So, we have used some Home Science Tools Science Unlocked boxes. They are experiment kits, with a workbook. We have only done the younger ages, and it is lovely that they have all the stuff you need, and mostly it has been good. Definitely hands on, no text book, and mostly just experiments. But, they send everything in the box!
I went with Moving Beyond tbe Page this year for my 4th and 1st grader. They wanted more experiments and I needed a curriculum that came with an experiment kit with all the materials. It's going well so far. I do have to be very hands on, my 4th grader is not very independent with school yet. We supplement with watching cool science videos on whatever we are interested in. I dont usually comment, so going to say thanks for talking about history plus, we have been loving it! History was my huge struggle to find something my kids enjoyed, it's so much fun to have them requesting it and being sad if we dont get to it one day.
With my 5th grader, we’ve always done Blossom & Root science. I love it. Great mix of books, hands on activities, and videos. We’ve done the earth science (1st grade), animal science (3rd grade), human body and engineering/physics (4th grade), and the oceanography/space (5th grade). We’re going to do the prehistory unit that comes with 3rd grade in the spring, and then move into the brand new 6th grade in the Fall - that one looks like a mix of chemistry and biology.
We struggled for a long time with flow and with loving every subject. We would find something great like sonlight for history but want more hands on and wish science was different. Or we would do unit studies and I would feel overwhelmed by topics. And content though we love them. This year we found Layers of Learning and it fits our eclectic style perfectly. It works for all my kids of all ages and for any learning style. We just choose what we want to do. It has history, geography, science and art. Some people do a subject each day a week but we do one subject for one whole week and rotate, it feels immersive and free. We can add math and language arts or whatever and the flow has been totally amazing. First time I am not at all tempted to change to something else next year, it’s kind of weird 😂😂 But it’s awesome to have hit our stride in what is working for now!
My daughter's enrichment school covers science for us during the fall and spring semester. But it's outdoors and we have from Dec to April off, so I need to fill in that time with something. Right now I am using Mystery Science. Next week we will start using Core Knowledge science. We are using CK for history along with History + and they are working great. Hopefully the science will work too.
Noeo Science is another one a friend told me about. It’s literature based and comes with the stuff you need for the experiments I believe. It’s like a box kit.
Bookshark Science, it’s got videos for the experiments, comes with a science kit, you get everything you need. So simple and the only science we have kept with 😊
I was going to recommend this one too! We use sonlight (the Christian version). We smush the lesson work into 2 days a week and do the experiment on a third day- usually over the weekend when my husband is available to help ❤
Have you thought about like BJU Science with the videos? That way she can keep up with science when you’re at work. We have been using BJU for spelling because I needed to outsource it. It was causing us to fight but my son likes it.
We used Real Science Odyssey astronomy 1 and we did not like it. It was to open for us, to many book choice but would not give us what should be read when. The story in the instructors book was babyish, and most experiments didn't work. We are switching to the earth science for the grammar stage by elemental science. They have one main book as a spine and tells you what to read with each lesson. They have optional books as well. The student workbook seems way better with definitions, vocabulary works, diagrams. The experiments look more in-line with what is being taught and more engaging for their age. We haven't started it yet but from what I can tell, I think this is a better fit for us.
We use Outschool for science. I have used, and loved, Blossom & Root for years (watch a video, read a picture book, go over terms) but I was finding it difficult to fit in. It always took a backseat to Language Arts and Math. My daughter has been in a 45 minute Outschool science class for a year now and she loves it. The class covers topics from all the different science disciplines so she's never bored. I have a list of all topics to be covered and the date of the class so if I want, I can add on to the lesson later in the week with extra books or videos. Each week the teacher sends a pdf that I cut out and give to my daughter to paste into her Interactive Science Notebook during class. After class I require her to write 1-2 sentences about what she learned. She enjoys the small class size and interactive nature of the class. Sometimes there are very, very simple experiments. I don't expect her to be able to recall much, but she is getting exposure and background knowledge which is paramount for her future science needs.
I’m still trying to find a good science that I enjoy. TGTB units are old trusties, but I always try to replace them. Mystery science is the only one that my kid has done completely independently. Noeo: kid loves it, I hate/love it. Easy to implement, but a lot of reading aloud. Blossom and Root: too much prep. RSFK and Apologia: I use for just extra reading. I am going to try out Berean Builders and Beautiful Feet’s history of science. The first BB book looks interesting but the ancient one looks so boring.
Have you ever tried The Good and The Beautiful Science? I’ve heard good things about it. Never personally used it! Actually in the process of looking for new science.
