bookshark vs timberdoodle bookshark vs timberdoodle
Here's what we have lined up for 4th grade for this coming school year. I love the books. Any curriculum that just gives page numbers to read is almost worthless to me. Ooothis discussion hits the nail on the head for me. Read the whole thing, not just the title. We use Moving Beyond The Page. Note: BookShark is a literature-based approach. So, while I will consider level 7 when it comes out, I hesitate due to the lack of diversity in reading material and being uncertain if my youngest is the type of child with whom this type of history learning would resonate. I saw a review on YouTube as well. Yes, we could go monday to friday, 180 days, but I know wed probably burn out very fast. What they are selling is pretty much what I bought anyway, lol. Get a print or digital copy of our catalog with our literature-based, 4-day, homeschool curriculum options, including All-Subject packages, Reading with History, Science, Language Arts, and Math. For example, while DD is a great little reader now, she is also a picky reader and a bit behind in math. Both packages include a biography of William Wilberforce, but Sonlight's choice stresses the importance of Wilberforce's faith. ETA --- Okay, the "OH look NEW and SHINY" moment has worn off and I'm less likely to purchase it. What an amazing curriculum! I taught it with every single discussion question exactly as they wrote it. Timberdoodle is one of the oldest distributors for the homeschool market, and they have always filled a unique niche with their emphasis on experiential learning using hands-on activities and games. No review or article may be copied or reprinted without permission except for a single copy of a review made for temporary use AND not shared with others. Plus its secularso no Christian infighting occurs. Mixed by Me Thinking Putty The logo structures are made by organization for speaking to their vision, innovation or nature of your item. A box has never appealed to me. Its a bit workbook heavy, but the curriculum has lots of hands on stuff, too. I lean towards Project Based Learningso a curriculum of tons of reading is not for me. Short lessons four days per week. Plus, each kit is easy-to-teach and designed to build independent learning skills! Timberdoodle | Suggestion Keywords | Top Sites I like his guides and his ability to discuss a different POV. Personally, I think Sonlight is a horrible company and John Holzmann is a crackpot, so I wouldn't touch anything that had anything to do with them with a 10-foot pole. They do provide free review copies or online access to programs for review purposes. I do understand the appeal. Its science is hands on. I plan on using it again after weve spent more time studying history this Fall. I love Sonlight and think it would be great for junior high age. And I am sure Sonlight works for lots of families and doesn't for many. John pulled away from SL, and Sarita has done whatever to keep their Christian customer base. Copyright 2023 - Grove Publishing, Inc. Bible & Religion Parent & Family Resources, Catholic Programs, Publishers, and Web Links, Ungraded, Multi-level Resources - Comprehensive, Ungraded, Multi-level Resources - Grammar, Ungraded, Multi-level Resources - Composition, Publishers Offering Courses for Many Languages, Reading and Phonics Parent Resources and Other Helps, Reading, Phonics, and Literature Web Links and Supplements, Standardized and Special Needs Testing Products, Weblinks for Standardized Testing Services, Online Schools with Complete Programs and Courses: Religious, Online Schools with Complete Programs and Courses: Secular. Timberdoodle grade 1 (customized): Im currently using Timberdoodle Kindergarten Secular customized curriculum and love it for the most part. -I plan on a large family. High-quality, age-appropriate literature that was beautiful and pleasant to read Academically thorough Easy to implement as a parent Culturally sensitive and inclusive Bonus points for use of nature, great art and music, and hands-on activities Secular, or easily modified to fit our secular home Double bonus points if I'm able to include my toddler But for my hands on learner, TBTG has been great. Peanut cannot write yet, so they would either be omitted from the kit, or would sit on the shelf until he can do them. You put together your BookShark curriculum by selecting either a complete, preselected package covering all subjects for one level or your own selection of one or more subject packages from one or more levels. Money. ButI know what you meanI currently have Bookshark open in a second windowmaking a reading list for this term LOL. The only activity is for spelling. What's Different? Because my oldest has mild intellectual disability, I picked the 1st grade curriculum to give us a good starting point. I also don't trust the notes at all, based on John's comments in this forum (like the fact that he'd never heard of Stockholm Syndrome and he was writing a history curriculum?!?). My 8th grade curriculum review was also a mixed bag, but I love Timberdoodles variety and the way they showcase so many fun ways for kids to learn! This left me with Bookshark Pre-k, Moving Beyond The Page 4-6, Build Your Library K, Timberdoodle grade 1 (customized), Five in a Row, and one I create myself from Rainbow Resource. Rather than publishing their own resources, they select their favorites from hundreds of publishers. Sonlight offers their programs in 5 day and 4 day a week options. Id have to supplement