes introduce the joy of playing with words.
Open the this anthology with a sparkle in your eye to indicate the fun and adventure of rhyme. Look at the illustration for each poem and discuss what is happening in the picture. Read the title aloud, then pause to talk about possible content.
Once you have piqued your child's interest, read the verse through entirely without stopping, so the rhythm of the words is clear. Discuss the content of the rhyme again. The discussion may be as simple as talking about the child’s favorite part. Next, reread the rhyme pausing to allow the child to fill in a rhyming word or words. Talk about the fun sounds of the rhyming words. Most children enjoy acting out a rhyme, and if they are hesitant, join the party and act out the poem together!
When a child enjoys a particular poem, you may want to integrate other arts. Sing-song the poem using a tune of your creation. Offer the chance to Illustrate the poem according to the child’s vision. There is no need to cover each idea for every rhyme. The goal is to help the child enjoy the rhymes through play incorporating suggested techniques as time allows.
It's been a joy to watch her learn to read, develop a love for poetry and be excited to share at dinner what she found most fascinating that day. Thank you, Sonlight.
The M Family, Sonlighters from Noblesville, IN
How to Help a Grade-School Child Enjoy Poetry
Sonlight offers an incredible variety of age-appropriate and interest-appropriate poetry books throughout the grade school years.
A Child’s Introduction to Poetryisintended for the enjoyment of the older grade-school child. Most of the poetry books include inviting artwork to accompany the poetry, enhancing the understanding and meaning of poems.
When working with a grade school child who can read the poetry themselves, read the poem aloud with the child to increase enjoyment and understanding. The poetry selections at grade school levels are loaded with figurative language, imagery, and often a cadence and rhythm to the words. Reading out loud increases the enjoyment of literary techniques like alliteration and onomatopoeia which tickle the ears when heard and not merely read silently.
If the poem’s topic seems unfamiliar to the child, you may want to provide background information to increase their understanding. Keep it simple. Perhaps a word is new to your child. Talk about the word and then reread the line together. Keep discussions brief and light so the focus remains on enjoying language together.
When a particular line or an entire poem impacts or amazes you, share your thoughts with your child. Let them know what struck you and guide them through your thinking. Just as children learn to speak through hearing speech around them, hearing poetry will help them develop their understanding and appreciation of it.
Sonlight's regular diet of quality books has given our daughter a growing love of poetry. She has also been inspired to write her own poems. We now have regular Poetry Tea Parties with a couple of other homeschooling families. What could be a better combination than poetry and cakes—food for the mind, body and soul!
The S Family, Sonlighters From London, UK
How to Help a High School Student Enjoy Poetry
Sonlight continues poetry exploration and appreciation throughout the middle and high school years with the works of poets like Whitman, Byron, Dickenson, Poe, and Shakespeare. Perrine’s, Sound and Sense, found in Level 630-British Literature provides an excellent resource for the junior or senior student who enjoys poetry and desires to dig deep into the study of it.
When working with the older student, increase the understanding and enjoyment of poetry by reading about the poet’s background, experiences and culture. Knowing the poet's perspective raises a connection with the meaning of the poet’s words. Often sophisticated poems contain biblical, mythical, or cultural allusions. Helping the student identify allusions and discussing how the allusion encapsulates the depth of meaning of the poem also grows understanding and appreciation.
If the poem centers around a historical event, you and your child should take the time to become familiar with the event. Consider assigning the memorization and recitation of a poem of the student’s choice. Poetry, like a play, is meant to be heard. I have listened to student recitations of Shakespeare’s sonnets, complete with gestures and British accents.
Sometimes, a student requests to memorize and recite a meaningful poem of their choosing. Absolutely! The goal is to inspire the student to appreciate and enjoy the art form of poetry.
Don't let poetry overwhelm you. Knowing when to utilize a particular suggestion develops over time. Some poems lend themselves to reveling in the moment or feeling that the poet expresses. Gift your child with reading a particularly visual poem aloud while they close their eyes and enjoy. Remember that you have invested time modeling how to approach a poem with your child, leading them and inspiring them to appreciate the poet's artistry on their own. Who knows? Maybe your child will create a handwritten collection of their favorite poems due to the rich, meaningful time they have spent enjoying poetry with you.
Sonlight books are wonderful! We come back to them again and again. Some books have been in our library for several years now, but as the kids get older, they can explore on deeper level, now memorizing poetry to share at our homeschool group. I love this journey we are on—Sonlight has made it easy to love learning!
