Mar. 19, 2021

The Surprising Simple Joys that Pandemic Homeschoolers Discovered 

By Sonlight
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We asked new 2020 homeschoolers about the simple joys they have discovered this school year, and boy, did they tell us! Although many of these families were forced into schooling at home when schools closed or changed to virtual models, they find themselves pleasantly surprised at how delightful the experience has been.

In pre-pandemic days, they assumed they could never homeschool or that it would be an impossible sacrifice. Yet now with months of pandemic schooling under their belts, their perspective has drastically changed. Not only is homeschooling doable, it's enjoyable!

These families have experience firsthand the benefits of homeschooling and many want to continue this lifestyle even once schools reopen. Sarah L. expresses it so well, "Homeschooling is the blessing we didn’t expect. We are planning to continue as long as the Lord leads!"

More Quality Time as a Family

"I am so happy just to be spending extra time with my kids. I was always a little sad when summer ended and they went back to school. But now with Sonlight I get to enjoy being with them every day! I know they are getting a great education that is personalized to their needs, and they both say they want to keep homeschooling forever. That makes my heart glad." —Christy M.

"I love how much closer together we have all grown, especially our kids. Their relationships are stronger now than they were pre-pandemic because they get to spend more time together instead of in separate classrooms and going to different activities and trying to get homework done. We have more time to play games together, and we love reading new books together, which we had already been doing prior to homeschooling but now we can do way more. We know we will continue homeschooling at least one more school year, and then we'll see what God wants for us. But I'm so glad God revealed this path to us, and that we finally listened." —Regina N.

"The cuddles are amazing! My kids can reach out for hugs whenever they need them, and so can I. It has completely turned my older daughter into a hugger, and kept my younger daughter connected. Both were starting to pull away before, when they were attending public school. I figured it was part of gaining independence, and it is—but now I know it doesn’t have to be that way. I love being able to meet their social-emotional needs as well as their academic needs." —Lindsey C.

"I have enjoyed watching my children play together more and forming closer relationships with one another. They've spent more time together than they would have at school and two of my children went from constantly bickering to enjoying one another's company over the course of this year at home together. Our family is closer now, and while that doesn't have much directly related to education, it has been the greatest gift." —Caroline R.

"I’ve had more time with my daughter. We’ve become closer, and I have seen her anxiety go down. Homeschooling suits her very well!" —Johanna S.

A More Peaceful & Joyful Pace of Life

"I have enjoyed the fact that I schedule our day, and so we’re not constantly rushing. We read over long breakfasts, we lay outside in the sunshine to do science, and we take breaks when needed to focus on emotional and mental health, because we have the time!" —Meg R.

"I have a teaching degree and I have been a stay at home mom for the last 18.5 years. I always said that I would never homeschool. But after Covid hit and I saw how little my youngest two kids were learning and how stressful virtual school was for them, I knew I could do better. After using Sonlight book lists for years for reading ideas for my older kids, starting Sonlight curriculum this year was a no-brainer. The surprise for me was how much I absolutely love homeschooling. I love that my sons are getting exactly what they need academically every single day. I love that we are able to seamlessly weave our faith into their learning. I love that we can follow their interests to dive deeper into topics as they come up. I love the relaxed feeling that our home has every day. I’m not sure what God has for our family going forward, but I’m incredibly grateful for the gift of this school year with my sons." —Amy O. R.

"The biggest blessing of homeschooling for our family is the ability to hold space for joy. We aren’t boxed into a rigid schedule. This morning beautiful fluffy snow was coming down and my daughter loves the snow. We did our morning work and had the ability to go out and play and then pick it right back up. We fit school around our life which feels so much better than trying to squeeze life in around the school." —Tracy N. A.

"We're halfway through our first year now, and our lives are dramatically less stressful. My son is learning perseverance and is actually enjoying learning again. We can travel when we want, we all get enough sleep, and there's more unstructured time for his interests and character and spiritual development (mostly lots of LEGO building). My husband travels for work monthly and not having to worry about school stuff like packing lunches, waking up early, distance learning schedules or other external stressors is a huge relief. Overall I think we're all much happier and I'm surprised at how much I am enjoying this process. I plan to continue with my rising Kindergartener. I'm incredibly grateful for Sonlight and how wonderful it has been for our family." —Mari F.

