Thank you for these videos! Just found your channel - will be homeschooling a Kindergartner this upcoming school year. I'm excited and overwhelmed at all the choices. Sonlight has piqued my interest and it looks like a possible good fit for my child. I cannot find anyone we know personally who uses it! This video is helpful. ❤
I also found the K history too advanced for my 5 year old. I decided to use only half of the books and fill in with more visual usborne & library books. It's great content, just difficult for kids who still struggle to understand basic time and geography. I do plan to keep and use the remaining books to use in a future school year. Thank you for your TH-cam reviews, I always find them helpful!
Tip: for the questions in the back of the book for your literature readers. I just made a black and white copy of those pages and placed the questions with each book, that way I could leave the manual clean for resale.
Thank you for sharing!! I will be using this level with my 8 and 7 year old for the upcoming year. Your review makes me even more excited. 😂 I was also thinking about doing the same thing with the Bible. I just feel like doubling up on the reading would be too much for my children.
I'm trying out Sonlight for the first time this year and I'm so excited! We will be doing science C with my 7 and 10 yr old. Thank you for all your reviews, they've helped me get a better idea about this curriculum.
You have really encouraged me to take the leap and do sonlight! I also have always been looking at it but was put off by the price. In a hope to get away from allot of worksheets we are going to give it a try 😀
We bought the complete Sonlight box for kindergarten and love the history, Bible, and literature pieces, especially the daily lesson plans. We do pair it down a little bit so it's more of a natural discussion format vs a Q&A. I feel like the science is lacking a little bit compared to how much other literature we're reading. It also came with Math U See and I don't love that there's not daily lesson plans for it. We've done 9 units in 3 weeks because a lot up to that point seems like preschool review and then it jumps to place value with no real foundation built. I think for next year we might consider the full Moving Beyond the Page curriculum or stick to Sonlight HBL only, Blossom and Root for science, and TGATB for math.
I did Level K a couple years ago(when it released) with my boys. I am doing it again with my daughter this year. I am so excited. We just got back from Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, Mt. Vernon, and Monticello. It really made me even more excited to start American History again this year.
@@sciencemama it was 9 hours without stopping for us. So we aren’t too close but still close enough to drive. It was a blast. If you ever get the chance to go, then do it!😊
We start this today and I am SO excited!!! We started back to school last week but I am adding in one class each week so this week I am adding in this and Abeka for phonics. We are using sonlight pre-k for our morning basket time bc I love the Bible lessons in that and the childrens book of virtues. Also I couldn’t decide if we would be able to handle level k or not lol so I have pre-k as a backup just incase this is over her head. I’m sure I will let you know in another comment how it’s going 😂
I love your timeline idea for the color since timeline figures repeat for different levels. 👍🏻 I started Sonlight in level B so I never used K, but it looks so good! Since I have a one year old, I think I’ll use it when he gets a little older. 😊
Thank you for the practical suggestions sprinkled in with your review! Sonlight does seem overwhelming because of the huge binder, but I do love a literature based curriculum!
We are only a few years away from this level!!! My big kids are doing level f hbl but not science as we are using our own book choices for science!!! We got the books separately tho!!! I’m hearing that sonlight is advanced!!! I feel like the picture books could be enough for that age!!! I love that the books used humour!!! The book over their head you could also come back to!!! The mapping is awesome!!! We use our own notebooks for timelines!!! We have worship music on while we do over stuff and there’s nothing wrong with doing the same thing with a memory verse cd!!! Nothing wrong with being ahead!!!
I’ve been eyeing Sonlight and Bookshark for a long time. I love researching and putting together lessons but I’m expecting a baby this summer so decided it’s a perfect time to just have it all laid out for me. So excited to try out Bookshark this coming year. We’ll be doing Reading w/ History and their science. I’m a bit concerned about it being advanced as I decided to start w/ level B for my 7 & 5 year old as we had read many of the books in the level K so hope it’s not too advanced.
I think you should be able to adjust things for your 5 year old! Keep me updated because I'm doing HBL B with my 8 and 7 year olds, so we will be reading the same books!
Wonderful review and thank you for it!! I’m nervous now about it being advanced 😬😬 I’ll have a 5 and 7 year old that I’ll be using it with in the fall. Might be too much for my five year old but we will try it anyway.
Hi! I really love your reviews. I’m highly contemplating doing Sonlight this coming year for 1st grade. Although I really won’t need the History (I think we’ll use Notgrass OSSS), is it still possible to use the guide for just literature, read alouds and Bible? I’m thinking I just wouldn’t purchase the history books? Thanks Angie!
