Sonlight Homeschooling Blog

Apr. 9, 2018

8 Reasons I Love My Sonlight Instructor’s Guide

In a Sonlight education, books enjoy the widest swath of the spotlight. It’s a literature-based education, so this makes sense. But what about that big blue binder? The Instructor’s Guide is a tidy compendium of

schedules,
notes,
memory work,
maps,
vocabulary, and
discussion questions.

In short, it’s a homeschool mom’s command central.

1. The Instructor’s Guide Allows Me to Teach When Tired

Let’s be real. The ability to teach when tired is a real perk! Some days it takes a whole lot of brain power to remember what chapter is next and which lesson we last completed. I love how the Instructor’s Guide lets me flip open to this week’s tab and immediately see what’s on tap for the day. I don’t have to look through a stack of school books to figure out where I am. And on days when I don’t feel like doing school, the Instructor’s Guide keeps me going.

2. The Instructor’s Guide Shows Me How Much I’ve Accomplished

The Instructor’s Guide allows me to see progress. On the left of the three-ring binder, I can see how many pages we’ve already completed, and on the right, I know exactly how far I have left to go. In a role which sometimes feels like I’m a hamster in a wheel leaving no visible progress in my wake, this is beautiful. It’s easy to forget just how much ground we’ve actually covered. But glancing down at the tabbed Instructor’s Guide—and looking at that towering stack of Sonlight books—I can see our progress. How empowering!

3. The Instructor’s Guide Provides a Solid and Steady Framework and Rhythm

In the days before electricity, the human experience shared a collective rhythm. Now, work stretches from pre-dawn to post-dusk, and we no longer operate in sync with the natural rhymns of sunlight. Yet deep down, we still crave a certain semblance of structure. And we crave ways to transform daily tasks into truly meaningful experiences, too, rather than simply completing mundane tasks by rote. I view my Instructor’s Guide this way. The steady daily rhythm of

a Scripture song,
memory work,
poetry,
history,
readers, and
read-alouds

anchors our days with tangible and purposeful milestones, and provides a solid framework, amidst long and sometimes hectic hours.

And there’s still more to love about my Instructor’s Guide, even beyond the structure designed to keep me on track. The Instructor’s Guide enables me to integrate

vocabulary,
geography,
cultural literacy, and
navigate controversial topics, too.

4. The Instructor’s Guide Offers Me Easy Access to Vocabulary Words and Definitions

I love dictionaries more than the average person—I have a small collection—but I also love simplicity. When we’re reading a Sonlight book and encounter an unusual word, being able to flip a few pages in the Instructor’s Guide and immediately have the definition at my fingertips is so, so wonderful.

5. The Instructor’s Guide Shows Me the World through Mapping

Would I map as consistently if Sonlight didn’t make geography so simple? In all honesty, probably not. But the Sonlight team has already gone through all the books and made note of each important geographical location mentioned, prompting me with a globe icon (and coordinates) to mark the location on the Markable Map or the reader activity sheets. I really haven’t found an easier way to integrate geography, history, and literature.

6. The Instructor’s Guide Provides Context for Dates in History

If I were to tackle it on my own, creating and maintaining a timeline would be substantial extra project to take on. But with all the notable figures and events already marked in my Instructor’s Guide, tracking people and eras in the Timeline Book is not a burden. Even when we forget to work on it daily and play catch up (let’s call it review), Sonlight makes it easy, with a wide selection of timeline figures already provided in History / Literature / Bible bundles A-H.

7. The Instructor’s Guide Notes Paint a Rich Backdrop for each Book

We enjoy the wide variety of books included in a Sonlight education, but the notes in the Instructor’s Guide provide context to give the stories an even bigger impact. Through the notes, we learn the Pagano family’s attitude toward exploring the cave in Red Sails to Capri accurately reflects historical beliefs during that time. We also realize the feud between the Boyer and Slater families in Strawberry Girl actually reveals a larger cultural truth about early immigration in the southern United States. And when Brother Like mentions matins or terce in Door in the Wall, we can refer to the chart in the Instructor’s Guide to realize he means midnight and nine in the morning. Without referring to the guide, we’d still enjoy the cadence of the stories, but we wouldn’t have the information to fully appreciate the cultural and historical significance of each.