with Mathematical Reasoning, Math Mammoth, or even Math U See Primer. Ewww. These Timberdoodle preschool kits are perfect for families who prefer to wait until kindergarten or later before introducing formal academic learning. They dont vibe with our philosophies quite as nicely as some of the other offerings. No, I don't mean that at all. Curriculum Options Baker Charter Schools So, I'm seeing that many of you think BS/SL are just reading lists basically and the IG's are worthless? Scan this QR code to download the app now. After all this work I deserve it! School in a Box Modern Classical Education @ Home Sonlight's history is presented within packages titled "History with Bible and Literature" while BookShark's history packages include only history and literature. It's a changed curriculum. Janna and her guest Amy R., BookSharks Curriculum Editor and Designer, discuss the ins and outs of BookSharks High School Curricula. Torchlight supports the Golden Rule . I wish they had more Socratic discussion helps for sure. Sonlight includes a ton of books, while we at Timberdoodle opt to rely more heavily on your local library and not your budget. I would actually consider it more of a unit study approach that leans toward Charlotte Mason. In all levels, much of the instruction in language arts is presented from the instructor's guide. I will need to combine my kids and I wonder if I can do that with Bookshark. Its not the same as what I'm using but its similar enough to work. I have a wide age range and we work together on most subjects. Regardless, I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers. We've reviewed a few here. Your previous content has been restored. I don't even mind if a company recognizes and respects the needs of different families and makes both a religious and secular version of their curriculum. I'm reading that it's literature based and CM inspired, but it looks to me like it's not really literature-the website calls it "book based". He has mild autism. I love the 4 day schedule that is all laid out for me. 5 Reasons Sonlight Didn't Work for us! - Homeschool On Many families don't start regular home school instruction until their children are 6 years old. When prices appear, please keep in mind that they are subject to change. The Well-Trained Mind is the guide that millions of parents trust to help them create the best possible education for their child. So what did I choose? If you want to avoid something based on principle, avoid Answers in Genesis as a highly judgemental, holier-than-thou, if-you-don't-fully-believe-our-brand-of-Christianity-then-you-aren't-Christian con that uses this method to run competitors out of business. Website: www.timberdoodle.com Christian Curriculum Options Hopefully, this comparison will help you figure out what is best for your family! Very workbook intense. They have hands on history kits. I am the die hard secular humanist who is using R&S grammar after all, lol. It is waaaay to SNL for my tastes. They tend to offer very unique and hands-on materials. It emphasizes thinking skills with things like Little Piggies Smart GameandPajaggle. Memoria press was another that was in the running, very much a fantastic literature based curriculum, Id just remove the bible and religious content of it. I was floored and flabbergasted at what he said. I actually like RS4K, and don't have a problem with using non-secular curriculum, but claiming something non-secular is secular is insidious, and makes me question what else may be hiding away in there. I actually had to sit and listen to him speak, as I was a volunteer at a convention, and my duty was to be in the theater he was speaking in, for general crowd control (apparently they were afraid people would rush the stage, lol). "BookShark made it easy for me to buy everything from one website. Yes, it does use lots of living literature books. I am always looking and looking at Sonlightjust for dreaming LOL. What kind of curriculum is Timberdoodle? - Daily Justnow Rank in 1 month. I choose classics almost exclusively. "Bookshark literature-based homeschool curriculum provides parents with engaging full-grade learning programs that offer unrivaled educational outcomes" Source: Bookshark is Literature-Based Homeschool Curriculum | BookShark I was a bit bummed this past weekend. Timberdoodle-popular program with everything included. I was also incredibly unimpressed with the Core E LA. Cost was one. The assortment of resources in the Timberdoodle kits is almost certainly going to prove more engaging for most children than would a single publishers complete line of traditional curricula. They didnt hate it. BookShark didn't just remove the religious books from Sonlight's programs. Thanks for the discounts and products. Pre-K Homeschool Curriculum, 2019-2020 How's My Timberdoodle Eighth Grade Curriculum Going? It is one of those morbid books that I cant bring myself to read to Peanut. I have been a big fan of Timberdoodle for years now. This is why in working with the moveable alphabet you have to cover your mouth to not correct any spelling mistakes. It looks to be a great program though! But I am a tweaker at heart and my husband would probably pass out if I wanted to spend hundreds of dollars on a box that I would then spend ANOTHER hundred dollars tweaking to death. Ooothis discussion hits the nail on the head for me. I do have to say that I think the brand name "Book Shark" is horrible. One thing that remains universal is there are varied ways to teach math, which is good because kids learn differently. Its almost open and go! Here the basics are still reading, arithmetic, and thinking. The IG is handy for parcelling out the material into daily portions. Bookshark. The books look amazing, but why are you not enticed by it? 1. Timberdoodle recommends Fluenz Homeschool for foreign languages, but it isn't included in the kits. I have 5 little ones and am a teacher by trade, so sure I can come up with those deep analytical questions to squeeze all I can from the books. We use cookies for performance, analytics and marketing. That's in their advertisements? 