One of the fantastic benefits of homeschooling with Sonlight is having year-long access to a team of Sonlight Advisors. These experienced homeschool moms have walked the road before you and can offer support, encouragement, and wisdom.
Communicating with Sonlight Advisors Is the Best Way to Get your Questions Answered
If you’re new to Sonlight, the Advisors can help with:
Making sure Sonlight is the best fit for your family
When I decided to homeschool a few years ago, I really struggled to wrap my mind around how to teach my third and fifth grader together. In my mind they needed completely separate curriculums just like their private school experience for the past few years. I called a Sonlight Advisor, and she explained in detail how exactly I could combine both girls in one HBL. She was patient, thorough, and understanding, and I gained so much more confidence after our conversation.
Maybe you’re in the middle of your school year, and a homeschooling question comes up. Sonlight Advisors can also offer advice on:
Navigating difficult seasons of homeschooling
Adapting Sonlight materials to your specific children
Balancing homeschooling with other areas of your life
Whether you want to walk through your child’s long-term educational goals or just need a like-minded friend to pray with, the Sonlight Advisors are an invaluable resource.
Be Wary of Seeking Advice from the Wrong Places
There are several Facebook groups geared directly toward moms homeschooling with Sonlight that can be great for general discussion and fellowship. However, when it comes to choosing curriculum or other specific Sonlight-related questions, these Facebook groups aren’t the best place to find answers.
For example, maybe instead of asking a Sonlight Advisor, I asked a Sonlight Facebook group which HBL I should choose when I decided to homeschool my third and fifth grader. Chances are that I would have received lots of different responses that may have confused me even more! While it can be helpful to hear what others are doing, their suggestions won’t always translate well to your own context.
However, when you talk with a Sonlight Advisor, she can help you narrow your options based on your own family, the learning styles of your kids, and your overall lifestyle. She will take the time to get to know you, and that will make all the difference in choosing the right curriculum for your family.
The reality is that strangers in Facebook groups may enjoy having a platform to share their own experiences more than really having the answers you’re looking for. They also aren’t always up to date on all of the latest changes at Sonlight, and most are still learning themselves since they’re in the middle of their homeschool journeys.
On the other hand, Sonlight Advisors have the advantage of being veteran homeschool moms who are trained to be thoroughly versed in the ever-evolving curriculum. They are also unbiased, and their primary goal is to simply help you come to a resolution.
Don’t Rely on your Own Research Alone
Homeschooling can be lonely at times, and it’s easy to stress over curriculum choices. I have personally spent way too much time reading message boards and social media posts trying to find answers to my questions. This is the exact reason that the Sonlight Advisors exist. In just minutes, they will answer your questions, help you feel connected with a larger Sonlight community, and encourage you as you forge ahead.
One of the things that we love about our catalog is that we get to feature real photos—and stories—of our customers. Thank you to all of the families who shared #sonlightstories for the 2021 photo contest! And congratulations to the three winners featured below!
WINNER: The C Family, Sonlighters from Orland Park, IL
In this picture, Luke (10), Levi (8) and Graham (4) enjoy Sonlight reading time in hammocks.
This is our first year of homeschooling and my children have really fallen in love with reading because of the wonderful literature we have received through Sonlight. When the weather is nice, we tie our hammocks to the trees in our backyard and do our reading time outside. We all love it!
We have grown so much as a family through our time in God's word using Sonlight and all of the amazing literature we have been exposed to. Our favorite time of the day is when we all sit together for History / Bible / Literature and learn about the past together through a Christian worldview. My boys have been inspired by the stories of the missionaries we have read about and we have prayed daily for countries we learned about in Window on the World. My boys have also devoured all of the great Readers this year and asked for more. They have truly developed a love of reading on their own that they did not have before homeschooling with Sonlight. We are so lucky to have picked this homeschool curriculum!
The C Family, Sonlighters from Orland Park, IL
WINNER: The H Family, Sonlighters from Las Vegas, NV
This is Zeke, 7, working on his copywork, taking a break from being at the table.
Zeke is the fourth, and last, of my kids to be homeschooled so it's nice he can go and work quietly on something while I'm helping one of his siblings! I actually did a mix of History / Bible / Literature A and History / Bible / Literature B with him this year because he's really excelled at reading! I love that about homeschooling... that I can have the freedom and capability to school my kids at their individual level!
