Top Reasons We LOVE Sonlight // Sonlight Homeschool Curriculum Review

It’s time to dive into all things Sonlight! We’ve used Sonlight's homeschool curriculum for several years and here are all the reasons why we love it! Feel free to reach out if you have specific questions - I’m happy to share more about our experience!
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Find me on IG where I share more about our homeschooling journey!
I’d love to connect with you!
Blog: marynforney.com
IG: / maryn.forney
Facebook: / marynforney

[@sonlight]

When kids start pretend playing what you read for homeschool, you know it's sticking! Thank you, Maryn, for this fantastic introduction so Sonlight. 💛

[@marynforney5275]

Thank YOU for making school so wonderful for us!

[@PollyPatriot]

Hats off to all of the homeschool parents teaching more than one child. I don’t know how you do it. ❤️

[@rachels8597]

Wow! Well, first of all, let me just say that 99% of the time I do not comment on videos but I after watching this I just felt compelled to share how grateful I am for everything you just shared. I wish I could be your friend in real life! (Kiddingnotkidding) We have 3 little ones and have always planned to homeschool but the number of options has been overwhelming for me. Normally I'm very decisive but curriculum is one thing I've been very torn on until I watched this video. Now I feel totally confident that Sonlight is right for our family! Many blessings to you and your family.

[@marynforney5275]

You are so sweet! And I’m so glad this helped narrow down your choices for you! Find me on IG!

[@mollyluu6435]

I grew up on Sonlight and remember reading some of those books you showed in the video!! Can't wait to start my kiddos on the Sonlight train!

[@marynforney5275]

Aw, so fun!!

[@melissam9197]

Great review! Thank you. I have been looking for a thorough review like this. I am excited to try them out!

[@marynforney5275]

I’m so glad you found it helpful and hope you enjoy your first year of Sonlight!!

[@TrimiMitri]

Totally agree with you!! We have used SL for 20yrs, and I appreciate it now more than ever. It is a fantastic curriculum with superb customer service. So thankful for using it all these years and am still enjoying it immensely with my younger ones.

[@marynforney5275]

20 years! That’s AMAZING! So glad you’ve been loving it during all those years!

[@melissanorko8410]

We’re on week 2 of hbla and I love everything you said ! The reading is so special it’s already our favorite part !

[@marynforney5275]

YES! The reading is def one of my favs too!!

[@elisarios1039]

Thank you Maryn! I really appreciate this video and how wonderfully you shared.

[@marynforney5275]

Thank you!! ❤️❤️

[@gracerpringle]

You’ve really sold me on it. I have the same approach to teaching and I love reading and I think when I was homeschooled as a kid I learned the most from reading.

[@marynforney5275]

I really think you’ll love it! Let me know if I can help with any questions - message me on IG!

[@jesusnamemiracles4946]

We used Abeka, and have been fairly well satisfied with it. Thank you for giving us the idea of supplementing with Sonlight. Subscribed for new uploads too.

[@marynforney5275]

Supplementing with some of their book lists - that’s a great idea!

[@thekangaline2914]

Thanks so much for your review! I put in my order for Kindergarten today to take advantage of the end of year sale and still was able to use your referral code at checkout!

[@marynforney5275]

That’s wonderful! I hope you love all your amazing books! And thank you for using my code! 💕

[@SquirrellyMom]

So excited to try it this year 2nd grade! For my two, your review was super helpful!! Thank you!!

[@marynforney5275]

I’m so glad! Enjoy!!

[@amandamoutos4281]

Good afternoon, thank you for the video. You helped me to finally finish and purchase my Sonlight curriculum today. I liked all of your points already, and so it was nice to feel reinforced and confident. The referral code wouldn't work for me, but I did go ahead and order through your link. I hope it helps you! Thanks!

[@marynforney5275]

You are so sweet to go to all that trouble! Thank you. And I hope you love it and have a great year of reading amazing books! 🥰

[@Ashley-Miller]

Thank you so much for sharing! Sounds like an amazing curriculum!

[@marynforney5275]

We’ve definitely loved it!! ❤️❤️

[@kristiea3897]

New sub here!! I’m also not naturally crafty. We love Masterbooks but I’m very intrigued with sonlight. Thank you for this informative video 🙏🏻♥️

[@marynforney5275]

You’re so welcome! Hope it was able to give some insight into Sonlight!

[@blesh22]

Thank you for your review!

[@marynforney5275]

You’re welcome! 💕

[@PollyPatriot]

You are just a beam of sunshine. 😊Thank you. We’ve been using Abeka for Pre-school and K-4. My little on is very bright and has learned a lot, but as much as I love Abeka, I feel like it’s crushing her little spirit. I’ve heard of Sonlight and believe it may be a really good fit. My little one needs ALOT of snuggles.

