"Our family has always loved to read, but the quality and depth of our reading material has been greatly enhanced in our first year with Sonlight," writes Kortney V of Des Moines, IA. "I took this photo from our dining room table; our two youngest Sonlighters snuck away to find their own books to read while I worked with our older students." Pictured, Barrett (4) and Mabel (1) read to themselves while their siblings work.

Sonlight's diverse and exceptional books have brought many far-off places right into our home, causing my daughter's imagination and creativity to come alive. I thought history was boring, until we started Sonlight; now it's our favorite subject. Using Sonlight makes us want to go out and explore the world. The books paint such a clear picture in our minds that everywhere we go becomes an educational experience. Plus, the Instructor's Guides are easy to follow, giving us more time for field trips and to just enjoy learning together. In her fifth Sonlight year, Valerie (7, Core B) likes to dress up when inspired by a favorite book.

Having the Instructor's Guide proved to be a tremendous blessing when Mom's health suddenly became worse. We decided to share the instructing with our 12-year-old-daughter. She would read the Read-Alouds, instruct in Handwriting and Math, and complete Science A. Mom would read the Bible and History and cover Language Arts. Following the IG proved extremely helpful during this period. We discovered that even if you can't stick to the schedule perfectly, the help of having a schedule you don't have to create yourself is a blessing. Havilah (15, Core 200), Cosette and Anakin (13 and 11, Core F), Tirian and Aravis (8 and 6, Core A), Liesl (4) and Adelina (2) share an Under the Sea adventure during their annual at-the-beach vacation.