The Best History Homeschool Curriculum

The Centerpiece of BookShark Curriculum

Through BookShark’s Reading with History program, students learn from multiple perspectives and engage in thought-provoking discussion. Choose BookShark, and your children will have an engaging and complete education through a variety of academic resources including fiction, nonfiction, biographies, and illustrated books.

WHAT’S MISSING FROM BOOKSHARK HISTORY?

Well, you won’t find any dry textbooks or meaningless memorization. Instead each package includes 35 to 50 real books that your students will either read or have read aloud to them throughout the year.

Each History Instructor’s Guide includes discussion questions, vocabulary, mapping topics, and timeline suggestions to help you and your child interact with the reading and make lasting connections among the people, places, and events you study.

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BookShark is...

Literature-based

Fully-planned

4 Days

Faith-neutral

Structured curriculum for flexible Families. LIKE YOU!

We love BookShark! The 4-day week is perfect for taking the pressure off, knowing that you can have a make-up day or plan a fun field trip day. The books and materials provided are high quality, fun, and easy to navigate. The concept of learning through literature has ignited a passion for books in our daughter, and she can't get enough reading outside our homeschool work. I can't say enough great things about BookShark, and I can't wait for the next level for fall!

~Beth (@aanyasmommy)

We’re not religious, and we have found it hard to find a good secular homeschool curriculum that fits our lifestyle. Discovering BookShark was amazing. Other curriculums required us to skip entire sections due to the religious nature.

~Dan Dossey

My son is 3 books away from finishing his BookShark curriculum, and he has enjoyed EVERY SINGLE BOOK! Amazing for a reluctant teenage reader!!

~Icela Castillo

I’m so glad we chose the Bookshark Kindergarten curriculum because it is reinforcing my love for reading and passing the desire to read onto my son. He has even begun choosing books over other forms of entertainment, and my momma heart couldn’t be happier about that.

~Stephanie Bishop

Levels Instead of Grades

Intro to the World: Cultures (Level A) | Ages 5-7

Intro to World History, Year 1 of 2 (Level B) | Ages 6-8

Intro to World History, Year 2 of 2 (Level C) | Ages 7-9

Intro to American History, Year 1 of 2 (Level D) | Ages 8-11

Intro to American History, Year 2 of 2 (Level E) | Ages 9-12

Eastern Hemisphere (Level F) | Ages 10-13

World History, Year 1 of 2 (Level G) | Ages 11-13

World History, Year 2 of 2 (Level H) | Ages 12-14

American History and Literature (Level I) | Ages 13-15

History of Science and Classical Literature (Level J) | Ages 14-18

World History & Literature | High School Ages 14-18

U.S. History & Literature | High School Ages 14-18

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Starting in Level D, we bring the history content to life by integrating History, Geography, Read-Alouds, and Readers, all of which also coordinate with the same level Language Arts program (purchased separately or included in an All-Subject Package).

Reading with History includes History, Read-Alouds, Readers, and Required Resources, all fully outlined in your Instructor’s Guide (also included).

Each day, you simply open your guide to find your daily lesson plan.

Work down the day’s column, reading the assigned pages or chapters with your children, discussing what you read, and doing any map or timeline work.

IT’S OPEN-AND-GO!

There is no need for advance preparation, research, or even lesson planning.

Geography And Mapping Are Part Of Reading With History

With BookShark, geography isn’t an extra subject tacked onto everything else; it’s learned naturally in the context of your History studies. Quick mapping assignments in your Instructor’s Guide help you incorporate geography seamlessly into your school day.

Students plot on their Markable Map the countries, cities, landforms, and regions mentioned in the History books, Readers, and Read-Alouds. This painless method of learning geography is so easy! And it really works!

Parent notes provide place names and coordinates so you can easily find and check each map point. Plus parents have full color, hole-punched, laminated maps that fold into the IG binder for easy reference.

What You Get in a History Instructor’s Guide

1.Complete, ready-to-use lesson plans

All your books and activities are fully scheduled for the entire year. No need to create your own plans!

2.Daily Schedules

Daily schedules outline 36 weeks of material for History/Geography, Read-Alouds, and Readers.

3.Discussion Questions

Discussion questions (with answers) for the assigned reading help you track your children’s comprehension.

4.Timeline & Map Activities

Put your learning in chronological and geographical context. Timeline activities tell you when to add people, events, and dates to your Timeline Book. Map activities help you plot the places you visit in your reading. Your students plot points on their Markable Map, and you have all the answers in the included map keys.

5.Vocabulary & Cultural Literacy Notes

Find clear definitions for important vocabulary that appears in your reading. Enjoy useful cultural literacy notes that add depth to your reading and explain things students probably should know but likely don’t know (e.g., what a hoop skirt looks like).

6.Extensive Notes

Train your children to read discerningly. Our notes provide counter-balancing arguments to lopsided readings. These notes help you “listen to the other side” in order to hone understanding. You won’t believe how much you and your student learn!

7.Teaching Tips

See the rationale and educational philosophy behind BookShark’s methods and activities. Get help discussing tricky topics (such as poverty) with your kids. We’ve got you covered, so you can teach with confidence and without surprises.

8. An Easy Record-Keeping System

With space to record completion dates, your children’s initials, extra notes and even extra subjects, all your records are in one place for reporting requirements.

An online option is also available for record keeping, automatic-grading and assessments. Learn more here.

YOUR IG GIVES YOU FLEXIBILITY

We schedule 4-day weeks, designed to save one day a week for co-ops, music lessons, sports or other extracurricular activities.
You are in the driver’s seat. The IG is a guide, not a taskmaster. As you become comfortable teaching your children, you can skip or alter assignments to fit your family’s unique needs.
You have options to work how you want. If you prefer to do a week’s worth of a single subject in one day, work horizontally across your schedule page. If you prefer doing a little bit from every subject each day, work vertically.
The day-by-day schedule frees you from a traditional Monday through Friday school calendar. Take breaks when you want and pick up right where you left off.