And, because of the more strict high school curriculum requirements, depending on where parents live it may not provide a complete high school solution, so homeschoolers may need to configure or supplement Bookshark packages further. I used Bookshark. BookShark is often described as the secular version of Sonlight. I am wondering about the religious flavor of sonlight. The science guide we looked at, for example, provided a variety of exercises and explanation, as well as directions for conducting experiments, ideas for discovery-based learning and activity sheets to reinforce learning. The math programs it has selected all have some manipulative integration and in terms of Science learning, Bookshark includes various all-in-one science kits with weekly experiments that fully integrate with the science lesson plans. Book-based learning is definitely our family's favorite way to learn, and Sonlight does an excellent job of combining literature, history, and geography. In other words it does a good job at teaching with books about history but not always books that made history. Rather than present a list of facts, these books tend to take a narrative style and try to engage the reader either by presenting the information in a more palatable and less dry way, or with lots of interesting and cool pictures and diagrams, or both. Finding, researching and building a curriculum and schedule for your child can be a daunting and time consuming task, particularly for larger families and those new to homeschooling. WebSonlight came in third for Sonlight B: $26 behind first place (the local chain store), $32 ahead of last place ("the world's largest online retailer"). DISCOVER SONLIGHT Shop By Subject Build Your Curriculum Package Get started here! One thing we should mention is that Bookshark takes a spiral progression approach to science. (You can see the central role played by the concept of evolution in the NGSSby reading the standards, particularly those for life science.) Bookshark In addition to the fact that parents are not always comfortable teaching it, as we mentioned in our guide to finding a homeschool math curriculum there is no one best way to teach math. After all, Bookshark does provide a lot of reading material for each level, and the last thing parents want is to be given a lot of books that they dont want their kids reading. Earth. It turned out that BookShark was a spin-off from Sonlight, operating as a separate company to offer a secular option that is similar to Sonlight's Christian curriculum. Read more. Bookshark is a sister company to Sonlight. Doing so is fairly helpful as it saves parents the time and effort of trying to build their own plans and figuring out how to teach it, which can be particularly helpful for new homeschoolers or those who simply lack time. After Level D, however, the books included begin to adhere more closely as a whole to the overall historical theme. Bookshark is a sister company to Sonlight. We are currently using Sonlight, and in this video I detail the events that led to this switch. Unfortunately, Bookshark is not a complete K-12 solution. WebBookShark is a secular homeschool curriculum. ", Get a FREE subscription to Cathy's E-Newsletter. There are pros and cons to a spiral approach to science, of course, that we think parents should consider. Sonlight In addition to convenience, we feel Bookshark offers a good deal of quality to what they offer. Toska, February 22, 2021 in K-8 Curriculum Board. They do provide free review copies or online access to programs for review purposes. For the right parent, Bookshark provides a valuable solution a full years curriculum in a box that they can pretty well open and use. While there is some curriculum choice and customization that parents can choose from, for practical reasons these tend to be limited, they can affect the overall price, and the choices arent totally representative of all the different homeschool options out there that parents might be interested in. Bookshark does allow some customization of both their all-subject and single subject packaged curricula. Taking a faith-neutral, Charlotte Mason-inspired approach, Bookshark offers parents complete multi- or single-subject packages that, with pre-selected books, educational material, and step-by-step teaching guides, are designed to make teaching easier and more convenient. For example, in learning about the Trojan War, students might read out of The Trojan War by Olivia Coolidge from 2001, rather than selections from the Iliad, the Homeric epic from the 8th century. If you hang around the secular homeschool community long enough, youll learn that there really is a difference. While it doesnt include any religious material and its Science curriculum is NGSS standards aligned, it also doesnt teach evolution (or creationism or intelligent design), leaving this up to the parent to supplement. While Bookshark does place a strong importance on history as it pertains to literature-based learning, and does offer a variety of classic books for kids to learn from, it does not teach from the Great