When we decided to homeschool earlier this year- we had a huge decision to make. What curriculum should we use?I think this it the question that plagues homeschool parents the most. We want so badly to teach our children in the best way possible- but there are literally hundreds of options, maybe more. It can be SO overwhelming. I was on the hunt, reading blogs, reviews, scanning websites- the whole shebang. But as soon as I found Bookshark, I knew it would be perfect for us.
You know I love to read- and easily bust out over 50 books a year. Instilling a love of reading into my little guy has also been a major goal of mine. He already loves books, and now that he’s reading pretty well, I want to cultivate his love of reading and help it grow. I also knew I wanted a one-stop-shop sort of curriculum, one that included everything I needed in one place, so that I wouldn’t get overwhelmed.
Ultimately, that’s why I decided on Bookshark. It is a literature based homeschool curriculum, and I could get an All Subject Package that included everything I needed: from Language Arts, History, and Science. You can also get math, handwriting, and more- but I stuck with the basic package to begin with. I mean, this is only Kindergarten and I didn’t want to lose my mind trying to teach.
So, I thought I would show you a little peek at our homeschool room, and what we’ve been doing so far.
Every day we record what day it is, what the weather is like, and the temperature. Bookshark stresses the importance of teaching what ‘Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday’ etc, means. And also teaching our children how to follow a calendar or schedule. My son looks forward to this part every morning. On this board we also write our “Word of the Day’ from whatever we’re reading, as well as hanging up different projects we’re working on. My Hubby got me this board, and all of the little extras are from the Dollar Spot at Target. The calendar and activity list was provided by Bookshark.
Underneath the corkboard, I bought this little bookshelf to hold all of the books that Bookshark sent along with their curriculum. There’s no shortage of books here! We also have some pillows for reading time, because the best thing about homeschool, is that we can get comfortable and work on the floor if we want to.
My Mother-in-Law also got my little guy this great desk. But, honestly, I use it more than he does right now. He likes to do his math at the ‘big desk’, but still prefers his table to do the rest of his writing work at.
I love the flexibility of homeschooling, and both me and my little man are both enjoying it. Sure- we have the occasional hard day. But, so far we are both having fun, and learning so much!
I never get lost on what to teach, because Bookshark sent this huge binder and instructor guides (plus a huge tote to carry it in) to help me plan out my day. I can follow it completely if I want, or change the curriculum to fit our needs. It’s so versatile!
The binder is broken up into 4-day week sections, and it’s foolproof. I love the 4-day schedule for core classes, allowing us to do extra subjects, field trips, and classes on our 5th day. The little guy just started Taekwondo, and he’s really enjoying that- and we can count it like he’s having PE. Another homeschool plus!
I just transfer what I need to know from the big binder into a smaller planner, and each day is planned out for me! They even send every single book that you need to teach out of!
We read a little poetry every day.
And all about what is happening in the world around us.
There’s even a science kit included, with tons of stuff to do experiments. Including a DVD that goes over your WEEKLY science experiment- definitely my son’s favorite part.
My favorite part? The curriculum includes classic novels that I read to my son, every single day. Remember how I wanted to instill a love of reading? What better way than to read him some of my absolute favorite childhood classics! We’re both gonna be boosting our book reading lists with all of the amazing books that we’re going to be reading together!
I can’t wait to continue sharing our homeschool journey with you. I was so scared to begin, but now every day is like a fun, new adventure that neither one of us can’t wait to start! If you have any questions about homeschooling, or the curriculum, let me know. So far we’re only a week and a half in- but I LOVE it!
Stay tuned, as we continue on this adventure!
