Is Sonlight Worth It? Yes! Every Penny

Sonlight is not the cheapest homeschool curriculum on the market. Nor is it easiest academically. It also requires that you spend time reading to and talking with your children.

So you might wonder, “Is Sonlight worth the investment of time and money (and shelf space for all those books)?”

Thousands of homeschool families worldwide answer with a resounding, “Yes, Sonlight is worth it!” But why? Sonlight customers consistently tell us about the return on their curriculum investment. It’s worth every penny and every minute because of the successful and rewarding homeschool experience it offers.

Invest curriculum dollars ... get peace of mind

Sonlight gives you curriculum you can use again and again, provides a lasting library, saves you untold hours of stressful planning and material-gathering, and gives you peace of mind because you know your kids are getting a great education.

Sonlight Instructor's Guides give you confidence to teach with nearly no prep required

Families have been inviting Sonlight into their homes for over 30 years because we make it fun and easy for you to teach without any special expertise. Our secret sauce is the exclusive Sonlight Instructor's Guide (IG), perfected over time to the point that your 12-year-old could take over and teach in your absence. (That's what one mom told us.)

Every All-Subjects and History / Bible / Literature Package includes an IG. See samples of any IG here.

I am extremely thankful for Sonlight! Last year, I researched a myriad of homeschool philosophies to determine what would be my ideal as well as actually working for our family. Then, my cousin recommended Sonlight. At first, I wasn't interested in an out-of-the-box curriculum, but after examining Sonlight, I realized that it perfectly fits the philosophy I had developed... with less work for me! I wasn't sure if I could do a program with my girls together (they're 3 1/2 years apart in age), but a Sonlight Advisor reassured me that I could keep them together, and it's been SO worth it!” Sarah B. in Meadville , PA

What's included in the indispensable guide that's been called the best teacher's helper ever? We have an entire team of teachers, product developers, and other experts who devote their days to creating content for you. We've done all the prep work, outlining

  • schedules
  • notes
  • discussion questions and answers
  • vocabulary
  • mapping activities
  • timeline figures
  • and more

… so all you have to do is open the IG and begin teaching.

Just think of how much time you'll save not having to plan any lessons. That's time you can spend enjoying your family and doing all the other things you need to accomplish.

Is Sonlight worth it? Yes! You'll soon discover that your IG is the key to a smooth, stress-free teaching experience. Many moms tell us they grab a cup of coffee Monday morning, scan over the day's schedule and jump right in. It's that straightforward and simple.

Switching from public school to homeschool was the best decision ever! The G Family Sonlighers from Austin, TX

Invest in great books ... and build a treasured home library

Sonlight’s literature-based programs include lots of books. You'll get a box (or two or three) full of quality books with your curriculum purchase. Why so many?

You probably know that great books help students interact with history, geography, and faith. When children form emotional connections with characters, they actually remember what they read. They gain the context they need to understand the flow of world history.

Is Sonlight worth it? Yes! You simply can't get these benefits from a couple of books each year or from a single textbook.

I'm so grateful we can build up our home library with Sonlight books, because my girls LOVE to read! They will often pick up a Sonlight book we've previously read together to read to themselves, or each other! Their love for reading gives me confidence they will be able to pick up books and teach themselves what they want to learn throughout their lives.” Jennifer H. Forth Worth, TX

But why should you own these books? An extensive new study shows, "A child from a family rich in books is 19 percentage points more likely to complete university than a comparable child growing up without a home library."1 In fact, the size of a home library greatly affects educational achievement," even adjusting for parents' education."

Request a catalog to see all the great book collections we’ve put together for you at every grade level, preschool through high school!

Your Sonlight-fueled home library also provides quality family entertainment that will last for years. Sonlight books are so good, kids really do read them again and again. And that nurtures a life-long love for reading and learning.

Parents invest time into their children ... and reap precious family bonds

The most important investment you'll make with Sonlight is yourself, your time. What could be more worth your time than your children? It’s an investment you’ll never regret! And in return ...

  1. Sonlight fosters a genuine connection between parents and children. Our curriculum involves a high degree of parent-child interaction because we believe you are your child's most valuable teacher and guide in life. Customers tell us that the special times reading and talking together have created family bonds stronger than they would have ever imagined.
  2. Children learn to trust their parents as a valuable source of wisdom and guidance.

One of the big benefits of Sonlight —a true return on your investment of time and energy—is that the curriculum opens up all sorts of conversations you may not have otherwise had with your children. You'll learn about character development, hard choices, difficult points in history, and the amazing stories of people who follow God. You'll naturally talk with your kids about everything from politics and faith to nature and history. (Don't worry—we provide tools to guide you in these discussions.)

