Sonlight Curriculum seeks to offer a complete educational experience, not "just books." So everything we do to enhance your homeschool success is built into each Core curriculum package— schedules and plans (year-to-year as well as week-to-week), supplies, community, and more.
When you purchase one of our Core packages, we are convinced you get one of the very best deals available anywhere in the world when it comes to homeschool materials. There are several great reasons why we believe you get more value when you buy a Sonlight Core...the first is:
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Zero Risk for a full half year: You can actually use your curriculum while you decide if it's right for you!
This year, Sonlight's "Love to Learn" Guarantee is better than ever. Buy any Core or Newcomer™ curriculum and you get to use these programs for 18 weeks—a full half of a school year. If after that time you are not convinced Sonlight Curriculum is truly great...for your kids and you, we ask—no, we urge you to return it, used books and all, and get your money back. Every penny you paid us. We don't want unhappy customers.
You enjoy the program more...even while you evaluate it.
Because we offer you our Half-Year, Risk-Free "Love to Learn" Guarantee, we know you will evaluate our Core programs—and the materials within them—differently than you would if we merely sold you books. As you may know, when you buy individual books (from us or our competitors) and decide to return them, there is a strict condition:
You have to treat the books like fragile eggs. Take special care as you crack open the cover: make sure you don't bend it too far or dog-ear the corners. You live in fear that one of the kids might spill something, or the baby may try teething on it.
As a Core curriculum purchaser, you experience none of these worries or fears.
You get to test the program as it was meant to be used. You read your books like any book owner: open wide, bookmarks in place, pages turned down—the same way you would read any other book you own.
You let your kids study and enjoy them, too... without fear. They can take the books to bed, read them in the tree house or the bathroom: you'll be glad to see your kids enjoy the books so much. You won't cringe in dread that one of the books will become non-resalable...and, thus, non-returnable.
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A rich, positive experience with "real" books your family will enjoy:
Think about it. If you are evaluating an individual title, on its own, you're likely, first, to skip it entirely if it is of a literary genre that doesn't normally appeal to you.
If it's part of a complete curriculum, however, while you may first "look sideways" at it, you will likely try it to see if, just maybe, it holds more value than you would normally expect.
We design Sonlight's Core programs purposefully to include:
A wide variety of literary genres
Based on what we hear every year, you may surprise yourself and find—as others have before you: "I have never read a [fantasy/science fiction/poetry/____] book before! I'm astonished at how lovely _____ is!" The point is this: If you purchase a Core program from Sonlight, you and your children are likely to read more widely than if you choose all the books individually, on your own—because we've made those tough choices for you.
Yes, you have our list here in the catalog. But if you are prone to purchase book-by-book, let's be honest: you will either leave those non-intuitive books alone or you will make the choice only after prolonged and agonizing mental struggle.
In truth, some customers are thrilled with absolutely every book we include. Very, very few find more than one or two that they don't love.
So why not save yourself the headache? Make one decision: "I'll buy the Core."—And give your kids a broader, fuller education.
Some books that will challenge and others that will soothe
Some customers feel that they should eliminate any Readers that don't push their children at every turn.
We've taken a different tack.
On the one hand, we say, education can't be all sunshine and cotton candy. Sometimes it requires real discipline and hard work. On the other, after your students have slogged through a more difficult title, we think they should get a breather: an excellent title that will challenge or feed them emotionally, perhaps, but that they can breeze through at an easy clip.
Fact: You and your children would almost certainly enjoy most of the books you hand-pick from our catalog. However, carefully built into every Core program, you'll find books with a range of reading difficulties.
We believe—based on comments we receive from customers just like you—that if you purchase a complete Core curriculum, you're more likely to help your child persevere through the more difficult times...because you will recognize the book as part of a whole, and you will recognize that the package as a whole was designed to provide a variety of experiences.
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You're a member in the Sonlighters Club, with all its benefits...
10% Discount on all your homeschool needs—including your qualifying Core purchase— for a full year. That's ten percent off not just the relatively inexpensive paperback novels you can get from the big-box stores or online book merchants, but the expensive stuff you can't find there: your science, math and language arts texts, science supplies, art supplies... and more except six items. All year long. Your savings will add up fast.
FREE genuine ancient Roman "Widow's Mite" coin pendant—a $39.99 value! Yes, this is the real coin from Biblical times! Teaching us about faith and trust in God, Jesus pointed out the widow who gave all she had (Mark 12:41-44). Now, these small bronze artifacts have been discovered in caches throughout the historical lands of the Bible. What a find!