Kids Are Learning So Much More

"While we considered homeschooling prior, Covid restrictions pushed us to finally take the leap. I'm so glad we did! Kids are engaged and learning and retaining more. I've been able to adapt the curriculum when things did or did not work as well for us. The kids are far less stressed and able to participate in activities of their interest more easily without worrying about the pressures of a traditional school day. They are enjoying being schooled at home as well and have no interest in returning to a traditional school setting." —Cassie W.

"Watching my kids come alive with learning! My 8 year old son just asked when we were going to start school other than math. I told him we’d need doing it all year and his eyes got huge. He told me 'I thought we were just reading stories!' I asked him about the different stories we read, and he was able to spout off the information. He then informed me that I was sneaky teaching him like that!" —Katie J. B.

"We've found that our life is so much less stressful with homeschool. Our kids are thriving and growing and we can meet them exactly where they are. I never thought homeschool could be so easy. Our 1st grader wants to be homeschooled through college, and we just started kindergarten with our 4 year old. Our favorite part is snuggling up together and reading so many amazing books. I'm learning right alongside my kids and am amazed at the wonderful rich experience they are getting." —Amber L. B.

Homeschooling Works for ADHD

"Love the flexibility and more relaxed atmosphere for our ADHD daughter. Loving taking off to do other things is great. Loving the read aloud a lot!" —Sherie D.

"I was a homeschooler, but never wanted to homeschool my children. Not because I had a bad experience, but because I didn’t want the extra responsibility. Then 2020, COVID, and school shut downs (which never opened up this school year at all) happened and I decided to pull my two boys out of the public school system. Have not regretted that decision even in the slightest. I love the flexibility that homeschool has given us. We are a military family, and live 1500 miles away from home. I’m not tied to a school schedule where we can only travel in the summer. 🙌🏼 Secondly, I know exactly where they are in their education. I know which subjects they struggle with and which to challenge them on. I’m no longer guessing at common core mathematics, and struggling to help them. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I’m in complete control of the information they receive, and I know that the education they are receiving now is light years ahead of where they were in the public school system. My oldest was medicated for ADHD in public school, and is now off the medication. Instead of medicating, we just take trampoline breaks in between subjects. Love homeschool. Thankful for uncomfortable situations that forced me to find an alternative to traditional schooling." —Kelsey C.

Time for Extracurriculars

"We have found many benefits to homeschooling for my twice exceptional 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter. We do school in the morning and then have time for rest and activities in the afternoon. We have enjoyed horseback riding, swim practice, reading to the pets at our local Humane Society. My son has time for music therapy because we are not confined to these activities being after a full school day. When he was in public school, we spent our afternoons, evenings, and weekends avoiding meltdowns but now we can enjoy activities again!"—Rachel B.

Making Room for Our Christian Faith

"Coronavirus was the icing on the cake for us to homeschool. I was tired of being confined to school rules of attendance and when we could take a vacation and the kids constantly being sick. We wake up when we want, do not pack lunches or wash containers. We don't have to buy new clothes or shoes. We go to my moms whenever we want. My kids are no longer picked on by others. No more teachers to deal with. My kids get any special attention they may need. My 11 yr old has made over $700 doing work for neighbors since the virus started and shut down schools. School always comes first but now he sees the opportunities available by not being in school from 8-3! We have more time to love on each other as a family. It is especially important that my kids are not swallowed up in the ways of the world! We have been born again Christians since my son was about 1 yr old. This curriculum makes the Bible a certain priority. Hoping we never look back!" —Gina M.

"Greatest joy: bible time every morning (which was hard with public school schedule and all the after school activities), studying world history together (get to know the rest of the world is my goal for my child), much more bonding time and sleep time for all of us." —Queenie C.

