Why Sonlight Science Was Perfect For This Science Loathing Mom

Science.  I’ve never been a fan of science.  Sure I would find parts of it interesting, but frankly I never really cared how things work.  I just care that they work.  Science was always my least favorite subject in school.

Now, here I am, a homeschooling mom who needs to teach science to her child.

Unlike me, Grasshopper loves science.  He’s fascinated by anything and everything related to science.  So the challenge presented itself.  I needed to find a high-quality science curriculum that would keep Grasshopper engaged, and be easy for me to teach.

I found the solution with Sonlight Science. We used Science B this year which focuses on animals, astronomy, and physics.  After using the curriculum for almost an entire year, I can honestly say that this science curriculum was perfect for both this science loathing mom and her science-loving son.

Awesome High-Interest Science Books

I don’t like textbooks.  Grasshopper hates them.  His beautiful ADHD/dyslexic brain means we avoid textbooks at all costs.  A lesson I learned the hard way.

The books included with Sonlight are awesome.  They’re high interest to Grasshopper without beating him down with too much information.  The books were perfect for an elementary grade level science program.

Pictures and images in the books are amazing.  Very detailed and fun to see.  The images in these books are not simply to add a little color, they really do add to the text and overall learning experience.

These books opened the door to many conversations about how amazing God is to have designed each animal perfectly to their habitat.

Easy to Use Instructor’s Guide

The instructor’s guide is laid out in a way that is really easy to just open and go.  I’m an extremely busy mom, so if I’m even going to consider a curriculum this feature is a must!  Sonlight doesn’t disappoint in their instructor’s guide.

As mentioned above, science isn’t exactly my favorite subject.  Since I’m not excited about science, I need an instructor’s guide to keep me on track.  Without it, we probably would have skipped a lot of science classes this year!

The guide lays out the week for you in a simple grid format.  It also offers notes you might find helpful to go along with each lesson.  It even lists out what supplies you might need to round up for the following week’s experiment, making it easy to plan ahead.

Short Science Lessons

On average, the lessons lasted about ten minutes from start to finish.  That being said, you could easily dig deeper if you wanted.  In fact, there are suggestions within the instructor’s guide to help you further study areas that are of higher interest to your child.  Some of the books (mainly the Usborne books) even have internet links making further exploration quick and easy!

The reading portion of each lesson was usually only 2 pages.  Some lessons are 4 pages long, but not too many.  This really isn’t too much reading, especially when you consider that the books are not traditional textbooks (like described above).

In fact, the lessons were short enough that when we decided to change from a 5 day school week to a 4 day school week mid-year, I easily lump two lessons into one day.  Next year we are going with Sonlight’s 4-day option so we won’t need to lump two lessons together.

Easy Science Experiments

Experiments….they’re fun to see, but I don’t enjoy doing them.  Maybe it’s because there is usually a pile of dishes taking up counter space, maybe it’s because of my lack of interest in science in general.  Either way, they’re not my favorite.

Grasshopper however really enjoys them.  And even though they’re not my favorite, they do add a lot of value to our children’s education. To be honest, I actually didn’t mind the experiments with Sonlight.

First off, the experiments are almost all quick and easy.  As a busy mom, I love that.  Not because I want to rush through the process, but because I have a lot to get done (like that pile of dishes on the counter).  Short, sweet, yet educational experiments are exactly what this mom wants in a science curriculum.  Especially in these elementary years when they still need a lot of guidance from me.

Perhaps my favorite feature of Sonlight’s experiments is the Discover & Do DVD.  This DVD shows you exactly how to do each experiment.  Not only does it show you how to do the experiment, but it explains how & why behind each one.  Perfect for this science loathing mom!

Because you have the DVD, if your child isn’t interested in doing a particular experiment, it’s ok to skip.  After all, they’ve already learned the lesson behind it in the DVD.

Great Value

When it comes to making curriculum purchases, I’m a pretty budget conscious person.  That being said, when it came to choosing a science curriculum for this past year I really weighed the costs.  There were a few other programs I was looking at simply because the sticker price was less expensive.  Once I started making comparisons however, I realized they really were not that great of a deal.

The Sonlight science package comes with everything you need.  With the exception of a few household items, you might need for experiments.  I know almost every science program tells you that you only need common household items for their experiments; but, I feel that really isn’t the case most times.  With Sonlight however, it really is true!  The common household items not included in the science supplies kit might be a flashlight, bowls, tin foil or mirrors.  All other items needed really were included.  Even paperclips, masking tape and corks (items other programs might consider common household items) were included.

I took a good look at everything included in the Sonlight package.  A great selection of books, easy to use instructors guide, student worksheets, the DVD showing the experiments, and supplies kit.  Truth is all of these items together created pretty great value.

Then, I took a closer look at the other programs.  I added up the additional items I would need to purchase for experiments and projects and realized the cost was actually about the same.

Plus going with Sonlight, I saved a LOT of time trying to shop for the extra needed supplies.  For me, time savings alone holds a huge value!

Next year we’re on to Sonlight Science C: Geology, Meteorology & Mechanical Technology!

Check out all the other amazing products Sonlight has to offer here!