Sonlight Science vs. Science in the Beginning

We have been a Sonlight-only, multi-subject package homeschooling family since the beginning of our homeschool journey.  We have appreciated the ease and variety of Sonlight both for teacher and student.  And, it’s been well worth the cost to have everything come together in one box so all we need to purchase are a few pencils to start our school year.  In my naive mind, I thought we would do Sonlight Kindergarten through 12th grade.  But after two years using Sonlight, the honeymoon phase is over.  What worked for us in the beginning didn't necessarily work in its entirety two years later especially in regards to science.

With Sonlight Core A and Core B Science, we studied a variety of topics throughout the year so we never grew tired of science.  It was always new and fresh to my child.  We used several books to cover one area of science rather than one textbook.  We enjoyed fairly easy and age-appropriate science experiments using the things we had around our house plus the pre-made Sonlight science kit.  And, the science worksheets that came with the Sonlight Cores helped us gauge our child's comprehension level.   

Yet there were two negatives to Sonlight that we just couldn’t seem to work around.  The first was that fact that Sonlight uses mainly Usborne books for science.  Usborne presents the majority of its science from an evolution viewpoint.  Sonlight tries to compensate for that through shallowly sharing a Biblical viewpoint and a few accompanying verses in the Instructor’s Guide.  The second is that the Sonlight Core A and Core B science is an overview of science and it rarely goes beyond the surface.  However, I don’t think a science program can go beyond the surface if it’s not rooted firmly in the Word of God. 

So we were determined to find something different to use for science for second grade that had the Biblical, hands-on approach to science mixed with the variety of science that we love from Sonlight.  We really liked Apologia and how it is rooted in the Word, but we didn’t like how it focused on one area of science all year long.  That would quickly get old for my child (and for me).  A friend in a homeschool Facebook group recommended Dr. Jay Wile’s new science book, Science in the Beginning.  I had never heard of Dr. Wile before but when my friend mentioned that he wrote the high school science textbooks for Apologia, my interest was piqued.  Surely his Biblical worldview would carry over into his writing.  And knowing Apologia's reputation for science, surely he would bring a certain level of depth and knowledge to science that Sonlight didn’t afford with its Core. 

Dr. Wile sent us a copy of Science in the Beginning to look through and review, and we found the perfect compromise between Sonlight and Apologia!  Science in the Beginning is geared toward elementary students and can be done with one child or it can be done with several children of varying ages.  Each lesson ends with a review for the youngest students, older students and oldest students.  These reviews are centered around keeping a science journal and drawing or explaining the experiments and/or lessons.  At the end of first grade, we found ourselves going between the youngest and older student reviews based on my child’s writing vs. drawing capabilities. 

Like Sonlight, every experiment in Science in the Beginning (which there is one per lesson) can be done with household items.  There is a thorough explanation of what to do, and Dr. Wile explains the "why" behind every experiment (something that is hit or miss with Sonlight).  The plus to Science in the Beginning is that the experiments actually correspond with what you are studying; whereas, there is no coordination between Sonlight’s experiments and what is currently being studied (at least in Cores A and B). 

Science in the Beginning also relates science back to the Days of Creation.  The First Day of Creation Week (Lessons 1-15) deals with light where children learn all about light, colors, reflection, energy, the human eye, etc. The Second Day of Creation (Lessons 16-30) deals with everything water.  The Third Day of Creation (Lessons 31-45) centers around the land, rocks and plants.  Day Four of Creation (Lessons 46-60) focuses on the sun, moon and solar system.  Day Five of Creation gives an overview on birds and fish (Lessons 61-75).  And Day Six of Creation (Lessons 76-90) focuses on land animals, people and our senses.  Then, there is a page on Day Seven of Creation which talks about the need for rest. 

There is also a small supplement, Helps & Hints, to Science in the Beginning.  This guide contains the answers to the review questions in Science in the Beginning as well as contains corresponding tests and answer keys.  It is nice to have, but it is not necessary to complete the textbook. 

