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Winter Promise Versus Sonlight

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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.

Both of these companies offer complete homeschool curriculum packages with daily assignment schedules. Although these packages cost several hundred dollars, they are full of living books and will help to build your home library.

Buying used or borrowing books from the library is another way to keep costs down and still get the benefit of these literature-rich programs.

Choosing Curriculum

We each want the best.

Choosing a curriculum is a hard thing. There are so many choices. And each choice seems so good. And each choice is so expensive.

I will share what I 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. Then I switched to Winter Promise American Story 1 for 3rd/4th grades and American Story 2 for 5th grade.

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.

Research more literature based curricula options at Charlotte Mason Basics.

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's Timeline notebook and figures by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Timeline notebook by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Timeline notebook closeup by jimmiehomeschoolmom

timeline 1600 Age of Exploration by jimmiehomeschoolmom

curated content from Flickr

Winter Promise Pictures

examples from AS1

Here are some examples of notebooking pages, crafts, and projects from American Story 1 (with Native American focus).

Columbus notebooking page by jimmiehomeschoolmom

notebook Viking map by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Map of Indian Tribes by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Hopi Who Wore What Diorama2 by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Navaho hogan diorama by jimmiehomeschoolmom

native americans notebook07 by jimmiehomeschoolmom

plains indians travois by jimmiehomeschoolmom

totem pole craft beside map by jimmiehomeschoolmom

panning for fools gold by jimmiehomeschoolmom

curated content from Flickr

What do you think?

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Important!

Notebooking

I used materials from Notebookingpages.com and CurrClick when I used both Sonlight and Winter Promise.

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.
Successful Homeschooling's Review of Winter Promise American Story 1 & 2: Vicki used American Story 1 & 2 from 2006-2008 and wrote this detailed review.
At See Jamie Blog: Jamie shares her experience with Winter Promise's Children Around the World program.

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.

Guestbook

Any feedback?
Do you have more questions that were not answered her?
Please leave me a note.

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Reply

Pukeko Aug 11, 2011 @ 1:01 am | delete

Thanks for the introduction to Winter Promise. Many of my friends already use Sonlight. Great lens. Blessed.

Reply

DianaHarper May 27, 2011 @ 11:20 pm | delete

I used Sonlight one year, and have the Winter Promise catalog. I appreciated the insight and resources available in this lens. Blessings!

Reply

Kay Apr 20, 2011 @ 11:15 am | delete

Just wanted to leave a comment as a SL user of 4 years. IMHO, Core 3 (not sure what letter they call it now, but it's part 1 of Intro to American history) is far and away superior to the three previous SL cores (K, 1, and 2 - not sure what letters they are now). I continued with the first 3 cores, not because I loved them, but because I loved the idea of them. With the exception of maybe one or two books, Core 3 is the fulfillment of that idea and makes me glad at stuck it out with SL. I am looking forward to Core 4 (whatever it's labelled now!) as a continuation of the Intro to American History.

I am intrigued by Winter Promise because it uses Mystery of History as it's spines. The SL spines for Cores K-4 are, in my mind, their weakest points. I'm definitely going to look into WP when we finish SL Core 4.

Anyway, just wanted to give a shout-out for SL Core 3 since your experience was through Core 2.

Reply

eclecticeducation Apr 1, 2011 @ 1:23 pm | delete

I'm considering Winter Promise animals for my little guy. He totally loves animals. It may be a good start for him. I'll probably pick and choose activities like I do with all other curriculum. lol!!! Thank you for the review. Blessed by an April Fools Angel. :)

Reply

Janiece Feb 16, 2011 @ 9:59 pm | delete

We have used Sonlight several years, and enjoyed it. I might check into Winter's Promise. It sounds interesting.
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