I’ve been so up in the air on what level to get for my littles. After seeing your review I think this is too much. My oldest is 5 (6 in Dec.) going into Kindergarten grade level but my two girls will have just turned 4 and 2 when we would start this. They love to join in and do read alouds but I didn’t want to hold my little man back or him get too bored… struggles😅 As you may can tell, I’m just starting this homeschool adventure. He’s going to start on 1st grade math but he still hasn’t mastered letters and sounds and enjoys the magic tree house chapter book read aloud that we do as a family. What would you recommend for us, level T (preschool) or P (prekindergarten)? Also, how long do you say the HBL takes? Either by section or all together.
Hi! Sonlight just switched the A and K programs! So this year my 5 (turn 6 in Nov) twins are doing the new HBL-K World Cultures! Check it out - it has the read alouds that I discussed in this video but the history has been switched. We are so excited!!
For the literature portion, were the questions more about reading comprehension or were they questions to discuss things like discussion starters and moral takeaways from the stories?
Hi, this is only a review of the HBL-K (history, bible, literature). Sonlight has a separate language arts program for the reading and writing. And math can be order within an All-subjects package (HBL+LA+Science+Math). Hope that helps :)
Soooooo, we are supposed to be doing HBL C this year. Everything is purchased and ready to go. BUT, we are going to Philipdelphia for 10 days this Oct-Nov. Would you flip flop C for Exploring American History this year? My son is turning 8 tomorrow and my daughter is 6 1/2. Do you think that seeing Philadelphia would bring this level to life even more, or do you think that due to the introductory nature of this level, that it wouldn’t really matter?
Oh, those were the ages my kids did the American history and it was a great year!! I don’t know what you should do - and I can totally see why you are tempted to pick up HBL A! You could always wait on HBLC 🤷🏼♀️
I’m contemplating using Sonlight or Heart of Dakota next year! I need an American history curriculum for my upcoming 1st and 3rd graders. Do you think K would be best for that? Or Core D? Thanks!
Hi! For 1st and 3rd grade I think Sonlight K would be wonderful! But it really depends on your kiddos. I'm planning on using HBL D with a 5th and 4th grader ... and 4th grade is a bit on the young side. Hope that helps!
I wonder this, just speaking as a high school teacher, how do you know that your children are on grade level? Is there some kind of rubric you can look at?
@@sciencemama Thanks for the response. Now I feel that it begs this question: Who is behind that curriculum and who makes those tests? In my state, the Texas Education Agency and Pearson form a panel and develop test items based on the objectives and guidelines, and the TEA reviews those items. Teacher committees review the proposed test items, and the items are field-tested on some Texas students, called a "mock test." Using the input of the teacher committee and the results of field-testing, TEA and Pearson build the final test. Do you know what Sonlight does? I just worry that some homeschool curriculums aren't tested as thoroughly to see what the students must know in order to function once school ends.
@@strangementalitypaperYT Sonlight advisors are available on the website to contact about that. There definitely are homeschool curriculum companies out there that are, at best, academically insufficient but, from my experience, Sonlight isn't one of them.
@@strangementalitypaperYT What is your particular concern about science? I know that Sonlight teaches evolution, which at kindergarten isn't really a concern yet.
We are going to be using HBL-B! I'm so excited, it fit my kids age ranges well and we had already done an "around the world" literature based program :)
@@sciencemama Well, do you specifically remember anything that was Christian? Lol I’m basically looking to see if I could use it with secular students.
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Thank you for these videos! Just found your channel - will be homeschooling a Kindergartner this upcoming school year. I'm excited and overwhelmed at all the choices. Sonlight has piqued my interest and it looks like a possible good fit for my child. I cannot find anyone we know personally who uses it! This video is helpful. ❤
So glad it was helpful!!
I also found the K history too advanced for my 5 year old. I decided to use only half of the books and fill in with more visual usborne & library books. It's great content, just difficult for kids who still struggle to understand basic time and geography. I do plan to keep and use the remaining books to use in a future school year.
Thank you for your TH-cam reviews, I always find them helpful!
Tip: for the questions in the back of the book for your literature readers.
I just made a black and white copy of those pages and placed the questions with each book, that way I could leave the manual clean for resale.
This is what I’m doing to!
SO SMART! Thanks for the tip :)
Thank you for sharing!! I will be using this level with my 8 and 7 year old for the upcoming year. Your review makes me even more excited. 😂 I was also thinking about doing the same thing with the Bible. I just feel like doubling up on the reading would be too much for my children.
Loved hearing about your experience, and so glad that you decided to make that leap and try out Sonlight this year!