The W Family, Sonlighters From Visalia, CA
Reading poetry gives us permission to stop our busyness and reflect to consider the small moments of our lives. Thornton Wilder best expressed the blessing and joy of appreciating small moments in our lives in Our Town.
Emily asks, “Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? – every, every minute?”
The Stage Manager replies, “The saints and poets, maybe – they do some.”
I have reviewed tens of thousands of children’s and young adults’ books over the last 30+ years. That background helps me evaluate every book I read. And it helps me find the outstanding books – the only ones that make it into a Sonlight program.
I want diversity. I don’t want all the authors or characters to be from the United States or Western Europe. I want to introduce your children to a wide variety of literary genres, and I don’t want to always make them work at the furthest extent of their ability. So I include a good mix of easier and harder books. In addition, I make certain there are books for both boys and girls, including books by both male and female authors, as well as books with boy characters and books with girl characters. Most importantly, I look for titles that closely relate to the time period and geographical setting of the characters and events covered in a given level.
Because I see a need and we produce a product to fill that need.
My team and I regularly review the new book releases throughout the year (a massive undertaking), but the end result is that we provide you with what I believe is the best literature available for your children’s education. Below, find a sneak peek at some of the exciting changes to the books this year. (Note – these titles include only History / Bible / Literature updates. Check out the 2022 Sonlight catalog or What's New page to read about all this year’s updates and changes.)
This book contains four short stories about Anna Hibiscus's life in Africa. Learn all about a different culture while sharing Anna's experiences with her parents, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. (We have carried this lovely title in the past. It went out of print. We worked to re-discover it.)
A shrinking school in a dying town. A face in the window of an empty house. At first these facts don't seem to be related. But sixth-grader Ted Hammond learns that in his very small town, isolated events don’t exist. And the solution of one mystery often begins another.
Frankie Sparks and the Class Pet, Book 1
Frankie Sparks is a third-grader who uses her love for science and math to help her solve problems she comes across in her daily life.
Ryan Hart loves her family and friends. She's looking forward to summer vacation, spending time with loved ones, and her first trip to sleepaway camp! But when an unexpected camper shows up, Ryan finds it hard to share her best friend and harder to be a friend to someone who isn't a good friend back.
When a tiger cub escapes from a nature reserve near Neel's island village, the rangers, and villagers hurry to find her before the cub's anxious mother follows suit and endangers them all. But through his encounter with the cub, Neil learns that sometimes you must take risks to preserve what you love. And sometimes you must sacrifice the present for the chance to improve the future.
In the small city of Strattenburg, many lawyers work on different types of law. Thirteen-year-old Theo Boone functions as an unofficial lawyer as he helps his classmates with sticky issues.
Explore Native American Cultures! with 25 Great Projects
Explore Native American Cultures! introduces readers to seven main Native American cultural regions, from the northeast woodlands to the Northwest tribes. It includes ideas for hands-on projects to create.
King George: What Was His Problem?
Entire books have been written about the causes of the American Revolution. This isn’t one of them. Instead, it offers fascinating anecdotes, close-up narratives filled with little-known details, lots of quotes that capture the spirit and voices of the principals, and action. It covers the story of the birth of our nation, complete with soldiers, spies, salmon sandwiches, and real facts you can’t help but want to tell everyone you know.
Peacemaker
A twelve-year-old Iroquois boy searches for peace in this historical novel based on the creation of the Iroquois Confederacy.
The Story of the Amistad
This gripping, fast-paced book tells the dramatic story of the epic 1839 voyage of the schooner Amistad and her cargo of Africans bound for slavery in the New World.
Blood on the River
Twelve-year-old Samuel Collier lives as a lowly commoner on the streets of London. So, when he becomes the page of Captain John Smith and boards the Susan Constant, bound for the New World, he can’t believe his good fortune.
Fever 1793
During the summer of 1793, Mattie Cook lives above the family coffee shop with her widowed mother and grandfather. Mattie spends her days avoiding chores and making plans to turn the family business into the finest Philadelphia has ever seen. But then the fever breaks out.
The Trailblazing Life of Daniel Boone
During Daniel Boone's 86-year life, Colonial America is transformed into a revolutionary republic, trails morph into roads and highways, and Americans discover new ways to travel―by canal, and by steam-powered boats and trains.
