X-Post - Science help, please!

[Roxy Roller]

I have posted this in the logic forum, but I am wondering if it might be better to post it here among those of you who have BTDT.

 

My DD12 is currently finishing Module #4 of Apologia General Science. She is not a really proficient reader, so she 'reads' the text along with the mp3(she will do this without complaint, but doesn't seem to retain much). I love the curriculum, but it doesn't seem to be engaging her. She struggles through the On Your Own questions, she will do the labs with dad, and seems to get them, but when we get to the review questions and the tests, I have nothing but a fight and tears. She claims she doesn't know the answers.

 

Right now she wants to be a Vet Tech., so she knows she needs at least two sciences, and she understands that she needs to start working hard now in 7th Grade, to get there. She is still a very immature 7th grader though(barely starting puberty), so I am not sure if she needs to mature a bit.

 

So, my questions are:

 

1. Do I just let her go through the text, 'reading' it, and doing the On Your Own questions, and call it good for this year? Accepting the fact that she is just getting a surface overview of it. Do I do the same next year with Physical Science year and then step it up in 9th Grade when she hits Biology?

 

2. Do I make her do them? I am finding it is killing her love of science, but I am feeling the pressure of high school coming.

 

3. Is there another creation-based science out there that is similar to Apologia, on maybe a little easier level, that could get her through this next couple of years? She is not a great scholar, but just an average kid. I do not want to debate the ease or toughness of Apologia, because I know that there are those that feel that it is light. We are not experiencing that here.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice,

[mjbucks1]

Hi there,

My dd is 11 and is finishing module 4 of General Science as well (I decided to go ahead and start Apologa in 6th grade as I did the same with my ds and he did fine, plus dd loves science). Dd was also "reading along" with the MP3 version, but like your dd, she was not retaining a lot. So for this chapter I have been reading it to her, which allows her to ask questions as we go. I have also been helping her with the "on your own questions" by helping her to think through the problems (I am continuing to help her with the module summaries as well). Also, I have dd make falsh cards for all definaitions and formulas.

My dd is requiring MUCH more involvement than my son did (I actually just gave the book to ds in 6th grade and he breezed through it). I know that we could get an easier text, but dd LOVES the experiments and I do like that it is challenging her brain. Honestly, with a three year old running around, I would rather she be a bit more independent. But I think that maybe she just needs a bit more "hand holding". My goal is that by the time she reaches Biology she will be more independent.

I do not know if you have the time or inclination to do the same with your dd, but I thought I would share what we are doing since our daughters sound similar :001_smile:. Blessings!!!

[Julie in MN]

I have had a similar situation -- kid who seems a good candidate for a science career but textbooks were clearly killing his love of science itself. There are lots of options but none of them as easy or clear as the original textbook plan.

 

1. Your idea of just using parts of the program seems okay. I feel so-so about that option, but haven't thought it thru.

2. Some folks just go slower and stretch out General and do Physical in 9th.

3. The kind of mentoring that Michelle described is really necessary for a lot of kids, I think. Sitting beside them and showing them how to learn from a textbook. In a public school setting, the kids would have other kids they could watch and several teachers, and they'd likely pick it up from them.

4. There are a few other Christian sciences. For instance, I used Rainbow year 1 with both my kids, which is a pricy option but I was very happy with it. AIG has a whole science program that's suitable through 8th grade (at the pace of 3 books a year). Etc.

5. You can create your own thing, like I'm doing with Biology this year (based on Biology 101 DVDs but teaching a lot myself). Lots of work, but just doing it for one class seems do-able compared with doing it for everything with my older dd.

6. Finding a "lab partner" or other type of group situation can sometimes help, by adding a bit of peer pressure or maybe camaraderie. I've done that with inviting another student to my house, although I haven't always found someone willing. Larger co-op classes are usually available, too, although it adds quite a bit of expense and a lot of time pressure.

 

Best wishes in your efforts,

Julie

[Roxy Roller]

Hi there,

My dd is 11 and is finishing module 4 of General Science as well (I decided to go ahead and start Apologa in 6th grade as I did the same with my ds and he did fine, plus dd loves science). Dd was also "reading along" with the MP3 version, but like your dd, she was not retaining a lot. So for this chapter I have been reading it to her, which allows her to ask questions as we go. I have also been helping her with the "on your own questions" by helping her to think through the problems (I am continuing to help her with the module summaries as well). Also, I have dd make falsh cards for all definaitions and formulas.