Science in the Beginning debuts Dr. Wile's new elementary series where he walks students through science in a historical context.  When we first received our book in December 2013, I was hesitant about jumping on board since the second book had not yet been released.  However, the second book, Science in the Ancient World, was released last month and there are plans for more to be released each year.  I see Dr. Wile’s series truly complementing the history portion of Sonlight’s Cores as science and history walk hand-in-hand.  We are picking up Science in the Beginning as we go into Sonlight Core C.  It is a great review and Science in the Beginning further reinforces the things we learned in previous Sonlight Cores.  For more on Dr. Wile’s approach, visit his blog at http://blog.drwile.com/?p=11016. 

I was concerned about Science in the Beginning being a duplicate of Sonlight Core A and B science, but there is enough difference between the two programs that it is worth going through Science in the Beginning in its entirety.  I was also concerned about Science in the Beginning being a “real” textbook since this is our first “official” textbook ever.  However, there is enough variety and science experiments in this book that we do not miss Sonlight science at all.  Plus, I secretly like having a little extra room on our bookshelf since we no longer need eight different books just for one year of science.  Science in the Beginning is a great starting point, and we use the library or find books at yard sales that complement Science in the Beginning for extra learning and enjoyment.  Also with Science in the Beginning, we are fully in control of the book selection rather than simply accepting what comes with the Sonlight Science program from an evolutionist standpoint. 

Science in the Beginning fills that niche for Sonlight users who aren’t ready to make a big curriculum change but who prefer science from a Biblical standpoint.  And Science in the Beginning provides both Biblical and educational depth that Sonlight simply cannot achieve using Usborne books.  It's definitely a great compromise for our family!  To find out more about Science in the Beginning, visit www.bereanbuilders.com/rl/index.php?8 .

Please note:  Other than receiving this product for free, we received no other compensation. 

Finding Our Way Back...Even If It Means Wearing a Dress

For the first 21 years of my life, I was raised with living up to a standard and given the Christian Code of Conduct.  You live a certain way, talk a certain way, behave a certain way and dress a certain way.  You never have a chance to really think for yourself because you become what you believe without really believing it.  You are immersed in the culture you are surrounded in, never doubting it because you have nothing else to compare it to.  The "why" is lost through routine and the "want to" is more like a "have to".

Then suddenly, one day you wake up as a young adult and realize that you don't have to do those things any more.  You are free to do whatever you want.  You begin to make little decisions that seem to have no consequence and lead you to a better, less-restricted life.  Over time, you become less and less like you once were yet still believing in the same God yet questioning the validity of minor aspects of the "Christian Code of Conduct" while still hanging on to the major beliefs.  Some changes are due to maturing into adulthood and others are because you never understood the why behind it all. 

Years later, as you are well into adulthood, something happens that shakes you to your core as you realize just how far you've really strayed from those childhood days.  You begin to see where little choices made over the years pulled you toward a man-made ideal or a feel-good standard.  You are living a good life that seems overtly godly, but you are still missing the why.  You begin to see where little compromises in the gray areas led you that much further away without even realizing it.  You see where areas that had once been open to God had become shut because it became about you and you dictating that relationship with God rather than developing that relationship with God.  It became about relevancy rather than reverence, about succeeding in ministry rather than the sacredness of the church.  It became about comfort rather than claiming the things that set us apart as Believers, and about trying to fit Christianity into our culture rather than living out the Word without compromise.

During our church search, we saw so many different things.  We saw where churches worshipped God and where they worshipped self.  We saw how they responded to needs or how they scoffed at needs.  We saw where they embraced the community and actively served the community and then where they wanted to reach out to the community but just as long as the community stayed outside of the church doors.  We were left wondering where God wanted us and what He wanted us to learn from all of this. 

Back in March, we walked in the door of one church where I was instantly transported back to the first 21 years of my life.  I saw the standard and Code of Conduct.  I saw the dress (aka real dresses...like something I gave up wearing after I got my BJU diploma because I discovered the freedom of wearing pants to church and that wearing pants to church didn't change my Christianity)!  I saw the once-familiar culture that could easily become routine once again...a routine I don't want my child to know because I want him to know the richness of relationship over routine.  Yet, it was the place were I felt most at home.  For the first time since my SC days, my heart finally felt at home.  We found our way back into the culture that we had, choice by choice, moved so far away from without realizing it.

