LucyStoner Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Especially if said child is very, very into science. My son is 8 and we just did it on our own last year (lots of experiements and science reading on topics from biology to physics to geology) but this year we would like to track his progress in a more methodical way and use some more formal materials. He reads far above his age/grade level. Science and art are his favorite subjects. We are secular homeschoolers, and are only interested in materials that accept and cover evolution where relevant. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 BFSU is very good for advanced youngsters. My dh is a physics teacher, and when he reviewed Vol. II, he said that there was college level material in there. It is a secular program but it does not cover evolution, because it is based on experiments that the child can do and see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I used Science Explorer last year when my son was 8. We used the Science in a Nutshell kits for hands on stuff. The level of SE was about right in the beginning but by the end of the year it was verging on too easy. The Nutshells are just ok. Next year we will be using CPO Life Science, another middle school program. I'm hoping it will be more challenging than SE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 My 6 yr old is really enjoying MPH 5/6 with HOTS. I can't imagine using it on grade level, but several years ahead is working quite well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 We are using RSO beefed up with extra books/videos, as it claims they'll cover evolution in level 2 Life. We'll also be starting MPH with the HOTS, but starting at grade 3/4 first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 This year we are doing Ellen McHenry Botany, unit studies on Newton, DaVinci, and Galileo, and we may try _1.pdf"]Math and the Cosmos. Ds9 really wants to use it even though I think we should wait - he even taught himself a little trig by reading his older brother's LOF Trig book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenmama2 Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 We use BFSU, honestly though, we need more. DD also attends a monthly science club at a university an hour from us and we may be adding another (run by the same people) at a different university. So that will be fortnightly science club. I've looked at My Pals are Here a few times and think she would enjoy it - it's my preference for the Socratic method that gets in the way of ordering it. I don't know whT HOTS stands for though - help?! It sounds like BFSU vol II may be useful for your son, it would help direct everything a little more formally but if he really loves science you may need more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 My 6 yr old is really enjoying MPH 5/6 with HOTS. I can't imagine using it on grade level, but several years ahead is working quite well. :iagree: I just bought some 3/4 Activity books for dd5 and am planning on sending them back for 5/6 materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 My oldest used Ellen McHenry's The Elements and Carbon Chemistry in 2nd and those were huge hits. Last year, she did the physics topics out of Prentice-Hall Science Explorer and Singapore MPH 5/6 plus library books. This year, she'll be doing biology using SE and MPH 5/6 plus library books. I just printed out the free Ellen McHenry botany chapters- thanks so much for the link! :D DS does unit studies that correspond to the topics DD is studying. He can mostly follow along with the text & activity book part of MPH 5/6 but instead of the HOTS he does the worksheets in Singapore Start-Up Science. This year I'll be incorporating the free Mr. Q life science program. I also incorporate a lot of library resources like Magic School Bus, Let's Read and Find Out Science, and Max Axiom, Super Scientist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 This is all very helpful. Thank you! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenbrdsly Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I used Science Explorer last year when my son was 8. We used the Science in a Nutshell kits for hands on stuff. The level of SE was about right in the beginning but by the end of the year it was verging on too easy. The Nutshells are just ok. Next year we will be using CPO Life Science, another middle school program. I'm hoping it will be more challenging than SE. What would be the best Science in a Nutshell kit to start with, just for fun, for a six year old? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 We are using NOEO Chemistry this year-- level 1 for DS 7/turned 8, level 2 for DS10. Both are adding in the text only of RS4K, woven in where appropriate into the NOEO calendar. Both are adding in the Science Wiz experiment kits as well as experiments from Thames and Kosmos C3000. DS10 is also doing the KOGS books (all of them) from RS4K. These are fairly challenging, though if I had to do it all over again, I might skip the critical thinking one, as it is pretty repetitive and kind of a drudge; I might end up dropping it. But the tie ins in the other books for chemistry to Art, history, language, technology, and philosophy are pretty cool-- I wish more publishers would incorporate more interdisciplinary stuff this way (This is why I teach history/literature/geography as all one subject, and tie in science when it is convenient, even if it isn't our "main science" for the year). As with the RS4K program, the KOGS books have 10 chapters, tied to the 10 planned weeks of the RS4K program, but they are challenging, so it's nice to have them spread throughout the year in the NOEO program. When we hit a KOGS week, I generally spread them out across 2 weeks, and tie them in to his other subjects (ie we do the history KOGS book during history, not during chemistry). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 What would be the best Science in a Nutshell kit to start with, just for fun, for a six year old? I always thought the Bubble Science one would be fun. I have it sitting in my basement unused, though, so I don't know how good it is. The ones that we've used that were particularly good were: Oceans in Motion Rock Origins Clever Levers Gears at Work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historically accurate Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 We are using these two kits with a high school Environmental Science Text to go along with our animal habitat/geography study this year: Earth Lab Global Warming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenbrdsly Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 I always thought the Bubble Science one would be fun. I have it sitting in my basement unused, though, so I don't know how good it is. The ones that we've used that were particularly good were: Oceans in Motion Rock Origins Clever Levers Gears at Work Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 We are using these two kits with a high school Environmental Science Text to go along with our animal habitat/geography study this year: Earth Lab Global Warming Which environmental science text did you use and did you like it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2smartones Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 I prefer Apologia at all levels because it's creation-based and has a good mix of written information with hands-on activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 We used McHenry's The Elements last year and enjoyed it, but looking back we should have gotten a second of her courses to finish out the year. Ds finished The Elements in December and we spent the rest of the year reading living books and working on a science project. This year we are using Education Exploration Intermediate level. It may be a little advanced for ds so we are reading some kid friendly books to introduce physics topics first. I looked at the elementary level, but it seemed much too simplistic for ds, and the intermediate didn't look too far ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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