I grew up on Sonlight, so the study of history never felt like I was studying history. We read great books that seamlessly wove history and fun together. It wasn't until my public high school experience that I even consciously recognized History as a school subject. But suddenly it was a subject unto itself and, worse yet, it was boring.

I mean, they tried. They really did.

In high school, they had us debate how the US should respond to the Cuban Missile Crisis. My side won and we nuked 'em--much to our teacher's dismay. In college, my US History professor was wheeled into class dressed like FDR. But that's about all I remember from those classes. Well, I also distinctly remember that I learned how much I hated history classes.

Sonlight pioneered, and continues to champion, a completely different way of studying history. Sonlight's literature-rich approach to learning is as fantastic as it is fun. Literature-based learning removes the boring side of history class--memorization of names and dates you'll just have to look up later... if you care at all--with the important parts: Why people did what they did.

Because, really, the purpose of studying history is not to remember the names and dates of stuff that happened, but to--hopefully--learn from what has happened before so we can make better choices today and in the future. And that's the part of history that's fascinating and fun. I love reading stories of the Sonlight students who one day are told that all the reading they're doing together is part of school. "That's school?" they ask, incredulous. "That's not school! That's fun!"

There's no better way to learn.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

P.S. If you're already familiar with WWII, you may find the following "Facebook adaptation" as funny as I did (NB: some swearing & dirty comments): WWII on FACEBOOK!

Mrs. C

Sonlight's curriculum packages are ideal for combining students of multiple ages. In fact, Sonlight has produced materials on combining Cores for multiple students again and again and again and... well... again.

But you don't have time to listen to two hour long podcasts on the subject right now, do you? [Part 1, Part 2] If you don't, I've tried to synthesize the process of choosing the right Sonlight Core(s) for your students down to two simple steps with one of four approaches.

To begin, you could just grab the Core that has a level that corresponds to your student's grade. But over half of the people who responded to a recent query said they use a Core at least one level below their child's grade. Since Sonlight's Cores are robust and work for a span of ages, you may do well with a Core a level below your students' grade. So... how do you decide which program is right for your family?

It is important to remember, as you consider your options, that Sonlight's homeschool programs will take you through the span of history a full three times:

Sonlight's Cores Cover the Span of History 3 Times

With that in mind...

1. Decide what part of history you want to cover.

Did you just finish a year of American history? If so, you may not want to repeat that. So find a Core that covers World History.

2. Decide which of the following methods you want to use:

4 Ways to Pick the Right Sonlight Core for Your Students

1. Pick a Core that fits your Oldest student and supplement for the younger
2. Pick a Core that fits your Youngest student and supplement for the older
3. Pick a Core that falls toward the middle of your students and tweak where needed
4. Pick two "complementary" Cores which cover the same period of history but at different depths appropriate for your students

I know what you're thinking:

'Well, of course those are my options! My question is: Which is right for my family and how do I actually decide that?'

Since each family is different, I can't give you a more specific answer in a general blog post. But I can point you to those who can help you figure it out:

The Sonlight Choosing Forum is an excellent resource for finding the right homeschool program for your family. Glean the wisdom of families who have been there and done that.

And Sonlight Advisors are an incredible resource if you want to chat with someone one-on-one about the options you are considering.

If you've combined multiple students with Sonlight, how did you go about doing it?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

...and how we handle problems.

Out here, in the quiet of the night, we sit. It's 10:30 and the clock is ticking past my bedtime. Our hushed voices are interrupted now and again by a screaming child a few houses down the street. The moon hasn't risen yet, but my porch light illuminates the grass. We tear at it impatiently, letting it's thin green blades slip through our fingers. We're talking.

We've been talking. Two hours into our conversation and we're still not getting anywhere.

My friend is in pain and I do not have the means to bandage his soul.

So we talk, as friends do.

My heart breaks every time I hear of someone who does not have a close friend and confidant. I've been then and it's hard. Unfortunately, homeschooling parents can find themselves far away from a support network. There are some times when even bloggy friends just can't quite cut it. I think we come to depend, in many ways, on our friends, and when we don't have one the world begins to break apart.

There are certainly other dependencies... like alcohol. [NB: Video contains a very mild profanity and mention of inappropriate activities. If you would not find that funny, you may want to skip this one. ...I, for the record, laughed.]

Another tendency is to find a group of like-minded people with whom you can complain. This is very different from a friend who may smack you upside the head when you need it. In these gatherings, the idea is to commiserate and reinforce your perspective ...even if it's wrong. [NB: The following video contains swearing] This video from The Onion--a satire "news" organization--demonstrates group complaining very well. Unfortunately, they do so with the frequent use of four-letter words. You have been warned! [Again: If you won't find it funny, please don't watch it.]

Who, or what, do you depend on to get you through the difficult times?

Is there anything my small group here at Sonlight can pray with you about? Remember, if you'd rather not post a public comment, feel free to email me: [email protected]

Whether you were up late last night talking through some difficult situation in your life or you got 12 hours of sleep, I pray you were able to rest in the new mercies of God today... even if you had trouble keeping your eyes open now and again. <cough>

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Some days I sit in front of my empty blog post, my mind as empty as the text area. What should I write about?

If you're suffering from a similar situation, I suggest you blog about your favorite Sonlight book. Talk about what you love about the book. And be sure to include links to it and mention your Rewards ID so people have the opportunity to save $5 on their first purchase and you earn points toward your next purchase too.

