MamaHappy Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 (edited) If you're using (or have used) HOD's Bigger, what do you think of the science? We're using it this year and I'm just not too sure about it. My ds *hates* all the copywork and I tend to agree, it starts to feel more like busywork. I also don't feel like there is a ton of learning going on. My ds used to love, love, love science, but I feel like his joy for science is being sucked out of him this year. We're only 9 weeks in though, maybe it gets better?? It could just be me though....I've been super tired the past few days and therefore in major complaining-mode. :) Anyway, just curious what other people's thoughts/experiences are. Edited November 1, 2011 by MamaHappy Typose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 We don't do the copywork. I do have them do the "lab" report in the notebook. My kids really like it:confused: It's their favorite part of the program. They are into the One Small Square Books. That said we are a science loving family that do documentaries and books and discussions etc. My 5th grader is doing more. I'm letting the 2nd grader just do HOD. We do not like Apologia, or NOEO or about a hundred other things so at least they are 'doing' science this way. I figure elementary science is more of an intro anyway and what we do in our everyday life probably covers it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrightmom Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I don't love it (it makes me want to rip my hair out :001_huh:) BUT my son isn't complaining yet. He does tell me that he already knows this or that due to having read the OSS books in the past. He knows outcomes of the hands on as well which is a tad disappointing. I suspect he will grow tired of it but I won't poison the well. I remain enthusiastic with him! We shelved Bigger for awhile and now we are testing it out one more time. Sigh. I think that HODs science looks especially good in CTC on up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Coast Mom Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 My kids enjoyed the science, but it made me want to pull my hair out. The pace for the Small Square books was S-L-O-W. I ended up adding science topics to our studies because I felt the load was light with HOD. IF I do Bigger with the next group, I'll add in my own studies and advance the pace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I think it is fine, and I like it much better than the science in Beyond and Little Hearts(although I feel like it is plenty for the younger ages). I like the notebooking aspect and the reading. My ds needs the writing practice, and the art work is stretching him. I do not see any of it as busywork at all. My ds likes all the science books so far, and enjoys the drawing. He complains about any writing, but that's tough.;) My dh does Apologia with the kids 1-2 evenings a week also so they get plenty of science. They don't do notebooking with Apologia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrightmom Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I think it is fine, and I like it much better than the science in Beyond and Little Hearts(although I feel like it is plenty for the younger ages). I like the notebooking aspect and the reading. My ds needs the writing practice, and the art work is stretching him. I do not see any of it as busywork at all. My ds likes all the science books so far, and enjoys the drawing. He complains about any writing, but that's tough.;) My dh does Apologia with the kids 1-2 evenings a week also so they get plenty of science. They don't do notebooking with Apologia. I'd like to comment on this review..... I actually agree that the writing and the drawing is excellent skill building. And, that is the point for Carrie. Skills! It requires my son to slow down, observe carefully (looking at the many colorful photos and the captions), and then do his work. I like that he has to look up a verse, write it out (and it's linked somehow to his topic), carefully study the OSS page, and then follow the directions for the notebooking. I HONESTLY think that I don't like it because I'm impatient and I want whiz, bang, wow and I want it now! :lol: So, the problem is me (at least in our case). My son hasn't complained. And, if he did complain I would encourage him along with the right exhortations (the same ones I need to hear). I believe in what Carrie is doing with this guide which is why we're trying it again. She's so good at the planning and she has a purpose in the bite size pieces of work. I am used to gulping.... :001_smile: Slowing down has been painful for me (hence the wanting to rip my hair out) BUT I see great value in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Wanted to add that some of the experiments my ds new the answer for already because he has done something similar with Apologia, but he enjoyed doing them anyways. The Bigger science does cover many more topics though. He has only gone through the animal Apologia books so far, so he is learning many new things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I actually agree that the writing and the drawing is excellent skill building. And, that is the point for Carrie. Skills! It requires my son to slow down, observe carefully (looking at the many colorful photos and the captions), and then do his work. I like that he has to look up a verse, write it out (and it's linked somehow to his topic), carefully study the OSS page, and then follow the directions for the notebooking. I HONESTLY think that I don't like it because I'm impatient and I want whiz, bang, wow and I want it now! :lol: So, the problem is me (at least in our case). My son hasn't complained. And, if he did complain I would encourage him along with the right exhortations (the same ones I need to hear). I believe in what Carrie is doing with this guide which is why we're trying it again. She's so good at the planning and she has a purpose in the bite size pieces of work. I am used to gulping.... :001_smile: Slowing down has been painful for me (hence the wanting to rip my hair out) BUT I see great value in it. __________________ :lol: I often think as parents we are learning just as much or more than our children during the homeschool process. It takes a lot of patience and discipline to get through the day. I mean for the teacher as much as the student.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwena Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Neither of my 2 children have complained. I love the verses that they copy. Just yesterday they had to copy Jeremiah 8:7, "Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD." It went right along with the birds migrating in the John Audobon book. To me it just shows them that God knew about all these things (migration etc.) before man, after all He's the Creator. The part that I usually feel nervous about is their guesses/conclusions on the Science experiment pgs. I don't know why. I guess I'm just black and white and sometimes (not always) it seems open ended. They love the experiments, even if they may already know what's going to happen. They are also proud of their notebooking pgs. My dh said the other day that he really liked their notebooking pgs because even though they were similiar they were also different. He liked that the child could make them their own. KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 If you're using (or have used) HOD's Bigger, what do you think of the science? We're using it this year and I'm just not too sure about it. My ds *hates* all the copywork and I tend to agree, it starts to feel more like busywork. I also don't feel like there is a ton of learning going on. My ds used to love, love, love science, but I feel like his joy for science is being sucked out of him this year. We're only 9 weeks in though, maybe it gets better?? It could just be me though....I've been super tired the past few days and therefore in major complaining-mode. :) Anyway, just curious what other people's thoughts/experiences are. It might get better. I could not stand reading the Small Square book. My dd couldn't do the sketches that were assigned but she'll copy her little heart out. Not being able to get outside to the seashore and actually *do* what the book was asking us to do was not fun. Some of the experiments she liked like using different pinchers in the sand to imitate bird beaks but some like pushing the balloon under the water she didn't like and it didn't work well illustrating displacement. Looking back we should have just used a cup of water and an ice cube. But we dropped the whole thing when I started shuddering at science time so I don't know if it gets better. Maybe perseverance isn't one of my strong points. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I don't love it (it makes me want to rip my hair out :001_huh:) BUT my son isn't complaining yet. He does tell me that he already knows this or that due to having read the OSS books in the past. He knows outcomes of the hands on as well which is a tad disappointing. I suspect he will grow tired of it but I won't poison the well. I remain enthusiastic with him! We shelved Bigger for awhile and now we are testing it out one more time. Sigh. I think that HODs science looks especially good in CTC on up. I have 2 doing CtC's science and it is going very, very well. Love it! I can't comment on Rev 2 Rev as my 8th grader is doing Apologia. It was just too expensive to get something else when we already had and loved Apologia's Physical Science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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