We began our Sonlight journey when my daughter was 3 years old. Since then we have read so many amazing books, met truly inspiring characters, and have had many difficult yet worthwhile and important conversations. We have many, many memories of snuggling up to read and chat.” Lynda K. in Mentone, Australia

And all this helps instill an important lesson in your children: You are a trusted, safe and good source of life wisdom and direction. We often hear from parents of high schoolers who have used Sonlight for years. "You won't believe the caliber of conversations we're having!" they write. "The years of hard work and talking is paying off in ways I would have never imagined. My teenagers and I are close, and talk about everything." Oh, what many parents would give for a relationship with their teenagers like that!

Try the Sonlight way of learning with a free book + mini-Instructor’s Guide. Discover how enjoyable this method is!

Teaching multiple children? Imagine the fun they'll have learning together

If you wonder how you could possibly find the time and energy to teach all your children, we've got you covered. A Sonlight education offers time- and money-saving flexibility because every curriculum package is created with a range of ages and grades in mind. That makes it possible to teach your five- and seven-year-old together, for example.

I am so thankful to Sonlight for strengthening the bond between siblings. They have laughed and cried over many books together. Even on the days where someone isn't in the mood to do school, all I have to do is crack open one of the books that Sonlight provides and instantly the mood changes.” Taryn W. in Valley Center, CA

Enjoy teaching multiple children together easily with Sonligh! The F Family Sonlighters from San Antonio TX

The main reason you'll find it feasible to teach multiple students with a single curriculum is that literature-based learning, the foundation of Sonlight curriculum, makes it possible, even enjoyable, to teach different ages and abilities side-by-side.

How does it work?

Sonlight uses high-quality stories—some of the best books ever written

  • to capture your children's imagination
  • to cultivate curiosity
  • to create an insatiable desire to know more.

From intriguing tales (not dry textbooks), learners readily absorb information in an enjoyable, memorable manner. Because Sonlight is a whole-family curriculum, you get to have fun reading and learning together. Read parent stories about teaching multiple children here.

Is Sonlight Rigorous? Is Sonlight Enough?

Yes! Sonlight students will work hard and be academically challenged. They will read more books, cover more history, learn more Science, do more experiments, and complete broader writing assignments than most other students.

Through the hard work in Sonlight, students are prepared for life! Sonlight All-Subjects Packages are enough for a full year of homeschooling, providing everything you need.

Is Sonlight worth it? Yes! We hear stories all the time of Sonlight students soaking up knowledge and wowing parents, pastors, public school teachers, and college professors alike with their understanding of geography, the flow of history, and the world around them. Simply put, Sonlight students are academically prepared for life.

Sonlight fosters a love to learn

Much of this success comes because Sonlight students truly love to learn. You can only force-feed an education for so long, and with limited success. But as children read great books and learn with the Sonlight method, coercion becomes unnecessary. Why? Because Sonlight kindles a deep desire to learn. And once that fire is lit, the sky's the limit for what students will accomplish.

My active 12 year old son would rather be playing outside than doing anything else. When he does slow down to read a book on his own, I know I can hand him a Sonlight title, and it will be worth his time. Even if I have not read the book before, I can trust that every Sonlight book will be high quality and will fill his mind with great ideas to think about and discuss in days and months to come.” Erica E. in Murrieta , CA

The B Family Sonlighters Enjoying School Outside

Sonlight prepares students to think critically

Sonlight is different from most other curricula because it asks you to do the significant work of listening to more than one point of view. Instead of sticking to safe topics and books that all agree with one another, students and parents (especially in the older years) interact with top-notch books from diverse viewpoints—all with the guidance, balancing commentary, and firmly Christian perspective of your Instructor's Guide.

Because of this crucial work, your kids will be able to evaluate tricky topics with their hearts and minds when they graduate—topics such as evolution and design, postmodernism and absolute truth, politics, and reasons for their faith.

We now plan on using Sonlight through high school, and our younger children want to start it as well. While all the books have been a joy (my husband and I are enjoying reading them as well!) my favorite part has been the discussion questions in the Instructor Guides. My children and I are led to think deeply and have had countless rich, beautiful discussions that have brought us closer together and closer to the Lord. We are truly thankful for Sonlight and are excited about the years to come using this wonderful curriculum!" Jenny T. in Waukesha, WI

Sonlight prepares students to live in this world

Many young Americans from Christian homes walk away from their faith in college and early adulthood. One study reports that "a majority of twenty-somethings - 61% of today's young adults- had been churched at one point during their teen years but they are now spiritually disengaged."2 We suspect most didn't face the tough questions of faith and modern culture until college. Since they hadn't been prepared to navigate these issues from a Christian perspective, they reached an intellectual or emotional impasse and walked away.