Books. In addition to its language arts package, Bookshark offers parents some practical and specific tools for handwriting and, starting at level D, spelling. Recently, Bookshark has aligned its science teaching to NGSS standards. Im comparing it to Masterbooks, which we also use, and which is much more religious and takes a young earth approach. Clear editor. I have no issues adding in our own Bible lessons and missionary stories, so BookShark would be fine to me. Timberdoodles charter school friendly kits are simply known as the non-religious editions and are available from 0-12th grade. As a consequence, its science programs can easily fit faith and secular based homeschools with little issue. She hasmoderate dyslexia and prefers real books to a textbook since she can often find them on audio. WebIs Bookshark owned by Sonlight? The big change this year is that both companies completely revamped their science programs for their lower levels. A graphic novel-style illustrated exploration of genetics with a fairly comprehensive glossary and interesting facts in its sidebars. I appreciate you taking the time to anewer me! Although fairly similar, Bookshark offers a faith-neutral curriculum compared to Sonlights faith-based curriculum. YouTube the programs and materials included allow kids to interact and physically explore the learning material, which is great for tactile learners and can deepen learning and help students get a better understanding overall. There are both mastery and spiral approaches offered, as well computational and conceptual approaches, and even more and less rigorous math options to choose from. It turned out that BookShark was a spin-off from Sonlight, operating as a separate company to offer a secular option that is similar to Sonlight's Christian curriculum. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Sonlight B vs BookShark B This makes it a great solution for parents new to homeschooling who may lack experience creating and implementing their own curriculum, as well as homeschoolers who, perhaps due to the needs of multiple children or even working part time, may not have the time to build out their own curriculum and gather supplies. Before checking out parents can, for example: This level of customization allows parents to better tune their Bookshark package, changing some of the learning material and adjusting the difficulty of certain subjects, which can be particularly useful for parents of students with jagged learning profiles, i.e. While very convenient overall, this approach really does not fit a minimalist homeschooling approach. While programs shared many features at first, they have been gradually diverging further apart from one another. Reading with History is Booksharks rather unique way of integrating geography, history and reading skill development. It does not espouse or oppose any faith and is an excellent curriculum for religious and non-religious families who prefer that parents teach the origins of life and matters of spirituality. This is as opposed to a more traditional way of teaching science, for example, where Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science and other subjects were split apart and taught individually in different years. Click on links where available to verify price accuracy. Homeschoolers who hold the study of history in higher regard or who feel that the best way to prepare for the future is to study the past, will very much appreciate Booksharks approach to learning. Bookshark covers a lot of subjects using a variety of curricula and tools and while they are all high quality in our opinion, parents may have an issue with one or two choices. The reason we ordered BookShark in the first place is because we've used Sonlight for the past few years, and have really loved it. Additional resources that are used change from level to level. BookShark If you hang around the secular homeschool community long enough, youll learn that there really is a difference. Sonlights sister company, BookShark, offers a charter school edition which is available for Pre-K through age 16. ), which are the Christian and secular versions of basically the same thing literature-based, preplanned curriculum with a heavy focus on reading aloud. For instance, the level E history package for both programs usesThe Landmark History of the American People: Volume II. With no other supplementation, we believe they should provide a solid weeks instruction for a parent with no issue. YouTube But overall, I would guessqualityis essentially the same., I really appreciate the feedback! Bookshark offers two varieties- Hands on History and Lap Book Kits by Inquisikid. We are Christians, but pretty liberal and try to avoid providential views of history. All Rights Reserved. There are many homeschoolers out there who are looking for a faith-friendly or neutral curriculum that also offers a fairly rigorous science curriculum. By providing pre-packaged, structured and ready to instruct curricula with material from well known educational providers, Bookshark offers a convenient and high quality solution for parents. Yes, there is a difference between secular and neutral although sometimes its not always clear. The Well-Trained Mind is the guide that millions of parents trust to help them create the best possible education for their child. curriculum. When all is said and done, this means the packages themselves represent a significant investment for most families. