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.

The Instructor's Guide helps me to be prepared each day, with lessons that I'm confident of and interested in teaching. The Markable Maps and the History Timeline Figures have given me a big-picture view of world history and geography that I lacked after all my schooling, including college! The characters in the Read-Alouds feel like family and become part of our daily discussion, teaching and training. Hanna (4, P4/5 Multi-Subject), Claire (7, Core B) and Dad observe tadpoles scooped from a neighbor's pond on a rainy day.

Every year, I think 'this is my favorite History / Bible / Literature,' and every following year, the new one blows me away all over again," writes Allison H of Bridgeport, WV. "I have yet to part with any of our Sonlight books, and we've all enjoyed rereading many of the earlier Readers and Read-Alouds. Sonlight has given my children a broad view of the world and a deep connection with each other." Pictured, Seth (13), Ruthie (9), and Hadley (11) enjoy a history lesson while getting ready for the day. The H family has been Sonlighting for seven years.