Would love some science input

[sixpence1978]

I'm mostly done planning for next year, but am still hung up on our science pick.

 

A bit of background for context.  My DD has a summer birthday and will be 12 next year.  She has dyslexia and is usually about 1/2 - 1 grade level behind.  We are technically 6th grade this year, but are planning on a gap year before high school, so she will be somewhere around 6th/7th grade level next school year.

 

We didn't do a lot of science early on because we were working so hard to remediating her reading struggles.  We have gone through a zoology course, Nancy Larson 3, and are currently working on an anatomy course.

 

I'm wanting to ramp up our science a bit next year.  What I am looking for is something with hands-on, experiments, or demonstrations.  I prefer Christian-based science, but don't hold strongly to either YEC or OEC. 

 

The main programs I am looking at are either Science in the Beginning (which I know would be a bit on the too easy side) or Apologia General Science slowed down over 2 years (which could be on the too hard side) because I like their conversational tone.

 

Other than the too easy/too hard issues, are the topics.  Like I've said, we've already done some zoology...is that going to make Science in the Beginning too redundant?  But we are also currently covering anatomy, albeit on an easier level....is that going to make General Science redundant?  ARG!  I tend to way overthink things.

 

I would also take suggestions for other curricula that I haven't looked at yet.  Rainbow looks interesting with all the labs, but I know that some of the humor in the writing would go way over my DD's head.  Something like BJU is out.  We've tried it in the past and it was just too technical and rigorous.

 

Thanks so much for any insight you can offer.

 

[aaplank]

Science in the Beginning might not be on the easy side for your daughter. The text is pretty difficult sometimes. But then again, I'm no science expert. The challenge lessons would be especially appropriate for the age of your daughter. The zoology and anatomy chapter is the last in the book, so you could always skip it if you felt it too redundant.

[OneStepAtATime]

Dyslexic daughter and son here.  I am not YEC but I found that the Apologia texts with their conversational tone worked surprisingly well for both kids.  Also, all the additional white space, well placed photographs and not a ton of side bars or overwhelming graphics really, really helped them to be able to use the text without so much hand holding.  They really like it.  I have just skipped over references that didn't work well with our views on science (or had discussions with the kids regarding such).  

 

Have you looked at the other options, like maybe more in the Young Explorer's Series from Apologia?  If I remember correctly, some have not liked the Apologia General Science text.  There are other options, though.  And the Young Explorer's series has a lot to offer.  Just add in additional readings maybe, like a biography or two, plus some research you could do together.  The material covers a lot, but in a friendlier format for a dyslexic.  

 

FWIW, I was looking at the Young Explorers Chemistry and Physics as a supplement/fall back for my daughter, who will be entering 9th grade this next year.  On days when our higher level science just isn't working, we may default to the Young Explorer's text for reading that is easier for DD to digest.

 

I have never used Science in the Beginning.  I wish I could help more.  Best wishes to you and your daughter.  

[sixpence1978]

That's great to hear that Apologia has been working well for your dyslexic kids.  I completely agree about the white space and lack of side bars.  Side bars and cutesy pictures are visually distracting here as well.  I also really like that there is the option of an audio version of the book.  My DD can read, but does so much better when she follows along while reading.  That will be extremely helpful as we move forward.

 

I, myself, am very interested in the Chemistry and Physics elementary book, but not my DD.  She despised the Chemistry unit we had in Nancy Larson.  We'll be waiting to tackle that one later.  Though the Physics section would be awesome (that's my favorite science).  She also really likes having a variety of topics and would get bored and burnt out just studying one thing all year.  This is one key reason spiral math programs work for her.

[OneStepAtATime]

That's great to hear that Apologia has been working well for your dyslexic kids.  I completely agree about the white space and lack of side bars.  Side bars and cutesy pictures are visually distracting here as well.  I also really like that there is the option of an audio version of the book.  My DD can read, but does so much better when she follows along while reading.  That will be extremely helpful as we move forward.

 

I, myself, am very interested in the Chemistry and Physics elementary book, but not my DD.  She despised the Chemistry unit we had in Nancy Larson.  We'll be waiting to tackle that one later.  Though the Physics section would be awesome (that's my favorite science).  She also really likes having a variety of topics and would get bored and burnt out just studying one thing all year.  This is one key reason spiral math programs work for her.

