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Please explain Nebel's Elementary Education to me


stripe
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I bought it, and I don't get it. What is it? I feel like it's a guide to how the world works, with these narrative descriptions of government, the essence of chemical reactions, and what happens to absorbed light. Please explain what it is and how to use it.

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See, that's the issue. Am I supposed to read the book and then pass along what's in there to my children? Read it to them as a script (not really the impression I got)? Find books that coordinate? (It's not really someone else's program if I do all the thinking myself.) And I found the almost-all-science angle amusing.

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I read it too, but I find Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding a much better and more practical book. I can see what he means, but I prefer my CM-method combined with his science methods.

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I'll ditto Sagira and add a few thoughts.

 

I think the book is a bit ambitious and not user-friendly for homeschoolers. It is written to the parent, so you'd need to spend quite a bit of time putting together lesson plans.

 

As mentioned, it is a science-centered curriculum. However, as a scientist who finds most of the hs'ing world to be skewed towards humanities, that part is actually a nice change. ;)

 

Nebel takes on some interesting topics including teaching values (secular) and the never-to-be-underestimated importance of water.

 

The discussion of reading instruction was overly simplistic, perhaps even a little insulting. Beechick provides a much more useful approach if you want to keep it simple but need a little guidance.

 

I'll probably keep this book around as a reference, and maybe I'll eventually read the whole thing. However, I'm finding his other book, Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, to be a much more accessible and useful text.

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I just don't understand the point of explaining, for example, all these scientific concepts. Is it because the parents need to know, for background, before teaching our children? Is it what we build "lessons" around? Is it the narrative to read to them? Why is it so slim/not detailed?

 

I am all for science, which is why I bought it, but I found his math section not so impressive -- I'm not sure I'd vote unit conversion as the #1 or #2 goal for my kids' elementary math education, and I don't think he explains it very well if it is so important, and as you said, the other sections are quite sketchy.

 

No matter which way I look at it, I'm not sure what to do with it.

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Scientific thinking is different from other types of thinking. If I want my child to have the option of being a good scientist someday, she'll be better off with a solid foundation in scientific thinking, which ideally started in elementary school. I also think that foundation is lacking in many if not most of the elementary science curricula that I've looked at.

 

I suppose if parents aren't science-literate, then these things need to be spelled out, or they might have trouble helping their children to make useful connections. The book is certainly not a narrative to be read, though you might find yourself borrowing from the writing in your discussions.

 

Why is it so slim/not detailed? I can't really answer that question. But I'd guess it is because he never intended to write a multi-volume opus. I imagine the writing of that book was challenging enough, given the ambitious scope.

 

In my pre-kid life, I had certification as a secondary biology teacher. This is the kind of book teachers read, either while in training or when they need new ideas, or need to rekindle their excitement for teaching.

 

I don't think this book will appeal to most homeschoolers. So if it is stressing you out, set it aside. Maybe you'll come back to it later and find it more helpful, or maybe you'll decide to list it on the For Sale subforum.

 

I hesitate to say this, but maybe you'd get more out of his other book? But I'm picturing you banging your head against a wall, and I don't want to be the reason for more frustration!

Edited by jplain
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