"My husband has wanted me to homeschool all along. I was very hesitant. I come from a family of public school educators and knew they would never approve! I also didn’t think I could do it. This [pandemic] gave me the opportunity. I still received push back at first, but it has gone so well. The thing I have enjoyed most is starting our school days out every morning in the Word of God. It has led to lots of important and precious discussions with my kids that I wouldn’t have otherwise had." —Megan M.

"We had used Sonlight for pre-k but got pushed to homeschool for 2nd grade this year. Being more intentional with my kids' spiritual development has been wonderful. We started reading our devotional and working on memory verses together over breakfast every day, and it has been so great!" —Angela G.

Being My Child's Teacher

"Homeschooling has been such a blessing this year! It’s been the bright spot in a challenging year. My son is doing Kindergarten this year, and I cannot believe the progress he has made. He has gained so much confidence in his ability to learn, which I do not believe he would have gotten in a traditional school setting. I have been dreaming of the day that he would learn to read since he was born, and being able to be the one to teach him is something that I will cherish forever. Thank you, Sonlight!" —Elsie L.

"Being the one to see the lightbulb moments, not just hear about them. And man, not messing with my two baby boys' naps for drop off and pick up has been such a blessing!" —TiAnna A. W.

"I didn’t want to upset my kids more with all the mix-ups that being in school or remote learning would bring. I wanted peace and I truly believe we got it! My top silver linings:

  • Family time, especially with a new baby brother
  • No homework! Takes away pressure from all of us.
  • More at-home reading. This was a huge goal of mine to increase amount and enjoyment.
  • My understanding of homeschooling increased. I’ve gone from being the “It’s not for me” to “Anyone can do it!”
  • I love knowing where my kids are in their academics. I didn’t pay this close attention when they were in traditional school.
  • School is done in 2-3 hours rather than 8! So much time for other things like play, chores, music, sports, etc." —Jaime B.

"Our simply joy has been the blessing of deepening our relationships as a family, the freedom and ability to complete whatever course work is needed to move forward, and being able to study the Bible together every morning which has lead to deep and thoughtful conversations. My daughter is going off to college in August, and homeschooling her this year has without a doubt contributed to her success of being accepted into multiple colleges, which is allowing her to choose where she really wants to go. My son is thriving academically and socially. He is having so much fun learning, especially his science and math lessons. He will complete two years worth in both subjects in just one year! That’s how much he is just loving it! But it’s the bonding that has been the bow on top 💕." —Iris T.

Flexibility that Public School Can't Provide

"The great benefit for us has been meeting my kid where he is at. We can move at my child's pace and be many grades at once. I can also extend him by going out into other subjects or deeper into history etc. at school our only options were move up a grade or do work well below his level." —Tamara L.

"My simple joy is being blessed to ignore conversations about the local school board requirements and virtual learning shenanigans. It feels like a hug to myself to be able to walk away from that noise and have control over one consistent thing this year. #thanksSonlight" —Liz H.

One-on-one Attention

"I never intended to homeschool, but my son was falling so far behind in math in public school. The pandemic gave me the opportunity to give him the one-on-one attention he needs. Our relationship and bond has grown stronger and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world." —Sarah S.

"More sleep for the kids and myself 😊 Complete confidence in God-centered curriculum and lots of family time. 👪 We like that when a behavior issue arises, instead of pushing it aside to send kids on the bus or run to a school activity we deal with it right away. Homeschooling next year as well!" —Alessia C. H.

Learning Alongside My Children

"After moving past the fear of all the unknowns of homeschooling, the flexibility and freedom found through Sonlight was both a relief and a joy. Having everyday laid out for us guiding us through this journey has been exactly what we needed and it's afforded us the time to simply enjoy homeschooling. And the fact that I get to learn along side my son is a bonus. Sonlight has truly made learning enjoyable, memorable, and stress free." —Maria S. J.

These are just a sampling of all the answers we got to the question about the silver linings to pandemic schooling. Truly, God can bring beauty out of ashes! These stories are a testament to how God works all things together for good.

