Thanks to Sonlight's training, my daughter Rachel is in the habit of integrating everything she learns into the 'big picture' of time and place. Before she can read anything, she looks at her timeline to understand where the story takes place in the context of history. She'll also find the story's location on the map. She loves to peruse The Timeline Book [RR120] from beginning to end. I feel she has a great grasp on the big picture. In her fourth year of Sonlight, Rachel (7) uses Google to locate where Little Pear (from Core B) took place.

"Learning through literature enables my kids to feel like they know the characters and to gain a deeper understanding of the past and the world around them. We considered going back to a textbook approach for high school, but after one tedious chapter in a history book, we were reminded what a difference Sonlight makes. My younger kids could answer the test questions better than my high schooler who read the textbook because they'd been reading about the same period in The Story of the World. Making history come alive is a much better way to learn!" In their family's ninth year of Sonlight, Anna (11, Level 100) and Ellie (8, Level D) are eager to open their Box Day treasure.– Bethany N of Yorktown, TX

As soon as I saw Sonlight's Instructor's Guides and what awesome books we'd enjoy reading together, I didn't have to look further. My husband and I are teachers by training, so we understand the time necessary for good planning and a successful learning experience. As a mother, I also recognize that I don't have that kind of time anymore. I want to spend my days with my family, not planning for the next school day. Sonlight provides great books, incredibly organized and detailed lesson plans, the freedom to do what works best for our family, and the opportunity to teach our Christian faith. Mom and Dad here share the Good News with Lucas (5, Core A, Science A) and Carlos (2).