*I received the BookShark curriculum in exchange for sharing our 3rd Grade Homeschool journey with you. All opinions are my own.*
3rd Grade
Somehow, despite how crazy and different this past year was- it still flew by at an incredible pace. When we were finishing up school at the beginning of last month, I kept looking around trying to figure out how we had fit so much into our 3rd grade year. And in absolute unbelief at how fast it went!
I was even more thankful for BookShark during this unprecedented year- it kept me from having to plan anything. All our of main subjects were laid out for me, week by week. And with just a few minutes of planning on Sunday nights- I would be prepped for the week ahead. Read-alouds and Hands on Projects included! In a year when everything was different and so surreal- I was so very glad to not have to stress over our school year. The fact that it seemed to fly by so fast is just a testament to how wonderful the curriculum worked out for us.
I think third grade has been our favorite year yet!
Books on Books
The Read Alouds this year were all SO good! Even the ones that started out a little slowly- the stories were rich and interesting. They kept us hooked throughout reading time- and sometimes we would read ahead just because we didn’t want to stop reading. We HAD to see what would happen next!
A few of our favorites this year included The Witch of Blackbird Pond- one I remember reading when I was younger, The Secret of the Sealed Room, Johnny Tremain, and our overall favorite- Carry On, Mr. Bowditch.
Since we were studying American History this year- I love that BookShark also included Native stories in their History curriculum. Like, Walk the World’s Rim, Om-Kas-Toe, The Sign of the Beaver, and more. We get to see American history from a lot of different perspectives and I appreciate that! (I’ve already ordered the second half of the American History curriculum for 4th Grade because we loved it so much!)
{If you have a Hands-On Learner like I do, you definitely want to include the American history I Lap Book kit that corresponds with this curriculum! Read all about our experience with it HERE.}
Science
Science this year was so informative and hands-on. We had a blast with all of the experiments and even turned them into a new hobby. I was happy to have some fun projects that we were able to do at home, since we spent so much more time staying in this year. Having all of the projects pre-planned out, and most of the supplies already included in the Science kit, saved me lots of stress. We learned so much and I didn’t have to plan it out at all!
Final Thoughts
Being a BookShark Mom these past 4 years has taught me SO much. When we first started out on this Homeschool journey, I was a mess. I never thought I would be able to teach my son at home and I was constantly worrying that I wouldn’t teach him enough. But, BookShark gave me a jumping off point and eased my worries- seeing how much my son was learning, without me having to be in charge of all the planning! BookShark gave me the confidence to be a Homeschool parent. It gave me the tools I needed to learn how to structure our days and how to make learning at home fun. It didn’t have to be all textbooks! We’ve learned so much together– more than I know my son would learn in a classroom setting.
Homeschool might or might not be for you. We all have to choose what is best for our families. But, if you’re thinking about homeschooling– I definitely recommend giving BookShark a try. Especially if you need someone to hold your hand at first and help you plan your studies.
We’ve used it for 4 years, a cross country move, and in the midst of a pandemic- so I think we have a good perspective. You can make it work for you and tweak it any way you need to, to fit your family’s needs and learning styles. That’s why we’ve loved it so much.
Thanks so much for following along with our Homeschool journey these past 4 years. I’m excited to see what comes next!
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