The H Family, Sonlighters from Las Vegas, NV
WINNER: The D Family, Sonlighters from Roseau, MN
Bringing the classroom outdoors on a beautiful day, dad is reading Johnny Appleseed to the five D family children.
With all the COVID-19 restrictions, we decided to homeschool for the first time this year. Many homeschooling friends strongly recommended Sonlight and they were so right!
There are many things to love about this homeschool curriculum. First and foremost, Sonlight centers on the Bible as the source of all truth and approaches teaching with this worldview.
The detailed organization of weekly lesson plans and notes for each book in the Instructor's Guide was so helpful and a time saver. The quality and content of the books are phenomenal! We loved the Read-Alouds as much as our children did. Lastly, the ability to incorporate many age levels into the same subject matter made it a perfect choice for our family.
We were apprehensive starting out this year, having never homeschooled before, but Sonlight curriculum was a fantastic choice and we give it five out of five stars!
The D Family, Sonlighters from Roseau, MN
Thanks again for making this year's photo contest a success. Keep sharing your #sonlightstories year-round! We love your Box Day photos, your day-to-day experiences, and the end-of-the-year #sonlightstack shots of all you've accomplished.
Use the #sonlightstories hashtag when you share on social media.
You can also log into your account on sonlight.com anytimeto upload both images and testimonials. You never know when something you submitted may appear in a catalog, on our homepage, or on the Sonlight blog
When this family started homeschooling overseas, they never imagined how switching to a literature-based curriculum would not only solve their worksheet burnout but also build a portable library, strengthen family bonds, and help their Third Culture Kids develop a biblical worldview and heart for the world.
My youngest child was born right after I turned 41. I was ecstatic but a little scared—“I’m going to get old when he’s growing up,” I fretted. But with three other kids (12, 10, 5 then) to homeschool, I was busy and couldn’t stop to ponder. Baby just got dragged along to all the kids’ activities. “I’ll deal with that old age thing when I get there,” I thought.
Well, I’m there, and apparently it is time to think about it.
My oldest son has his college degree, is married, and lives nearby. Child #2 graduated from college last year. Child #3 is headed off to college in another state in August. That leaves me looking at the caboose, who turned 13 this week. Back when he was about five years old, he suddenly seemed to realize that I was older than other moms with kids his age. He asked me, quite reasonably, “Mom, when I grow up, will you be dead?” I assured him that I wasn’t that old, and that I would most likely still be alive.
And Then There Was One
Fall of 2021 will be the first time since 1998 that my husband and I will have just one child living at home. Much to my son’s relief, I am still alive at 54, and this will be the first time since 2001 that I will be homeschooling just one child. This should be a piece of cake, right?
But this menopausal mom is no longer sure. So much has changed in the past 20 years. I work part-time. Covid-19 has changed the landscape for all of us in the past year. The internet has changed, the Sonlight History / Bible / Literature selections have changed. I am weary.
So here are five things I am pondering for the duration of this homeschool journey.
1. I can change everything. Or not.
Because of the cost of homeschooling curriculum, we bought and used one HBL at each level and used it again with every child, sometimes bringing in additional books Sonlight added. We did the same with Saxon math. But now with just one child left, I plan to peruse Sonlight’s newer offerings and see about swapping to some new things. The new-to-me History of Science J History / Bible / Literature might be a good fit, for example.
Now that we have done three different routes to post-homeschooling success for the older kids, we can see which of those options, or something else, best fits the youngest.
I will staunchly hold on to our HBL routine as this has been the central piece of our homeschooling, with science, language arts, math, and everything else orbiting around. But we have time to read even more now!
2. I’m paying more attention to math.
Math is not my forte, so this is an area where I feel I dropped the ball with my older kids because I just didn’t do the one-on-one with them required including algebra and higher. Because of this, they all struggled at some time or another feeling inadequate mathematically. The three older kids have all passed the required math to get their college degrees, so God is good, but I am doing better with the youngest by doing more daily checking and working out issues together.
3. We’ll try the famously undone things.
Although we have done lots of great field trips and travel over the years, we will be able to do much more with just one child in tow. I just couldn’t always afford entry for four kids and an adult or two to some activity, so we had to ration our experiences.