Sweet deal!

My favorite Sonlight book? It's a toss-up between Till We Have Faces and The Gammage Cup.^*

Till We Have Faces is an incredible look at the injustice of God and provides new insight into the book of Job. Why does God not answer us? Why does He seem to purposely mislead us? Why doesn't He give us what we long for? Why does it seem like He's toying with us? What if we could put God on trial for every wrong and incongruity in our lives? What would He say? If you've ever had the thought that you could really "stick it to God"--and I certainly have--this book is an important one to read. The answer may not be what we want, but Till We Have Faces presents the tension beautifully.

The Gammage Cup is less serious, but no less insightful. Full of wordplay and lovable characters, this adventure story has it all: outcasts shunned for being different, an invading evil horde, a hot air balloon, swords, spears, suspense and, yes, even romance that left this man grinning ear to ear.

So what's your favorite book? Go forth and write! And don't forget to include your Rewards ID.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

^*Of course, we all know that my favorite Sonlight title is Time for Friends... but that was too self-serving to mention. <grin>

Hi, just wondering how you can label yourself as a "Christian homeschool provider" when you sell read-alouds with dragons and wizards in them? In the Bible we are told that the dragon is Satan (Revelation 12:9), and we are not to make our son or our daughters to pass through these things--including wizards, witches, etc (Deut 18:10-12, Isaiah 8:19-20). I couldn't possibly purchase a program KNOWING there are books feeding my precious children with such demonic aspects.

Thanks for writing! From the sounds of it, Sonlight may not be a good fit for you and your family. If you haven't already, I recommend you read through the 27 Reasons NOT to Buy Sonlight and Why Sonlight Uses Certain Books that Some Homeschoolers Won't Touch. Those two articles will give you a little more insight into where we are coming from. However, they do not address your specific concerns, and I'd like to do that.

You are absolutely correct that in Scripture dragons are associated with evil, though "dragon" is used to describe Nebuchadrezzar and Pharaoh, not just Satan himself. Now consider: God allowed His people to be subject to both Nebuchadrezzar and Pharaoh... so in a very real sense, God allow His people to be enslaved by these "dragons."

To my understanding, passing through the fire is a reference to sacrificing children to Molech. The rest of the passages you reference talk about not going to witches and wizards for divination. I do not find where these passages say we should avoid all reference or interaction with them. In high school, I knew several Wiccans. While I never participated in any of their witchcraft, I did speak to them and did my best to be their friend. But my personal experience has less to do with Sonlight than the actual content of our books.

Sonlight carries many missionary biographies which do often contain descriptions of witchcraft, shamanism and demonic practices. But the goal is not to feed these ideas to your children, but rather show how the forces of evil are very real in this world and that Christ has overcome them and offers so much more.

With all that as background, I'd like to finally respond to your question:

Followers of God have, throughout history, had to live with/under/next to "dragons," witches, wizards and demonic activity. Sonlight seeks to, among a great many other things, help us as followers of Christ see how He would want us to deal with these forces and those who attempt to wield them. In that sense, Sonlight is perhaps the best Christian homeschool curriculum to use.

But the specific title you allude to doesn't actually have anything to do with any of that. I believe My Father's Dragon is about ingenuity, creativity, caring for the oppressed and using one's resources wisely. The dragon is--at most--the catalyst for the tale. It is not a "Biblical dragon" but rather a mythical creature in need.

Again: It sounds like Sonlight may not be right for your family, and I completely agree that you--as a parent--need to decide what is right for your child based on your understanding of them.

I would be happy to chat about this with you further if you still have concerns or questions, and I wish you all the best in your homeschooling endeavors.

~Luke

Here at Sonlight we get questions every now again about the content of the books we carry--often The Wizard of Oz and The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Do you ever get questions about the content you teach in your home?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester

Every semester started with exactly the same feeling: Panic.

Had I had my own copy of The Hitchhikers Guide the Galaxy, perhaps I would have remembered not to panic. Sadly, I didn't. So I did.

'How am I going to get through all this?' I'd bemoan to myself. 'It's so much work. I should just give up now. I'll never make it. All is lost.' ...thankfully, Coldplay was big then so I could at least sing along in a falsetto (starting at 3:20) when I was feeling particularly overwhelmed.

Falsetto always makes me feel better.

Somehow, after a few months, I'd find myself in the swing of things again. College wasn't that hard. In fact, aside from the few boring classes and the homework, it was fantastic!

All that to say: That feeling of panic you get right when you're starting your year? That overwhelming sense of dread that creeps up your spine looking at the tome of your Instructor's Guide? That pounding in the chest? ...yep, that's all totally normal.

I didn't know that. I thought, since as a Sonlight kid life was mostly just great books and good times, somehow this feeling of doom at the start of a non-homeschool school year had something to do with my inability to make it "in the real world."

I was wrong.

It's normal, when contemplating a year's worth of material, to feel discouraged. If you felt like you could do it all today, then it probably wouldn't be worth much. So whenever the overwhelming feeling hits you, take a breath.

Don't panic.

And if all else fails: Sing something at the top of your lungs in falsetto.

If that doesn't help, perhaps you just need to talk it out with someone in the Sonlight community or with an Advisor.

How has the start of the year been for you thus far?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester