grace'smom Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I'm trying to decide whether to bite the bullet and purchase Nancy Larson for first grade, or to wait another year and get the Level One in second grade. Is it worth it for a first grader? We want to give our daughter a strong, solid science foundation where she'll have a good comprehension and memory of concepts and vocabulary. However, is this too much for a first grader? Is there something cheaper that would give her the same thing without a lot of prep time on my part? If there's not then it's worth it and I should stop worrying about the cost... I was thinking about McRuffy or Elemental as alternatives, with Larson's course beginning in second grade. Any thoughts on the take away knowledge kids will retain with those? Any other ideas? This year we're doing a lot of animal study with weekly zoo visits, Sonlight science read alouds in random order, and sometimes a chapter of Classic Science from that eequalsmcsquared website or a trip to the local science museum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 We are using REAL science for kids which is cheaper, but I probably spent close to that if you include all the extras to make the program fun. I wish I would have known about the Nancy Larson stuff though, I probably would have ordered that instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Oh, and my kids are gr 2, gr 1, and PK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlestonmom03 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I am using level 1 with my 2nd and K boys and I think it would be perfectly fine for 1st. Had I known about it last year I would have done it when my oldest was in 1st, but it is working out well for me to combine the two boys. In the future I will likely do it with my 1st graders. With my Kindergartener I help him with some of the writing b/c that is still a weak point for him, but he is retaining the information from the lessons and I am very impressed with the vocabulary both boys have gained from the program... Plus, it is a lot of fun and for the first time I know that we are going to do science each day because we have everything we need on hand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace'smom Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 Now, do your children need to be proficient in reading in order to benefit from the program? It sounds like that answer to that is no from what you said before, but I just wanted to check and make sure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlestonmom03 Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 No, they do not. I do most of the reading and we discuss. Even my 3 year old sits in on the lessons, he thinks they are fun and I have been surprised at what he has picked up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayt ul-Hikmah Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I would *highly* recommend it! We're currently loving level two. I would have done level one last year, but I didn't know about it. It's very systematic and builds upon itself in a logical way, goes much deeper than any other elementary science I've seen, and most importantly, gets done!! Nancy Larson has made science my ds's favorite subject. Even my 4yo loves listening in during science time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenDaisies Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I think NL Science 1 is very appropriate for 1st grade. It is a good, solid curriculum and it is super easy to use. My only complaints are 1) cost 2) over-scripted 3) too many pictures/cards and not enough real world observation. In spite of these issues, I think it is one of the best secular, science programs around. The only one I like better is BFSU, but it is nowhere near as easy to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.