Is BookShark a History or a Reading program?

BookShark is both! We are a literature-based program that teaches History through reading and listening. At Level A-C, the focus of our program is on developing and strengthening reading ability. This is why we offer multiple Reader levels for the early packages. Beginning in Level C, however, the focus shifts from strengthening the reading ability to building reading comprehension. From Level C up, we integrate the Reading, Read-Alouds, and Language Arts assignments with the History readings. Instead of learning to read, your children will be reading to learn!

Which Readers/Language Arts should I choose?

We offer multiple Readers/Language Arts levels for our Level K-2 packages to accommodate advanced and struggling learners. Choosing a Readers/Language Arts level that is appropriate for your child will help ensure that there are no gaps in their knowledge.

If you are unsure which Readers level would be best for your child, please have them take our Quick Reading Assessment. It is very important to match the Reader level to your child‚Äôs reading ability, and the assessment will help you find the most comfortable fit for them. We encourage you to be sure that they are reading fluidly, not just decoding the words. Our goal is to help you instill a love of reading and learning in your child. If they are working too hard to decode the words, they may not enjoy the stories and the reading may become frustrating.

Please note that many young students read at a higher level than their Language Arts ability. We recommend that you look through the Scope & Sequence and the 3-Week Samples for our Language Arts Instructor's Guides before you make a final decision on which level will be best for your child.

Feel free to use the assignments in the samples as a way to test which Language Arts level will match your student's skills. If your student's Language Arts skill is slightly behind their Reading levels, you may want to consider choosing your Readers based on your student's Language Arts ability. Our Readers are engaging and fun for students of all levels!

Do the Readers integrate with the History reading?

We offer multiple Reader levels for our Level A-C programs, so the Readers are not tied with the History reading for this package. In Levels A-C, the focus of our program is on developing and strengthening reading ability. The Readers are integrated with the History program beginning in Level C.

What books are included in the Level B+C Regular Readers?

Level B+C Regular Readers are equivalent to a 2nd Grade reading level and include the following:

Frog and Toad are Friends

Frog and Toad Together

Owl at Home

Hill of Fire

Pompeii: Buried Alive!

Titanic: Lost and Found

Wagon Wheels

The Big Balloon Race

Mouse Tales

Daniel's Duck

Nate the Great

The Fire Cat

Greg's Microscope

Frog and Toad All Year

Amelia Bedelia

The Sword in the Tree

Clara and the Bookwagon

The Long Way to a New Land

The Long Way Westward

Prairie School

Third Grade Detectives #1 and #2

Riding the Pony Express

What books are included in the Level B+C Intermediate Readers?

Level B+C Intermediate Readers are equivalent to a 3rd Grade reading level and include the following:

The Chalk Box Kid

The Paint Brush Kid

Third Grade Detectives #4

Cora Frear

Tippy Lemmey

Third Grade Detectives #10

Tornado

Jake Drake: Bully Buster

Secret Valley

The House on Walenska Street

The Littles

The Last Little Cat

Viking Adventure

Marco Polo

Encyclopedia Brown

Lumber Camp Library

What books are included in the Level B+C Advanced Readers?

Level B+C Advanced Readers are equivalent to a 4th Grade reading level and include the following:

About Average

A Doctor Like Papa

King of the Mound

Henry and Ribsy

The Children of Noisy Village

Misty of Chincoteague

Emily's Runaway Imagination

Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West

The Whipping Boy

Socks

A Llama in the Family

The Toothpaste Millionaire

McBroom's Wonderful One-Acre Farm

Frindle

B is for Betsy

Along Came a Dog

Ralph S. Mouse

Can I use this package for both of my children?

Yes, you can use the All-Subject Package with two or more students!

If your children are within three years of age, we recommend that you put them in the same BookShark All-Subject Package. Your children will be able to share most of the resources in the All-Subject Package, including Read-Alouds, Science, and History books. They can also share the Timeline Book and Timeline Figures, but you will need duplicates of some of the Activity Sheets. You may also need additional Math resources. Please look at the ‚ÄúConsumables‚Äù tab to see a full list of the consumable materials in this package.

Please remember that Reading & Language Arts and Math are skill-based subjects. Even though your students are in the same age range, they may not have the same skill levels. Use the assessments on our Resources page to help you pick the correct Reading and Math option for each of your children.

Once you know the correct Reader and Math levels, customize the All-Subject Package to fit one of your student‚Äôs needs. Then, supplement the package with an additional Reading & Language Arts and a Math program that fits your other students.

Not sure if this is the right fit? Please review the options below to find a package that will work for both of your children:

Ages 5-7 | Level A All-Subject Package
Ages 6-8 | Level B All-Subject Package

Ages 8-11 | Level D All-Subject Package
Ages 9-12 | Level E All-Subject Package

Can my students share the Science Supplies Kit?

Yes! If your students are willing to work together as lab partners, they can share the resources in the Science Supplies Kit 2. You may want a second kit if you prefer that each student perform every experiment, or if you have more than two scientists sharing the Science package.

Which Math program/level will be best for my child?

Math, like reading, is a skill-based subject. It is important to pick a program and a level that fits with your child‚Äôs learning style and ability. Please take a look at our Resources page for a comparison of our different math options. We also have placement tests to help you figure out the appropriate starting point for your child.

Can I purchase the package without Math?

Our All-Subject Packages are built to include everything you need for your school year: History, Reading, Language Arts, Science, and Math. We love our packages so much that we discount them 20% off retail price. You can purchase the elements of the All-Subject Package without purchasing math, but you will not receive our 20% off package discount.

If you are certain none of our math options will work for you, please add the following products to your cart individually:

How do I purchase Math without the Manipulatives Kit?

Please use the "Customize" tab to select a Math option without the Manipulatives Kit.

What are the ‚ÄúRequired Resources‚Äù and why are they required?

The Required Resources includes a big binder with 36 week tabs for your Instructor‚Äôs Guides, The Timeline Book, a reusable Markable Map, and a set of wet-erase markers. These resources will be reused in almost every level of our History program and can be shared by multiple students. You will be given the option to purchase these items every time you buy an All-Subject or Reading with History Package, but you only need to buy it once.

For more information on BookShark, please see our FAQs page.

All-Subject Package

Level B+C All-Subject Package

Level B+C All-Subject Package