8. The Instructor’s Guide Helps Me to Tackle Controversial Issues

Since a Sonlight education is built around real books, kids and parents tackle real issues together. And sometimes, individual families might want to address these topics in individual ways. At various points throughout a school year, my Instructor’s Guide alerts me to upcoming content—like the birds and the bees, or a creation vs. evolution mention— and prepares me for the discussion which will follow. I love how Sonlight encourages me to have deep, authentic, and meaningful conversations with my daughter.

As I help my daughter navigate this big world, I’m so thankful for resources like my Instructor’s Guide and our Sonlight books. Combined with prayer, these are such invaluable tools in guiding her through learning discernment and critical thinking necessary to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15)—which, after all, is the ultimate goal.

See for yourself all the reasons to love a Sonlight Instructor's Guide. Try three weeks of any IG for free. Click here to get one for any level, preschool through twelfth grade.

https://www.sonlight.com/homeschool/ig/a-look-inside/

Tagged Homeschooling, Instructor's Guide, Sonlight | Leave a comment

Apr. 6, 2018

5 Myths About "Good Homeschool Moms"

By Sarita

As homeschool moms*, we usually know somewhere in our heads that we are our children's best teacher. But getting our hearts to believe that can be another story. When we're honest, many of us face a nagging fear that we just don't measure up. We fall prey to myths about "good homeschool moms."

It can be easy (and quite discouraging) to look around and assume other moms have it all together ... that we're the only ones who ever struggle.

As someone who has been there, done that, and made it to a new stage of parenting (where I get to enjoy my grandkids and interact with my self-sufficient adult children), let me encourage you here. Let's debunk a few discouraging myths that just aren't true.

Myth #1: All "good homeschool moms" have children who perform above average.

If your child is ready for college-level work at age 14, that's great. But far more of us have children who are "average" or struggling. And that's okay, too. Really. Some children learn to read at age 3. Some learn to read at age 8 or later. Neither scenario makes that child more or less loved and valuable in your eyes or God's.

Just as students in a school system range widely in their abilities, so too in our homes. Even with that variation, homeschoolers' scores on standardized tests still average significantly higher than non-homeschoolers. Plus, homeschoolers consistently receive personalized instruction from a teacher who cares greatly about their well-being and success. So wherever your students are academically, rest assured, you are serving your children exceedingly well.

If your children are "ahead" in some subjects and "behind" in others, or on target in everything, or behind in everything, you're in good company. Many Sonlight moms teach children who need extra guidance or a slower pace academically. And many Sonlight moms teach children with special needs or learning challenges.

One of my favorite benefits of homeschooling: We can meet our children wherever they are. We can focus on their unique needs.

Myth #2: "Good homeschool moms" never struggle.

While some moms make it look easy to gracefully manage their home and homeschool, we all struggle at times. As mother, teacher and manager of our household, each role includes a broad range of tasks. So give yourself some credit: you love your children and are striving (albeit imperfectly) to follow God during this unique season. That is a praiseworthy thing indeed.

Myth #3: "Good homeschool moms" always have complete mastery of the material their kids are learning.

Ever find yourself learning something new as you homeschool? Me too! I think that's great. In fact, this is another joy of homeschooling: we get to learn alongside our children and continue in a lifetime of growth and learning.

And remember that once kids get into high school, many homeschool moms become more of a learning coach instead of the primary instructor. If you'd rather not teach Chemistry and Algebra, you can still coach your children as they use quality self-teaching programs. They get to learn upper-level skills and valuable self-motivation at the same time.

Myth #4: "Good homeschool moms" love every minute of their homeschool.

I believe homeschooling is a worthy and delightful calling. But who loves every minute of anything? As with all endeavors, homeschooling comes with good days and bad days. Good seasons and more difficult seasons. Even if you strive for a positive attitude and continually thank the Lord for his blessings, there will probably be days when you dream of just sipping lemonade at a quiet, solitary beach.

Let me encourage you with what I wrote awhile ago, that life will not always be as it is now. Though Satan tries to trick us into despair, he does not know the future, so we choose to trust God instead. I pray that gives you some hope when you face struggles.

That said, I don't believe it's helpful to indulge in daydreams of a time when the kids and life are perfect. I appreciate the honesty and wisdom of a phrase used by a Sonlight mom on her signature: "It is counterproductive for me to dream of days that belong in a season other than the one I'm in."