I first knew something was different when I realized the sacredness and reverence of each service.  There was seriousness and depth that stemmed from being in the Word, not just talking about the Word.  I didn't realize how much we were craving that reverence until we could name it that Sunday we visited.  In a society that is far from God as it can get, I want church to be respite from it all--a place where we can rest and not have to fight against culture for the three hours we are in there; a place that challenges you to be set apart and that will encourage you to live to the higher standard found in God's Word--that is the norm, not the rarity.

There is so much found in the leadership of this church that is godly, respectable and peaceable.  The leaders are praying together and striving to do what is right before God and their families.  The men are in charge and they are taking on the leadership in their church and in their homes.  The women aren't running the show nor destroying the show with their idle talk and poisonous gossip (if it's there, I'm not privy to it and want to keep it that way).  And this church tells you upfront that they are not perfect but that they are learning and growing together ... it's more of a journey together rather the air of "We've already arrived, sorry you haven't!" that we've encountered in several other churches.  We want to be a part of a learning and growing culture where there is seriousness and depth centered around God's Word not only in the adult program but the children's program as well.   

We found a women's Bible study where small talk is obsolete because that social time is spent learning from the Word.  The study is centered around pure Truth because Bibles are opened rather than the study guides.  The discussion isn't about how you feel but rather what God says and His desired response.  It's what Bible study used to be before it evolved over the years, before the Beth Moores and the Priscilla Shirers where bandwagon triumphs the Bible.

On Sunday, I wore my first skirt to church in over 9 years.  My child had no clue what in the world I was wearing but even he knew it signaled something special.  Of course, he and his father were hilarious in lavishing me with compliments.  But for the first time in years, I felt like church WAS special.  I also didn't feel out of place between my two guys who go to church every Sunday looking their best in dress shirts and ties.  I've been waiting for the day when my child would ask me, "Mom, why do you make me wear a tie when you wear your black jeans and don't dress up with us?"  But since we've been at this church and through observing what goes on during the services, Sundays are special once again because we are remembering that we serve a Holy God that deserves more than we can give.  So why am I so resistant about wearing a dress/skirt?  Surely what I wear shouldn't affect my relationship with God...and it doesn't.  Yet it is those hidden heart attitudes that I've held on to all of these years (stubbornness, lack of submission, selfishness, etc.) that surface every single time I walk into that church.  God is urging me to see the scaredness of His house like I saw it as a child and to allow my family the pure joy of having one special day every week that is set aside just for God, not just simply go to church.
  
Yet this time, instead of church being routine or an assumed culture, it's a chosen way of life based on conviction and grace.  Over the past two years, homeschooling has revealed God's design for our family and for His people.  We have been challenged to a higher standard of living and have seen God help us develop the backbone needed to make tough decisions that help us fall in line with His Word and to endure the ridicule and gossip that go along with that.  It only seems fitting that God would lead us to a church that raises the bar and that challenges and supports us to live holy lives before God.  This is what we want for our family yet with the hopes of instilling the why over rote and relationship over tradition.

Sometimes we have to go through life's trials and to learn things the really hard way so we can see a clearer picture of the way God wants us to live and act as Believers.  Do we truly represent Him or a man-made version of Him?  I Peter 1:13-15 says, "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy."  We are thankful that, through God's grace and strength, we can rise above ignorance and grow into the life which God desires of us...holiness.

The Book in the Trash Can

Several books we received with our Sonlight Core B this year have prompted more indecision than anything else as education and secular worldviews collide with Christianity. While I believe homeschool children do need to know about other religions (including famous false gods) and various theories like evolution that contradict the Bible so they may speak up for truth intelligently, I believe there is a time and a place for these discussions. 

All year long, I've felt this battle between teaching what is presented in our books versus sharing God's truth and imparting a Biblical worldview to my child.  Christians will argue all day long that our children need to know other religions, but do four, five, and six year olds need to know about other religions when they are still learning about their own God and learning the basics of John 3:16?  Do you teach your young child about statues, idols and mosques when they are still trying to figure out who God is and what church is all about?  Do you teach your young child about the Big Bang when that child is still learning that God created the world with order and the basics surrounding the Days of Creation?  Or, do you teach your young child what is true first so that they always have a foundation and point of reference (the Bible) that they can fall back on whenever theories and religions contradict what they know is true about God? 