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Mar. 15, 2021

Three Tips for Teaching Children About Work

By Sarita
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Three Tips for Teaching Children About Work

"I did not have all the advantages your kids had," a woman told my husband. They were having an honest conversation about work. The woman shared what a hard time she has in life, bumping along from one part-time job to another.

She has an education, but as Luke explains so well, education does not guarantee you a job.

So what advantages did this middle-aged woman lack? What can we do as parents to help prepare our children for productive work and employment? This post certainly doesn't cover everything, but here are three tips.

1. Teach the Skill of Punctuality

This woman has lost many jobs because she can't get to work on time. As I understand it, her parents never got anywhere on time. She never learned the skills and habits of punctuality.

I believe we can actively teach children how to show up unflustered and on time.

Consider this tip: When you have to go somewhere, you probably work backward in your mind to determine when you have to leave. So why not share this process with your kids? Simply think out loud in front of them.

You could say, "Well, we have to be at the co-op tomorrow morning at 9:00. It takes 20 minutes to drive there, so we need to leave at 8:40. We need 5 minutes to get out the door and packed into the car, so we should all be ready at 8:35. Our morning Bible reading takes 20 minutes, so we'll sit down for that at 8:15. Showers and breakfast take an hour, so we should get up at 7:15."

My mom says that even when she's running late, she hurries so much that she gets there in time. She watches the clock and says, "Okay, this is taking longer, what should I cut so that I still get there in time?" This is another process you could share out loud with your kids.

2. Show That Work Is Not a 4-Letter Word

We live in a society that encourages us to get out of work whenever we can. We essentially hear the message, "Wow, if you can scam the system and stay home and watch TV all day, you've won!"

But I do not agree with that. I'm here to tell you that work can be a good thing. I believe we are created for work of all kinds – from employment to parenting to cooking. That's why we get satisfaction from it.

Even before the fall, Adam had work to do. If someone just sits at home watching TV all day, he probably has an emptiness in his soul that can only be filled by productive, strategic work.

All of my kids are good workers, and I attribute that in large part to the fact that they learned from a young age that work can be a fulfilling and good thing. They all worked in the Sonlight warehouse from the time they were little, counting out and packing up Science kits. Let's help teach children the satisfaction of a job well done.

3. Teach Kids to Think and Learn

Sometimes employees can get in the mindset that simply showing up at work is enough. But for most bosses, that's not enough.

At the Sonlight office, we honor and reward people who think big-picture, who step back and come up with more effective ways to do their job. When the management team makes a decision that an employee doesn't think is best, we want that person to speak up and say "No, I don't think that's a good idea, and here's why."

My hope is that Sonlight helps you raise kids who can do just that. We're not training our kids to do the bare minimum and give the answer the teacher wants. We're raising them to always keep learning, to step back and think critically about things, to consider different sides of an issue and develop their own ideas. Those skills will serve students very well when they move on from school to the work of being an adult.

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Mar. 12, 2021

How Books Help You Raise Proactive Kids Who Aren't Afraid to Fail

By Sarita
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How Books Help You Raise Proactive Kids Who Aren't Afraid to Fail

Nine-year-old Betsy was set up to fail. Primped and pampered her whole life, she had never done a chore or fixed her own hair. When circumstances changed and Betsy went to live with cousins on a Vermont farm, her new family expected her to pitch in and help. Naturally, Betsy made mistakes as she tried new skills and adjusted to her new life.

But her story doesn't end in failure.

If you've read Understood Betsy from History / Bible / Literature B, you know that Betsy blooms as she learns new skills and discovers she's capable of far more than she ever thought. The country air and some reasonable hard work only make her happier, stronger, and more confident.

As Betsy exemplifies, failure is a perfectly natural part of learning and growth. We all know this intellectually. But we live in a society that places a big stigma on failure.

As parents, we need to teach our kids how to fail well and not to fear failure.

I actually think homeschooling can provide the perfect environment for kids to stretch their wings, try new things, fail, and succeed.