Myth #5: "Good homeschool moms" should pour every last ounce of energy into their children.

Do you feel guilty for seeking out 30 minutes of solitude? Perhaps that solitude is the best thing you can do for your children. We all recharge in different ways, so find out what works for you and make it a priority.

Whether that is making time to exercise (don't underestimate the value of endorphins!), spending quiet time in prayer and Bible study, or making sure that you and your husband get to sit down and have real conversation together, I'd encourage you to be a good steward of yourself.

May God bless you and your family abundantly right now. May He remind you that He is always with you and His love for you never changes … no matter how good of a homeschool mom you feel like today.

*I should clarify that the Sonlight community includes more than just great homeschool moms. We have great homeschool dads as well! If you're a dad, thank you for the work you do, and please pardon me as I speak directly to moms here. I do hope that you, too, can relate to much of what I share above.

Tagged Encouragement, homeschool moms, Homeschooling, myths | 1 Comment

Mar. 28, 2018

Help! I've Lost My Homeschool Groove! Here's How to Find It Again

By Amber Smith

Lately, my kids and I were having a hard time feeling motivated to get back in the swing of homeschooling after a break. We had family visits and a couple bouts with sickness—the usual things that can derail us from our homeschool routine. After a few weeks of false starts, we still weren’t getting into our routine like we should have been. I felt as if I'd lost my homeschool groove.

Instead of getting frustrated and trying harder, I decided to spend some time thinking about what drew me to homeschooling and what I loved about learning at home. Then I made time to intentionally connect our school day with those values at the core of my mission. Here are three central values I identified.

1. The Capacity to Be Creative

Hours spent leading story time at a local book store proved to me that children are naturally creative. Every week, a dozen or so four-year-old children would come play. They were bright and creative. If I handed them a piece of clay, they handed me back a story, full of detail. I remember feeling inspired to try to hold this childlike enthusiasm for creativity forever, if possible. I want our homeschool to continually feed creativity.

2. The Ability to Get Lost in A Great Story

Great stories establish our sense of wonder. In the day-to-day ticking off of tasks, wonder was far too often taking a seat on the sidelines. Because we use Sonlight, reading aloud has always been a central activity to our school day, but with the business of the our break and with kids being sick, reading was getting pushed aside so we could accomplish our daily Table Subjects™.

It is all too easy to create a habit of pushing aside Couch Subjects™. Math and Language Arts pages can feel like more pressing subjects, but my oldest three graduates continue to tell me that they gained more from our reading times than from any other subject. The books we read aloud are teaching our kids from many levels, all at the same time. I want our children to experience the sense of sweet wonder that comes from listening to stories much larger than themselves.

3. The Closeness of Family

A great gift of homeschooling is the fact that the children are not sent away from one another to learn every day. This daily proximity leads to stronger family bonds. This year, with many different ages and abilities, we have been doing more separate age level work. We weren’t coming together as a whole family for reading as often as we once had. I missed that feeling of togetherness. School can be done with everyone on the couch, tucked under a blanket, listening to a great tale. I want our kids to remember the sweetness of family as a part of their everyday lives.

How We Got Our Homeschool Groove Back

Now that I'd identified my key values—what I love about homeschooling—I had to reconnect them to my day so that I could find my lost homeschool groove.

Here is what I did for my family. Since we are in the middle of History / Bible Literature G World History, I created a small unit study of all things Greek, especially Greek mythology, one of my favorite topics. To inspire wonder, I did quite a bit of reading from the stories that I love, adding all the flourishes and details I could remember.

We got back to making reading central and fun. To add regular opportunities for creativity, the kids are taking notes in an inexpensive, blank journal. My first group of homeschoolers, years ago, loved keeping a Monster Journal as we read Greek myths aloud. This group of younger siblings are now doing the same. The journals are a place to draw monsters, keep a timeline, note names, and draw anything they pick up from the reading.

Their creativity is refreshing to observe. We have a sharing time after we read so they can show each other what they have drawn. We normally work with two IG’s, but we made sure both groups were doing world history at the same time so that much of our reading can be combined through the year. Doing these reading activities together as one group is helping us feel closer as a family.

In a few weeks, we will wrap up our Greek mini-unit. I know that I’ll feel ready to fall right back into our IG schedule. The best part is that the books we’re reading are pulled right out of the World History G selections, so we aren’t even missing a beat in our school year.

I encourage you to identify your homeschool values. Then when you lose your groove, use those core values to help you find it again.

Tagged Encouragement, GROOVE, Homeschooling, motivation, tips | Leave a comment

Mar. 26, 2018

10 Ways to Make the Most of a Four-day Homeschool Week

By Erika Evans

Reducing our homeschool week to four days a week has been a game changer. The kids have more time for exploring individual interests, and I have increased freedom and flexibility for self-care, too. Discussing our schedule change with two friends—also longtime homeschoolers—prompted two very different and thought provoking reactions.

A Traditional Homeschooler's Reaction to 4-Day Schedule

One friend is a traditional homeschooler. She’s big on organization and consecutive skill building. Although she likes the idea of switching to a four-day schedule, she fears that her kids won’t choose to do anything educational once the curriculum ends for the week. She doesn’t want to waste a day that could be spent learning.

I respect my friend’s thoughts, but the sheer multitude of real-life learning opportunities that exist outside the formal curricula keep me confident that learning will continue to happen.

An Interest-led Homeschooler's Reaction to 4-Day Schedule

Another friend is an avid unschooler. She feels that unstructured learning does wonders for kids and that doing away with curriculum altogether can enhance learning even more. She works hard to provide her kids with experiences and materials that match their current interests but doesn’t rely on any form of traditional schedule whether five-day or four-day.

While I love the diversity that unschooling can provide, I also feel strongly that my youngsters thrive on routine. By following a curriculum, my kids know what to expect, and I’m better prepared with materials on hand.

Our Happy Balance: 4-Day Sonlight

I’ve found that a combination of literature-rich, character-building curriculum with plentiful interest-led learning is the sweet spot for our homeschool.

My two overarching goals as a homeschooling mom are

to build and maintain a close relationship with my kids
to help them build connections among the wealth of materials and information circulating in the world

Our curriculum exposes all of us to new ideas and concepts separate from those we find on our own. The stories we read in Sonlight inspire us to try new things and delve into different subjects in more depth. I continue to be amazed by how much of our play and curiosity is inspired by the topics we cover with our more traditional studies.

A four-day homeschool week has empowered our family to get even more out of learning at home. Here are ten ways we have found to expand and explore beyond our curriculum.

1. Extracurricular activities

I use the flexibility gained from homeschooling to let kids pursue local classes in art, nature, and science. We look to the books we’ve read for inspiration. Pressing flowers and animal care are just a few of our most recent interests.

2. Field Trips

Field trips can be an immersion experience of learning. It’s a lot easier for local businesses and community venues to spend increased amounts of time with kids who aren’t on a tight time schedule and have onsite parental support—namely homeschoolers. When you take frequent field trips, you can make the most of a 4-day homeschool schedule.

3. Exercise

Get up and move around! Homeschoolers are notorious for neglecting their physical education requirements. Play some tennis, throw a ball, or go for run. The whole family will be better for it!

4. Community Involvement

Serve the community. Find a way to donate hours at a local food bank or long-term care facility. The experience is a minefield of real-life learning.

5. More (& More) Reading

There may not be anything more valuable when it comes to education than reading to your children. Look for shared interests and enjoy connecting over books!

6. Co-ops or Clubs

Look into local homeschool organizations or clubs. Several of these offer unique experiences that might be outside of your immediate expertise but of interest to you and/or your child. Make the most of a 4-day homeschool schedule by spending that extra day on outside classes.

7. Family Time

As families grow, there is always something to do and learn. As a direct result of spending time together as a family, we have recently learned about infant care, cooking, and plumbing just to name a few.

8. Unique Interests

Asking the kids what they want to know more about is always a good idea. The more invested they are in their own learning, the less you have to do to facilitate activities and the more knowledge they retain.

9. Holidays and Special Events

Rich traditions, folklore, and religion accompany most major holidays. Take some time to really delve into the meaning and origin of holidays. Take some time to pursue understanding other cultures and different perspectives.

10. Nothing

Boredom is often the best thing for striking creative energy. Schedule in plenty of downtime and document what happens. When left to their own devices, my kids have built small cities out of cardboard and written storybooks. Most recently, they designed boats that would actually float—an idea I believe they conjured from our Viking history lessons. They even tested how much weight each design could hold. All I had to do was supply the aluminum foil and get out of their way.

Reducing the number of formal schooling days to four per week can increase homeschool flexibility and allow for the inclusion of more interest-led learning. Your curriculum still serves as a foundation and inspires exploration of a variety of topics on that fifth day. A four-day per week homeschool schedule been a blessing for our family and might well be for yours too.

Curious to see what a 4-day homeschool week might look like for your family? Go to SmoothCourse to explore your options.

Tagged 4-day, homeschool, schedule | Leave a comment

Mar. 23, 2018

How to Teach Subjects You Don't Know: 6 Tips for a Homeschool Mom

By Sarita

Help! My child is smarter than I am. Can I still homeschool?
What about chemistry!?
If I homeschool, am I robbing my child of the chance to learn from someone who knows more than I do?

Have you ever asked yourself one of these questions or felt outsmarted by your child?

Listen to this post using the audio player.

I recently heard about a mom who says she would like to homeschool, but feels she can't. Why? Because her children are beyond her in certain subjects, and she is afraid she might not know enough. Even for moms who are generally confident, the question comes to mind: How do you teach subjects you don't know very well yourself?

Want to know a secret? Lean in.

The sentence, "I don't know; let's find out," ranks among the most valuable tools you have as a homeschool mom!

You will never know everything. Your kids will hopefully surpass you in knowledge, and that is your aim! You will serve your children best when you don’t just feed them facts but give them tools to teach themselves and learn from experts in a variety of fields.

If the idea of teaching calculus and chemistry makes us nervous, that's understandable, but we have to shift our thinking. We must move from a mindset that we have to know everything and pass that knowledge directly onto our kids, to a mindset of equipping them with resources to learn. We want to teach them how to seek out the information they need and connect them with experts through great curriculum or in-person opportunities.

Though you may not be an expert on everything, you are the leading expert on your child.

The beauty of homeschooling is that you care about your child more than anyone, and that makes you an ideal person to help them find resources to go as far as they can in learning.

Here are 6 things to remember when you are doubting your ability to teach subjects you don't know.

1. Teach Your Children How to Learn

Don’t just fill the bucket; light the fire. Of course you don’t want to limit your children’s knowledge to only what you know! Teach your children to develop the skill of independent learning. Part of this dynamic is the character quality of initiative. Rather than your children waiting for someone to hand them something or tell them the right answer, demonstrate for them how to take initiative, find resources and chase ideas. Show them how they can glean information from dictionaries, atlases, maps, bibliographies, libraries, search engines, and databases. Set them on the journey of learning and watch them go!

2. Lean on Great Resources

This is where you become a resource finder and more of a learning coach than the sole teacher. You can find quality curriculum where that author serves as the expert while you help your students set goals, structure their learning, offer accountability, discuss what they are learning, check progress, and tie it all together.

3. Learn Together

While I personally was good at algebra, I did not have a mind good at geometry. So, when I went to teach geometry to my son Luke, we did the lessons together. We came up with strategies, talked through solutions, and I found I understood it much better the second time around.

4. Share the Load

Do you know a family with an engineering background that would love to do a STEM club on weekends? A mom who has a flair for writing or is fluent in a foreign language? We all have different strengths and weaknesses. One person loves to sew. Another faints at the thought of handcrafts. Make a trade: offer writing instruction for sewing class or Algebra coaching for cooking lessons. Remember that you don’t have to be good at or even like teaching everything. Find someone who loves what your child wants to know and make it happen! If you can tap into the idea of the whole community at your fingertips, you have an amazingly broad base for an education.

5. Expand into Your Community

Beyond the experts you can find in your curriculum, the web, the library and other parents you know, you can expand your base within your broader community. Many families take courses at local junior colleges or community colleges. You can also think outside the box and find experts to mentor in your community. When you need to teach subjects you don't know, the options are endless: art schools, banks, zoos, or local businesses. Engage tutors, community leaders, therapists, sports coaches, directors, and other locals who might take on interns or volunteers, teach classes, tutor or otherwise coach or train in some capacity.

Your students may gain unique experiences and some of these relationships could even lead to job shadowing opportunities or future jobs. Encourage your kids that it never hurts to ask politely, and they will learn great lessons in networking!

6. Stay Humble

You can't teach everything by 18. Even with all the resources in the world, you can only squeeze so much learning into a child’s life by graduation. Trust that your children can—and will—continue the process of learning beyond your homeschool.

So, if you’re wondering if you are smarter than a fifth grader and feeling doubtful, leave the fear behind and enjoy the adventure of learning along with your kids. You can adjust the perspective from "I have to have all the answers" to "I am here to empower my children to find the information they need and facilitate their growth.” You get to specialize in knowing your child’s personality and needs and act as an advocate and coach in learning.

Tagged fear, homeschool, self-doubt, teaching, tips | Leave a comment

Mar. 21, 2018

6 Ways to Afterschool That Don't Feel Like School at All

By Jen Brimhall

Special Introduction to This Post

This article is the first by a new contributor Jen Brimhall. She brings a unique slant to the Sonlight blog because she and her children have used all kinds of educational options: public school, private school, homeschooling, and every combination of those. Currently her kids are attending school, and she is afterschooling them for enrichment. At Sonlight, we cherish school choice, and we know that every family, every child, sometimes every year is different. Parents make the best choices for their families, and sometimes that means using a school. But like Jen, once you homeschool, that bug is probably forever in your blood, and you will see education differently than before! Jen remains an active participant in her children's education, supplementing their work at school with extra activities at home. You will be seeing her contributions on the topic of afterschooling here on the Sonlight blog for the coming year.

I don’t know about you, but when my kids come home from their day at public school, the last thing they want to do is more learning. They need a break! And I get it; I really do.

But sometimes, subjects that are important to me aren’t taught very much or at all in our local school. No one person or institution can be all things to all people, offer every subject under the sun, or teach in a way that resonates with everyone. Plus, some kids simply need a little reinforcement on certain subjects. And that’s ok. A parent is a child’s first teacher after all, and these opportunities can be wonderful times of connection.

But oh my, the after school battles—even for assigned homework! They aren’t for the faint of heart.

But have hope. There are wonderful ways to supplement an education at home after school, that won’t be tear or tantrum inducing. This afterschooling, as we call it, might even be—dare I say it?—fun! The key is to make learning a part of everyday life.

1. Play Games and Puzzles After School

I have a child who will do anything if someone will play a game with him. And lucky for us, there are some pretty awesome educational games out there.

Snapshots Across America helps kids learn U.S. geography. It also spotlights a special tourist site for each state, so it might even help you plan your next family vacation. Not quite sure where Nebraska is? You’ll know soon!
Knock out and Muggins are clever elementary math games that help kids practice their addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Bananagrams or Scrabble are versatile! Have races to see who can find tiles to make spelling words the fastest. See who can come up with the best vocabulary words, synonyms, antonyms, etc.
Detailed puzzles like these of the solar system, the United States or the world, can be great for opening up discussions and helping the whole family get in on the learning.

Almost anything can be turned into a game if you have the right attitude and want to have fun: spelling, math, languages. . . the options are endless!

Snapshots Across America board game • 6 Ways to Afterschool That Don't Feel Like School at All

2. Capitalize on Current Events

Look no further than the local news for afterschooling fodder!

Is there a rally somewhere? Find it on a map! What are people protesting? Why? What would the consequences be if their talking points were accepted or denied? (You're covering social studies, geography, logic, and government.)
Are the Olympics or other multinational sporting events taking place? Find each nation on a map as the athletes compete. Learn one new thing about each country. You could delve into math using time, body angles for diving, gymnastics, ice skating, etc. Don’t forget about anatomy and nutrition! Try a new recipe from a country you are interested in. Double it to work on fractions! (You're covering geography, multicultural appreciation, math, science, and life skills.)
Are natural disasters happening? Where are they? Why did they happen? (You're covering geography and weather.)
Watch political speeches together. Candidate debates, presidential speeches, and local events are all excellent ways to talk about deeper things. Do some fact checking. Are these politicians telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? (You're covering government, speech and debate, research skills, and critical thinking.)

3. Talk About Family and Friends for Afterschooling

We live in a time when people are much more open to pick up stakes and move than they used to be. Use what can sometimes be teary moves or fun trips as exciting ways to learn more. Get a washable map (this double sided one is my favorite) and write the names of loved ones who have either lived or visited a certain area. See how many names and places you can label on the map! (You're covering geography.)

Ask out-of-town family/friends what they like about their area, and what is common to it. What is that area known for? Agriculture? Industry? Banking? National parks? Who first lived in this area and who immigrated to it? (You're covering geography, career exploration, appreciation, history.)

