The BookShark Homeschool Blog

When I first started explored the possibility of homeschooling, I resisted. Hard. I thought of dozens of reasons why I couldn’t, why I shouldn’t. I insisted. I protested. And, as you can probably guess, I eventually accepted that homeschooling was the best option for my son.  One of my chief concerns was that I valued my relationship with

EPISODE 164 Homeschooling has challenges, finding support shouldn’t to be one of them. Support can help us when the homeschool day proves particularly tough. If you find yourself in an environment where you don’t have support, create your own!  Join Janna as she chats with Laura, a European homeschooling mother.  Listen in Laura discusses the

Many BookShark parents love to outsource some of the scheduled reading aloud to audiobooks. This hack gives them a bit more time, saves their voice, and even allows the entire family to enjoy the listening experience together while traveling or doing chores. Another big use of audiobooks in homeschooling is by children who struggle with reading independently. Whether it’s

There’s no doubt that there are very defined preferences among homeschoolers about whether or not to use secular and faith-neutral curriculum. I’ve heard these very pointed questions when it comes to evaluating curriculum: We have chosen to homeschool for non-religious reasons, so the debate of whether or not to use a secular curriculum is not difficult

As homeschoolers, the idea of having children who can complete school lessons, projects, and assignments on their own can be enticing. Mom, who usually bears the burden of the homeschool planning and teaching, gets a break, and children take responsibility for their own education. Sounds like a win for both parties, right? Yes, but let’s

In our homeschool, my children constantly encounter new vocabulary words during their individual reading time or during BookShark lessons. My naturally curious kids are great about asking, “What does this word mean, Mom?” Typically I ask them to look it up using an online dictionary. But sometimes we use them our new words in one of

Among the many benefits of homeschooling, flexibility is one of the biggest. With no need to follow a traditional school calendar, families can homeschool on vacation, enjoying trips during the school year when prices are lower and destinations are less crowded. This makes it easier to combine learning with rest and relaxation year-round. Because of

The BookShark binder* is huge. It has to be to fit all of the information, lessons, and activity sheets included in the 36-week curriculum. We need the Instructor’s Guide that goes in the binder, but thankfully we don’t need to lug it around.  There are several ways we can keep our BookShark materials organized and accessible without wrangling a 3-inch

Homeschool scheduling is all about finding your rhythm and what works best for your family. When my boys were toddlers and preschoolers, my main goal was simply to shower and fit in some meaningful reading with my oldest. I quickly learned that trying to schedule your homeschool day to start at 8:00 a.m. was unnecessary—and

Having a child who lives with anxiety can often be an overwhelming experience. It’s painful for us, as parents, to watch our children struggle with the weight of anxiety disorder. We work tirelessly to help them learn coping mechanisms, develop strategies for managing their anxiety, and support them in living their best lives. But what