Me too :) I love watching all of your Sonlight videos!
I'm trying out Sonlight for the first time this year and I'm so excited! We will be doing science C with my 7 and 10 yr old. Thank you for all your reviews, they've helped me get a better idea about this curriculum.
Hooray, I can't wait to hear what you think of Sonlight!
You have really encouraged me to take the leap and do sonlight! I also have always been looking at it but was put off by the price. In a hope to get away from allot of worksheets we are going to give it a try 😀
I am so happy I took the leap, it has changed our homeschool!
Great review!! Thanks for sharing! Getting ready to start this one next week with 2 of my kids.
We bought the complete Sonlight box for kindergarten and love the history, Bible, and literature pieces, especially the daily lesson plans. We do pair it down a little bit so it's more of a natural discussion format vs a Q&A. I feel like the science is lacking a little bit compared to how much other literature we're reading.
It also came with Math U See and I don't love that there's not daily lesson plans for it. We've done 9 units in 3 weeks because a lot up to that point seems like preschool review and then it jumps to place value with no real foundation built. I think for next year we might consider the full Moving Beyond the Page curriculum or stick to Sonlight HBL only, Blossom and Root for science, and TGATB for math.
I did Level K a couple years ago(when it released) with my boys. I am doing it again with my daughter this year. I am so excited. We just got back from Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, Mt. Vernon, and Monticello. It really made me even more excited to start American History again this year.
I WISH we lived closer to all of those historical sites - enjoy!!
@@sciencemama it was 9 hours without stopping for us. So we aren’t too close but still close enough to drive. It was a blast. If you ever get the chance to go, then do it!😊
Thanks for sharing. Thanks for all the hacks too! Love Sonlight and curriculum reviews!
Me too, I think I watch every video on Sonlight :)
We start this today and I am SO excited!!! We started back to school last week but I am adding in one class each week so this week I am adding in this and Abeka for phonics. We are using sonlight pre-k for our morning basket time bc I love the Bible lessons in that and the childrens book of virtues. Also I couldn’t decide if we would be able to handle level k or not lol so I have pre-k as a backup just incase this is over her head. I’m sure I will let you know in another comment how it’s going 😂
Hi! Yes, please keep me updated on how it is going ... I love that we are curriculum twins :)
I love your timeline idea for the color since timeline figures repeat for different levels. 👍🏻
I started Sonlight in level B so I never used K, but it looks so good! Since I have a one year old, I think I’ll use it when he gets a little older. 😊
HBL-K was really fun :)
Thank you for the practical suggestions sprinkled in with your review! Sonlight does seem overwhelming because of the huge binder, but I do love a literature based curriculum!
It definitely seemed overwhelming at first, but I got used to it pretty quickly!
We are only a few years away from this level!!! My big kids are doing level f hbl but not science as we are using our own book choices for science!!! We got the books separately tho!!! I’m hearing that sonlight is advanced!!! I feel like the picture books could be enough for that age!!! I love that the books used humour!!! The book over their head you could also come back to!!! The mapping is awesome!!! We use our own notebooks for timelines!!! We have worship music on while we do over stuff and there’s nothing wrong with doing the same thing with a memory verse cd!!! Nothing wrong with being ahead!!!
HBL-F looks so good - how are your kids liking it?
@@sciencemama loving it!!! They are enjoying the geography thru books!!!
I’ve been eyeing Sonlight and Bookshark for a long time. I love researching and putting together lessons but I’m expecting a baby this summer so decided it’s a perfect time to just have it all laid out for me. So excited to try out Bookshark this coming year. We’ll be doing Reading w/ History and their science. I’m a bit concerned about it being advanced as I decided to start w/ level B for my 7 & 5 year old as we had read many of the books in the level K so hope it’s not too advanced.
I think you should be able to adjust things for your 5 year old! Keep me updated because I'm doing HBL B with my 8 and 7 year olds, so we will be reading the same books!
Wonderful review and thank you for it!! I’m nervous now about it being advanced 😬😬 I’ll have a 5 and 7 year old that I’ll be using it with in the fall. Might be too much for my five year old but we will try it anyway.
Give it a try! Your kids might do wonderfully :)
We just went a little slower but out of 3 programs we’ve tried it’s been the best for us.
Thanks for the video! Did you see that they have updated the History portion? Im wondering if I should get the new books.
I'm pretty sure I had the most recent edition of history, but now you are making me curious and I will go check the website!
Hi! I really love your reviews. I’m highly contemplating doing Sonlight this coming year for 1st grade. Although I really won’t need the History (I think we’ll use Notgrass OSSS), is it still possible to use the guide for just literature, read alouds and Bible? I’m thinking I just wouldn’t purchase the history books?