My dd is requiring MUCH more involvement than my son did (I actually just gave the book to ds in 6th grade and he breezed through it). I know that we could get an easier text, but dd LOVES the experiments and I do like that it is challenging her brain. Honestly, with a three year old running around, I would rather she be a bit more independent. But I think that maybe she just needs a bit more "hand holding". My goal is that by the time she reaches Biology she will be more independent.

I do not know if you have the time or inclination to do the same with your dd, but I thought I would share what we are doing since our daughters sound similar :001_smile:. Blessings!!!

 

Thank you, Michelle. Yes, our daughters do sound alike. I know that she would love to have me do it with her, but with 4 younger siblings in 1st to 5th Grades, I already 'do' school from 8am to 4:30pm. Maybe I have to let some other things go, so that I have time to do it with her. I will have to ponder this.

[Roxy Roller]

I have had a similar situation -- kid who seems a good candidate for a science career but textbooks were clearly killing his love of science itself. There are lots of options but none of them as easy or clear as the original textbook plan.

 

1. Your idea of just using parts of the program seems okay. I feel so-so about that option, but haven't thought it thru.

2. Some folks just go slower and stretch out General and do Physical in 9th.

3. The kind of mentoring that Michelle described is really necessary for a lot of kids, I think. Sitting beside them and showing them how to learn from a textbook. In a public school setting, the kids would have other kids they could watch and several teachers, and they'd likely pick it up from them.

4. There are a few other Christian sciences. For instance, I used Rainbow year 1 with both my kids, which is a pricy option but I was very happy with it. AIG has a whole science program that's suitable through 8th grade (at the pace of 3 books a year). Etc.

5. You can create your own thing, like I'm doing with Biology this year (based on Biology 101 DVDs but teaching a lot myself). Lots of work, but just doing it for one class seems do-able compared with doing it for everything with my older dd.

6. Finding a "lab partner" or other type of group situation can sometimes help, by adding a bit of peer pressure or maybe camaraderie. I've done that with inviting another student to my house, although I haven't always found someone willing. Larger co-op classes are usually available, too, although it adds quite a bit of expense and a lot of time pressure.

 

Best wishes in your efforts,

Julie

 

Thank you, Julie, for your thoughtful response. My DD really does love science, but I am finding the textbook approach is killing it. Maybe it does need to be something we ease into, because she does need to be able to learn from a textbook before she hits college.:tongue_smilie:I do not mind paying the price tag for Rainbow Science if it would be a good fit. I haven't looked at AIG's products, but maybe I need to look there as well. I know that there are two or three other 7th Graders in our church who are going through Apologia GS right now too. Maybe we can arrange something to get together. So a mentor group may be a possibility. I really want her to be successful. She is discouraged and saying that maybe she can't learn science, and she will have to give up her dream of working with animals.

[Musicmom]

You might want to take a look at Rainbow Science. Both my dc did Rainbow and then went into Apologia Biology. Especially for a less mature child, I think it would feel less intense than Apologia. (In fact, I specifically decided not to do Apologia GS or PS because I knew I would use Apologia for high school and I didn't want my dc to burn out on the format before we got there.)

 

Rainbow has shorter readings and fewer questions--along with a good answer key--and the labs are interesting and fun. I don't remember if it has tests... I think there are a couple of big reviews in the lab book that I used to gauge how my kids were doing. It's designed to be done 3 days a week. The only thing about the shorter readings (and the author explains this to the parent in the teacher key) is they pack a LOT of info into that reading, so while the reading is short, there's some soak/think time that's necessary for the child to absorb it--and it's fine to talk through the questions and let them absorb. Anyway, I thought it was an excellent middle school level science that both nurtured my dc's interest in science and prepared them well for high school science--both were ready to jump right into Apologia Biology after Rainbow.

 

Apologia Biology then is when my kids started learning how to learn from a textbook--how to make note cards for vocab, how to work through a study guide and take a test, how to deal with grades, etc. Apologia Bio was very good for learning these skills.

[lauracolumbus]

Different text, same problem with my ds13. He's doing PH Physical Science and I found he wasn't retaining what he read. We've slowed down and he's outlining the chapter and writing definitions for the vocab words. It's definitely helping. At first he resisted b/c he had to become more of an active learner than a passive learner and it was more difficult/time consuming.

 

Laura