Child #4 will get to a lot of these undone things—more museums, concerts, travel, and experiences. He and I are forming a bucket list of everything from National Parks, more science experiments, experiences (like rock climbing lessons), and more Sonlight books that have been added in recent years.
4. I can enjoy it differently this time.
A lot of my past homeschool years are a wonderful blur of Sonlight, AWANA, church, music lessons, youth groups, 4-H, group classes, science fairs, and such for all the kids, but much of that time felt chaotic. I remember once during my morning read-aloud to the kids and I suddenly realized I had “lost” the baby, who had just learned to crawl. I panicked and almost shouted at the kids, “Where is the baby?” They wryly responded, “Mom, you’re nursing him.” Lo and behold, baby was on my lap nursing while I was reading aloud. I was an exhausted mom.
We are much less busy now, I haven’t lost a child in a long time, and Child #4 has a much less stressed-out-about-the-kids teacher. There were so many times I worried over whether my children would
learn to read
get through algebra
do well on the SAT
get into college
grow up to be responsible adults
and [insert typical homeschool mom worries here]
Yet it all turned out well.
These days #4 is the only child who needs much of my time, so we talk a lot about what we read, hear, see, do, and think about. We aren’t in a hurry much, and we like to go for walks or visit our local botanical gardens and nurseries. He tags along on errands and we listen to music and talk about Star Wars, or literary tropes like the tragic hero, or the number of Teslas he counts as we drive. We were working on our summer read-aloud wish list tonight, including some James Herriot and The Perilous Gard by the author of our beloved The Sherwood Ring.
5. I want to finish well.
A year ago, I was unsure of what was ahead. I wasn’t sure I could continue homeschooling, not feeling up to the task. I have asked God for guidance. While no flashing lights have appeared or any voice from heaven has boomed out, I feel firmly that it is what we are going to do. I trust God will provide the ability, the strength, and the direction.
Twenty years down. Just six to go. At this point in my life, I realize that we don’t have to homeschool. We get to homeschool.
Dr. Suess probably said it best: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Studies have shown that reading is a keystone skill that will help kids succeed academically and vocationally.
The University of Nevada in a 2010 study found that having access to books at home was as important to a child’s educational success as was their parents’ education level.
Another study published in Pediatricsshowed that reading aloud to children promoted their brain development in regards to language and literacy.
Sadly, fewer children are reading books as the digital world competes for their time. The APA estimated in 2018, that fewer than 20% of teenagers in 2018 were reading a book daily, while the same teens were spending up to six hours a day in the digital world, texting, gaming, and engaging with social media. The trends are concerning, to say the least. How can parents get their children off of their screens and into a book?
1. Make Reading Its Own Reward
I recently read an article in Focus on the Family magazine that demonstrated how not to motivate your child to read. In the article, a mom is trying to get her teenage son to read a book using extrinsic rewards (in this case, time on his phone.) The exchange goes something like this:
Mom: "No, you can't have your phone until you finish that chapter."
Son: "But, mom, it will take forever! Come on! This is so unfair."
Mom: (through gritted teeth) "He has to finish his reading for school. It's good for him!" (picks up her phone to scroll social media as her son reads)
Too often, parents, like this fictional mom, view reading as a chore and fail to show their kids that reading can actually be a pleasurable pursuit. By presenting reading as something their kids have to do for school instead of a rewarding pastime, parents may unwittingly de-motivate their children.
Studies of the psychology of learning support the idea that extrinsic rewards may hamper a child’s long-term motivation. Psychology Today notes that “providing physical rewards, or what psychologists call extrinsic motivation for doing something, undermines the development of any internal, or intrinsic motivation to do the very same thing.” Instead of relying on extrinsic rewards to motivate your children to read, help them to see how reading can impact their lives in a positive way.
Make time to:
model good reading habits.
talk about books together.
help your kids to make connections between what they are reading and real life.
show them that reading gives them knowledge to navigate the world.
2. Build Your Library
A practical way to encourage your kids to become better readers is to provide them with access to great books. An article from The Guardiancites a study that says that a family needs to have at least 80books in the home in order for the children to be average students. Homes with more than 80 books lead to kids with stronger academic skills, with no major benefits being found if the home has more than 350 books.
Three hundred and fifty books! That's a large library. There are so many excellent resources for finding age-appropriate books for your kiddos. Check out Sonlight’s Just Great Books list to get you started.
