Did you know we only feature real photos and testimonials from our customers in our marketing? That's right! Every family you see on our website, in our catalog, in emails, on social media, in our blog posts, and more—are real Sonlight families!
Every year we host a photo competition to give Sonlighters a chance to share a compelling story and photo about their experience with Sonlight. Not only is it a chance to showcase your #sonlightstories, but all entrants to the competition earn a shot at being on the Sonlight catalog cover!
We love seeing how Sonlight shows up in your day-to-day life as you love learning with your kids, and we thank you to all of the families who participated in this year's photo contest. Congratulations to the three winners featured below!
WINNER: The V. Family, Sonlighters in Idaho
We had always planned to homeschool, but when the time came, I was overwhelmed by all the different options. I knew that with lots of little ones in our family, I needed a curriculum that was “open and go" and didn’t require a lot of preparation from me. Sonlight was the perfect solution," admits Kirsten V. "That first year showed me how wonderful literature-based learning could be. I like to say “I came for the IGs and stayed for the books!” We have been using Sonlight for 9 years now, and it has been such a blessing for our family!" Pictured: Sophia (9), Brennan (7), and Levi (5) having fun playing with baby chicks while learning about them in their Science A program from several years ago! Not pictured: Sara (13, Level H), Daniel (12, Level E), Anna (10, Level E), Levi (4), Zoe (3), Brielle (2), and Joshua (8 mo). —The V. Family, Sonlighters in Idaho
WINNER: The R. Family, Sonlighters in New York
During our first year of homeschooling, I felt completely overwhelmed," admits Alicia R of New York. "However, Sonlight provided the structure we all needed to have a successful first year. We loved the curriculum, which offered beautiful books, intentional lessons, and tremendous opportunity for creativity. As we gained confidence, we found we were able to customize even further. Our homeschool thrives on Sonlight’s hands-on, literature-based approach to education! History, Bible, and literature have especially become favorite subjects. I love watching my boys learn to love learning!" Pictured: For active boys, history really needs to come to life in order to keep their interest. Owen (10) and Leeland (8) enjoy acting out some of their favorite HBL C characters in one of their favorite locations—the trampoline! Henry (3) and Hudson (baby) will follow in their older brothers' footsteps starting next year with PreK." —The R. Family, Sonlighters in New York
WINNER: The M. Family, Sonlighters of Sheridan, IN
Sonlight has become the heartbeat of our family," recounts Emily M of Sheridan, IN. "From the deep, theological discussions we have had regarding the Bible and what Jesus means to us, to the tears we've shed while reading about George Müeller and his legacy, as well as the excitement of completing a successful science experiment, Sonlight has been central to our days. As their primary teacher who does not have an educational background, the thought of teaching multiple children at different levels intimidated me. However, because of the way Sonlight has curated the curriculum, I am confident that each child is getting exactly what she needs. I thank God every day that I found Sonlight, and that it is working so well for our family." Pictured: The M family's favorite time of the weeks is Poet-Tea where they read poetry and take turns fixing teas and snacks. They have loved the rich poems in the poetry book, and they have worked on hospitality and manners, all in one lesson!" —The M. Family, Sonlighters in Indiana
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.
Keep sharing your #sonlightstories
You don't need to wait for the annual photo contest to encourage other families with your everyday homeschool stories. You never know when something you submitted may appear in a catalog, on our homepage, or on the Sonlight blog.
We invite you to share your pictures directly on the Sonlight website or on your favorite social media platform all year long. If sharing on social media, tag us (@sonlightcurriculum and @sonlight) and be sure to include hashtags #sonlightstories, #sonlightstack, or #sonlightboxday.
I would be a millionaire if I had a dime for every time I’ve heard, “I would love to homeschool. I just don’t think I could do it.”
Plenty of parents see the value in homeschooling and are drawn to the family togetherness and the student-centered, one-on-one instruction. But the difficult part of making the decision to homeschool is going in blind, unsure of what it will actually be like. If they could see a small glimpse of how it would work, they might be more willing to commit to homeschooling.
I have a solution for anyone in this situation! Give homeschooling a test drive this summer! Summer is a great time to test the waters of homeschooling.
Don’t worry! I know your kids want nothing to do with school during the summer, but that doesn’t mean that your homeschool test drive is on the outs before it even begins.
1. Decide on a Theme
Themes make everything more fun. Counting is okay, but counting whales is awesome. Studying history is alright, but studying knights and castles...what kid would turn their nose up at that? I recommend you think about what your child is interested in. Use this list of summer themes as a jumping off point, but remember, it’s your camp, so get creative!