Homeschooling Provides an Environment Where Kids Can Safely Fail and Try Again

Compare this to a school setting. In many schools, children receive a grade on every bit of work they complete. When every math assignment comes back with red ink and a score that counts toward a final semester grade, how much pressure does that put on kids to succeed every time? I wonder if this pushes kids to either become obsessed with perfection or just stop caring. I certainly don't think it encourages kids to try things at which they might not succeed. It reminds me of an article about the inverse power of praising your children. If they know they won't get a perfect score, why even try?

But homeschooled kids can learn through mastery. They can try new things without the constant pressure of a grade stamped on their paper. They can mess up their math problems and then stick with the concept until they actually learn it. As my son Luke explains so well, failure is okay on the road to mastery.

Homeschooled children have free time to take up computer programming, art, video production, cooking, or a thousand other interests that all require trying, failing, and trying again. And they can do this without the constant pressure of grades on each assignment.

In society at large, failure of any sort can carry a huge stigma. May we instead teach our children that failure is not the end of the story. Just like Betsy, let's help them learn how to fail … and then how to keep on trying.

Books with Characters Who Fail and Learn

Sonlight books show how failure and learning go together. Believe it or not, I consider a book's perspective on failure when I determine what to include in Sonlight's curriculum. I don't choose books where the characters are perfect. I avoid stories where children always make the best decision and only do things at which they know they'll excel.

I choose books where the kids, like Betsy, seem real. They face challenges and try new things. Not surprisingly, they often fail at those new things. (Ever taught a child to ride a bike? There's lots of failure involved before the successful takeoff!) But Sonlight characters keep trying, go on to learn valuable lessons, and ultimately make a difference in their world.

I think of books like

and so many other Sonlight books. They feature strong kids who don't just sit back and let life happen to them.

The characters are most certainly not perfect in these books. But they do persevere, develop virtue, gain new skills and become heroes in their own way by the end of the story.

Sonlight Characters as Models of Proactive Strength

Do you remember the scene where Caddie Woodlawn skates out onto the thin ice? Of course, she falls through and a fun adventure turns into an emergency. With no time to call an adult for help, her brother Tom snaps into action and rescues her.

How do we raise children to be proactive in times of need? How can we help them learn to use their own strength, wits and gifts?

I just finished About Average, the new book by Andrew Clements. In line with The School Story and Frindle, Clements presents a main character who doesn't just react to situations. Jordan Johnston thinks about how she wants to live … and then lives it! Because of her daily choice to be proactive, she's ready for action when a big need comes.

Of course, Jordan doesn't think she's doing anything special. Her friends seem to have amazing talents, but she feels very ordinary. The real key for Jordan is that she does not just sit by passively. She tries lots of different activities to see what she enjoys. She soaks up any chance to learn new things. When a classmate starts to pick on her, Jordan chooses to respond with kindness. Without realizing it, Jordan cultivates all sorts of skills and virtues.

And in the end, when a terrifying tornado heads straight for the school, Jordan has already practiced taking charge and stepping up. All of the skills she's learned throughout the book come into play. She uses those skills and ingenuity and ends up saving her classmates.

The ending may be a bit far-fetched, but the message is true: Ordinary kids can think about their world and solve problems without waiting for an adult to tell them exactly what to do. They can act without being paralyzed by fear of failure.

I believe that books like these can inspire our children to live intentionally (under the protection and day-to-day guidance of their parents, of course). Such stories provide models of ordinary, imperfect children who take responsibility for their actions and choose how to live.

That's why I include books in Sonlight programs where kids think, plan and solve problems—strong kids who don't just sit back and let life happen to them. Sometimes the characters fail. But they always grow as a result. May these stories inspire our children to do great things!

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Mar. 8, 2021

4 Reasons to Pursue Academic Excellence in Your Homeschool

By Sarita
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4 Reasons to Pursue Academic Excellence in Your Homeschool

Homeschoolers tend to do better than their traditionally-schooled peers on standardized tests. But once when I spoke at a homeschool group, I noticed a subtle, troubling attitude toward academics. I heard comments like: "Oh, we probably won't get to math this year," or "We're just focusing on character training this year. We're really easing off other studies."

I got the sense that, to these moms, anyway, academics just weren't that important.