Research shows that reading out loud influences kids’ brains, abilities, and attitudes about reading. It is possibly “the single most important activity” that parents can do to prepare their children for literacy, according to the Read Aloud 15 Minutes National Campaign.
Personally, I've experienced the benefits of reading aloud during this school year in my own family. As part of our first year of homeschool, we are reading out loud as a family together every night before bed. We are enjoying the time we are spending together while we read books and complete our curriculum. In fact, reading out loud together has been the favorite part of our school year.
4. Make Reading Time Special
There are so many ways to make reading time a special time.
Gather everyone together in a comfortable spot while you read out loud.
Light a candle in the background.
Make hot cocoa and popcorn to share while you read together.
Have your little ones sit on your lap while you read a story to them.
Tuck them into their beds at night and let them hear your voice as they get sleepy.
Let them stay up a few minutes past their bedtime to finish a book together.
If you make reading a special time, you may be surprised to find that your kids are asking you for “just one more story” or are sneaking a flashlight into their bed to read “one more chapter.”
5. Reinforce Reading Skills
Reading together as a family is likely to be the most important step you can take to improve your child’s literacy skills. However, if you want to reinforce those skills with your kids outside of your home, there are many resources that can make reading even more irresistible to your kids. Your local library can be a great resource to find new books, as well as to connect with other young readers through book clubs or reading challenges. This summer, get your kids involved with a read-a-thon or summer reading challenge like this one. If you can’t find a club that fits your kids’ interests and needs, do a little research and don’t be afraid to start your own!
We all want our children to succeed academically. Sometimes, we may not know how to accomplish that goal, but helping our kids to become good readers is likely the most important thing that we can do to help them to meet their goals and dreams. In our technology-driven culture of memes and sound bytes, it is more challenging than ever to engage our kids in important reading. It is not impossible, however. You can create a family culture where reading is not a chore, but an enriching part of your entire family’s life.
As life is slowly returning to normal after Covid-19 upheaval, it’s natural to start thinking ahead to the next school year. We asked families who chose to homeschool in 2020 because of the pandemic about their plans for educating their kids for the coming 2021-2022 school year. We asked:
Have you already decided to keep homeschooling or are you still on the fence about sending kids back to public school?
Is the choice a hard one or an easy one?
What factors are you weighing as you choose?
As we expected, there were some families who are eager to send their kids back to public school or private school. Homeschooling wasn't easy for them, and their children are longing to go back to school.
Plenty of others remain undecided in late April and early May about the fall.
But the vast majority of moms who answered our questions report truly enjoying homeschool to the extent that they want to continue on even when they don't have to because of Covid-19! The pandemic opened the door to an option many of them have never seriously considered. But now with nearly a full school year under their belts, these families have wholeheartedly embraced the lifestyle of home education and plan to stay the course for the next school year.
Here's a peek into their thoughts and experiences.
Families with a Mix of Homeschool and Other Choices
"Kid 1 will go back to public high school. For her mental health, and the sake of normalcy and continuing to work her plan. Kid 2 will stay home, as always. That was always the plan plus Covid-related immune issues. He’ll go to public school eventually, but it’s not time yet." —Jen M. P.
"Kid 1 has been in private high school all year. Kid 2 will join him, as was the plan all along. Kid 3 will be home. Kid 4 is severely/profoundly disabled and will likely return to public school because of his significant needs, assuming Covid is somewhat under control." —Kara P. S.
Homeschooling Works for Us! We're Staying the Course
We will homeschool next year. By God's grace, this year has been very successful in every way. Thank the good Lord!! —Pam S.
"We’ve decided to homeschool again next year. It wasn’t a hard decision for us, since this year had gone well and there’s a good chance that public school will not be quite back to normal yet in the fall. We discovered that homeschool allows us to help our kids manage their learning differences better than in public school. God willing, we hope to homeschool through high school." —Cindy L. F.
"Homeschooling again, for sure! Almost can't imagine sending my kids to school everyday again. (And they were in a great Christian day school!). I love the lifestyle, the pace, the freedom, the relationships being built….and on and on." —Ingrid S.
"I started as a COVID homeschooler. Prior to COVID, I wasn't aware that homeschooling could be done by parents who worked outside the home. Now, after this first year, I am dedicated to homeschool my children for as long as they will tolerate it! Our lives are forever changed by the ability to homeschool, and made so much richer by the curriculum that Sonlight has provided. There has been a lot of darkness associated with this past year, but Sonlight has been exactly that, our sunlight!" —Marcy L.
"We are absolutely homeschooling again next year! This lifestyle change has been fantastic for our family. My son is thriving in school again. My daughter had a fantastic kindergarten year. We have been able to enjoy activities outside our home like karate, swimming, and horseback riding that we didn’t have time for while in public school. My kids are happier than they’ve ever been and even though homeschooling is a lot of work for me, I know it’s what’s best and is also less stress for me. I know my kids are safe, learning, and happy!" —Rachel B.
"We were in public school prior to COVID, and fell into homeschooling suddenly this year. My husband and I both work outside the home and didn’t know how easy homeschooling could fit into our lives. What a blessing Sonlight has been for us! It has been hands down the best year my son (who is gifted and has ADHD) has ever had academically. We plan to finish his next four high school years with Sonlight and feel more positive about his future than ever before!" —Tara M.
"I am 99% sure we are homeschooling again next year after beginning last year due to Covid. The amazing books we have read together have been a highlight of the year. I also feel so much less stressed, which seems odd, I know, considering I could spend most of my days with my kids at school if I wanted, but we are all enjoying the slower pace of life, the mornings where we can take time to make a hot breakfast, snuggle on the couch next to a fireplace with good books, and be done by early afternoon with enough time for my four boys to go outside and play and explore. —Audrey A.
"For us it was an easy decision to continue to use Sonlight next year. My kids have learned so much this year and gained confidence in areas that they started to hate and now love. We have grown as a family and I have learned along side each kid. While the pandemic led us to this path, I know the Lord had this in our future. It feels like we are following what God wants for our family." —Kayla M. D.
"We are absolutely going to stick with it! My child has learned more and grown so much more than ever expected! In school. She was always struggling. Always in the office. Now, she is LEARNING! Socially, I thought there would be a concern but actually, play dates and individual time with friends has helped her to be more sensitive to people. We have more time for fitness and learning household responsibilities. A lot more pros than cons. It had been a great experience for us and I was the world's most skeptical mom. I interviewed upwards of 10 homeschool families. So happy with our choice." —Jodi H.
Homeschooling Again, But with Some Reservations
"We started homeschooling last year because of the mask mandate. We have decided to keep homeschooling. My daughter will be going into 2nd grade and my son will start kindergarten. Very excited and anxious because I have not started a child from the ground up. My daughter got her reading basics in public school kindergarten. It’s an easy decision for us but still kind of bittersweet because my son will never experience “school” the traditional way. For some reason I’m feeling guilty about that." —Erica E. W.
"We began homeschooling last year but had been entertaining the idea before the pandemic. Our children are thriving academically and so we plan to continue on. I’m learning so much alongside my children that I am really looking forward to next year. It was a difficult decision because my children miss their school, however we really believe this is the best decision for our family. We considered that one of our children is above grade level and one slightly below. Neither was served well at school. Once more in person activities are available, they will be able to make friends. It is also much less stressful to be on our own schedule and health-wise, my children are finally getting the sleep that they need. The will be safe, well rested and academically challenged at home." —Tracy N. A.
For sure we will homeschool next year and the next. We already bought our curriculum. My son is so happy with Sonlight. One of his friends from school just asked him if he wanted to come back to school and he answered so quickly, 'No. No, I am not coming back. I love to study at home!!'" —Jenny S.
We're Are Sending Our Kids Back to Public School
"This was an agonizingly difficult choice. My husband and I prayed through all of Lent and decided to send our kids back to school in the fall. I am homeschooling my 2nd and 5th grade sons this year, and we were considering pulling our rising 9th grader for next year. But we have decided at this time it is better for them to go back. We will be utilizing many Sonlight resources next year and in the years to come to supplement their public school education. We are so thankful for this year I have had at home with our sons." —Amy O. R.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to homeschool during a pandemic. 2020 was our first and last year homeschooling. We have 3 ninth graders and 2 sixth graders. For next year I've applied all five kids to a private Christian school that stayed open the entire school year. Kids were public school educated prior to this year. While I made the best decision I could with the information I had at the time, it has been miserable for us. God is sovereign, and I'm eager to see what He accomplishes in our family through this. It was an easy decision, but will be a huge financial hit. Factors that contributed were my and my one son's mental well being as well as the other kids' academic needs. All thrive on competition that was lacking among the siblings."— Kelli C.
