Which curriculum is best for me?
If you want a literature rich homeschool approach, you will want to evaluate these two excellent options -- Sonlight and Winter Promise.
Choosing Curriculum
We each want the best.
I will share what I personally perceive from my own experience and what I've gathered from various forums and email groups. I used Sonlight for K, 1st and 2nd grades using (then called) Core K, Core 1, and Core 2. I am currently using Winter Promise American Story 1 for 3rd grade and will use American Story 2 for the next year.
All ideas expressed here are my own opinions and observations. I offer them here as one voice among many. I suggest you seek as many opinions as you can find before you make a purchase. What works for one does not work for another.
My statements refer to the history programs and not the language arts of science of SL or WP.
How are SL & WP Similar?
- Both can fit well with a Charlotte Mason styled homeschool.
- Both use a living books approach. The books are fantastic.
- The teacher's guide is in a similar format. Each week is a one page chart -- book along the side, days across the top. Very little preparation is necessary. Just open your guide, gather your books, and go.
- Both curricula offer a notebook timeline.
- Both can be used with children spanning many years of age.
- Both rely on narration to check understanding.
- Both are Christian curricula.
How are WP and SL different?
- WP has a notebooking component as part of the history packages. Your themed program comes with pre-printed, hole punched notebooking pages. SL does not offer a notebooking component.
- The SL timeline is a spiral bound book. The WP timeline is actually very attractively printed, hole punched cardstock pages that you put into your own 3 ring binder. The notebooking pages you make along with the program can be put in among the timeline pages.
- The SL teacher's guide includes discussion questions for each title. WP's does not have specific questions for each book.
- WP includes crafts and projects integrated into the program. In addition, there are suggested websites and extra books or videos. SL has nothing to compare here.
- WP has a middler pack for most of its themed programs so that you can beef up the course for an older sibling. SL does not have this option.
- WP books are a bit more gentle, and not so emotionally heart wrenching as SL's. SL's picks are more mature. Many are appropriate for an age range at least 2 years older than the Core level. WP books seem more fitting for the age/grade range. For example, WP's first year American history curriculum still uses some picture books. SL's does not.
- SL is a much older company, so their "kinks" are mostly all worked out. WP is a younger company.
- WP offers a "Working on My Own" schedule page for a child to work independently.
- SL relies more on historical fiction. WP relies more on living history books and biographies.
- With SL, Christianity is more integrated into the program. With WP, omitting the Bible component takes away most all Christian content.
Examples of Timelines
Side by Side
SL offers a spiral bound Book of Time and a set of timeline figures that go along with each program.
WP offers hole punched card stock sheets that you put into your own binder. WP offers two choices in timeline figures.
(In these pictures, I've used Homeschool in the Woods figures that I purchased separately.)
SL Book of Time
SL Book of Time
SL Book of Time
WP timeline
WP timeline
WP timeline
Winter Promise Pictures
examples from AS1
Here are some examples of notebooking pages, crafts, and projects from American Story 1 (with Native American focus).
notebooking page
Pueblo craft
3-D map
coloring page
notebooking page
Hopi Diorama
notebooking page
Navaho hogan craft
wigwam project
Jamestown model
stage coach paper craft
log cabin craft
What do you think?
Blog Posts about Sonlight from Google
- One-Two, One-Two!
- Sonlight has only one textbook. Science. That's it. The rest are all story books. Strange curriculum. Strange but fun. Well, I like SL better than BJ. SL even has a schedule! *razz* ...
- Using Sonlight with a Charlotte Mason Approach
- This is a very friendly group that offers support for those using Sonlight who also want to incorporate CM methods into their home education programs. I think Sonlight is very compatible with a CM approach. I know some think the SL ...
- New Plan for Fall 2008 - Back to My Father's World for Everybody!
- And, as far as Sonlight and Ambleside Online goes, well, they are just a collection of excellent books that we plan to continue to read. I can't imagine not "doing" Sonlight. I love SL because it's so easy to fit it into anything else ...
- Persia is course present day Iran.
- sonlight frontier check 2003 nissan sonnissan spacers coil frontier 2003 sonfrontier picture 2003 sonfrontier 2003 test crash sonnissan frontier cab 2003 son2003 frontier desert nissan sonfrontier 2003 son2003 diagram frontier engine ...
Reviews of Winter Promise Curriculum
- Our Los Banos
- A homeschooling mom offers her opinions of WP.
- Home School Reviews
- Various homeschoolers voice their review of WP.
- Home School Review Discussion
- A good discussion specifically about WP vs. SL.
- Cathy Duffy's Review
- Cathy is a well respected curriculum reviewer.
WP on eBay
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SL on eBay
Both SL and WP are expensive. Worth it? Well, to many of their customers, yes, they are worth it!
But if you need a bargain on these curricula, scour the used books listings online. My favorite places are VegSource's Misc. board and Homeschool Classifieds. Below are some eBay listings for both curricula.
And don't forget the WP and SL forums. Each has a used book discussion where you can post books for sale. (SL books are often sold at the WP forum.)
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byGuestbook
Any feedback? Do you have more questions that were not answered her? Please leave me a note.
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triathlontraining
Huh! I had no idea there were different curriculum methods. Thanks for the info! 5* Posted June 20, 2008 |
Thank you Jimmie!
I found your post VERY helpful...I have used Sonlight for the same Cores as your family and have been trying to decide what to use next year, to use WP or to create something all of my own...Your review has me leaning heavily on WP.
As a side note, Sonlight, while clearly stating to Christian, uses some very questionable books for many. I found that WP appears ' more Chrisitan', due to the lack of many of these books. This is just my thinking throught what I have seen in their catalog.
Again Thanks Jimmie!
Ashley
Posted May 12, 2008
Thanks so much for posting pictures of the WP materials, especially the notebooking crafts & the timeline! That gave me a much better picture than the official website did - your blog post was very helpful to me! We enjoyed Sonlight PK & K. I've made up my own thing for two years, but am considering WP for 3rd grade. I appreciated knowing the WP books were "less emotionally wrenching", as this is one SL thing I did want to avoid. Thanks so much for your post.
Posted April 22, 2008
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groovyoldlady
I've heard of Sonlight, it's been around for years, but I've never heard of Winter Promise. Posted March 30, 2008 |
What a wonderfully thorough review of both programs! I'll be checking out WP books. I'm always looking for quality literature. Thanks!
Posted March 30, 2008
The Official Sites
Go straight to the horse's mouth. Visit these official websites for the official word!- Sonlight
- Sonlight's official website.
- Sonlight Forums
- After a free 30 day trial, membership in the forums costs money. Of course, if you purchase their materials, you get free access to their forums.
- Winter Promise
- Winter Promise's official website.
- Winter Promise Forum
- Winter Promise has a forum too! It is free and open to anyone.
Books About Homeschooling
