STEM Learning in Your Homeschool with Sonlight Science
As homeschoolers, we are not immune from the education trends, and right now everywhere you look there is STEM education being promoted. A lot of it looks great but uses expensive tools like 3-D printers which aren’t as accessible to most homeschool families. But there are ways we can include STEM learning in our homeschool without expensive tools.
Sonlight has been a part of our homeschool since the beginning and the 2023 updates to their science programs include new STEM learning projects in their experiment book.
What is STEM learning?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. STEM learning methods include integrating these 4 subject areas to find solutions to real-world problems. Students learn to think creatively and problem-solve. Students often work collaboratively in teams.
Why is STEM learning such a big deal?
STEM learning follows the engineering design process, teaching kids how to think instead of just giving them information. The Engineering Design Process is a structured process to explore new concepts and ideas similar to the Scientific Method but with a different goal.
In the scientific method, we are testing an idea and determining if it is accurate or not. There is no room to adapt or change your hypothesis based on your data. The Engineering Process invites experimentation and trial and error in finding a solution to a problem. It invites creative ideas and gives space to refine the solution.
The Steps to the Engineering Design Process include:
- Asking a Question
- Exploring possible solutions to the problem
- Planning a prototype or first solution idea
- Creating the prototype and testing it
- Improving the prototype based on the testing
- Repeatedly test and modify the prototype until a satisfactory solution is found
Practically in our homeschool, we can use the Engineering Process by discussing real-world situations around us whenever we can and discussing as a family potential solutions. Sonlight’s new experiment book begins each week’s experiment with a question to discuss and real-life situations to solve.
In the Sonlight Science Level E experiment book, we investigated energy in many different forms including food production. We looked at the Question “How Many Calories Do We Need?” in addition to mathematically calculating the calorie needs for different body sizes. We got to explore our pantry looking at what we were actually eating and analyzing our own choices for calorie intake. It created some very enlightening conversations for our family.
How can I give my child a homeschooled STEM education?
Sonlight makes it easy to include STEM in your homeschool science program. Each week students read great engaging books, show their understanding by completing worksheets, explore new questions with weekly experiments, and explore how things around them work, throughout all these activities students are encouraged to think critically and solve problems.
What’s Inside Sonlight Science E
This year we are using the Sonight Science E with my 6th grader. The topics covered in Science E include Physical Science, Energy in Ecosystems, Earth and Space, and Engineering Design. The program was updated in 2023 to include the new Discover and Do Experiment book and Supply Kit. Check out the video to see everything included in the Sonlight Science E
Using Sonlight Science E in our Homeschool
We’ve been using Sonlight for 10 years in our homeschool. One of my favorite parts is the easy-to-follow weekly grid in the Instructor’s Guide. Each Friday I can glance at this chart and see what is coming for the following week. I know which books we need and what supplies we need that aren’t included in the supply kit. I have a few days to gather them before we need them on experiment day.
Our family prefers the 5-day Sonlight program because more books are always more fun for us.
This year for Sonlight Science E my 6th grader will start their week on Tuesday because Monday is our co-op day. They will spend Tuesday through Thursday reading and completing the activity sheets independently.
On Friday we will do the activity together and complete the Discover and Do Experiment for the week. The new Paper Packet gives us our lab worksheets to record our data throughout the activity. If you have multiple students you can buy extras so everyone has their own copy of the lab worksheets. I love this new update as it introduces the students to proper lab procedures before high school.
After our lab on Friday, I gather the supplies or make notes to shop for the supplies we need for the next week’s activity. Most of the supplies for these are included in the supply kit and the ones I have to gather are easy to find around the house or at the grocery store.
My 6th grader has a study hall during our co-op day so they will read the Day 5 book, How Things Work during their study hall and we plan to discuss the inventions he learns about.
Why We Keep Coming Back to Sonlight Each Year
One reason we have used Sonlight Science for many years is the balanced combination of both reading with activity sheets and weekly hands-on activities. As a homeschooling parent of multiple kids, I need to be able to give my kids independent work so I can focus on each one. Working together on the weekly activity is fun and gives us a chance to talk about what they are learning and discover new concepts together without feeling overwhelmed by the amount of mess and activities I need to facilitate.
Kids are curious by nature and STEM learning uses that curiosity to lead them to discover new ideas and problem-solve. Sonlight brings these ideas together with their tried and true method of learning by reading great books. It is a time-tested combination that makes my kids always ask for more and yours will too!