"Seems like I will be in the minority here, but this was our first year homeschooling and while I loved, loved, loved Sonlight, we struggled and so (for the sake of our relationships) we are sending the kids to a charter school. I feel like a failure but every single day ended up in yelling and tears from both parties. Wish it had been different." —Melissa W. G.
"CoraJane will not be able to return to in person school until she is vaccinated, hopefully 2022. She will return, not because we don’t like homeschooling. We actually love it. It’s just the best thing for her. We will always be super thankful that Sonlight was available to us. She has learned so much and I believe will be a much stronger student going forward whenever she returns." —Angela G. S.
We're Still Trying to Decide
"I am deeply conflicted about what to do next year with my soon-to-be kindergartener. Her father and I always imagined seeing her go to her first day of school—toting a tiny backpack full of supplies—to a brick-and-mortar classroom full of potential friends (just like her two much bigger sisters did). However, we loved the literature-based, Sonlight PreK curriculum we used this last year. Uncle Wiggly, Milly Molly Mandy, and that naughty Brer Rabbit will be characters we love and remember for years to come! While discovering many more fabulous Sonlight books and characters is a great temptation, I lament over the solitude of homeschooling and am horrified at the thought of teaching a child to read! We’ve already begun trying a phonics reading program and it is so challenging! The debate for school next year continues…" —Amy D.
"I'm a COVID homeschooler. So hard to decide. I like homeschooling: the academics, the flexible time, the bonding, the Bible time, and the values I teach him through the curriculum. But my son is the only child at home, and he is very active and sociable. I doubt co-op is enough for him, even if we feel safe for him to go. So we haven't bought the curriculum, and I'm preparing for both scenarios as we monitor the COVID situation." —Queenie C.
"We are Covid homeschoolers, but all in all loved this year. We hope to return to school in the fall (mostly for socializing) but we won’t if the numbers are still concerning😬. We learned this year that we can do this successfully and enjoyed it as a family. We would definitely consider it in the future if we aren’t getting what we need from public schools. We are also going to continue with some things either way: bible lessons at home regularly and history." —Martha R.
We're Homeschooling at Least One More Year
"We have decided to continue homeschooling our 3 kids. There were a lot of positives that came out of homeschooling that we want to continue exploring. Our plan is to homeschool another year and see how things are going. There has been a lot of growth with all 3 kids and I don’t think we would have seen as much if they had done virtual learning." —Nicole V.
"We will be continuing our homeschool journey for another year. We are just not comfortable sending them back yet in terms of COVID, nor the amount of recovery and figuring out the schools will be having to do. We may even continue homeschool indefinitely after that as well." —Andrea J. B.
"We are continuing our Sonlight Journey for the 2021-2022 school year! We watched how our kids thrived with HBL B and Horizons Math and the decisions was very easy to make. I can’t imagine a different lifestyle for us now." —Katie J. B.
"My husband and I both work full-time in very demanding jobs. I have learned so much about how my first grader learns best and have enjoyed learning alongside him. I appreciate the flexibility that homeschooling provides and that we can study what, when, where, and how we want. Our son has been challenged academically this year, I believe to a much greater extent than he would have in public school, and has been allowed to learn at a pace and in an environment that works best for him. Socialization always seems to be a concern of those who are new to homeschooling or don't know much about it, but he has friends nearby and from church and is active in sports and other activities. I have had to start some new habits and get more organized in order to keep up with everything, but these changes have benefited our entire family. Homeschooling on top of everything else is hard but well worth it, and our lives have been enriched as a result. We will continue to re-assess periodically but for now, we are all in on homeschooling for next year!" — Rebecca B.
"We are doing it again! I still can’t believe we are a homeschool family, but it has been a blessing in disguise. I want to do it through high school, but trying to take it year by year. Almost kindergartener and second grader!!" — Brittany G.
"We homeschooled for kindergarten this year, and we feel it was successful, so we decided to go ahead and homeschool again. We ordered next year's curriculum already!! Also we decided to take it year by year." —Katie B.