The White House Is Burning
This "biography of a single day" captures the burning of the White House by the British during the War of 1812 from the viewpoint of the people who were there, including First Lady Dolley Madison, a British officer, and a nine-year-old slave.
Alamo All-Stars
Through his vivid depiction, additional maps, and biographies located in the back of the book, Nathan Hale brings new insight for students, teachers, and historians into one of the most iconic structures in the United States—The Alamo.
When the Watson family—ten-year-old Kenny, Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron—sets out on a trip south to visit Grandma in Birmingham, Alabama, they don’t realize that they’re heading toward one of the darkest moments in America’s history. The Watsons’ journey reminds us that even in the hardest times, laughter and family can help us get through anything.
Whittington
This Newbery-Honor winning tale introduces Whittington, a roughneck tomcat who arrives one day at a barn full of rescued animals and asks for a place there. This unforgettable tale shows healing, the transcendent power of storytelling, and how learning-to-read saves one little boy.
Our Only May Amelia
The beloved Newbery Honor book about a spirited heroine who grows up in trying circumstances, with a sense of adventure, and a tremendous heart. Pioneer life isn't easy in the state of Washington in 1899. It's particularly hard when you are the only girl born in the new settlement.
In From the Wright brothers' first flight and the First Russian Revolution to the horrors of war, to the development of motor and air travel and the birth of the digital revolution, the changes seen in the twentieth century were global in scope and monumental in terms of impact.
Hero of the Empire
This thrilling biographical account of the early life and legacy of Winston Churchill is a nail-biter and top-notch character study rolled into one.
The Blackbird Girls
On a spring morning, neighbors Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko wake up to an angry red sky. A reactor at the nuclear power plant where their fathers work—Chernobyl—has exploded. Before they know it, the two girls, who've always been enemies, find themselves on a train bound for Leningrad to stay with Valentina's estranged grandmother. In their new lives in Leningrad, they begin to learn what it means to trust another person.
My team and I are committed to continuing to bring you the best of the best literature for your children’s education. I hope these new titles make the world come alive for your students!
Each month the Sonlight team will choose a current family to highlight by sharing their #sonlightstories. If you’d like to shine a light on your family, apply here for a chance to be featured.
Meet the Martinez Family!
Sonlighters Gerard and Karen Martinez from Bellflower, California had planned to homeschool even before they had their two children: Joshua (15), Grace (13). When they found Sonlight, it was a perfect match! This year the kids are working through HBL 100 together, while Joshua is working on the College and Career Planning course.
Mom Karen is a former public school teacher, but the Lord put it on her heart that she could do so much more for her children if she homeschooled them. After creating their own preschool program, a friend recommended Sonlight. They began with Sonlight in 2014, and according to Karen, "Sonlight's curriculum is a huge blessing to our family. Having the Instructor’s Guides (IG) has helped me as a homeschooling mom by making everything easier and very accessible.”
"Rich in literature and Biblically based, Sonlight has been amazing during our homeschooling journey. We plan to use it all through our homeschooling years." Martinez Family
Homeschool Freedom
One of the beauties of homeschooling is that it can be tailored to a family’s individual needs. The Martinez children have excelled with homeschooling and love it because they have been able to go at their own pace. Dad Gerard adds that “Homeschooling sells itself to the kids. There are some topics that are harder but other areas where they excel. It’s nice not to be limited by the level of your classmates.”
“I think homeschool has brought out the best in our kids. When I look at how independent they are, they’re okay with being alone, totally cool with their own sense of style, and they’re not comparing themselves to anyone else. They’ve been able to find out and pursue their own passions.” - Karen Martinez
While Karen likes a good schedule, she has found they can be flexible with their days. This allows them an opportunity to explore new things and discover what they are passionate about learning. "Sonlight has helped tremendously with our family having the freedom to do what's necessary for each of our children to have the best education possible," she explains. The pandemic changed nothing for the Martinez family except that now Gerard works from home. They love being together as a family every day!
Homeschool Pursuits
When you’re homeschooled you don’t have to rush anything. Joshua and Grace are very self-motivated, and they prefer to learn on their own. They are developing skills that will carry them successfully into adulthood with their parents acting as a guide.
The family shares, "Joshua loves to write, and he’s writing a book. He writes short stories. He loves to read and devours books. Grace is extremely creative and loves art. She loves to work with clay. Sonlight has given us so many great books, and a whole world has been opened up to them."
Homeschool with Teens
Karen mentions, "The foundation that Sonlight has given my kids has transitioned us to middle school just fine." As the kids have become more independent, they go straight to their classroom area and dive into their work. They both work steadily through the day taking a break to fix themselves lunch. They know exactly what they need to accomplish each day.
Another Sonlight benefit is that the literature matures along with your children. The history becomes more challenging, and the Bible curriculum reinforces their faith and helps them dive deeper with the Lord. There are even books about dating. Karen loves that she didn’t have to determine everything needing to be taught. She orders Sonlight and is prepared to have enriching conversations with her kids.
Homeschool Literature Review
One of the best parts of Sonlight for the Martinez Family is the literature. They often let their grandmother borrow books because she wants to read the books they are talking about. "We love the literature!!! We can't pick a favorite book from our years with Sonlight.” Some of their favorites are included below:
“I make small tweaks sometimes, but it’s totally fine. I don’t regret homeschooling at all! I always tell people to go to sonlight.com. If there’s any gaps, Sonlight fills them in with multiple math options, language arts.” - Karen Martinez
You can learn more about the Martinez family’s Sonlight experience by listening to their full interview on the Sonlight Connections podcast.
Yes...you can homeschool through high school! Meet this year's bright, accomplished, servant-hearted Sonlight Scholarship winners. These exceptional Sonlight-educated students are poised to make a difference in the world. As the winners of our annual Sonlight scholarship competition, they have each been awarded $20,000, $10,000, or $4,000 for college.
Sonlight's 2022 Scholarship Winners
Many of these students have used Sonlight since they were young. They’re headed into promising careers in engineering, arts, medicine, and more. Most are headed to their college of choice, and many have superb SAT or ACT scores.
But they are also kind, big-hearted young adults. Through ministry and volunteerism, they live life with Jesus in their hearts and long to share God’s kingdom with the world.
$20,000 Scholarship Winner: Simon Ross of Rosamond, CA
Awarded $5,000 Per Year
Simon Ross of Rosamond, CA is a young man seeking to serve the Lord in all areas of life. “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21) has become a compass for his life’s roadmap. Opportunities for service have been major steps in this journey. Simon, an Eagle Scout, enjoys volunteering his time with the Scouting program by cleaning up the environment, collecting food for the hungry, and placing flags on Memorial Day. Gifted in the field of technology, he assists in producing and distributing his church’s livestream. These experiences, along with a love to design machines and create art, have drawn him to the field of engineering. Simon enjoys drawing, making circuits, programming, modifying airsoft guns, and designing and building large-scale projects. He hopes to be able to use these skills and hobbies to find an enjoyable job and support a family in the future. Simon is still deciding between attending Cedarville University or The United States Air Force Academy but is confident that God will guide him. This direction begins with a strong educational foundation. Using Sonlight since second grade has not only allowed him to excel on standardized tests such as the SAT but has also prepared him to succeed in whatever college path he chooses. None of this would have been possible without the excellent Sonlight curriculum. The education and spiritual guidance from the uplifting literature has helped set his life on the right track.
ShaunYamamoto of Houston, TXhas been homeschooled using Sonlight throughout his entire education. He is blessed to be admitted to several universities and plans to major in mechanical engineering. Shaun excels in STEM, and from a young age, math has been his favorite subject. Thanks to homeschooling, Shaun has been able to take his school along wherever his family travels. Because his father is a professor, his family lived abroad for several summers while his dad taught American students in foreign countries. Shaun thinks the best part of his history education was seeing what he was reading about in all those Sonlight books.
When he is not doing schoolwork, Shaun is busy volunteering as a leader at Awana, being active outdoors with his friends, or working at his home business repairing iPhones. Last summer, he worked as an engineering intern for a magnet company based in Austin, TX. During his junior year of high school, he received the Gold Congressional Award medal with more than 400 service hours doing volunteer work, including repairing flooded houses in Houston with organizations like SBP and Samaritan’s Purse and working in his community at his local library. Shaun enjoys snow skiing, mountain biking, and running a 5k. One of his favorite parts of biking is repairing and upgrading his mountain bike. When he is not working on his mountain bike, he is working on one of the family cars, repairing an iPhone, or building up a hobby-grade RC car. He even made an RC car with a functional butter churn in the back! Shaun is looking forward to God leading him to the right university to develop his gifts to serve others wherever God may lead.
Shaun Yamamoto
Sonja Dighe of San Francisco, CA, is a self-starter and entrepreneur with a future in business and marketing. Academically, Sonja is a high achiever and enjoys using the literary analysis, research, and critical thinking skills she learned through Sonlight curriculum in all her studies. She also shines in a variety of extracurricular activities, from playing alto saxophone in advanced band for several years to assistant directing her homeschool group’s Shakespeare plays. She is a confident and natural leader in her team as part of Odyssey of the Mind, a creative problem-solving competition, where her team has placed 12th worldwide as well as 1st several times at the state level.
In her free time, Sonja indulges her creative side, designing art pieces and costumes on a commission basis. Recently Sonja has taken steps to learn more about business through a marketing internship at a small tech start-up in the Bay Area and through attending a week-long business camp, where she acted as head of her group’s company and oversaw the development of a business plan and pitch deck to present to mock investors. Her team won first in the camp and Sonja was also awarded first prize for a speech she presented in the camp-wide speech contest. Sonja is looking forward to college and is eager to attend one of the nine top-tier schools to which she applied. She hopes to experience different cultures and make an impact on the world as an ambassador for Christ and for homeschooling!
Sonja Dighe
Hannah Moller is blessed to be a missionary kid in Malawi, Africa. With a strong interest in the domains of nutrition and dietetics, she was accepted into the University of Stellenbosch's dietetics degree. Hannah says, "I've been incredibly fortunate to witness God lead me to this purpose for my life. I hope to further glorify Him, through a career in dietetics."
Being a third-culture kid has given her the opportunity to witness first-hand several people groups, each with their own diets and culinary practices. Starting from the age of 12, she would volunteer at the local orphanage that served over a hundred young children. During this time, she was also involved in her parent’s projects, such as literacy programs, children’s camps, and famine outreach in rural areas. The people group that her family works with - the Yawo, are subsistence farmers who frequently face hunger and nutritional imbalances. Hannah believes that a degree in dietetics is a much-needed area of knowledge for communities like the Yawo and others in third-world countries around the world.
"As a missionary kid, I have grown up to really appreciate the incredible Christians who pursue God's calling and come to places like Malawi seeking to broaden His kingdom," says Hannah. "I believe that throughout my own life, God has been opening doors and leading me to this same calling. I hope that in my future I too will get the chance to extend God’s love with the countries and cultures where I grew up," she further explains.
Overall, wherever God places Hannah, she hopes to continue to seek and glorify him while also improving the area's nutritional health. But most of all, she's excited to discover and embrace the plans that God has for her.
Hannah Moller
Naomi Hochstedler was born to a Brazilian mother and a Canadian father, and when she was four, moved to the city of São Paulo in Brazil, to serve children and families at risk. She has been homeschooled with Sonlight all the way through school and absolutely loves the books. When her middle sibling, Kaleb, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2018, homeschooling allowed her family to journey very closely together. Her brother was later diagnosed with a second, very rare cancer and passed away in May of 2020. "Throughout this journey, God has taught me so much and kept true to His promise: I will never leave you nor forsake you," shares Naomi.
Naomi grew up riding horses and has competed in showjumping throughout the past five years. Creating holds a special place in her heart – she loves painting, drawing, sewing, creative writing, and more. Sailing and First LEGO League (robotics) have taught her to think on her feet and work cohesively with a team. Choir, drama, public speaking, and mock trial have given her experience in front of an audience and working with different forms of public speaking.
Throughout her time as a missionary kid, she has served in different ministerial capacities such as service and maintenance, sports outreach with children, teaching Sunday School, and assisting a child with down syndrome in Junior Church. One thing she loves about working with children is that no matter what she teaches, she always comes away having learned something from them.
Naomi will spend her freshman year at Rosedale Bible College. After that, she plans to transfer to another university or college to complete a degree. Uncertain of what degree she'd like to pursue, Naomi wants it to be something that will equip her to either manage and organize people or teach and work with children. "I want it to be something versatile that would pair well with motherhood, as I would love to one day have my own children and homeschool them," declares Naomi.
Naomi Hochstedler
$4,000 Scholarship Winners: Juliana Yoder, Samantha Roth, Luke Becker, Gabriella Fields, Wynn Oakley, Braeden Geist, Kelton Cochran, and Thaddaeus Christensen
Awarded $1,000 Per Year
Juliana Yoder
Juliana Yoder of Hartville, OH is described by her youth pastor as “mission-minded, creative, and extremely kind. She has incredible artistic abilities as well, such as writing, music, and artwork.” She has also grown in her drawing and design skills and through a CCP class project, she solidified her desire to pursue a career in graphic design.