Under the Ocean
Buggin’ Out
Dinosaurs
Around the World in 80 Days!
Mad Science
Once Upon a Time
Inventors & Inventions
2. Gather Resources as a Base for Your Homeschool Test Drive
Unless you have some specific academic goals, you’ll probably want to gear your summer homeschool camp toward the more engaging subjects like science and history.
One good way to jump-start a homeschool test drive would be to purchase a Sonlight Science Program or a Discover & Do Science Experiment Kit. These packages come with a guide that tells you exactly what you need to do and all the literature you will read. But the best part is that it comes with a well-stocked supplies kit containing most of the hard-to-find supplies for the suggested experiments. While Sonlight Science is a 36-week program, it would be easy to split that into three sections and use one each summer or simply condense the course. Of course, if you decide to homeschool, you can just continue the curriculum right into the school year.
Or if you prefer the history route, consider purchasing a Hands-on History Kit from Sonlight. These kits are time period specific and contain a colorful guidebook and several projects that your family can do together.
Once you have your foundation for your summer homeschool, you may want to check your closest dollar store for trinkets and toys to go along with your theme to use as incentives. The library is also a great place to find supplementary reading material. Some libraries have themed kits already put together for you to use as a jumping-off point.
3. Create a Flexible Summer Schedule
Once you have your resources ready to go, you’ll want to make a schedule. Now, my first—and most important—piece of advice is do not overplan. If anything, underplan. It’s always easy to add activities in, but you’ll feel defeated if you get behind. So be realistic.
What is your summer schedule like? Will you have a lot of time or just a little to devote to your summer homeschool? Also think about your child. Will they come along willingly or will you have to work to get them excited about it? Adjust your schedule accordingly. Remember, it’s just a test drive...you’re just giving homeschool a spin. You aren’t in it for the long haul just yet. Don’t feel like you have to do every subject or every activity you find. Focus on engaging your child and take your cues from him.
Your summer schedule may look something like this:
8:00-10:00 wake up, do chores
10:00-12:00 Animal Planet Camp
12:00-1:00 lunch
You’ll want to keep your schedule flexible because you’ll want to take advantage of the spontaneous fun that summer is known for. Don’t let your schedule tell you what to do. Create a flexible schedule that can be changed as needed.
4. Choose 2-4 Activities Per Day for Your Homeschool Test Drive
The idea here is to keep things simple. You’ll want to choose 2-4 activities or tasks each day, and I would even encourage you to only do your summer camp only three or four days per week. You don’t want to be too rigid in your summer planning. Here is an example of a summer camp day.
Animal Planet Camp Sample Day
Read aloud & discuss a book pertaining to the theme
Do an experiment or art project on the theme, or research an interesting fact further
Watch a video clip on the animal studied
Solve a math problem together: World Wildlife Fund says that 100 million sharks are killed every year around the world. What percentage of sharks are killed each year? At this rate, in how many years would sharks be in danger of extinction?
Yes, it’s really that simple. This will be just enough to get your feet wet and get a feel for what homeschooling might be like. It will also give you a chance to see how your children react. When you see how they respond to you, you may notice a few areas that you’ll need to work on. Don’t let these areas be a deal breaker though. Most trouble-spots can be worked out with time, patience, and communication.
Congratulations! You’re on your way to becoming a great summer homeschooler! You may just decide that you like it. Your kids may just thrive with the interest-led learning they did over the summer, and you might just decide to give formal homeschooling a try come fall. That’s great! But you’re probably asking, “Now what?”
After The Homeschool Test Drive: Should I Homeschool in the Fall?
You’ll probably want to start talking to some local homeschool moms. Building a local support system is a great help when you are new to homeschooling. You might also talk to a Sonlight Advisor who can point you in the right direction and talk you through choosing a curriculum.
You’ll want to check your state laws concerning homeschooling and find out the procedure for withdrawing your child from school. Then, you’ll probably think, “Oh my goodness, what have I done?” At this point, you’ll want to give yourself a pep talk. Here’s a script that I like to use myself. You can borrow it if you’d like!
I’m a little nervous about this, but I can do it because God is with me. Everything worth doing is a little scary. I know things won’t be perfect everyday, but I’m ready for the challenge. The mountaintops will outshine the valleys. I don’t know what I’m doing yet, but I’m a fast learner, and we’ll figure things out together.
