Complete BookShark Review: Science Level 2, Ages 7-9

I am excited to share my BookShark review! This year we used the Science Level 2 program with my seven year old and really enjoyed it. Read on to see what makes BookShark Science stand out from other homeschool science curriculum.

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for my fair and honest review.

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Mid-way through first grade I had had it with creating all of my own plans. Had. It.

Every year I tell myself the same thing – I’m going to stick with my curriculum. I’m not going to spend hours creating units. Then I find myself knee-deep in homemade workbooks, making playlists, and requesting library books at midnight. Because whatever I bought didn’t end up being… enough.

If you’re going the DIY curriculum route, I applaud you. But I will tell you – there is a cost. For me, instead of spending my evenings working I found myself spending them putting lessons together. This wasn’t really saving me any money, and I wasn’t enjoying it.

The most challenging subject to prepare? Science, hands-down.

I have my go-to science resources that I love. But between sourcing reading material, printing worksheets, and gathering supplies – science is just not a subject I want to bootstrap anymore.

It was time to invest in a homeschool science curriculum for my way-geekier-than-me-science-brain kiddo. I love him. But his demand for science experiments was breaking me down. Seriously.

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BookShark Review: Science Level 2

I researched programs and found that there a few things I really need in a science curriculum. BookShark Science has it all. We chose level 2.

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See the full product details for BookShark Science Level 2 here.

I will tell you, getting the big box of science materials was pretty exciting. I was impressed from the moment it arrived at my door through the entire semester.

What’s inside the BookShark Science Level 2 package?

There are a few things that I feel set BookShark apart:

1. Science books your child will love
2. Truly Open-and-Go
3. Great for a Big Family

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1. Science Books Your Child Will Love

BookShark Science stands apart from other science curricula because it is a literature-based program. Instead of reading from one large text book, your child will enjoy diving into illustrated encyclopedias and picture books.

This was the key for us. My son loves reading, but when I pull out the same textbook for months I end up with a lot of resistance. BookShark’s engaging selection of books solved this problem.

Starting a new topic with fresh books is appealing to a child. There’s a sense of novelty. An excitement to get into something new. It also helps that the books included in this package are fantastic on their own.

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2. Truly Open-and-Go

BookShark Science was the first curriculum that I’ve had that is truly open-and-go. There is real value of having everything you need at your fingertips. The curriculum comes in a neat little package all ready-to-go.

The main components of the program are
1. the fantastic selection of books (above)
2. the Teacher’s Guide with 4 day flexible planning
3. the supply kit.

Let’s take a closer look at the Teacher’s Guide and Supply kit.

⇒ Teacher’s Guide

√ Organized Plans Ready to Go!

A brief glance over the BookShark Teacher’s Guide will tell you all you need to know. I mean everything – from what topics you’re teaching and when to extension ideas and a reminder about what to prep next week. Plus, BookShark has all your plans on one page so you can tell what’s coming up at-a-glance.

√ Flexible Scheduling with Zero Prep

It was great to have one zero-prep curriculum in my back pocket. There were some weeks I opened the guide on Monday, pulled the books I needed, and started teaching. Other weeks we dove into a topic and completed several days in one large block. A great teacher’s guide gives you this flexibility.

√ 4 Day Homeschool Week

The lessons are organized for a 4 day homeschool week. Why is this important? Because you are much less likely to fall behind! The BookShark creators really seem to understand homeschoolers. There’s always something that comes up! Co-ops, classes, appointments, or someone gets sick!

√ Weekly Materials are All Together

I also love that the worksheets are placed in the teacher’s guide in the correct week. There’s no flipping to the next section or digging through a different folder. Your whole week is right there.

⇒ Supply Kit

BookShark Science programs each come with a supply kit for your experiments and projects. What a lifesaver. I’m notorious for not having what I need on-hand. But this kit comes with everything you need – less a few household supplies that are easily found at the grocery store.

And don’t worry about flipping ahead to plan your grocery list, because each week there’s a line right in the teacher’s guide: Planning/Shopping List. BookShark makes it super simple to prepare for the upcoming week.

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3. Teach Across Age Groups

√ Great for Big Families

The topics and materials used in BookShark Science, Level 2 can easily span the low to mid elementary grades and are recommended from ages 7-9. I like that BookShark lists their curriculum by level and age as opposed to grade.

√ Reusable for Younger Children

I also like that the teacher’s guide and books can be used again for my next two children. If you are homeschooling multiple children in different age groups, you know what I mean! We need to invest in curricula that can be reused for the next round of little ones.

√ Consumable Materials Available Separately

BookShark even has the supply box and worksheets available for purchase separately. That means you can teach this same curriculum again with the same convenience of having everything on hand at less than a third of the cost. Just click the consumables tab on any of their product listings.

√ Books and Activities you will Enjoy Again!

I decided on Level 2 partially based on age and partially on my son’s interests. When my 3- and 4-year-olds are 7 and 8, this will be a welcome curriculum to return to. The activities are fun – not overwhelming for mom. And the fantastic book selection is a welcome addition to our home library!

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Find Bookshark Science, Language Arts, History, and more

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More science from the Resource Room:

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• Don’t Buy Science Curriculum Without Answering These 3 Questions!

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