2. Examples of some of the other resources included in various levels of the Timberdoodle kits are the Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind series, theCritical and Creative Series (thinking skills), America the Beautiful, Uncle Sam and You, The Mystery of History: Volume 1, and Medical Investigation 101. I think even one of their 24 smarmy points was "if you don't want to use Christian material, then Sonlight is not for you" kinda statement. This platform should be very helpful, but it doesn't provide complete record keeping. Thank you BookShark! I thought it looked very similar to Sonlight's curriculum. I prefer a more open-ended approach. Why I Chose To Homeschool With BookShark Curriculum: A Review Math, science, and language arts are weak. No read alouds. I do not recommend the Mad Mattr. She just can't handle all that drama and it makes her have nightmares. Timberdoodle, a family-owned company, has been finding crazy-smart supplies for homeschooling since 1985 . When I think of hands on learning though, I think of Konos. I loved how some of the materials fit in so beautifully on our shelves. Its a subject that some seem to automatically excel in and others struggle. And I would recommend them to most homeschooling parents; but for us not so much. (And yes, I was a member there for a while after having bought a few things from Sonlightnot their curriculum, but other items). The advantages of Timberdoodles approach are the lower cost and the ability to pick books best suited to your familys standards/childs interests. I did side eye a bit when I saw RS4K in this "secular" set. It sounds like it's right up your alley: good books, hands on projects/crafts, and you can determine pacing or how many books to use. BUT, I find the world-view of the Sonlight curriculum has changed a bunch over the past few years, and not in a good way. I love the open and go factor. Hi, I pulled my daughter out of public school in January. Even with the elite kits with religious content, some families might want to add a Bible curriculum. If you do Core F or its Bookshark equivalent, there are lots of hands-on options: a China kit that includes calligraphy, an origami book, and regular choose-your-own adventure activities like cooking ethnic foods. The expense is an issue as I like to spread what I purchase out over the year - we probably do spend that amount in a year (my DD is moving rapidly through curricula and goes through more than a year's worth of most curricula in a year at the moment) but it is spread out over at least 4 different purchases. That sounds accurate. As in, my children are next to me at the table at this moment calling out all the stuff they want. Personally, I received the Sonlight catalog for a few years up until we moved, and still refer to the booklists when I'm looking for things to read. I'm just generally unimpressed. We have a brood of children in multiple grades. Clear editor. Its here, it's actually here!! Homeschool Corner - Richton Park Public Library District And much of what you are getting are books that you can pick up at the library for free. For Science you read from The Berenstain Bears Big Book of Science and Nature. So -- yeah, it's not new, but it puts an option back on the table that was completely wiped off before. But, I am long past needing K or first grade so it is not to be. I really don't get that. 2023 BookShark, LLC. timberdoodle. I would be willing to make it work though, but I dont like the amount of out-of-print books. From old favorites like Blueberries for Sal, to modern ones like A is for Musk Ox, the book selection is fantastic (except one book, see cons for that). We take so much effort to create order and inspire the kids to restore materials that scrunching something up felt kinda wrong. Your mileage may vary. It has 30 units, so this means I can spread them out over 150 days without any effort! :glare: All that to say, Bookshark DOES look appealing and I HAVE visited their site For the same reason I wouldn't use boxed SLit's too much/not enough. We have so many other things to spend money on. An optional feature that you can add is BookShark Virtual. Yes, their catalog just arrived and we are literally drooling over it right this second. Good to know that they have hands on activities. Lots of art, STEM, games, etc. Money. It is a secular/faith-neutral curriculum. The quest for the perfect boxed curriculum, or at least an entire curriculum from one place that comes in one box. Asked By : Loretta Mcmorran. Timberdoodle, Bookshark and Shiller Math Purposeful Homeschool 2.65K subscribers Subscribe 9.6K views 5 years ago We pieced together several curriculum kits to come up with what we are going to. If it were the right one, I would have worked hard to figure out a way to make it work. I appreciate you taking the time to anewer me! It has art. Thanks! Email Subscribe here for all the new posts! Even if some of the secular may not be completely secular, it is still easier to customize - edit/add - than SL would be. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), explained amazingly well in this inspiring read about Montessori handwriting, Montessori Homeschooling Week in Review: Vol 3, Homeschool Week: Vol 20 The One with Josie's Birthday, Timberdoodle Kit Review: a Montessorian Perspective, Finding the best Globes for our Homeschool. This means Peanuts fine motor skills will get a great workout. Wonderful literature is great, but I need a little help in what to do with it. (Language Arts/Reading, Math and Thinking Skills are our big three.) The only reason I looked at this one at all is because it's secular and I have never considered a packaged curriculum based solely on that. This means Ill have to turn to Pinterest and other sources to add some art and craft activities to reinforce what Peanut is learning. I realize that this is part of the John/Sarita? We have so many other things to spend money on. But mostly wanted to comment on why Bookshark is getting some "new" excitement from someone like me. Timberdoodle (neutral) Woke Homeschooling (secular or religious) Other: Curiosity Chronicles (secular, all styles) Education.com (secular) . Eric's Curriculum Ideas - TWINDLY BRIDGE CHARTER SCHOOL :) too much reading, not enough engagement with the material. To me, the value here would be the IGs.and then I read that thread I linked to earlier, and now I'm like..hmmm.Not So Much! I wouldn't be happy with anything I didn't design myself. I would prefer a home library. I would be willing to make it work though . BookShark is a complete, literature-based homeschool curriculum developed for students from pre-k through high school. My kids, from now on, will continue to have increasingly different educational paths from one another AND from "the norm." I have a friend who uses it and loves it. Along with them, you get resources such as Skill Sharpeners: Geography - Grade 1, Daily 6-Trait Writing: Grade 1,Beginning Coding: First Grade, Spark Publishing's Test Prep: Grade 1, and the workbook What's New? I don't think I've ever seen a post where people don't call it a secular version of Sonlight. Plus the people writing the instructor guides could be the same people who wrote the more way out of the articles. It would perhaps make for a fun first year homeschooling. I thought the above was odd too. It even has Thinking Putty! Best Homeschool Curriculum: It's Vital for Your Kid Learning Except Sonlight says it does just that using nothing more than their discussion questions. Yes, exactly. John used to post in the secular SL yahoo group as well as the SL forums. PDF Homeschool Curriculum Guide Religious, Neutral and Secular by style With many of the books becoming available on kindle or audible, it is easier than ever to make up your own list and start reading. What makes sense to one child may seem like learning quantum physics to another, but a different way of explaining or seeing how to work a problem or understand a concept can make all the difference! The lessons are short. Timberdoodle has opted for a much simpler handbook which gives you an overview of each subject and how to schedule it, along with an annual planning schedule and a weekly checklist for your student, the reading challenge, and perhaps best of all, access to our online custom scheduler. (I dont think their LA program is spectacular.) I didn't know that they specifically claim to teach critical thinking with their discussion questions. You read your child 2 to 3 short stories from beautiful picture books. For high school, the instructions are written directly to the student, assuming that they are completing their work independently. Christian K to 12 Print-based Christian Liberty Press. Whats holding me back? Math is weak. So I am also a big confused by the 'new curriculum' excitement that is going on. It's my own fault I didn't use it to its fullest, but life happens. Your link has been automatically embedded. I'm more likely to use BS than SL. Hes not able to write yet, so workbooks are pretty useless. I have learned I need planned and scripted because planning doesn't happen and building my own doesn't work either. We all *could* buy high quality stem and art and do it throughout the year, but I find that it doesn't often get done. But for under $720, this is a great deal and I know Peanut would do well with it. Five in a Row: Although this is a religious curriculum, it is very easy to remove the bible and religious content. For each level, the program up through level H has four subject-area packages for history, language arts, science, and math. The kit came with a number of other awesome things I loved. I have a kid that can't read with comprehension, but does 2nd grade math. All of the art and math games were fun and were activities I would purchase to supplement our work. OP- I am keeping BookShark on the radar. Archi Doodle City This is a fun drawing book that also teaches techniques like how to draw vanishing points. 