More From New Homeschoolers
This is the final installment in the Stories from New Homeschoolers Series:
Of course as advocates of homeschooling, we at Sonlight are thrilled to see so many families continuing to homeschool for at least one more year. And it's a tremendous blessing to know that we could walk alongside these parents and children during the difficult year of the pandemic. But we support every family's unique decision even if that means other options. The key to parenting is your loving involvement, whatever path you take for educating your kids.
Are you ready to homeschool? Like the many moms quoted above, you can do this, too! Learn how to get started.
We sent our kids to public school for the first five years of their education. In many ways, it was a good experience for us. Our kids learned to read and learned their math facts. They performed well on state testing. They had friends and got along well with their teachers. We were set on our educational trajectory.
And then schools sent home a list of rules to keep everyone safe for the upcoming school year.
Masking and distancing and quarantining and pivoting to remote became buzzwords. All of a sudden, public schooling did not seem like a very good option for our family. My husband and I started to look for other options for our three school-aged kids. Homeschooling stood out.
Could Homeschooling Work for Our Family?
Homeschooling has always been an interesting concept to me. As a former public school teacher, I have been curious to see how it might work out in real life.
With Covid, finally, the risks of homeschooling seemed to be less than the risks of public schooling. So I decided to try it for the first time.
Getting Started With Homeschooling
With five kids at home and three school-age children, I set out on the adventure of picking a curriculum and learning our state’s homeschooling requirements.
What seemed so intimidating at first was not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be.
Our homeschooling friends and family were extremely helpful, showing us how to complete the affidavit to homeschool, allowing us to borrow curriculum, and showing us where to find our state’s requirements for homeschooling.
We started our homeschooling adventure in August of 2020, believing that we could have a good year, but not really knowing what day-to-day homeschooling would look like. After a full year of school at home, we are pleasantly surprised at how well homeschooling works for our family. In fact, we are going to continue homeschooling our kids for three key reasons.
1. Homeschooling Offers a Family-Friendly Lifestyle
My favorite aspect of homeschooling has, surprisingly, been the change in our lifestyle. When you send your kids to school, public or otherwise, so much of your life revolves around the school’s schedule.
You base your kids’ bedtimes on when they have to get up for school.
If you drive your kids to school, everyone has to pile in the car twice a day to get the kids at appointed times.
School plays and special occasions and sports make the school experience fun, but they also tend to dominate your family’s life.
With homeschooling, school is part of your every day and can be done when it’s the most convenient for the family. If your family likes to go on a lot of trips or has activities at night, you can be flexible with your wake-up time and school day. Instead of the kids’ school schedule dominating what your family does each day, school is adapted to family life. I have found great freedom this year in the flexibility that homeschooling has offered our family.
2. Homeschooling Can Be Adapted to Each Student’s Needs
Public school has always had the immense challenge of educating large groups of students with various abilities and interests. Because a teacher must teach 20-25 students in a limited amount of time each day, the pace of the class is focused on that of the average student. Students who need more time and support often get left behind, and students who are ahead academically are bored in class.
Homeschooling provides an opportunity to tailor learning to each student’s needs. If your student needs more work on a given subject, you can give him extra time and support. If a student has mastered a concept, you can move on to the next subject or add enrichment activities. Homeschooling provides an individualized approach to learning.
3. Your Homeschool Curriculum Can Support Your Family’s Values
Another blessing of this school year has been the curriculum that we have picked for our kids. We have been schooling all year with Sonlight, a literature-based curriculum that fits our family’s love of reading. The curriculum introduces history, but in both fiction and nonfiction books instead of textbooks. It also includes daily Bible reading, memorization, and some stellar math programs.
Reading the Bible regularly as a family and exploring history and literature together is a daily blessing, and there is no doubt that what they are learning will influence our kids’ worldview for years to come. Being able to explore learning from a faith-based perspective is a luxury that is not available in most school systems today.
I listened to the news just this morning, and the reporter noted that households who are homeschooling at least one child have doubled to 11% of households with school-aged children within the last year. Many parents surveyed are not sending their kids back to school, even when the pandemic is over. Post-pandemic, education is going to be one of those things that will never be the same. It’s not all bad. Families will discover that they can successfully educate their kids at home just like I have!
