Tag: BookShark

Time to Reflect

~ wattlesandcombsfarm ~ Leave a comment

As we get nearer to our halfway point for this school year I find it’s time to sit down and evaluate how we’ve done. Sometimes it helps to be a little honest with yourself and really discover what is working for your homeschool and what maybe needs to be thrown out. It could be something as simple as re-working your schedule or as complicated as needing a new curriculum. For us, the things that are working are things that have been working for years. I’ve mentioned it a few times, but we have found a couple of companies that we are sticking with for the long haul. Our Language Arts, Math, and Spelling don’t need any changes. (You can check out my post on my favorite curriculum if you would like more info on that) However, not everything is working as I would like. I still haven’t found a great science curriculum and so far my trying to make unit studies isn’t working. So here in the next few weeks, I need to find something and get it ordered. Especially right now when so many companies are running great curriculum sales. I may end up going back to BookShark for science. I liked their science enough to know that it would at least work well and we would get it done. Or, I have always wanted to try Apologia Science but sometimes their lessons look very overwhelming and LONG. I guess there is a bit more research for me in the near future. History is another subject I’m not entirely happy with either. We are currently working through an Usborne Encylopedia about the World Wars. It’s working but it’s not exactly great as a main spine. I feel like I need a bit more. I would love to go back to BookShark for history because I have always loved their book selection, but it ends up being way too much reading out loud on my part. Maybe if I just use their main spines and worksheets. Once again, there are a few decisions to make. Other than that our school is ok. We could do a bit better with our time usage but I feel like everyone could say that. Overall I am pretty happy with how things are going. Most importantly I can see my kids are learning and growing. That is the main goal anyways right? To see our kids learn and make progress. One of the biggest benefits to being a homeschool mom is that I am the one that gets to watch them progress and grow, and I wouldn’t change that for anything.

Here is the link to the Evaluation pages I made if you would like your own copy. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeschool-Evaluation-Form-8886267

First Curriculum

~ wattlesandcombsfarm ~ Leave a comment

When we first started homeschooling my oldest was in Kindergarten and I had absolutely no idea where to start. I wasn’t confident enough in myself to make things up or piece together a curriculum. This led me to look for an all-in-one or boxed curriculum. After lots of research and contemplation, we started out with BookShark. https://www.bookshark.com/level-a-all-subject-package. The all-in-one package comes with everything you need. For a nervous mom, this was perfect. Each subject comes completely scheduled out for you so there is no guessing what to do each day. It also has step-by-step instructions on how to teach the subject, and often it will even tell you exactly what to say. This was what I wanted and was so very helpful for those first few years. On top of being open and go BookShark has other great qualities, and the best one is its book selection. The base of our home library was built the first few years we used BookShark. In fact, the books in the kindergarten package have been some of our all-time favorites. For instance, James Herriot’s Treasury for Children is still to this day one of my favorite read-alouds. For a first-time homeschooler, BookShark was a great choice and one we stuck with for a few years. Although we have made changes curriculum wise, I still think starting with BookShark was the right choice for me, and it’s one I do not regret. Homeschooling can be very overwhelming in the beginning and that fear has stopped people from trying. So I would say anything that helps you start is a good thing. As you gain knowledge over time you can adjust as needed. I think that’s pretty good life advice in general, get started and adjust as you go. If you’re new to homeschooling find something to help you start, and if you’re a seasoned homeschooler remember that the curriculum doesn’t own you. You can always change it if you want to!