So, we have used some Home Science Tools Science Unlocked boxes. They are experiment kits, with a workbook. We have only done the younger ages, and it is lovely that they have all the stuff you need, and mostly it has been good.
Definitely hands on, no text book, and mostly just experiments. But, they send everything in the box!
I went with Moving Beyond tbe Page this year for my 4th and 1st grader. They wanted more experiments and I needed a curriculum that came with an experiment kit with all the materials. It's going well so far. I do have to be very hands on, my 4th grader is not very independent with school yet.
We supplement with watching cool science videos on whatever we are interested in.
I dont usually comment, so going to say thanks for talking about history plus, we have been loving it! History was my huge struggle to find something my kids enjoyed, it's so much fun to have them requesting it and being sad if we dont get to it one day.
With my 5th grader, we’ve always done Blossom & Root science. I love it. Great mix of books, hands on activities, and videos. We’ve done the earth science (1st grade), animal science (3rd grade), human body and engineering/physics (4th grade), and the oceanography/space (5th grade). We’re going to do the prehistory unit that comes with 3rd grade in the spring, and then move into the brand new 6th grade in the Fall - that one looks like a mix of chemistry and biology.
We struggled for a long time with flow and with loving every subject. We would find something great like sonlight for history but want more hands on and wish science was different. Or we would do unit studies and I would feel overwhelmed by topics. And content though we love them. This year we found Layers of Learning and it fits our eclectic style perfectly. It works for all my kids of all ages and for any learning style. We just choose what we want to do. It has history, geography, science and art. Some people do a subject each day a week but we do one subject for one whole week and rotate, it feels immersive and free. We can add math and language arts or whatever and the flow has been totally amazing. First time I am not at all tempted to change to something else next year, it’s kind of weird 😂😂 But it’s awesome to have hit our stride in what is working for now!
My daughter's enrichment school covers science for us during the fall and spring semester. But it's outdoors and we have from Dec to April off, so I need to fill in that time with something. Right now I am using Mystery Science. Next week we will start using Core Knowledge science. We are using CK for history along with History + and they are working great. Hopefully the science will work too.
Noeo Science is another one a friend told me about. It’s literature based and comes with the stuff you need for the experiments I believe. It’s like a box kit.
Bookshark Science, it’s got videos for the experiments, comes with a science kit, you get everything you need. So simple and the only science we have kept with 😊
I was going to recommend this one too! We use sonlight (the Christian version). We smush the lesson work into 2 days a week and do the experiment on a third day- usually over the weekend when my husband is available to help ❤
Have you thought about like BJU Science with the videos? That way she can keep up with science when you’re at work. We have been using BJU for spelling because I needed to outsource it. It was causing us to fight but my son likes it.
We used Real Science Odyssey astronomy 1 and we did not like it. It was to open for us, to many book choice but would not give us what should be read when. The story in the instructors book was babyish, and most experiments didn't work.
We are switching to the earth science for the grammar stage by elemental science. They have one main book as a spine and tells you what to read with each lesson. They have optional books as well. The student workbook seems way better with definitions, vocabulary works, diagrams. The experiments look more in-line with what is being taught and more engaging for their age. We haven't started it yet but from what I can tell, I think this is a better fit for us.
We use Outschool for science. I have used, and loved, Blossom & Root for years (watch a video, read a picture book, go over terms) but I was finding it difficult to fit in. It always took a backseat to Language Arts and Math. My daughter has been in a 45 minute Outschool science class for a year now and she loves it. The class covers topics from all the different science disciplines so she's never bored. I have a list of all topics to be covered and the date of the class so if I want, I can add on to the lesson later in the week with extra books or videos. Each week the teacher sends a pdf that I cut out and give to my daughter to paste into her Interactive Science Notebook during class. After class I require her to write 1-2 sentences about what she learned. She enjoys the small class size and interactive nature of the class. Sometimes there are very, very simple experiments. I don't expect her to be able to recall much, but she is getting exposure and background knowledge which is paramount for her future science needs.
Can you please share which outschool science class you recommend?
I’m still trying to find a good science that I enjoy. TGTB units are old trusties, but I always try to replace them. Mystery science is the only one that my kid has done completely independently. Noeo: kid loves it, I hate/love it. Easy to implement, but a lot of reading aloud. Blossom and Root: too much prep. RSFK and Apologia: I use for just extra reading. I am going to try out Berean Builders and Beautiful Feet’s history of science. The first BB book looks interesting but the ancient one looks so boring.
Have you ever tried The Good and The Beautiful Science?
I’ve heard good things about it. Never personally used it!
Actually in the process of looking for new science.