How BookShark Science Makes My Daughter a Stronger Reader

My daughter grabs her BookShark binder and the Science book she’s currently reading. I grab my Instructor’s Guide and tell her which pages and questions we’ll be doing. She flips to the pages we’ll be reading today; immediately her questions and comments begin flowing.

Beautifully illustrated or photographed, all of the books capture her attention. “Let’s read and find out more,” I say. She doesn’t hesitate and either hands the book my way or begins to read herself. We take turns reading to each other.

When we started our BookShark Science curriculum several months ago, she was not eager to read. But now, it's different! Now she is often so interested in the text, she forgets to hand the book back to me and simply keeps reading.

BookShark's literature-based science is not only helping my daughter learn and love science, it’s helping her become a stronger reader overall. 

As a former public school English teacher, I often wished teachers in other disciplines, like science, made sure reading skills and comprehension were included in their lesson plans. They rarely were though, and students missed opportunities to strengthen their skills. It's a shame because reading pairs perfectly with any and every subject.

When I started homeschooling, one of my main goals was to make sure books were a major component of everything my children studied. A focus on reading is one of the reasons I continue to be drawn to BookShark’s curriculum. Here's why I attribute my daughter's growth as a reader to BookShark Science.

1. BookShark Science Includes High-Interest Books

< BookShark Science curriculum includes books my daughter wants to read. They are books we will keep on our shelves forever, use as reference materials, and flip through for pleasure. 

2. The Lessons Focus on Quality, not Quantity

Each of the lessons (four a week) in BookShark Science curriculum includes just a few pages of text. Still filled with plenty of information, I appreciate we can take our time to absorb the material. The amount of reading and writing keeps my daughter’s attention and interest—not too much and not too little.

3. Science Activity Pages Invite Recall and Discussion

The mix of recall and discussion questions help my homeschooler remember what she’s read and dig deeper into the material. She is learning how to summarize main points, think critically, and when she doesn’t remember an answer the text is accessible. Re-reading is not a chore. 

4. Students Gain Independence

While my daughter and I like learning and working together, there are times when she needs to work independently and of course that is our ultimate goal. She has quickly become comfortable with BookShark’s lessons, and after just a few months is more than willing to read and work through them on her own. 

5. Practice Makes a Reader

Each BookShark science lesson includes reading. This is by far my favorite part of the curriculum and my daughter’s too. We know when we sit down to do science, we’ll be reading. Not only has my daughter’s decoding and comprehension greatly improved since we started using BookShark, but she is also becoming a confident reader.

Given the choice, my daughter opted to continue her BookShark Science studies throughout the summer. In the fall she is eager to give one of the Reading with History programs a try. She says she’ll be using BookShark Science for the rest of her homeschool years. I couldn’t be more thrilled!

New Science Levels A through F¹

Visit each Science Package listing to see everything included, samples, and scope and sequence. 

New in 2021: Now when you customize your All-Subject Package, you can choose from three different Science levels on the customize tab. 

Learn About BookShark’s 2021 Science Updates

Join Janna Koch, community manager, and Amy Ratliff, part of the product development, team as they explain the 2021 changes to BookShark Science. Learn why these changes were made and the huge advantages you'll experience with the newly updated, standards-based programs.

About the Author

Kelly left teaching middle and high school English to homeschool her children and reclaim how she and her family spent their time. Followers of interest-led learning, her family's days rarely look the same, but they tend to include a lot of books, art supplies, and time outside.

Kelly facilitates local writing circles for women and children and blogs about nurturing the love of learning on her blog, Curiosity Encouraged. She loves to journal, read memoirs, hike, and travel. She seeks quiet mornings and good coffee daily.