Your coin is set in a lovely silver pendant, so you can wear it as a great reminder of (or witness to) your faith. Each Widow's Mite comes with a certificate of authenticity and protective case. Sonlight is thrilled to offer this unique, rare treasure as a FREE gift when you buy any Core package.
Two-year FREE access to the Sonlighters private online forums—a $54.99 value! All the latest thinking and insights of the international Sonlight Curriculum community, many thousands strong.
You'll find kindred spirits who are ready to...
- Help you homeschool your children efficiently and effectively...no matter what their learning styles, special needs or capabilities.
- Maximize your ability to wring every benefit from your Sonlight curriculum.
- Pray with you and offer counsel on how to interact winsomely with family & friends... even when life looks bleak.
- Clue you in to breaking news at home and around the world that can affect your life.
- Lend a hand with practical advice for just about every trial you face...domestically... on the job...in a relationship...anywhere.
- And lots more!
Two-year FREE subscription to the "A Beam of Sonlight" e-newsletter—a $19.95 value! Specially edited biweekly collection of "the best of the best" from the Sonlight forums... plus additional special offers, announcements and inside scoops from Sonlight headquarters. It's yours FREE for the asking, as a member of the Sonlighters Club.
Plus Additional Benefits reserved only for Core members of the Sonlighters Club.
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Apply for a college scholarship from Sonlight: Your Core purchase counts toward eligibility!
For the last eight years—from 2000—Sonlight Curriculum has given $60,000 or more a year in college scholarships to students whose families have purchased and used at least three Sonlight Core programs. We will continue to do so this year.
In 2007, Sonlight raised scholarship grants to $80,000 for ten or more deserving students whose families have purchased and used at least four Sonlight Core programs.
Our ultimate goal, by 2009—for scholarships to be granted beginning in autumn 2010—is to increase the dollar values and number of students, but to limit scholarships only to students whose families have purchased and used at least five Core programs.
If you want your son or daughter to participate in the competition, now is the time to begin building eligibility! (see p. 161 for this year's winners)
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"But I already own a bunch of the books in the Core program I'd want to buy..."
Your budget is likely not unlimited, so Sonlight works to stretch it for you. We use some books in more than one Core, for instance, In the later programs, that book is available separately as a "Required Resource," in order to prevent unwanted duplication.
But what if other Core books are already on your shelves? Well, that's probably because they have some value to you. Is the cost (at 10% discount) greater than the total discount you will lose on all—all!—the other items you will want to purchase in the coming year, including Math, Language Arts, and so forth? If not, then buying the Core still saves you money (plus you have spare copies of books you know you enjoy). Even if that value is greater...Wouldn't a few duplicate books (at discounted prices) make great year-round gifts? Just one great way a lot of Sonlighters use those occasional extras. The savings, ease and convenience of using a Core program makes it more than worth it.
Build the library so many families dream of. Order a Sonlight Core today.
Sonlighters Club Membership Benefits
| Club Membership Levels: | Classic | Classic Extra | Core (includes Newcomer™) |
Heirloom |
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Membership Requirements:
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Buy any Core Instructor's Guide or $150 order total
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Single order total of $450 or more
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Buy any Core Curriculum package
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Buy any 4 or more Core Curriculum packages*
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FREE Membership on all Sonlighters Club Forums!
(For the whole family. A $34.95 Value) |
1 year
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1 year
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2 years
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For Life!
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| FREE Subscription to "The Beam" newsletter! |
1 year
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1 year
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2 years
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For Life!
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| FREE Shipping |
USPS Media Mail on Orders from $50.00-$99.99; FedEx ® Ground domestic on Orders $100 and up
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Standard domestic shipping for 12 months!
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Free standard domestic shipping for life! (Not on international shipments)
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Discounts!**
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5% off orders of $450 or more
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10% off all orders for a year!
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10% off all orders... for life!
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FREE New Instructor's Forum with additional support
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For first-time Sonlight Core purchasers only
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FREE exclusive Sonlight TeleSeminars!
(Value $29.95 each) |
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Selected live TeleSeminar events, by invitation
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FREE Gift: Genuine Ancient Roman Era Widow's Mite Coin Pendant!
(A $49.95 Value!) |
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Our "Thank You" gift for Core purchasers!
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Additional FREE Benefits
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More to come
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Eligible to apply for Sonlight Scholarships!
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Now an exclusive benefit for Heirloom Club Members!
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* All Core and (formerly) Basic programs you purchased from the time we went into business in 1990 until today count toward your total for Heirloom Club Membership ** Due to restrictions from our vendors, we are not allowed to discount Rosetta Stone, Spelling Power, and a few other products.