Juliana transitioned from public school to homeschooling with Sonlight in 3rd grade and she adapted wonderfully because she loved reading. Over the years her family moved to different countries but through the books that she read for school Juliana saw other families doing the same thing and she threw herself into learning the culture and language, making new friends, and helping her brothers navigate life in new places. Juliana is a self-motivated learner, and this was seen in her desire to study Latin starting at age 10 “because it would help me learn other languages,” she exclaims.
Juliana has taken piano, violin, guitar, and singing lessons over the years and she enjoys being on the worship team at her church. Juliana’s love for animals (specifically horses) and desire to serve others led her to volunteer for several years at an equine therapy program and participate in equestrian vaulting classes. Her coach has high praise for her leadership abilities, “Juliana has shown leadership in mentoring newer and/or younger members of the vaulting team and encourages them to do their best with patience and kindness.”
From living in another culture to understanding what being part of a church and community means, Juliana’s life has never been short of learning, growing experiences. She believes college will equip her with the training and skills needed to pursue what the Lord is calling her to do. After attending Rosedale Bible College for one year, Juliana plans to attend Kent State University (KSU) to obtain a BFA in visual communication design.
Samantha Roth
Samantha Roth of Earlham, IA, has used Sonlight since preschool. She has excelled academically and is a member of the National Home School Honor Society. She credits Sonlight’s literature-based curriculum with cultivating her love of stories and inspiring her to start writing. She has completed a novel and a novella, pitched her novel at a writers’ conference, and is excited for the publication of her first article in the summer of 2022. Samantha is a gifted writer who dreams of using her talents to glorify God and serve others. She says, “I want my imagination to be dedicated to Jesus and pray that He will lead me to ‘take captive every thought’ (2 Corinthians 10:5).”
Through Young Patriots Club, a local ministry, Samantha joined other youth in supporting and uplifting veterans, members of the military, and first responders. As a Youth Leader, she helped younger members to learn songs, speeches, and poems for performances. Along with starting an art and writing contest, she co-wrote a script that was performed during the club’s annual Hearts for Heroes program. During the Military Tribute Concert at the Iowa State Fair, Samantha had the honor of leading the children’s choir in reciting a poem that she wrote.
Samantha also enjoys leading worship and serving others at her church. She loves volunteering during Vacation Bible School and helping children to learn more about Jesus. Her pastor says, “Samantha is a pleasure to work with because her humble and positive attitude makes being around her easy and enjoyable.”
After graduation, Samantha plans to study marketing and creative writing at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul. As an aspiring author, she desires to bring quality fantasy books to youth.
Lukas Becker
Lukas Becker of Boyceville, Wisconsin has used Sonlight for as long as he can remember. His family chose homeschooling with Sonlight because of their constant moving in the military. He has been involved in his local school’s Science Olympiad since 8th grade and has scored in the top six at the state tournament multiple times. He received a 35 on his ACT and scored highest on English and Reading. He is currently dual-enrolled at his local university, UW Stout. His favorite class is Calculus. Every Wednesday he volunteers at his church’s AWANA ministry, and every now and then he helps out in the nursery as well. He is also active in his church’s youth group. He plans to pursue his passionate interest in politics, economics, and theology at Hillsdale College in Michigan, with a major in Political Economics. Once he graduates, he will do whatever God calls him to do and go wherever God calls him to go, with his highest priority being the fulfillment of the Great Commission. In his spare time, he reads Star Wars books, listens to theology debates on YouTube, and tunes in to the Ben Shapiro Show. Soli Deo gloria.
Gabriella Fields
Gabriella Fields of Key West, FL grew up in a military family and has used Sonlight all over the USA, including in both the largest and smallest states and most recently the southernmost point. Very self-motivated, she has taught herself to play the ukulele, sketch, and crochet, and she enjoys blessing family and friends with handmade gifts.
Gabriella has been a dedicated member of American Heritage Girls (AHG) for the last eight years. From serving as the Girl Shepherd to designing and publishing a monthly newsletter and coordinating flag ceremonies, Gabriella has volunteered in many leadership roles in her troop and has led multiple events and service projects. She is currently working to earn the highest award achievable in AHG, the Stars and Stripes award.
Gabriella has the heart to serve others and has volunteered for many different places in her community, including a community garden, a Mothers of Preschoolers group, and the Montgomery Zoo. She currently volunteers at the local sailing center and is also pursuing a sailing instructor certification.