Pick a new town or city you are interested in and calculate the cost of living compared to where you currently live. What is the average income? How much is housing? Food? Travel? (You're covering math, life skills.)

the Sonlight markable map • 6 Ways to Afterschool That Don't Feel Like School at All

4. Read Books Together After School

This is possibly one of the most valuable things you can do with your family, period. The benefits are endless! You can find amazing books here.

Vocabulary: explain new words
Grammar: the more children read, the more they will naturally pick up on proper grammar.
Emotional intelligence: children learn about feelings, empathy and how to handle difficult situations when they listen to excellent books.
Character building: when parents choose books wisely and select stories of real life heros or fictional characters who make good choices, we reinforce what we want our children to learn. WE aren’t telling them how to be good (that would be a lecture they might not want to listen to), but the characters in the book are living it, instead. That is priceless.
History: Read The Yanks are Coming to learn about WWI. Read The Hiding Place and learn about WW2. Little House on the Prairie is a favorite of young listeners, and biographies written for children are favorites at my house.
Bonus tip: Audiobooks are great for bedtime and car trips!

5. Teach Kids About Your Professions

Something as ordinary as your own profession is food for afterschooling. Discuss these things with your children:

What made you choose your profession?
What subjects did you need to master in order to be qualified?
Explain how your profession helps society.

Confide in your children about problems you face in your work and how you overcome them through research, mathematics, social skills, etc.

6. Watch Movies Together

Yes, you read that right! Our family has benefited from watching historical movies like Gettysburg, Gandhi, Cromwell, A Man for All Seasons, Johnny Tremain, Liberty Kids and more. Pop some popcorn, watch the movie and then fact check it later.

Was the movie accurate?
What was creative license?
Did you agree or disagree with the decisions the main characters made?
What were the consequences?

(You're covering history, emotional intelligence, logic, cause and effect, government, leadership, etc.)

You can start afterschooling right now, with virtually no preparation. Really, anything can be educational when you are intentional and education becomes a lifestyle for your family, instead of an activity that only happens at school. Parents are in an ideal place to teach their children with love and to make education come alive. You can teach your children, even very casually, and do it well.

If you are looking for afterschooling resources, you can trust the carefully vetted books, games, and curriculum in the Sonlight catalog. Order a complimentary copy for yourself today

Tagged afterschooling, enrichment, school choice, supplement, supplemental | Leave a comment

Mar. 20, 2018

New in 2018: Additional 4-Day Program Options

By Sonlight

NEW 4-Day Program Options – Coming March 29!

Sonlight's 4-Day programs help you ease into your homeschooling adventure. You get the fabulous Sonlight books, along with the flexibility of the 4-Day schedule, giving you an extra day to catch up, co-op, clean up, create . . . or whatever you choose.

And now, we’re excited to announce that coming March 29, we’ll have several NEW 4-Day options to choose from!

History / Bible/ Literature G and H
Science G and H
Language Arts H

These exciting new programs mean that the 4-Day option will now be available in most Sonlight History / Bible / Literature, Language Arts and Science levels.

Also, new this year, for the 4-Day book lovers: Sonlight’s Bonus Book Collections. If you want all the Sonlight books, but only the 4-Day schedule, you’ll be able to order these Collections with a simple click. Coming March 29.

If you're involved in a co-op, or simply want a slightly slimmed down schedule to enjoy a more relaxed pace, Sonlight’s 4-Day programs are designed for you. You'll enjoy:

Just 4-days of school a week to provide you with a truly flexible schedule
Books and assignments to last exactly four days—including Bible and Readers
Completely new 4-Day Instructor's Guides for History / Bible / Literature, Language Arts and Science—all subjects scheduled just four days a week.
Additionally, you’ll find a few fewer books, since you are Sonlighting 36 fewer days.

Whatever reason you choose a 4-Day schedule—from family flexibility, to educational enrichment and more… With Sonlight’s specially designed four-day curriculum, you can be assured that all your academic subjects are scheduled, leaving you freedom and flexibility one day a week.

If you have questions about how a 4-Day homeschool schedule could work for your family, we have experienced homeschooling moms who would love to talk to you. Click here to connect with a homeschool consultant.

Tagged 2018, 4-day, news, Sonlight | Leave a comment