If only this pep talk were all that you needed! It will give you a small boost, but you’ll still be nervous...and probably a little scared. That’s exactly how you need to feel! It means that you want to do a good job, and you will. I remember when I was pregnant with my first child, and the early labor signs were upon me. I had decided to go without any pain relief, and I was scared. I remember thinking to myself...Hundreds of thousands of mothers have been in exactly this situation before me. I can do it, too. That thought of solidarity with centuries of women really helped me through that moment. And I made it, even though I was scared.
Well, the great news is that hundreds of thousands of mothers have blazed the trail of homeschooling for you too. We are all together in this, and whether we admit it or not, we’re all at least a little scared. So, join hands with me and hundreds of years of women before us, and let’s all do it scared.
Summer is here and we have the ultimate summer reading list for your elementary learners. This carefully curated list of books has been personally recommended by Sonlight families as the best of the best! Take a look at the titles and get some tips for keeping your kids reading all summer long.
The Ultimate Summer Reading List For Elementary Students
As part of our literature spotlight this year, we asked Sonlight families to share their very best recommendations for summer books. The following titles were crowdsourced directly from other like-minded parents. As always, please be sure to examine the books yourself to ensure they are appropriate for your family's individual needs.
Take a look at all the amazing books we have on our list and download a printable PDF copy below!
Titles that are part of a series are indicated with an asterik (*). See below for the complete list of series recommended by Sonlight families.
Sonlight Titles Recommended By Parents For Summer Reading
We were thrilled to see that many of the parent-sourced titles are books that we recommend and study as part of our literature-based curriculum. These 25 recommended titles are among the very best for elementary-aged readers and many are recommended in our curriculum packages.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh took our family by storm—we could not put it down! The heroism! Oh, we loved it. My children, 9,7, and 6, were all as absorbed as I was. Absolutely perfect for a summer read!— B. Family Sonlighters
The Top Books Recommended By Parents Of Elementary Readers
In addition, these elementary-age books were repeatedly recommended by Sonlight parents.
I just absolutely love The miraculous journey of Edward Tulane. It makes me cry every time.— M. Family Sonlighters
Top Book Series For Elementary Students
It's wonderful when your child finds an author they love. This is a list of the top multi-book series recommended by parents for sensational summer reading.
Here is what we will be RE-reading this summer. The Dead Sea Squirrels is part of a 10 book series. Michael tags along with his dad on an archeological dig at the Dead Sea and he finds two squirrels that he thinks will make the perfect souvenir. Very funny and light hearted, quick reading kind of books. Lots of 5th grade type mischief and tons of giggles."
— K. Family Sonlighters
Keeping Your Children Interested In Reading Throughout The Summer
Set a reading goal. This might be a specific number of books, a number of pages, or even just a target amount of time to read each day.
Make it fun. Make your family's approach to summer reading something enjoyable and fun. Going to the library, a special trip to the bookstore, or even reading aloud together can turn reading into a special event for your little one.
Create a habit of reading. One of best ways to keep your child reading is to make it automatic. Encourage your child to read every single day, even if it's just for a few minutes. Or, you may also set aside some time each day for family reading time.
Follow your child's interests. Finding books that correlate to your child's interests makes them that much more engaging.
Offer fun rewards. Small tokens of progress towards reading goals or special trips taken after finishing a book are a great way to encourage summer reading. For example, one Sonlight family went to visit the beach after reading a Who Would Win book about aquatic creatures.
Summer is a perfect season to encourage reading in your home. If you are looking for the best way to help your high school student develop a love of reading, this ultimate guide to summer reading is a great place to start!
The Ultimate Summer Reading List For High School School Students
In an effort to curate a list of the very best titles for teens, we asked Sonlight families to share their favorite summer book recommendations. The following list was crowd sourced from other like-minded parents, all passionate about finding the very best books for high school summer reading.
Take a look at all the amazing books we have on our list and download a printable PDF copy below!
Titles that are part of a series are indicated with an asterik (*). See below for the complete list of series recommended by Sonlight families.
Sonlight Titles Recommended By Parents For Summer Reading
We know that exposure to rich and engaging stories is one of the best ways to help high school learners expand their knowledge. That’s why it's no surprise that many of the titles parents recommended for summer reading are also a part of our literature based approach to high school learning. These wonderful books are woven into Sonlight's language arts programs, and are also available for summer reading options.
The best way to encourage a reading practice in your home is to find an author or storyline that interests your child and encourage them to read more of it! These top books series were recommended by parents as well.
There are many benefits to summer reading for all ages, especially high schoolers. Here are just a few:
Minimize summer learning loss. Studies show that there is a decline in academic skills when students don't read or participate in other learning activities during long breaks. Keeping your child engaged and active in well-written stories is a great way to help minimize summer learning loss.