Being from a Coast Guard family, Gabriella has taken the Coast Guard motto “Semper Paratus” (Always Ready) to heart and works to be ready for whatever God has in store for her future. While she currently plans to pursue a mechanical engineering degree, she is always open for God to direct her life as He sees fit. Ultimately, Gabriella seeks to serve God, her family, and her community while working to be ready for God’s plan for her future.
Wynn Oakley
Wynn Oakley of Jackson, MS has used Sonlight as the core of his entire academic career. Wynn scored a perfect score on the AP U.S. History exam as well as being named a National Merit Finalist based on his outstanding PSAT scores. In addition to Sonlight, Wynn has participated in several homeschool co-op classes with his peers—including the Starkville Homeschool Music Co-operative where Wynn has played euphonium for eight years.
Wynn has used his musical abilities to serve his church and community. He is a member of the brass ensemble, the student choir, and the youth group worship ensemble at First Presbyterian Church of Jackson and was selected to several Honor Bands around the state.
Wynn has also served as a leader in Trail Life USA where he enjoys teaching the younger boys to enjoy all things camping and outdoors. For the last eight years, Wynn has served as a volunteer for the local relay center of Operation Christmas Child—where he now helps to train other volunteers. Wynn serves as a member of the Mississippi Children's Museum President's Leadership Circle, where he holds the office of President. He has also been able to serve as a page for the Speaker of the House of the Mississippi House of Representatives for three years.
Wynn has been accepted into the College of Veterinary Medicine Early Entry Program at Mississippi State University, where he plans to pursue an undergraduate degree in biochemistry before attending vet school. He hopes to one day work as a small-animal vet in Mississippi, loving and serving the needs of the people in his community.
Braeden Geist
Braeden Geist of New London, OH has used Sonlight since he became a homeschooler in 2nd grade. He has been taking college courses since his freshman year of high school. Braeden has also run cross country and track since he was in 7th grade and has competed at the State Championship cross country meet twice. Braeden earned Academic All-Ohio on both occasions. He is active in his church and youth group, serving on his church’s Youth Ministry and Leadership team. He is a former 4-H member of 7 years, serving as his club treasurer on multiple occasions.
Braeden plans to attend college in pursuit of a Computer Science degree, though he has not yet decided on his college. He dreams to one day pursue a job in a sports-related industry, whether that is for a professional league or team, or with an affiliated field such as fantasy sports.
Justus Cochran
K. Justus Cochran of Senoia, GA has used Sonlight since he was in 1st grade. In addition to multiple dual enrollment classes his senior year, Justus still chose to complete “one more core” with Sonlight because he didn’t want to miss the books he would get to read! Justus has lived overseas and in four different states during his homeschool years. He has grown in character through these challenges to be someone a supervisor describes as having a “cheerful attitude, a willingness to serve, and engagement to get a task done well.” He is a friend to everyone he meets; showing grace, kindness, and commitment to them.
In his local church, Justus serves regularly in the nursery, as a greeter, during workdays, as well as helping with events. He also serves with Vacation Bible School, volunteers with the preschoolers at his church’s homeschool co-op, and will serve with a team at an orphanage in the Dominican Republic this summer. Justus has also taken the opportunity to volunteer as a day camp counselor at both Winshape and Connect Camps during the summer. He’s been active in Civil Air Patrol as a basic airman and played varsity baseball where he was awarded the Most Christlike Award by his coach for always being ready to pray, encourage, and lead the other young men on the team.
While Sonlight has supported Justus in being a successful self-taught student, he has also applied that discipline and passion to music. He taught himself to play the acoustic and electric guitars, the ukulele, and basic piano theory. While he enjoys volunteering with kids in his church and community, his passion is mostly in leading worship. He has been given the opportunity to serve in the youth worship band, as well as to lead worship for the families in his small group.
Justus has been a faithful part-time employee throughout his high school years, but always finds time to participate in small group Bible studies, one-on-one accountability, and service projects for other families. Justus hopes to attend Covenant College in the fall and study either engineering or computer science with a minor in music. While his primary life goal is to have a career that provides for his future family, he also hopes to grow in the knowledge and skills to write music that will glorify the Lord and edify the local church.
