Sonlight vs BookShark
The main differences
Both teach through real books, with 36-week instructor's guides that schedule read-alouds, readers, language arts and science, and both put Math-U-See and Handwriting Without Tears in their all-subject packages. Sonlight goes by grade and offers a 4-day or 5-day schedule. BookShark goes by levels set by age, on a 4-day week, and lets children within three years of age share history and science. Sonlight lets you use a complete package for up to 18 weeks and return it for a full refund; BookShark takes returns within 30 days.
| Sonlight | BookShark | |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects | All subjects: math, reading and phonics, language arts, science and history and geography | All subjects: math, reading and phonics, language arts, science and history and geography |
| Grades | Preschool to 12th grade | Levels Pre-K to J plus high school levels, ages 4 to 18 (about pre-K to 12th grade) |
| Method | Literature-based | Literature-based |
| Format | Books and workbooks | Books and workbooks |
| Faith label | Faith-based | Secular |
| Cost a year | $1,129.45. 3rd grade All-Subjects Package C, 4 days a week, with required resources (instructor's guides, history and literature books, readers, language arts, handwriting, science and Math-U-See Gamma): $1,129.45 today, 20% off $1,411.81. Families new to Sonlight are pointed to a History B+C version of this package instead. | $1,040.94. Level C All-Subject Package (ages 7 to 9, grades 2 to 4) with required resources (instructor's guides, history, science and reading books, language arts, handwriting, Math-U-See Beta, timeline book, map and binder): $1,040.94, 20% off $1,301.18. Without the required resources it is $925.77. |
| Placement | Free placement tests ↗ | Free placement tests ↗ |
| Parent time | Not stated by the publisher | Not stated by the publisher |
| It fits | A family that wants to learn through real books read together, with every day of the year planned in a guide. | A family that wants a fully planned, book-based year with a free fifth day, and likes siblings sharing history and science. |
| It doesn't fit | A family on a tight budget, or one that wants the child to work alone from workbooks or a screen. | A family on a tight budget, or one that wants workbook drills or video teaching instead of reading and discussion. |
Sonlight
Sonlight is a literature-based curriculum: history, geography and literature are taught through read-aloud books and readers, scheduled together with language arts and science in a 36-week instructor's guide. An all-subjects package for a grade includes the guides, the books, language arts, handwriting, science and a math program, on a 4-day or 5-day schedule. It runs from preschool to 12th grade, and the parent teaches from the guides and shares the read-alouds.
Does well: An all-subjects package arrives with the whole year planned: 36 weeks of lesson plans and notes that tie the subjects together.
Watch for: A 3rd grade package costs over $1,100 even at 20% off.
BookShark
BookShark is a literature-based curriculum organized by levels rather than grades: history, science and language arts are taught through read-alouds, readers and other real books, on a 36-week, 4-day schedule set out in instructor's guides. An all-subject package for one child includes the guides, the books, language arts, handwriting, science and a math program, plus optional online access for reading schedules and auto-graded assessments. Levels run from pre-K (ages 4 to 5) to high school.
Does well: Instructor's guides plan 36 weeks on a 4-day schedule, leaving a fifth day free, with answer keys, discussion questions and background notes.
Watch for: A Level C all-subject package costs over $900 even at 20% off.
Lists with both
- Homeschool all-in-one curricula 22
- Literature-based homeschool curricula 12
- Homeschool curricula for pre-K and kindergarten 48
- Homeschool curricula for middle school 51
- Homeschool curricula for high school 38
- Print homeschool curricula 44
- Homeschool curricula over $600 a year 10
- Homeschool all-in-one curricula for pre-K and kindergarten 21
How we label
Every fact on a card was read on the publisher's own website on the date shown, and the page it came from is linked. A fact we could not confirm there is left out. Costs are for one child and one year of the main package, as the publisher's page showed them that day; prices and sales change. Method and format are the publisher's own description where it gives one. The only thing we say about religion is one label, secular or faith-based, given by the rule above; where the publisher's pages don't settle it, the card has no label.
Something wrong or out of date? Send a correction; publishers can send corrections, never money. Every program compared