[@marynforney5275]

I should give an update at some point of our latest curriculum combinations 😂 Ironically we switched things up and are using Abeka for math, phonics and spelling with my oldest two (4th and 2nd now). They are loving it and so am I with the help of video teaching! We still use Sonlight for their History/Bible/Literature curriculum and love it. I believe Sonlight’s books are a huge reason why my kids love reading / being read to / and are excited and engaged about history! I love how in homeschooling you can learn your child as you go and tweak things each year to better suit them and their needs. I’m sure you’ll find a sweet spot for your daughter!

[@shilohpeterson5307]

I was raised on 10 years of Sonlight and super excited to start using it for my own kids next year!

[@marynforney5275]

That’s so fun!! Enjoy this new journey!

[@Ashley6]

YAY! Using your code! ❤️

[@marynforney5275]

Aw thank you! Let me know if you have any issues, and enjoy your new curriculum!!

[@Ashley6]

No issues!! :) it worked! Thank you so much, your videos have been so helpful!

[@marynforney5275]

@@Ashley6 I’m so glad they’ve been helpful! ❤️

[@jerilyn-ourhomeschooltable]

We are using HBL B and Science A because it fit better, but now after they redid the ages this last Spring (the month after I ordered) I wish I’d done level A for both. Oh well. I think next year we may flop and do HBL A and Science B. Who knows. Good video!

[@marynforney5275]

Yes the swap in ages did shake things up a little but that sounds like a great plan to flop!

[@alexandermorse1306]

Two questions. 1. What extra activities and clubs are your kids in to socialize them and prevent from making them awkward. 2. What are some things that you wish you could do or had the time to do to help socialize them.

[@marynforney5275]

Covid looks different right now, but we participate in a homeschool co-op, different sports, activities through our church and lots of hangouts with friends! I wish we had more time to hang out even more with friends but on average we can do 2-3 scheduled dates per week.

[@tarar297]

With your oldest, by the time you do table time work, do they still have stamina to absorb more information? This is the only reason I haven't made the jump to SL yet... Right now by the time we finish spelling, math, grammar, handwriting, & light writing prompts they're pretty spent (as am I lol).

[@marynforney5275]

Such a good question. I think it is all about timing and scheduling. I don’t do all subjects every day - I pick and choose and maneuver some things based on what subjects they’re sharpest at at the different points in the day. The reading parts of Sonlight are our favorite parts, so we get through table work and the reading is like “ahhh we’ve arrived!”. We usually read after lunch when bellies are full and they’ve had a break from the mornings work. We also sometimes read before bed or occasionally we’ll go somewhere in a morning and read at a park! Feel free to message me on fbook or IG (in video description) and we can chat more specifics!

[@kazmynjohannes5163]

im really interested in using sonlight for my 4 year old. but i already own a small portion of the books. I was curious if it were possible to only buy maybe the fist semesters worth of books i need and therefore break up the cost over my year.

[@marynforney5275]

Are you looking into the P4/5 curriculum? You could always purchase the instructors guide if you want their schedule for the year and then add on the extra books you need from Sonlight or get them used (amazon and ThriftBooks are great options)! I don’t believe they sell their kits broken apart in semesters but you can buy items individually - but if I were you I’d look for them used if you plan to order individually and want to save! I do also think they offer payment plans as an option - could be helpful esp as kids age and curriculums increase.

[@kerridelano4972]

How do I chose a level? When looking at it, it seems my son needs b and c mixed. But with bookshark they said level B. But with going with natrual school level C seems right. How do I know what level to get?

[@marynforney5275]

Great question Kerri! When I wasn’t sure what to get for my kids I called the advisors and those ladies helped me SO much. They can talk through exactly where would be a good starting place for your son. I’d call them and take advantage of their insight! Feel free to message me on Instagram if you want to discuss more!

[@annyzhou3432]

Would you like to suggest some books or lesson plans for social studies?(K-1) Thank you.

[@marynforney5275]

I’ve just been following Sonlight’s book recommendations - you could always visit their website and see what books are included in their curriculums!

[@kendraparks3271]

Do you ever find it hard going through many books at once? I looked at a schedule and it seems there would be several chapter books going on at once, or maybe I'm reading it wrong..?

[@marynforney5275]

Such a good question! I usually find we go through one read aloud at a time and then we have something we work through for history, and something for science. I don’t find it to be too much. The read aloud are our favorite and when there’s a chapter book for history I also love that. I just put sticky marks in the books to keep track of where we are. I also don’t read everything they list in a day - I look at the overall week and read things in larger chunks (vs one chapter a day I might do 4 chapters in a larger time chunk and be done w the reading that week). Feel free to find me on IG and I can answer more specifically if you’d like or show schedule examples!

[@emilypowers829]

Hey! Quick question. The way my kids are spaced out, it would be difficult to put them on the same core, but if I used the combined level course, I could get it so that they were at least learning the same topic basically every year, so when my 1st grader was in American history, my third grader could also do American history with level D+E. That would require me to use all the combined levels though (B+C As well), which would make them move up through the cores faster. I'm torn between having them study the same topic at the same time, or just going to slowly through the different levels knowing that at some point they'll be learning totally different things. I know it's very individual, but do you have any suggestions for what you would do in that situation?