Improve vocabulary. A regular reading practice exposes learners to new words and vocabulary. Reading throughout the summer creates a language rich environment, increasing vocabulary skills. This is helpful across all subjects, all year long.
Foster a love of reading. The lazy days of summer combined with an engrossing book are a perfect pairing for creating a love of reading.
Encouraging your high schooler to read throughout the summer is good for their academic achievement, to be sure. It is also a wonderful way to help them create their own lifelong passion for reading.
Summer is the perfect season to encourage reading in your home. If you are homeschooling a child in the middle years, this summer reading list for middle schoolers has everything you need for a wonderful summer of reading.
The Ultimate Summer Reading List For Middle School Students
This year, we asked Sonlight families to share all of their favorite books for summer reading. As always, please review any book recommendations yourself and confirm they are in-line with your family's beliefs and needs.
Take a look at all the amazing books we have on our list and download a printable PDF copy below!
Titles that are part of a series are indicated with an asterik (*). See below for the complete list of series recommended by Sonlight families.
Sonlight Titles Recommended By Parents For Summer Reading
Many of the top book recommendations from homeschooling parents were the very same titles we use as part of Sonlight’s literature based approach to learning. It’s no surprise that these highly recommended books are among the very best for middle school readers.
The Top Books Recommended By Parents Of Middle School Readers
These are just a few suggestions, of course. There are many great books out there to choose from, so find something that interests you and enjoy your summer reading!
This list of highly recommended titles has everything your middle schooler needs for a fabulous summer of reading.
A Place to Hang the Moon is, by far, the best kids book I’ve read in a long time.— G. Family Sonlighters
Keeper of the Lost Cities is one of my favorite series of all time! It's action-packed with an incredible heroine, and full of heart amidst the epic cast of characters and jaw-dropping plot twists. It's 9 full books and a novella so far and still going, so it makes a great summer reading series for both boys and girls ages 10+ (but adults and teens can also enjoy it!) — M. Family Sonlighters
Book Series For Middle School Readers
Does your child have a favorite author? Summer is a great time to tackle an entire series. These multi-book series recommendations are perfect for your middle school reader.
And the #1 most recommended books/series for middle school students...
My boys are loving this series (Wingfeather Saga)! There are 4 total and we just ordered the last two for my 7-year-old’s birthday. They love listening to their daddy read them aloud. If any of you happen to be familiar with Slugs and Bugs (they have fantastic scripture songs for kids!), this author is on some albums and the show a fair amount. We highly recommend!"
— C. Family Sonlighters
Make The Most Of Your Middle Schooler's Summer Reading
Now that you've selected some amazing books, here are some tips for making the most of your child's summer reading:
Set aside some time each day to read. Even if it's just for 30 minutes, making a commitment to read every day is a wonderful way to keep summer reading on track.
Find new places to comfortably read. This could be your child's favorite chair with a cozy blanket, at the beach, or in your backyard. Encourage your middle schooler to find a place that is all their own.
Help your child try new things. For example, if they always read read fiction, try encouraging them to try reading a non-fiction book this summer, or vice versa.
Schedule a regular trip to your local library. Your child will find new books to read, have access to reading clubs for kids, and can borrow audiobooks and e-books for summer reading.
Free summer reading programs are available online and in many commuities. Both for kids and adults, free summer reading programs are a great way to stay motivated all summer long!
There are are best recommendations for middle school summer reading. Looking for other ages as well? Check out our complementary guides for elementary and high school readers.
Sonlight parents are always looking for fun and engaging ways to encourage reading in their homeschool. With the end of the school year just around the bend, we want to support you in creating a reading lifestyle all summer long. We also can't wait to hear what you believe are the very best books for summer reading!
Choosing Quality Books For Your Children
One of the things that makes Sonlight such a valuable curriculum is our carefully curated book selections. Sonlight is the original literature-based curriculum and we pride ourselves in finding the very best options for your child's reading stack.
Many parents have asked for tips and tricks for choosing quality, everyday books for unstructured reading as well. Here are our very best suggestions for choosing thoughtful and age-appropriate reading materials for your children.
1. Select stories with characters that your child can understand and relate to.
If your child can see themselves in the story, no matter how different the circumstances of the tale may be, the reading becomes a powerful, often motivating experience.
2. Look for books that teach important lessons or concepts.
One of the best ways to promote overall character development and cultural significance, especially for children, is through illustrative examples in story.
3. Choose books with beautiful illustrations.
Artful illustrations can make all the difference in creating excellence in your unstructured reading. Not only will your child be more engaged, but the artistry of many illustrated books can cultivate beauty for all ages (even us parents!).