Thaddaeus Christensen
Thaddaeus Christensen of Buford, WY grew up in a rural community and has used Sonlight from K-12. Thaddaeus’ mechanical aptitude was evident from an early age, and he enjoyed the hands-on learning activities afforded by homeschooling. Combining his Sonlight education and his family’s ranching lifestyle, he was able to fully develop this passion (winning the American Meteorological Society Certificate of Outstanding Achievement for his engineering project) and plans to continue to do so by pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering.
Thaddaeus has helped with youth in the bus ministry at his local church and in the local 4-H program. These two programs have given him an insight into many different social circles, and he plans to continue to seek out opportunities to work with youth. He sees the need in many young peoples’ lives for the Lord and the necessity of doing all things as unto Him. He plans to continue to use his investigative nature while pursuing his engineering degree and use the opportunities to share the wonderful good news of Jesus Christ.
Could Your Young Learner Win a Sonlight Scholarship?
From preschool through high school graduation, Sonlight prepares your students. We have the big picture in mind, and we help you raise students prepared to launch into any career God calls them to. We share your desire to help your children succeed, and we’ll walk alongside to help you create the long-term educational experience you envision.
Each year, our charitable foundation offers a number of college scholarships, ranging from $4,000 to $20,000, spread over four years. Each year, the Sonlight Foundation offers the following scholarships:
$5,000 per year
$2,500 per year
$1,000 per year
We offer scholarships on two tracks: one emphasizes academics, and the other creativity, mission-mindedness, and service. Got a perfect score on the SAT? Got average test scores, but served overseas during summer vacation for the last three years? In either case, you may qualify.
The Sonlight Foundation recognizes that academic giftedness is only one type of giftedness. If your student is gifted in academics, service, music, art, or has a heart for missions, we encourage you to submit an application.
Each month the Sonlight team will choose a current family to highlight by sharing their #sonlightstories. If you’d like to shine a light on your family, apply here for a chance to be featured.
Meet the Davis Family!
Sonlighters Elizabeth and Matt Davis from Midland, Texas have found their rhythm with literature-rich curriculum for their 4 daughters: Anne (10), Grace (8), Jane (6), and Mary (4).
Mom Elizabeth is a former teacher and found Math-U-See and Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Lessons to kick off their homeschool journey with their oldest in 2017. Because of their success, the Davis family continued with Sonlight and worked their way through Sonlight’s B, C, D, E, and are currently schooling F together this year.
"I was a public school teacher for 11 years. I have a masters in education and went to public schools, so I never thought I would homeschool. When my husband was starting his business, it was a very busy time for our family. We realized that if we enrolled our girls in a school, we maybe wouldn’t see him for 8 months a year, and this was not an option for us." - Elizabeth Davis
Homeschool Hits the Road
Because Matt’s career leads him across the country, homeschooling allows the family to pick up and go with him on a moment's notice. “Our lifestyle simply does not work without homeschool. What started out as a family necessity has turned into the best blessing."
Travel is really important to the Davis family. In the past year, they have been to 23 different states. Seeing new places is part of their family culture.
Elizabeth states, "As far as travel goes, that is another reason I love Sonlight. It's not heavy textbooks but novels. Each of the girls have their backpacks that they fill with school items like math and language arts. I bring the history, science, and Read-alouds in my backpack. That’s how Sonlight rolls!"
“Homeschooling is a part of our family identity now.”
Typical Homeschool Day
With 4 active daughters under the age of 10, having a strong family rhythm and routine is crucial for the Davis’. They choose to school on a 4-day schedule and find a block schedule system which helps keep them on track. Sonlight has helped established the Davis family rhythm with everything they with the easy-to-use and fully prepped materials.
"Sonlight saved me. I’m a Type A person and thought I knew about curriculum and schooling. I could see that I would spend hours planning our week if I didn’t have those Instructor’s Guides I can trust. It keeps me from being super legalistic and to rest in grace with the knowledge that this stuff is great. I don’t have to obsess about it and can do other things. Everything is coordinated so beautifully that it’s exactly what I wanted. I could have spent hours on Pinterest trying to coordinate things, but that’s not necessary, " says Elizabeth.
Davis Family Sonlight Recommendations
Although the family says there hasn’t been “a bad apple” in the Sonlight book collection, here are a few of their favorite reads:
“Sonlight THANK YOU for helping me lay a feast before my children of ideas, experiences, and introducing them to saints and heroes that give them courage to live lives of faith. We are Sonlighters for good!” - Elizabeth
You can learn more about the Davis family’s Sonlight experience by listening to their full interview on the Sonlight Connections podcast.
