Homeschooling high school can seem like a daunting task for newbies and veterans alike. I am in my 10th year and at times even my head is spinning with the daily task of educating my children. Throw on top of that the need to provide a rigorous, well balanced course of study and it’s easy to see how one can become frazzled when reaching the high school years. My oldest at home is a senior this year and she expressed an interest in taking AP Psychology along with her two other AP classes. Instead of turning to an online school or the local community college I turned right to my Sonlight catalog and found that Sonlight included an AP Psychology prep as an elective. We were truly blessed to receive this set for review.

Like my daughter, many kids wish to take a psychology course in high school to figure out just what makes people tick. Sure, there are many programs out there that offer a psychology course but not many can say that they are written from a Christian perspective like Sonlight’s program. With 36-weeks of material your child will dive into the science of psychology and learn how the brain works. The complete package includes the hardcover psychology textbook by David Meyers and the Workbook/Diary by Jeff Corson. 

The textbook is jam-packed with 872 pages plus the glossary, index, and reference pages in the back. The pages in the textbook are thin and see through but they contain a wealth of information upon them. Each page includes some type of illustration or figure with colorful pictures to help you visually see the point that is being taught. The margins are filled with helpful AP Exam Tips highlighted in a red box to clue to you that the information is important to know. This textbook is a solid study of psychology and includes terms and facts along with real life applications that will not only make you love the study of psychology but also make you smile in the process.

The Workbook/Diary is a consumable, interactive guide that is written by Jeff Corson who has been teaching Advanced Placement Psychology for the past 19 years. Corson has been pouring into his psychology students and helping them perform superbly above the national average on the AP exam and receiving college credit. The Workbook/Diary is delivered 3-hole punched in shrink-wrap and is meant to be placed inside a three-ring binder. I would suggest a 2-inch binder because the Workbook/Diary is 517 pages plus the detailed schedule in the front.It is broken into three parts and includes five appendices of answer keys so you and your student are covered when correcting the work. A grade book is also included for easy tracking of the course. 

Both the textbook and the Workbook/Diary are heavy and filled with a lot of detailed information to fully prepare you for the exam in May. The entire course contains 85 modules and an AP-Style practice exam is also included near the end of the course. I am here to tell you that this is a meaty course that will challenge your student from page one. If your student wishes to take the AP exam in May, you should plan to follow the course schedule that is planned out for 3 days of study from August through April. An accelerated schedule is also included if you wanted to study from December through April, however, I wouldn’t recommend the accelerated five-month study unless you this is your only course.

Box day is still exciting, even as a senior in high school, so it was like Christmas in July when the mailman dropped off our box of curriculum.  We both took turns going through the books and getting a feel for what was ahead as we planned on diving right in the following Monday. My daughter has been plugging away at this course since early July, taking a break only when she went to her pre-college program. To make up the four weeks she missed, we have been completing four modules a week since mid-August. She especially likes the funny cartoon drawings in the textbook and Workbook/Diary that help keep learning the material fun. Everyday she tells me some interesting fact about this, that, and the other. Like the other day when she wanted me to guess who many hours of sleep my favorite animal, the giraffe, needs. Can you believe it’s only two hours!

I especially like the detailed schedule included in the front of the Workbook/Diary. It breaks down what needs to be done on which day. I like that it is scheduled by days, but not specific days of the week. Monday’s are busy for us so while this typically would be the first day of our school week, my daughter does not begin her AP Psychology prep until Tuesday. The flexibility in scheduling this course out is a real plus for us. This type of schedule also prepares her for next year when she goes away to college. I have to say that this AP Psychology prep course challenges her every single day, yet it is the first course she dives into when she starts her school day.

AP Psychology prep is no different from the quality you can expect from any Sonlight product. Having the ability to homeschool and knowing that my child is diving into the world of AP Psychology and studying the brain and behavior that God designed from a Christian perspective makes me appreciate this curriculum even more. If you are looking for a challenging yet fulfilling AP course, look no further than this set. Because this program is so thorough I know my daughter will be well prepared and succeed on the national AP exam in May. When you hear the name Sonlight, you know you are getting a quality program right out of the box!

-Product review by Jacquelin Caffey, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, October, 2018