Thanks Angie!
Yes, you can definitely do that! I really LOVED the bible and read alouds for HBL K!
I’ve been so up in the air on what level to get for my littles. After seeing your review I think this is too much. My oldest is 5 (6 in Dec.) going into Kindergarten grade level but my two girls will have just turned 4 and 2 when we would start this. They love to join in and do read alouds but I didn’t want to hold my little man back or him get too bored… struggles😅 As you may can tell, I’m just starting this homeschool adventure. He’s going to start on 1st grade math but he still hasn’t mastered letters and sounds and enjoys the magic tree house chapter book read aloud that we do as a family. What would you recommend for us, level T (preschool) or P (prekindergarten)? Also, how long do you say the HBL takes? Either by section or all together.
Hi! Sonlight just switched the A and K programs! So this year my 5 (turn 6 in Nov) twins are doing the new HBL-K World Cultures! Check it out - it has the read alouds that I discussed in this video but the history has been switched. We are so excited!!
For the literature portion, were the questions more about reading comprehension or were they questions to discuss things like discussion starters and moral takeaways from the stories?
A little of both :)
What about the learning to read portion? And writing? And math?
Hi, this is only a review of the HBL-K (history, bible, literature). Sonlight has a separate language arts program for the reading and writing. And math can be order within an All-subjects package (HBL+LA+Science+Math). Hope that helps :)
Soooooo, we are supposed to be doing HBL C this year. Everything is purchased and ready to go. BUT, we are going to Philipdelphia for 10 days this Oct-Nov. Would you flip flop C for Exploring American History this year? My son is turning 8 tomorrow and my daughter is 6 1/2. Do you think that seeing Philadelphia would bring this level to life even more, or do you think that due to the introductory nature of this level, that it wouldn’t really matter?
Oh, those were the ages my kids did the American history and it was a great year!! I don’t know what you should do - and I can totally see why you are tempted to pick up HBL A! You could always wait on HBLC 🤷🏼♀️
I’m contemplating using Sonlight or Heart of Dakota next year! I need an American history curriculum for my upcoming 1st and 3rd graders. Do you think K would be best for that? Or Core D? Thanks!
Hi! For 1st and 3rd grade I think Sonlight K would be wonderful! But it really depends on your kiddos. I'm planning on using HBL D with a 5th and 4th grader ... and 4th grade is a bit on the young side. Hope that helps!
Do you need a timeline book for every kid?
Yes, they like having there own ... I like the fact that it will grow with them and they can individually personalize it :)
I wonder this, just speaking as a high school teacher, how do you know that your children are on grade level? Is there some kind of rubric you can look at?
Hi! Sonlight has age ranges for the HBL programs and Language Arts assessments to gauge the language arts level.
@@sciencemama Thanks for the response. Now I feel that it begs this question: Who is behind that curriculum and who makes those tests? In my state, the Texas Education Agency and Pearson form a panel and develop test items based on the objectives and guidelines, and the TEA reviews those items. Teacher committees review the proposed test items, and the items are field-tested on some Texas students, called a "mock test." Using the input of the teacher committee and the results of field-testing, TEA and Pearson build the final test. Do you know what Sonlight does? I just worry that some homeschool curriculums aren't tested as thoroughly to see what the students must know in order to function once school ends.
@@strangementalitypaperYT Sonlight advisors are available on the website to contact about that. There definitely are homeschool curriculum companies out there that are, at best, academically insufficient but, from my experience, Sonlight isn't one of them.
@@thekangaline2914 Their "science" material is unacceptable -- that I do know.
@@strangementalitypaperYT What is your particular concern about science? I know that Sonlight teaches evolution, which at kindergarten isn't really a concern yet.
What sonligt will you use next
We are going to be using HBL-B! I'm so excited, it fit my kids age ranges well and we had already done an "around the world" literature based program :)
What level would you suggest for kids ages 5.5 and 7.5?
I really loved the HBL-K ... when we started my kids were 6 and 7.5. But, I think HBL-A would be wonderful as well :)
How long did it take you to do the HBL lessons every day?
For HBL-K, I would say it was about 30-45 minutes!
@@sciencemama that's not bad at all! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽❤️
Are the Heroes and Happenings books Christian or secular?
Haha, I'm not really sure ... but I know that Sonlight wrote the book specifically for that level. So, I don't remember anything that was secular.
@@sciencemama Well, do you specifically remember anything that was Christian? Lol
I’m basically looking to see if I could use it with secular students.