I know that education is not about test scores. I love that homeschooling lets you tailor your plans to your family. And maybe you do need to take a short break from intense academics to focus on character issues.

But ultimately, what is the goal of homeschooling? I believe it is to equip children to do whatever God calls them to.

And with few exceptions, equipping children for their callings includes the pursuit of excellence in everything, including academics.

Such excellence will mean different things for different children (and may or may not result in great test scores). But the point is that when we challenge our children academically, we are helping them reach their individual, God-given potential.

1. Academic Challenges Build Grit

When we challenge our students academically, they learn how to work hard and overcome challenges. Whatever our children are called to, they will need to know that they can face challenges, work hard and overcome. How will they learn this lesson if we never prod them?

2. Many Careers Require Excellent Academic Performance

Many, many careers require a solid academic education. If God calls our children to college, seminary, the military, vocational trade school, the mission field, or elsewhere, they need to have the academic skills to succeed there.

Read the stories of past Sonlight graduates to see all the different paths their literature-based education prepared them to pursue.

3. Academics Can Be the Path to Calling

Challenging our children academically can help uncover their calling. Let's say your child is called to the medical field. Giving him opportunities to excel in math and science can help him discover and then fulfill that calling.

4. An Academic Education Prepares Our Children for Ministry

A solid academic education prepares our students to be salt and light in the world. If our kids are to have an impact in this world, they need to be able to read, think, talk, and pray about the world. They need to be able to relate to people who believe differently than they do, are unfamiliar with the God of the universe, or hail from a culture that is unlike the one they come from.

Robust academics, like what Sonlight offers, prepares our students for all of this.

Homeschooling is often a balancing act. We don't want to focus solely on academics and push our children too hard. But we don't want them to get off too easily either! We want to help them reach their potential—whether that includes getting into technical school, acing the SAT, or pursuing a field they've never even considered.

We don't need to do what many public schools seem to feel they must do and simply focus on getting kids through the system. We want our students to pursue excellence; we want to equip them for God's service.

I imagine you are already doing that. Sonlight is here to help as you persevere in that worthy task! Any ideas of how we can come alongside you even more effectively?

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Mar. 5, 2021

Parent-intensive Versus Hands-off Homeschooling

By Sarita
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Parent-intensive Versus Hands-off Homeschooling

Did you know that some homeschool programs will teach your children for you? You can put your child in front of a computer and then go about your day. Your kids can be homeschooled without your being involved. This is a hands-off homeschool approach.

I'm not anti-technology. I've seen programs work beautifully! So it's not the computer programs themselves that I have issues with. My concern comes when we use these programs to replace what I believe is a parent's role.

Hands-on Homeschooling

I see the allure of hands-off homeschooling. It's so easy and convenient. But while that might be the best option for a few families, it is definitely not the Sonlight approach.

Annie Dillard reminds us of the obvious:

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."

So how do you want your family to spend its days?

Parent-intensive Homeschooling

Sonlight is about families learning together. You and your kids will read, talk, and discover together. Your typical Sonlight day includes snuggles with your little ones and real conversation with your older students.

It's not a hands-off homeschool approach. Instead, Sonlight helps you fulfill your God-given duty to guide your children in life. We give you the tools, schedules, and resources you need to be confident as you homeschool and invest in your children's lives.

The result of your central involvement is that your children grow up learning that you are a great source of loving wisdom when they want to talk or need advice.

What a privilege for parents who have cultivated that sort of family atmosphere!

Imagine the Adults You Aim to Raise

When your children become adults, do you want them to engage with you in face-to-face, attentive conversation? Or do you want them to be constantly preoccupied by technology? Will your adult children be able to ignore their gadgets in order to relate with their families – at the dinner table, in social settings, or when guests are visiting?

Your kids will naturally learn to use technology. The question is whether they'll also learn the art of really listening, of conversing, of maintaining thoughtful discussion. Hands-off homeschooling can't teach these skills the same way that family-centered, parent-intensive homeschooling can. If you like the idea being heavily involved in your child's education, the Sonlight approach is for you.

Family-centered homeschooling also builds precious family memories, shared experiences, and bonding times you will treasure for decades to come.

