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.
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 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
- A Day in the Life - Tapestry of Grace vs. Sonlight
- I reviewed TOG last year and have used SL in the past and will this coming fall. I like both of them, SL just fits us better at the moment. My best friend uses TOG and adores it. I'm just glad they are both available and both great ...
- HST+ and Core 2 with our Geography approach. Using HST+ we’ve been ...
- For Both Children Sonlight Core 2 Read Alouds History/Geog Spine: SOTW 2 & Activity Book with most of. SL Core 2's Hist/Geog books. SL's markable map (pict beneath) Relevant DvD's, Audio Books & a few extra books ...
- Sonlight vs. Tapestry of Grace « Life on the True Vine
- (dotcom) While I love TOG and SL I find the price daunting as well. I find that Ambleside is very easy to tweak. I found a list of sonlight titles arranged in the Well Trained Mind 4 year cycle and the Ambleside titles arranged this way ...
- Last in Line...
- I'd love to have a go, but ... knowing me I'd end up tiring of it really quickly (blush) so we'll have to just continue our way, with modifications, thanks to the Sonlight moms who are implimenting workboxes. ... I place 6 weeks worth of SL schedules in this folder (note the SL tabs :-) ) The high lighting colour coding on HST's schedule; Green - Bobbi's work, Blue - Daisy's, Yellow - our to do together extra's, Pink - Memorisation songs or pieces. ...
Blog Posts about Winter Promise from Google
- Winter Promise Winterpromise Sea And Sky Program
- If purchased new from WP you would pay over $400 plus shipping for the same books! Aviations Paper Airplanes ( I am including this consumable, we only made some of them). I am also listing the 4th thru 6th grade readers and the young ...
- Karen replied to the discussion 'Winter Promise'
- Karen replied to the discussion 'Winter Promise'. I have the WP catalog and though it looks interesting it is really on the pricey side. If you want to look at something with great living books as well as some hands on stuff i HIGHLY ...
- Winter Promise Curriculum - Homeschool With Tracey
- It definately would NOT be boring. The following review is from The Homeschool Library: Name of curriculum: Winter Promise. Common abbreviation: WP. Optimal age of students: Pre-K to High School. Type: Complete Curriculum ...
- One Child Policy Homeschool - My Thoughts on Winter Promise
- I've never used WP, but we did use SL Core 3 last year and really enjoyed it. We do notebooking on our own, but not many other hands-on projects. They do not like anything that involves coloring, cutting, and pasting. ...
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.)
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Any feedback?
Do you have more questions that were not answered her?
Please leave me a note.
JulieS wrote...
Sonlight has a wonderful reputation among homeschoolers. I have used Konos mostly, but I have friends that use Sonlight. I have heard from them that some of Sonlight's choices of books are objectional. There will always be differences in opinion, so just be aware. We should always adapt a curriculum to our children rather than the other way around. You might enjoy visiting Used Sonlight Curriculum and Books
Posted October 14, 2008
Kristen wrote
I've read several reviews like yours claiming that WP becomes a "secular" curriculum once you remove the Bible portion. The author of WP wrote me a lengthy and thoughtful email disagreeing with this. Homeschoolers should check each package separately. Packages like American Crossing I (with Time Travelers) contain a Christian Spine. We are doing American Story I and I am adding in One God, One Nation by CLP -hopefully this will help add in Christian perspective.
Also I agree with the "heart wrenching" SL comment. I moved away from them to give my children a few more years to be CHILDREN!
Thanks for taking the time to review.
Posted August 29, 2008
triathlontraining wrote...
Huh! I had no idea there were different curriculum methods. Thanks for the info! 5*
Found you on Squidu.
Posted June 20, 2008
Ashley wrote
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
Amber wrote
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
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