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The best demonstration, perhaps, of this neutrality is in its science program. They include programs among my current and upcoming Top Picks:Math-U-See, Saxon Math , Singapore Math, and RightStartMathematics. My kids have like everything through Sonlight, and rebel against our non-Sonlight stuff (language arts and math), but to be fairthey would hate doing workbook stuff regardless of what it was or where it was from. I am seriously considering them and I would love to know what you think of that curriculum. While perhaps a little less intuitive for parents, we actually like when homeschooling programs like Bookshark use alternatives to grade and age. But, dont let that deter you from adding BookShark books to what you are already using for language arts and math to create a one-of-a-kind curriculum that works for you logo design service, Thanks for this blog, I really enjoyed reading your post.Avast Customer Service Phone NumberMcAfee customer service phone numberdell printer technical support phone numberDell Pro Support Phone Numbers, Thanks for sharing such a nice Blog.I like it.norton installation with product key mcafee com activate total protectionavg tech support phone numberwebroot customer service numberkaspersky support numbercontact outlook technical supportwebroot activation code free, Thanks for sharing such a nice Blog.I like it.renew norton. All reviews and articles on this site belong to Grove Publishing, Inc. unless otherwise identified. While programs shared many features at first, they have been gradually diverging further apart from one another. BookShark didnt just remove the religious books from Sonlights programs. I don't know that I would call it a Living Literature curriculum. Bookshark Review For levels A through E, a DVD has demonstrations of the science experiments. The Smarter Learning Guide and their writers, business partners and/or associates do not provide any financial, legal or health related advice as a substitute for professional consultation. WebWe went looking for a literature-based curriculum and found Sonlight and Bookshark (Who named this company??? Owned by the parent company, Sonlight, BookShark is a complete curriculum. Since the NGSS stress evolution as a foundational concept, BookShark science is now likely to promote evolutionary viewpoints. Although fairly similar, Bookshark offers a faith-neutral curriculum compared to Sonlights faith-based curriculum. ), which are the Christian and secular versions of basically the same thing literature-based, preplanned curriculum with a heavy focus on reading aloud. Unlike more faith-based curriculum providers, such as My Fathers World, Bookshark takes a neutral approach to questions of faith, leaving questions of religion to parents. Its approach is fairly gentle and natural, and we feel it does a good job at blending traditional and Charlotte Mason approaches to grammar, teaching with copywork and dictation, as well as including more formal and traditional sentence analysis. Hmmm. Levels A B and C tend to have Hands on History Kits, while the rest have the arts and crafts focused Lap Books. The reason we have steered away from it in recent years is because my age spread is just too bigI cant do the same stuff with the different ages. She is a hands on kind of kid, so while reading good literature appeals to both of us, I know she is going to want time to craft and do projects as well. WebBookShark is a secular homeschool curriculum. It doesnt feel like public school at home, because there are no textbooks, tests, etc.a lot of great literature and living books, and discussion. Note: Publishers, authors, and service providers never pay to be reviewed. In the end its products can take up a fair amount of time (and more than likely a lot of space), and it more or less leads parents fairly clearly through subject matter and activities with fairly detailed pre-printed lesson plans and guides. BookShark That said, while Bookshark does an excellent job selecting math programs that represent the breadth of program types out there, it obviously doesnt represent all program types. WebHome Sonlight Homeschool Curriculum All-Subjects Packages All-Subjects Packages Get everything you need to homeschool in one complete, easy-to-order package. BookShark is often described as the secular version of Sonlight. I appreciated the "heads up" Bookshark would give in instructor guide of questionable topics, health topics, scary things, and earth origins, from what I recall. By providing pre-packaged, structured and ready to instruct curricula with material from well known educational providers, Bookshark offers a convenient and high quality solution.