BUILD FAMILY BONDS
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Mar. 3, 2021

The Simplest Way to Prevent or Overcome Learning Loss

By Sarita
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The Simplest Way to Prevent or Overcome Learning Loss

It's easy to worry about learning loss. You've worked so hard to teach a child his math facts ... and now you're afraid he'll forget them.

I want to encourage you that no learning is ever wasted. When children make progress, their brains form new connections and they learn the satisfaction of a job well done. Even if they have to relearn something, they'll probably learn it more quickly and deeply the second time.

But of course, we'd prefer that children retain their hard-won skills.

Summer Slide & Covid Slide

We all know about summer slide. Reading skills are particularly vulnerable to losses over the summer. And with the dramatic changes in education during the 2020-2021 pandemic, we're seeing losses due to school closures and virtual instruction.

The good news: On average, it takes only six books in a summer to prevent summer reading loss.

We can translate summer to any 8-week period and realize that reading is the simplest and fastest way to recover from or avoid learning losses.

Recreational Reading & Reading Aloud

The great thing about extra reading is that there really are no strings attached. If they haven't yet, your children might discover that reading is fun. Once they want to read, they can really take off with books!

I encourage you to let your children read what they'd like this summer and any time of the year (within reason). If a reluctant reader becomes fascinated with Calvin and Hobbes, great. If your daughter wants to read thirty books about horses, let her.

Or supply your kids with particularly good picks. You can trust books from these collections to be uplifting and engrossing:

Free reading can be done solo, or you can read aloud to your children. They still get the same academic benefits when they listen to you read. As a bonus, they get the critical thinking that happens when you discuss together what you read. This quote by Stephen D. Krashen sums it up well:

"...no single literacy activity has a more positive effect on students' comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, spelling, writing ability, and overall academic achievement than free voluntary reading."

The Power of Reading

Research on the Value of Reading

Research backs the claim that reading boosts academic performance.

Frequent reading correlates with higher scores in vocabulary and spelling. That doesn't surprise me at all. But the study also shows that reading correlates with higher math scores. I love that! So reading great books can even prevent math slide!

[For a fun way to keep kids thinking about math, check out the MathTacular videos. I am biased (my two sons helped create the series) ... but I think they're a blast!]

This study suggests that books are even more important for children's academic success than their parents' financial status or level of education. 

So whether or not you have impressive wealth or academic degrees, the simple act of reading to your children gives them a big leg up that can prevent or overcome learning losses such as summer slide or Covid slide.

One researcher suggests that the reason reading boosts scores in seemingly unrelated subjects like math is because the regular act of reading helps children practice taking in and processing new information. I think that makes a lot of sense.

Reading for Pleasure vs. Reading for School

This study specifically looks at reading for pleasure. So does it count when kids read books they "have to read" for school, for example their books in Sonlight curriculum? I think it does. For starters, many students come to thoroughly enjoy their Sonlight reading. They say it doesn't even feel like school.

But really, whether your children love it or sometimes complain, Sonlight students read far more than the vast majority of their traditionally-schooled peers or other homeschoolers.

And I'd say all that reading is worth it. You get to start with those precious times of snuggling with your preschooler on the couch. By the end, you're enjoying deep conversations with your teen about engrossing books that provide new perspectives on the world.

Homeschooling with Sonlight provides you the perfect way to encourage your children from ages 3 to 18 to frequently read quality books. If reading is so important, you might as well help your children love it. You serve them well when you provide worthwhile books that captivate and teach at the same time. But even if you are merely supplementing with afterschool read-alouds, you still get the benefit!

Become a Book Whisperer for Your Children

I found fresh encouragement about reading in The Book Whisperer, the story of a gifted teacher who encourages her classroom students to read far more than most of their peers.

The author, Donalyn Miller, gave many reasons why she is convinced reading is important. She says,

"I know from personal experience that readers lead richer lives ... than those who don't read."

"Reading changes your life. Reading unlocks worlds unknown or forgotten, taking travelers around the world and through time. Reading helps you escape the confines of school and pursue your own education. Through characters—the saints and sinners, real or imagined—reading shows you how to be a better human being."