4. Incorporate your child's interests.
An easy way to kick off a passion for reading is through books about topics that your child finds particularly interesting. Whether it's nature, dogs, or exotic locations, starting with your child's favorite things can be a wonderful way to source excellent reading resources.
Rejuvenate Your Family's Reading Routine This Summer
All year long, we promote learning through the power of literature and story because we know just how valuable it is for growing minds. Summer however, a great time to change things up in your homeschool and rejuvenate your family's reading routine.
The more relaxed pace, the need to stay cool indoors or at the pool, and the chance to take a break from formal learning are all great reasons to incorporate a summer reading plan into your summer days. Summer is the perfect time of year to create a lifestyle of reading in your family.
The Best Books For Summer Reading: What Are Your Favorites?
The hardest part of homeschooling often isn't the homeschooling!
With a great curriculum like Sonlight, teaching is the easy part! The harder part is clearing the hurdles to get started in the first place.
We’re here to help you push past these worries that many homeschool parents face. In this blog series, we’ll debunk the most common hurdles to getting started homeschooling.
We’ll give you tips to overcome and advice to thrive, plus we'll share stories of real homeschoolers who have cleared these hurdles.
My children will be behind academically
Homeschoolers tend to do better than their traditionally schooled peers on standardized tests. There are many reasons for this: the tutoring model of homeschooling keeps kids from falling through the cracks, you can tailor your child’s education to their specific needs, the home is a safe and calm place to learn, kids do better without being taught to the test, and so on.
Here are a few resources to debunk this common misconception about homeschoolers.
FROM THE SONLIGHT BLOG
Is My Child Learning Enough? Every homeschool parent occasionally wonders if their children are learning everything they need to know. Since a literature-based learning approach doesn't use traditional testing, it can be even harder to objectively assess what your children are learning. If you are feeling concerned, it is important to take a step back and examine what is causing that feeling. Chances are, your child is learning even more than you realize!
4 Reasons to Pursue Academic Excellence in Your Homeschool I know that education is not about test scores. I love that homeschooling lets you tailor your plans to your family. 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.
Honoring God with Academics: The Goal of Christian Homeschooling When you hear the term academic excellence do you get a stuffy image of grading scales, tests, timers and No. 2 pencils—maybe even ivy-covered buildings? I'd like to make a case for the couch academic and how relational, delight-driven homeschooling and academic excellence are not mutually exclusive. Just because we don't emphasize tests and grading as the spine of Sonlight's approach doesn't mean we're half-hearted in the area of scholarship and the life of the mind.
My children are light years ahead of their peers and recommended for honor College. Sonlight equipped us exceptionally well for a strong academic future. Hello presidential scholarships, merit scholarships, rotary scholarships, police department scholarship, private foundation scholarships—the list goes on and on!
L. Family Sonlighters
My children won’t get into college
If part of you wonders if your children will be prepared for college, be encouraged to know that thousands of others have been. If you and your student both see college as a goal, homeschooling can actually give your children a distinct advantage in preparing for college. Many homeschoolers tend to outperform their peers in terms of college GPA and graduation rates.
Here are some of the ways Sonlight has helped prepare students for college.
To ease your fears about homeschooling, pair this encouragement with a time-tested homeschool curriculum. Let Sonlight equip you and give you the confidence to do it well.
With all your materials and plans laid out for you to just open and teach, you do have what it takes to homeschool! We are so happy to be part of your homeschool and walk alongside you in this journey!
If you are considering a new direction for your children’s education or have doubts about your homeschool and want personalized reassurance, we have experienced homeschooling moms who would love to talk to you. With our Sonlight Advisors, you'll get one-on-one help, new ideas, and renewed confidence.
We had always planned to homeschool, but when the time came, I was overwhelmed by all the different options. I knew that with lots of little ones in our family, I needed a curriculum that was “open and go" and didn’t require a lot of preparation from me. Sonlight was the perfect solution," admits Kirsten V. "That first year showed me how wonderful literature-based learning could be. I like to say “I came for the IGs and stayed for the books!” We have been using Sonlight for 9 years now, and it has been such a blessing for our family!" Pictured: Sophia (9), Brennan (7), and Levi (5) having fun playing with baby chicks while learning about them in their Science A program from several years ago! Not pictured: Sara (13, Level H), Daniel (12, Level E), Anna (10, Level E), Levi (4), Zoe (3), Brielle (2), and Joshua (8 mo). —The V. Family, Sonlighters in Idaho
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh took our family by storm—
