I tried the 2 more problems trick today, and after the initial look of horror, I got a smile (albeit a fake one) and a completed assignment. :001_smile:

I don't think it's too easy for her. I think difficulty wise it is just right. I think you hit it with her facts being slow. I was trying to take the gentle approach with memorizing the facts, but if she knew them better she probably wouldn't mind the problems so much:) I appreciate all the great advice. I'll stick with what we're using and try to fine tune. Thanks!

Thanks for the advice. Wouldn't you know I just finished an Amazon order, so I'll put the book on my list for next time. I guess dd can also use the RS games that I was planning to get for ds. Thanks!

I agree with the recommendation for BFSU. It's a solid program that fosters scientific thinking. Plus - it's only $25 for 3 years worth of lessons.

We used Essential math for K last year, and she liked math. We are using SM 1A/B for 1st grade - we are halfway through 1B. Her fondness for math has declined to the point that it is like pulling teeth to get her to do the practice problems. She understands the concepts and when she does the problems she answers them correctly. However, she sighs every time I pull out the book and it takes me a couple of days to get her to even look at the problems. I was considering RS A for my ds 4, and I wondered if it would be worth it to make the switch for my dd 6 as well. Have others switched for this reason and did it make it more fun? Also, how difficult would it be to manage A & B at the same time? I'd like to get back to SM eventually, but wondered if RS could address the current issue. Thanks!

I have laminate in my basement and I absolutely love it. There are no visible scratches. Paint wipes right off, and play-doh sweeps right up - things I would never have allowed my kids to do on my hardwood or carpet. I've had wet messes left overnight that caused no damage. My husband installed them and he had never done anything like that before.

Sorry, but I can't speak to Elemental. I've only seen it online, and I mainly looked at Life Science. It was one I considered, but chose Nancy Larson instead because I felt like it was more inquiry-based. I still think Nancy Larson is the next best thing to BFSU's method of inquiry. It's very easy to use and it gets done. However, it is expensive - especially considering that half the cost is supplies and you aren't really lacking supplies. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

I love that BFSU encourages scientific thinking. Students are encouraged to ask questions and teachers are to ask questions that guide students to arrive at the answer. The author believes that like math, science should be taught in a systematic manner. The book is organized in 4 threads - Nature of Matter, Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth and Space Science. You rotate between the threads base on lesson pre-requisites or co-requisites. The lessons build on each other. So much thought went into the organization of this curriculum. The lessons have a wealth of background information. Each lesson gives instructions on 1 or more demonstrations (using mostly ordinary household items) that allow the children to observe the concepts first hand. He gives great examples on how to explain the concepts clearly. My only complaint is that it does involve pre-planning. Each lesson spans multiple days/weeks and you do need to make a plan about what you want to accomplish and what you will need for that day. That is why I wanted NL - the lessons are laid out day-by-day and all the supplies were included. I just didn't get the same a-ha moments as I did with BFSU.

It took me a long time to press the button too. I really wanted this curriculum, but I abandoned my cart a number of times before I purchased it. I had been using BFSU, but wanted something a little easier to use. I think Nancy Larson is a good, solid science curriculum, but I still prefer BFSU and have returned to using it. I don't like the scripting in NL. I like some scripting (as in AAS) but NL is completely scripted. I thought I could use it in spite of this, but I find it annoying. This could be due to the fact that I have a background in science and winging it (to a certain degree) is fun for me. I also don't think the hands on activities are very hands on. I'm speaking of level 1 - the other levels lend themselves more to hands on activities, so they could be different. There are a number of fun items in the box, but many of the lessons rely on picture cards. It just feels too much like the science I had in school. I prefer real world discovery to plastic bugs and pictures. Those issues aside, it is a solid, easy-to-use curriculum. It has great breadth of coverage. It has motivated me to stay on track - which is huge because we didn't do that before. I can see that this might be particularly appealing to a parent without a natural inclination or background in science. You can teach solid science with this curriculum without background or preparation. It is truly open and go. I just can't justify the $263 per year when I purchased BFSU for $25 and it includes lessons from K through 2nd grades.