Detailed REVIEW of Sonlight Curriculum HBL-B II Hits & Misses + Overall Thoughts!

[@Tamara-fz4wm]

We really loved both our B and C years. The literature is just amazing. Makes me want to go back and read them all again to my kids.

[@sciencemama]

I love hearing that!

[@amywaggoner7012]

This was so helpful!!! I’ve been considering Sonlight for a while and this answered all my questions that had me hesitating. Thank you!

[@rusticheritagecrochet]

Love this type of video! ❤ We cherished our times reading Leading Little Ones to God...several kids got saved during that book. So, so good for family devotions and discussions. Stick with Sonlight....its amazing! You're doing a great job, mama! ❤

[@sciencemama]

Thank you so much for your encouraging words!! Love hearing that Leading Little Ones to God was as impactful to your family as it was to mine!

[@rusticheritagecrochet]

@@sciencemama ❤

[@tiffanylegato6796]

Understood Betsy was by far my favorite of the year. It was the last book we finished and I just cried at the end. So grateful for the beautiful story of its "I can do hard things" mentality and genuine love of extended family and friends. I needed it probably more than my kids.

[@sciencemama]

Yes! Exactly how I felt :)

[@PSea-zv7hg]

Can you do an video update on how the Sonlight planner worked for you this year?

[@sciencemama]

I would be happy to!

[@SaraZambrano-nt4wv]

Very helpful video! I'm deciding what route to take for our next homeschool year. We started with Build Your Library but I'm considering switching to Sonlight. Thank you 🙂

[@brookeally1346]

If you don’t mind me asking. What makes you want to switch from byl. We have level 0 but I’m not sure if we will dive in or not but I keep feeling pulled to sonlight.

[@sciencemama]

Honestly, I love both programs and I still get book recommendations from BYL! I actually made a video about why I switched: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYaZqH6ha9-shtU

[@emmareads734]

Thank you, this is so helpful! I am considering this for next year.

[@sciencemama]

Exciting!!

[@emilykinison9025]

Thank you!! I love your review videos so much. I have HBL-B for next year and thumbing through the books, I was a little nervous about Child’s History of the World and Leading Little Ones so I’m glad you said that about them 😁

[@sciencemama]

So glad to help! Both of those books were a blessing to us :)

[@emiliehammerquist6372]

Sonlight has such a special place in my heart. We have used it for kindergarten through 4th grade - the books (which come with included laughs & tears), the talks, the thinking about & praying for the entire world… ❤

[@sciencemama]

I couldn't agree more!

[@stephanieh.1633]

Love this. Can't wait to do this with my kids next year. 😊 I'm thinking of adding Story of the World to go along with it.

[@sciencemama]

So excited for you! I've heard of people doing that!!

[@AlwaysBooked]

Can you do a video about how you use this curriculum? Is it just reading the books and discussing or how does it work?

[@sciencemama]

I will have to do a video because it is a simple as reading and discussing but that can be so deep!

[@AlwaysBooked]

@@sciencemama I would love to see it!

[@Olivia-mom25]

So glad you had a good year❤ we’ve used Sonlight off and on through the years. I have 4 kids graduated from our homeschool and my youngest is 15 😢

[@sciencemama]

I love hearing that Sonlight has worked for so many years!

[@nwyzkiewicz]

Thank you for this helpful review! This will be our 2nd year using Sonlight! We really enjoyed last year. The one thing we struggled with were the read alouds. I felt like my son wasn’t interested in most of them and I was doing all the reading. As a tired mama many days, I would think, “Why am I reading this and he is checked out.” Do you have any tips on how to make the read alouds more fun?

[@sciencemama]

I would say try and pay attention to the books he does like and maybe switch out a few of the read alouds. Sometimes my kids get a bit burnt out on historical reads and so we will add in a fantasy. But I also do often have a fun book going at night time 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@anaf.848]

I keep watching all your Sonlight videos and LOVE what I see, but then I head over to the website, and the sticker shock scares me off. 😆

[@sciencemama]

The upcoming sale could help ... but I have also bought Sonlight used off of the Facebook groups before, which helps with the sticker shock!

[@brittanybell7577]

This is the video that originally inspired me to start looking into Sonlight and we have decided to do hbl B this year, which ive already aquired. However, Around the World with Kate and Mack was swapped out with an update (but its still included in the IG) because its out of print, but im considering picking it up from thrift books because it looks good. Obviously you cant compare it with what they swapped it with, but do you feel like it was "that" good to recommend picking it up anyways ?

[@sciencemama]

I really liked it! What did they replace it with?

[@brittanybell7577]

@@sciencemama "Who Are Frontier People Groups?" I'll probably pick it up, then. I have other books I'm going to order from thrift books anyways, so may as well.

[@sciencemama]

@@brittanybell7577 if you can find it at a good price, I would pick it up! The other book looks good but my kids really liked the parrot 🤣

[@sarahescobar4828]

I’m so excited to use Sonlight! I am debating using HBL-A for US history or NotGrass our Star Spangled Story. It’s so hard to choose a US History curriculum! But I think I’ve settled on HBL B and C for world history and I’m pretty pumped 😊

[@sciencemama]

I'm super excited for you and I hope you love it!

[@lesliedavis5323]

My mom did our lessons one day while I was away and after she read a Child’s History of the World she asked to read it when we were done. I agreed with her that it was excellent!

[@sciencemama]

I love that!

[@lindsayrosas5678]

I am so drawn to sunlight! But the price $$…im trying to find a way to make this work. How crucial is the teachers guide? If I bought the books second-hand and fostered great discussion, would that work? This just sounds amazing.

[@sciencemama]

Oh man, the instructors guide really makes the program! Sonlight is about to have it's annual sale, but I would also recommend checking out the Facebook B/S/T group for used programs!

[@brookelewis8958]

Thank you so much for your review! Do you think this level will work well with a 4th and 3rd grader? Or would it be too easy?

[@sciencemama]

Yes, I definitely think it would work ... my kids were only 3rd and 2nd last year, so not that different!

[@Theultrateam4]

So for the read aloud is it like the parent reads those books or do the kids read them as well?

[@sciencemama]

Hi! I read the read aloud to the kids. They do have separate readers that are at their reading levels for these earlier HBLs.

[@juliequezada7504]

We loved the George Muller story.

[@sciencemama]

It's so good!

[@jessicaspiller3173]

So I have a question can u just buy the paperwork but if this curriculum insteyof the books?

[@sciencemama]

Yes you can just buy the instructors guide and source the books somewhere else :)

[@BustlingHome]

If you do narration with your kids, how do you make sure each of them has an independent voice? Some of my kids are quicker to answer questions than others or take more leading to talk about something. I'm having trouble making sure the less engaged kids come up with something that is from their own mind, not copying a sibling.

[@sciencemama]

That is definitely challenging! Sometimes I try and ask the youngest to talk first and specifically remind the older ones that they have to wait!