I couldn't agree more.

So during these final days of winter, when the pandemic is starting to lose its grip on our routines, relish the world of books. As you read aloud to your children and as they read independently, be encouraged that you are catapulting your children's education forward in a painless manner.

Reading is truly the simplest way to prevent learning losses and repair any summer slide or Covid slide!

CHOOSE GREAT BOOKS
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Mar. 1, 2021

How to Talk to Kids About Books You Haven’t Read

By Laura Lee Ellis
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How to Talk to Kids About Books You Haven’t Read

A fellow Sonlighter recently asked about her children's habit of reading ahead of the Sonlight schedule.

“How can I test my children’s comprehension when they are reading ahead of the IG? Do I need to cover each discussion question to be successful?”

The discussion questions in your Instructor’s Guide are there to help you gauge if your children are understanding and retaining what they are reading.

You do not have to ask every question in the guide to help your kids successfully absorb the material. If your children are reading ahead, they are likely ingesting the content and hungry for more. That’s a good sign.

If you feel that going back over weeks of questions could be more stilted and formal than helpful, here are a few sneaky ideas to reach your goal of testing comprehension without its feeling like a test.

Your book discussions can flow more naturally when you try these strategies.

Let Your Child Take the Lead

If you have students who are reading ahead in Readers or History, you can have them check in with you and lead the conversation to tell you about what they are reading. By allowing them to steer the conversation to what was most interesting to them, you may get an even better idea of what they gleaned from the reading.

If you have the discussion questions in front of you for this little meeting, you can use them to help jog your child’s memory on the topic and as a reference to ensure they are retaining and understanding the most vital points. Chatting about the latest read over popcorn is highly recommended to boost the fun level of the book discussion.

Use the Questions as a Bookmark

All of the discussion questions for the Read-Alouds are in one section of the IG, divided by book. Some parents like to pull out the page of questions for just the story they are on and use it as a bookmark. Always handy!

Ask Open-ended Questions

Beyond the questions provided in your Guide, you can quickly get an idea if your child is absorbing material from the readers by asking a few open-ended questions that could work for any book they are reading, whether you’ve read it or not.

You can ask these at dinner or while washing dishes and make it feel like a mini book club discussion. You are drawing out opinions and ideas more than trying to get your kids to give a “right” answer. Here are some examples you could choose from:

  • Which character did you identify with most?
  • What do you want to remember most about this story?
  • What is something that is similar (or different) about the world in the story you are reading and our society today?
  • How did the time period affect the plot of this story?
  • What message do you think the author was trying to get across?
  • What character was the most (fill in the blank with the adjective of your choice … determined, noble, charming, loyal, deceptive, etc.)?
  • Would this story make a good movie?
  • What was a difficult choice someone had to make in this story?

Asking, “Tell me more about that,” can help your conversation flow instead of feeling like a drill. I love getting unexpected insight from my kids by simply chewing on some of the Sonlight books together at our leisure. Our goal is not checking the box but creating life-long learners and modeling that for our kids.

Avoid the Issue by Providing More Books

Kids who are hungry to read is a great problem to have! In fact, you are likely to discover that Sonlight turns kids into readers. So satiate the appetite of a voracious reader to reduce too much reading ahead.

Provide additional books to read for fun outside of school assignments. Sonlight Summer Readers and other great books displayed on an easy-to-reach shelf can keep their brains on books and help you keep pace with your discussion questions more easily. Then you can slow your school reading and take time to savor the Sonlight books together. You may find the discussion questions in your IG feel just right when you are hitting closer to your scheduled pace.

It’s important to remember that you are not only transferring information to your kids through books, but bonding together by sharing them. No matter when or how you talk about these great books together, you can make great memories diving into stories side by side. 

Find out more about how Sonlight can give your children a hunger to learn. You’ll love having delightful learning planned out for you. Try the first three weeks of any Instructor’s Guide for free. 

PEEK INSIDE AN INSTRUCTOR'S GUIDE
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