[@marynforney5275]

Totally get your predicament and understand your wanting to process what’s the best path for you guys! Honestly, I haven’t had experience with this yet as we have still been able to use 1 core with my kids’ current ages so I can’t speak to what it would feel like to have 2 cores (whether similar content or different). My best recommendation is to call the Sonlight advisors - because they have ALWAYS helped me with my individual questions and usually have a wealth of experience as they are long-time homeschool parents! I call them every year to discuss my situation and they’ve always guided me so well!

[@emilypowers829]

@@marynforney5275 thank you! I will do that

[@meganschiebaan190]

Do the labels come with the package or do you have to separately order?

[@marynforney5275]

You need to add them on to your order - they don’t come in the curriculum sets!

[@StaceyYoder]

👍

[@marynforney5275]

❤️

[@pajareehongladarom7767]

Do you feel that the literature is heavily based on the American culture/literature? I'm thinking of using this but we are in China, wants to know your opinion. Thanks!

[@marynforney5275]

I feel like I have such a small glimpse at their literature bc we’re only working through Core B currently - but I would say there’s been books from different cultures but I also feel there is an American culture majority? But to be honest I haven’t catalogued and kept track of what each book has been like through that lens, and I can’t speak for the cores that are more advanced. One suggestion would be to look through the book lists and see some of the titles and what your take on it would be. In sum, I feel like I’ve basically said “I’m not sure?!” and haven’t been very helpful 😂

[@Ashley6]

Do you know where I can find the stickers that go on the books? I don’t think it came with my kindergarten kit :)

[@marynforney5275]

The only way I know to find them is by searching “book labels” on their website so try “book labels K”!! I’ve also gotten my curriculums and forgotten the labels and had to place an order with just the labels 🤣

[@Ashley6]

Thank you so much!! I’ll do that!! Haha!!

[@marynforney5275]

@@Ashley6 good luck! 😂

[@kaylah8150]

Is there a lot of evolution being taught as fact in 1st\2nd grade?

[@marynforney5275]

If evolution is mentioned in the books with Sonlight they usually have a note to parents about it giving you a heads up and suggestions for how to discuss it!

[@Elipim80]

In your experience, is this a good curriculum in which the student can work independently!? I have 2 high schoolers, first time homeschooling.

[@marynforney5275]

Unfortunately I don’t have a good basis to speak to this because my kids are currently elementary aged and I have to be very hands on with them so I’m not sure how the high school levels would be? I would assume they could be much more independent, but I’d totally call Sonlight and talk to one of their advisors and I’m sure they could detail out for you what the curriculums at those ages would require!

[@Elipim80]

Maryn Forney thank you. I will call sonlight.

[@marynforney5275]

Elipim80 connect with me on Instagram if you want! instagram.com/maryn.forney

[@KH-cu1mk]

I've been on the verge of ordering sonlight and this helped me seal the deal. Thanks! Your coupon code wouldn't work for me. :-(

[@marynforney5275]

I’m glad this helped give clarity for what direction you want to go! But I’m sorry the code didn’t work! It only works for first time orders - any chance you’ve ordered something prior? If not you could always call Sonlight and I’m guessing they’ll make it right and give you the $5 off if your order was over $50??

[@KH-cu1mk]

@@marynforney5275yes this was my first order and it was well over $50. I'll try giving their customer service a call. Thanks!

[@marynforney5275]

K H I’m so sorry! I did ask further about this and it sounds like if you put the code in when you create your account it works. If you created an account but didn’t put the code in at creation it sounds like it won’t work, in which case they said you can always put the code and a note in the notes section of your order before placing it and they’ll honor it. I’m guessing they’d go back and honor it if you explained it to them. Is it possible you didn’t put in code when the account was created? If you did put in the code at account creation and it STILL didn’t work I’m at a loss 😂😂

[@TC-lo3uc]

How does this compare this with beautiful feet? I thought I wanted that one until I saw your video also how old are your kids this is my first year homeschooling 1st grader and preschoolers

[@marynforney5275]

Sadly I have no experience with Beautiful Feet so I can’t offer a comparison there 😬My kids are currently 7.5 (2nd grade), almost 6 (kinder) and almost 4 (preschool)! Feel free to message me on IG or fbook if you want to discuss more!

[@mamamegan7266]

500 things later ..”One thing I love about Sonlight..” 😂. ...Came here to confirm, that I am sold . But seriously what if you kept having children and needed to do 3 or 4 core’s...it wouldnt possible...what would you do then?

[@marynforney5275]

🤣🤣 So if I had several more kids I’d just be grouping them up on cores. The older kids would end up doing a lot of the reading on their own and I’d focus on reading aloud the books to the younger kids. I think it would work out where the next round of kids would begin school while the older groups took on more individual work. I know of families with 6-10 kids who use Sonlight and love it!