How we homeschool--Science

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We use library books that are full of colour photographs, books of fun experiments, nature walks, drawing what you see outside, and other fun stuff for the lower grades.

Beginning in fourth grade we use the A Beka science series for 4th-6th grades. I don't use the tests and quizzes. We read through the books like a reader, answer some of the questions, do whatever experiments the child is interested in, and draw diagrams of things (parts of a flower, parts of an insect, etc.).

Tom has taken over science for jr. high and high school. He is currently using a creation science series from Apologia Educational Ministries. www.highschoolscience.com

What do the rest of you do?

-- Cathy N. (homekeeper86@sympatico.ca), February 13, 2002

Answers

I have a first grader and a kindergartener. It is VERY hard to find something that is not weather, or seasons. SO, we made up our own. We use the bible. ( ie... we started this year with Genisis 1:1 ). So we studied about What happened when god made the earth. Now we are studing what happened in the flood. I use easy ( age appropriate) words, and make my own worksheets. We were blessed with a gift of a microscope, so we looked at rocks, dirt, water, ect... and have done numerous experiments. I was told that a child interested in science, exceeds in math. Since my hubby and I are not good at math, we are really spending most of our time in science.

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), February 13, 2002.

When I homeschooled our two I had a very eclectic curriculum. Each year we did something which sounded interesting. When they were younger we did the nature study and there are a lot of books in curriculum catalogs for that. When they got older we did use some of those indepth color books which had a lot of good info in them. During high school we got into doing biology experiments on a weekly basis with a small group of other homeschoolers in our area. The moms took turns leading the group each week. That was really a fun time for the moms and the kids. Now that my kids are grown and married I work with a family on a once a month basis and we are doing science experiments from a book called the Backyard Scientist. That has been a lot of fun for me and the kids. I lead them through some of the messy stuff that their mom doesn't want to deal with or have time for. They get other science curriculum on a regular basis in their other work. Have fun homeschooling! You want your kids to enjoy the journey as well as yourself. Nancy

-- Nancy (nannyb@huntel.com), February 14, 2002.

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