It's fascinating to see the many answers and debates to these questions in Christian circles.  However, it seems like many people fail to take age into consideration. 

I wouldn't have thought twice about any of this and the effect of exposing children to other viewpoints at a young age until this winter when I heard my child role playing with his Lego minifigures.  His minifigures were "talking" about reincarnation and nirvana.  WHAT?!?!  No, no, NO!!!!  What happened to role playing about David and Goliath, Noah, the parables, and heaven and everlasting life?

While I thought covering world religions as presented in age-appropriate history books was "education" and what he's "supposed" to be learning (compared to public school counterparts), my child was picking up waaaay more than I thought he would.  That role playing incident opened my eyes to the fact that, as homeschoolers, we have complete say as to what our children learn and WHEN it is appropriate for them to learn it.  It made me go back to the reasons why we decided to homeschool and what we hoped to accomplish with homeschooling--knowing about world religions isn't on our list, but cultivating a relationship with Christ is.  So, if what we're allowing in our homeschool doesn't push us toward our goals, then why are we wasting time with it?  When I ran everything through that lens, it meant omitting pages in books or skipping several books altogether that contradicted what we believed.  Sometimes, it meant comparing a secular book with the Bible side-by-side in order to make sure my child can "see" and begin to understand why certain things are important.  As I reflect back on our school year, I spent more time correcting wrong ideas presented in our books than I did teaching the Truth outright (outside of Bible class and family devotions).  And while I have beat myself up for this many times this year, a situation happened today that reminded me that truth always wins and that God redeems our mistakes! 

Today, I was preparing Sonlight Core B books to sell when my child started flipping out over the Usborne "Greek Myths" book on top of the pile because we haven't read it yet.  I explained to him that it's a book full of stories about mythical gods and their adventures.  We have been exposed to plenty of religious ideas and all types of gods through our Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome studies this year and it was time to fill our minds with things about the one true God instead.  Well, my child freaks out and respectfully but urgently asks, "Mom, why would you sell [this book] to another kid?  So he can learn about other gods?  Do you want to teach him about the other gods or the one true God?"

I admit that I thought my child was being a bit dramatic and I rationalized it away by silently thinking that it's just a book, it's untouched and I could get full price for it!  But as I continued on with preparing the books for sale, I could see my son's silent questioning glances and the wheels spinning in his head.  This is one time that I didn't pray for God to help me make the most of this teachable moment because I knew this meant laying down even more for Him.  God has been asking so much of us lately as we seek to align our lives closer to Him.  With each thing He convicts of us of and that we see that sends a mixed message about Him to our child and to others, it's like we become that much more "weirder" in the world's eyes (even in many Christians' eyes and even in our own eyes sometimes), so I was determined to hang on to that book this time!  Well, a few minutes go by and then my child speaks up with curiosity, not condemnation, in his voice, "Mom?  How important is telling others about the one true God to you?"   

All I could do in that moment was grab my child, hug him tightly, thank him for respectfully speaking the truth and then cry and pray at the same time.  When we were done praying, I asked him what he thought we should do with the book and he suggested we throw it away.  To his surprise, I handed him the book and it is now laying in the bottom of our trash can.  I quickly threw trash over it so not to be tempted to pull it out later.  As I thought about that book in the trash can, Proverbs 14:1 kept running through my mind: 

"The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands." 

Also, Phillipians 4:8-9 came to mind: 

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."

Those two verses provide courage to go against the grain, even the Christian grain, and to make sure only Truth is taught in our school first.  When that truth has been established in our child's heart, then it will be time to go more in depth with evolution, world religions and other controversial topics.  This doesn't mean we get rid of every secular book in our house, but rather it means we become more discerning and intentional in what we use as our main textbooks in educating our child. 

Homeschooling.  No one tells you how much it will change YOU, not just your children.  No one tells you how much your words will come back to you through your child's own mouth as they watch to see if your words and actions make sense and question when they don't.  And no one tells you that before you can "train up a child in the way that he shall go", God will have to train you first and His training can sometimes be the most painful, heart wrenching, on-the-job training that shakes up your current way of living and pushes you into a deeper place of relationship and conviction with God and with your family!