3. They do provide free review copies or online access to programs for review purposes. These activities incorporate critical thinking skills, fine motor and creativity all in one. Heartland Ordering Handbook - Timberdoodle - Google Sites Levels A through C rely heavily on different books from the Explode the Code series. LA not so much, but the history is top notch. There isn't a good balance between historical fiction and other genres. Im sure I can find a sweet story about cats that doesnt involve cat cannibalism! ", Get a FREE subscription to Cathy's E-Newsletter. The literature is amazing! All levels except Pre-K include a science kit with resources required for the activities. Assuming they go past 1st grade, that is. I never really thought Sonlight was all that impressive. Yes, he has some moments in the day where he loves to just cuddle up, listen to me read, but to be honest, I dont see this program working for us till hes older. Maybe try TGATB for LA since thats what theyre kind of known for, and its comprehensive. He is barely starting to read, about the equivalent of a public school kindergarten child in their 3rd month of school. They don't teach any particular religion, but they also don't teach things like evolution, the age of the universe, etc. All in one curriculum that covers all the required subjects, lots of hands on games, science experiments, art, and STEM. The essential difference is that BookShark offers an option for those who want to experience a "Sonlight education" from a secular perspective. He wants hands on stuff. Timberdoodle offers a unique boxed set for homeschool families with not only textbooks but also hands-on STEM puzzles, toys, and much more (science, technology engineering, and mathematics). Click on links where available to verify price accuracy. None. At its core, it is a book list. I looooove Bookshark's history. But, don't let that deter you from adding BookShark books to what you are already using for language arts and math to create a one-of-a-kind curriculum that works for you and your kids. I feel the math section would be engaging and keep her progressing, but any thoughts on that would be great too! The Good and the Beautiful has been recommended to me by my sister in law, and I like how it's laid out for me and not super expensive. That business model does not work for them any more. Moving Beyond the Page or Bookshark Because we used Sonlight for three years and it took a lot of time to undo the damage that had absolutely nothing to do with Christian content. It's great and flexible. Depending on your child, youll be more involved than that answering questions and helping redirect the student, but it isnt the same as planned teaching time. As I said at the beginning of this review, BookShark is essentially a secular version of Sonlight. # Type at least 3 character to search # Hit enter to search. So in my quest, I eliminated any highly religious curricula (sorry My Fathers World, Sonlight, and Lifepac!). Likewise, the MiniLuk materials are very engaging, self-correcting and fun. Oh, and another problem, I am-for some reason- very bad at following a schedule. Basic kits include only the bare essentials. Curriculum in a box, from one provider, has never appealed to me. Our curriculum is easy for parents to teach. I need to think about shipping costs. Maria Montessori. You might want to look at Timberdoodle. If you are Christian, and you advertise your curriculum as Christian, and even put in print that others should avoid you if they do not want to deal with a Christian.don't go around the corner, put on a wig, and tell everyone else you are secular because you know the kids over on that corner are secular.then turn around and come back to my corner and tell me you are a Christianand back and forth, back and forth. All reviews and articles on this site belong to Grove Publishing, Inc. unless otherwise identified. we specialize in hands-on homeschooling and help you customize your homeschool curriculum. I've looked into tgtb 8th grade lit, and I don't think it's a hands on approach. They tend to offer very unique and hands-on materials. This year (not including onlne class fees for my 7/8th grader), we spent only 400 on curriculum for two kids. Beginning Contact Who is BookShark Headquarters 8022 S Grant Way, Littleton, Colorado, 80122, United States Phone Number (303) 797-2954 Website www.bookshark.com Revenue $6.4M Is that out of left field? We're trying MFW this year so I guess I'm wondering how it compares to that. Bookshark now also uses real books for their Language Arts. So I do think I should support a secular alternative of theirs. Im much more focused on mastering the steps and concepts than accuracy. I can see myself saving up for the science book set. What other secular curriculums are out there besides bookshark, torchlight, build your library, timberdoodle, blossom and root, oak meadow, time for learning, miacademy, & power homeschool? When I looked into it, it looked like a literature based program with a kinesthetic approach. As always, Id be delighted to help if you have any further questions. I have been going around in circles, the debate in my head between two great curricula. I don't know. I looked into Bookshark but decided against it for several reasons. She is a hands on kind of kid, so while reading good literature appeals to both of us, I know she is going to want time to craft and do projects as well. But before I say what it is, heres what I found out about each one of these. (I have a toddler as well.) My issues aren't specific to this curriculum. The books need to be ordered from Amazon, and some are out of print. They have so many great ideas on how to encourage handwriting without even using a pencil! Most of the resources Timberdoodle has selected are easy to use and make it simple for inexperienced homeschoolers to jump into the lessons without having to do hardly any advance planning or preparation.