But Sonlight doesn't ignore these tough questions. Students engage with them from the safety and guidance of their parents' home as they grow. We can't guarantee that your children will always walk with the Lord (no one can guarantee such a thing). But with Sonlight, you can help your children gain sure footing before they head out into the world.

I love Sonlight because it has nurtured a love of reading in my children. It’s so important to me that my children learn to read good books and ENJOY them. Sonlight is accomplishing that goal in each of my children! It’s so much more than just reading; its history that they remember! We have used HBL pre k, A, B, C, D, D+E, F, J, am 100, and this year will be starting American Government, HBL E, and HBL G! Sonlight is an investment that proves its worth year after year!" Laura G. in Tecate , CA

 

Sonlight equips students to do whatever God calls them to do

 

The well-rounded education that comes from a rigorous literature-rich approach prepares students for whatever God may have for them.

Sonlight graduates are now college students, pastors, engineers, missionaries, musicians, elected officials, entrepreneurs, doctors, farmers and more! Meet recent grads and read the stories of past Sonlight Scholarship Winners here.

Reading Sonlight stories will help your children create their own

Sonlight brings so much value to our homeschool journey! I love that we get to dive into books on a daily basis. Having an early love of reading is important to me and watching my daughter fall in love with books and talk about the characters has been worth every penny. My daughter is proud of the scriptures she has memorized and enjoys our daily Bible readings. The most important reason I love Sonlight is the confidence it has given my daughter! I knew that Sonlight was the curriculum I wanted to use, but I had no idea how awesome it was going to be!" Micah B. in Plaquemine, LA

When kids hear a good story, positive things start to happen:

  • Questions arise.
  • Ideas swirl.
  • Parents and siblings discuss.
  • Exploration emerges.
  • Individual interests develop.
  • The foundation for their future is laid.

From this foundation, dreams take flight. Is Sonlight worth it? Yes! With Sonlight, learning happens naturally, as it should. Don't be surprised when every learner, from youngest to oldest, remembers the important information. It just makes sense: Kids remember things when they're involved and interested. That's the power of story.

Sonlighters love reading... The R family Sonlighters from Clayton, NC

What's more, studying the Sonlight way lets you impart a love of learning to your children, every day. And if your kids enjoy learning, they can follow any path they want in life.

Deep Discounts: Sonlight curriculum packages have the best books and the deepest discounts.

When you buy a Sonlight All-Subjects Package or History / Bible / Literature Package, you'll save anywhere from 15-20% over the retail price of items purchased individually.

Sonlight packages are the result of more than 30 years of research on how children learn best. So beyond the cost factor, when you invest in one of our complete packages, you get a trusted and proven, full-scale educational experience. Sure, you can buy a bunch of books anywhere. What you won't get when you do that is an overarching plan that ties them all together into a cohesive curriculum. We've done that work for you. (Remember to check out the samples of any IG here to see how we’ve put it all together for you.)

No other homeschool curriculum like it.

When you compare apples to apples, there's no other homeschool program available that gives you the quality educational materials, enjoyable learning experience, and academic and life-enriching outcomes that Sonlight provides.

Learn, Love to Teach™ Guarantee: We promise they'll love learning, and you'll love teaching

So you decide: Is Sonlight worth the investment to you? With a one-year money-back guarantee, your risk is low. Go ahead—give it a try and find out.

Both All-Subjects Packages and History / Bible / Literature Packages are backed by our Love to Learn, Love to Teach™ Guarantee.

Everyone in your family will love using Sonlight (that includes you, the teacher/parent) or we'll refund your entire package purchase. Period. That makes Sonlight a no-risk endeavor.

The G Family Sonlighters from Navarre, FL

Payment Plans: Get Sonlight today and spread your payments over time.

No-fee, no-interest payment plans are available. Really. We offer convenient options that makes Sonlight accessible to everyone.

Simply select the curriculum package(s) you want, and then head over to our handy payment plan calculator. Depending on your selection or other payment parameters, you may qualify for your choice of a 3-, 6- or 9-month plan.

Free Professional Advice: Your family's perfect-fit education is a phone call/chat/email away.

Sonlight covers all subjects, preschool to college prep. Although you can teach multiple children together for much of the school day, you'll likely need to add some skills-specific materials for individual students. For example, your younger child is probably in a different place than his older sibling in areas like handwriting and math.

An experienced Sonlight Homeschool Advisor can walk you through the curriculum selection process to make sure you get the appropriate products. There's never a charge or obligation for this service. In no time at all, your family will be on the way to an unforgettable adventure in learning.

Browse Curriculum Options

1. "Home Libraries Provide Huge Educational Advantage," April 2010. Accessed at miller-mccune.com in Jan. 2012.
2. "Most Twentysomethings Put Christianity on the Shelf Following Spiritually Active Teen Years," Sep. 2006. Accessed at barna.org in Jan.2012.