Same here.  DD does so much better now that we switched to CLE, for many reasons, but the spiral approach has been so helpful!  :)

[scoutingmom]

Just wanted to mention that you can buy an MP3 version of General Science too, to go along with the textbook.  That is my plan for my dyslexic son next year...

[Saddlemomma]

I haven't read all the replies, but thought I would share what we will be doing next year in case you may be interested.

 

I promised DD she could have the middle school years to pursue her interests in science.  This year, for 6th grade, her choices were Virology/Bacteriology, Animals (specializing in mammals), and currently, Genetics/DNA.  Because of her interest in virology, she decided that next year she wanted to pursue medicinal plants and herbs.  I told her that in order to do this we would have to have at least a marking period of Botany first, then concentrate on the other.  She agreed. 

 

While planning this class out for next year, I realized that we have abundant opportunities to do some wonderful hands-on projects and experiments.  So I'll just give you a glimpse of what I have planned below in case you think it may be something that will interest your DD.

 

Core Resources:

• Ellen McHenry's Botany in 8 Lessons.  This could be great for your DD because there are two levels to pursue.  One is more difficult than the other and could be skipped if you feel it would be too much for your DD.
• Quark Chronicles to be read alongside the above. This teaches the principles of Botany in a story format.
• I also have a couple books: one in Ethnobotany and the other is a heavy tome called Herbal Antibiotics which may be out of your DD's comfort zone, but I listed them in case you were interested.  Heck, the second one is going to test my DD, but I like to push as far as I can and then scale back if I have to.

The Fun Part:

• During this spring, we will be planting an extensive herb garden (starting them inside and including Moringa!).  This will be DD's summer project. (She has one every year.)  When the plants mature, we will be harvesting and drying them.  Some will be pressed into a book for identification purposes and other experiments.  Others will be harvested to try the teas, creams, tinctures, and poultices in the books listed below.  When school begins, and while the weather holds, we will also be foraging in our woods, fields, and other places to find and identify medicinal wild plants.  DD will be required to keep a notebook with sketches of the plants we use and find, listing it's Latin name, identifying the parts of the plant that can be used for healing, how to use it, and which ailments it addresses.
  • Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs
  • Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes

Additional Reading for Fun:

• A Druid's Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine
• Wicked Plants: The Tree That Killed Lincoln's Mother

Incorporating the Bible:

• Healing Plants of the Bible

Movies/Documentaries: We will watch one each week, as a family, in the evenings.

• The Queen of Trees - This is a MUST watch for everyone--absolutely AMAZING!
• Amazon Medicinal Botany
• What Plants Talk About
• In the Mind of Plants
• Plants Behaving Badly
• The First Flower
• Africa's Desert Garden
• The Millennium Oak

 

While I wanted to be able to touch on 4 different topics in science next year, I have a feeling this Botany is going to take up a whole semester or possibly the whole year. It just depends upon how in-depth we want to go.  However I think it's going to be fun, and, hopefully, we'll learn a lot.

 

Anyway, there it is if you think it may suit your needs.

 

[8filltheheart]

You might want to look at Plato.  It has a lot of video/audio components which make it dyslexic friendly.  https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/plato-middle-science/

[Erica in OR]

I'm using Science in the Beginning for the first time this year, teaching it as a group class twice a week at a small K-4 classical school, with a few homeschool students joining us. I really like that there is something demo or experiment-related for every lesson and can say that I've learned some things myself over the year. To sort of speak to your situation, my 7th grader has been coming to class as my assistant as her science class for the year. She's interested in possibly being a teacher, so it gives her that experience, but the science has been reasonable for her too. We're wrapping up the fourth day of creation (astronomy) now and will just now get into zoology-related topics, so I wouldn't say the overlap is too much for what you've been covering lately. We do not do the challenge lessons due to lack of time. Overall I think it's a solid choice.

 

Erica in OR

[sixpence1978]

Thanks for all the input.

 

After looking closer at the scope and sequence, we've decided to go with Science in the Beginning for next year.  It does have a lot of topics that we haven't covered yet.  And with her being in between 6th and 7th, we're going to take that extra year we have to not rush right into higher level science.  I can always add depth if I need to.