How a Literature-rich Homeschool Curriculum Inspired a Writer

It is not an exaggeration to say that my sons have been homeschooled since birth. I mean, we've always been learning, right from our rural Mississippi town. And just like one lit candle enlightens the other candle, a homeschool mother inspired me to embark on the homeschooling journey with my own sons. She made it seem like so much fun that we didn't want to stop learning as a family. Homeschooling was a perfect fit.

We started using a religious-based, literature-rich curriculum for Pre-K, but when we found out about BookShark, a secular curriculum, we switched over.

A Raving History Fan

Due to the fantastic Readers and Read-Alouds, Kabir's favorite subject is now history. He participated in the National History Bee last year, winning second place in the Regional Finals. He went on to place 12th in the National Finals. I credit his amazing performance to his five years of BookShark History!

We are very grateful for this curriculum. I have to say that BookShark is so perfect and complete for us that we haven't felt the need to shop around for anything else.

We are still enjoying this BookShark homeschooling journey with Kabir Blake Gupta, my 11-year-old 6th grader, and Arjun Neil Gupta, my 8-year-old 2nd grader.

Most recently, my sons achieved joint accomplishments which I'd like to share with you in hopes that it will inspire you as you teach your own children with BookShark.

First Reading and Then Writing

One has to be a reader before being a writer. In other words, it's impossible to be a good writer unless that person is a good reader first.

BookShark's literature-rich curriculum has created an avid reader in Kabir. The composition guidelines, ideas, and tips in the Language Arts program encouraged a good reader to keep writing since Pre-K regularly.

A Language Arts Level 5 assignment Kabir encountered once was to write a poem with personification. The Science curriculum had developed interest and scientific bent since Pre-K. The Usborne Internet-Linked Book of Astronomy & Space from Science Level 4 enchanted Kabir so much that he kept going back to this book again and again.

The Language Arts assignment and the science book combined inspired Kabir towrite a poem about the Solar System. He detailed the scientific facts from the science book and also gave each of the planets a personality.

The end result of this passion for science and writing is Kabir's finished work, Children of The Sun: A Child's Journey Through Our Solar System.

In his book, Kabir introduces facts about the planets around our sun. And then he takes it a step further—What if...every planet wasn't just a sphere of rock or gas? If they each had personalities, what would those personalities be like? Kabir attempts to represent their unique personalities, each with his or her own distinctive qualities and behaviors. This created a unique and fun story.

Turning it into a Book

Writing this poem inspired Kabir and his 8-year-old brother Arjun, who is following the same curriculum as his brother, to illustrate the poem. These two siblings, along with guidelines from a local art teacher, made artwork for the poem. We then published the book ourselves, and Kabir was able to learn the publishing process at the same time.

About the Author

Shruti Gupta lives in Tupelo, Mississippi, where she has been homeschooling for the last eight years. Whenever she feels the need for sanity, she meditates. Her two sons, Kabir (age 11) and Arjun (age 8) love homeschooling with BookShark. While Kabir loves to read anything and everything, Arjun loves science books and experiments. While Kabir loves imagining stories in the backyard, Arjun loves digging and constructing in the backyard. They fight like normal siblings, yet they can work as partners too, as they did in Children of The Sun: A Child's Journey Through Our Solar System.