Are we the only family that does not like Apologia for science? I have a friend

[MJN]

that thinks every[/b] should be using Apologia. I'm searching for an alternative for my science loving rising 6th grader if you aren't an Apologia fan.

[Langhaven]

My husband does the Science teaching in our family and has always chosen Bob Jones. He doesn't care for Apologia either.

[Laura W.]

I don't care for Apologia at all! There are plenty of other options out there that are just as good and maybe even better.

 

Things I've used and liked (and will most likely use again):

 

Real Science 4 Kids

Sonlight Science

the living books about science and nature from Queen Homeschool

 

Things I like and may use in the future:

WinterPromise science

NOEO science

Ring of Fire science kits

 

That list only scratches the surface. There are other good programs out there that have great content, but for other reasons do not fit our family. I'm sure other people will list them for you.

 

Blessings,

 

Laura

[LisaNY]

I wasn't crazy about Apologia, either. My favorite series is PH Science Explorer.

[Harriet Vane]

for Prentice Hall Science Explorer's.

[Brindee]

My dd liked the Elementary Apologia Astronomy, but had no interest in any of the others.

 

My oldest ds did Bob Jones.

 

My ds14 did the Apologia Biology this year. It was ok, but not great.

 

DD will be doing NOEO Science Chem II starting in July (cuz she WANTS to!), then will move on to Rainbow Science. DS will be doing Spectrum Chemistry (from the same place as Rainbow Science), probably.

[TracyR]

I've been going back and forth between Apologia and God's Design for Life .

I do like Sonlight's Science program .

[abbeyej]

No, we won't be using Apologia.

[Lori D.]

... Reader's Digest "How ... Works" as a spine, and added in matching TOPS units, library books and videos, plus some Christian/Creation books to balance out the evolutionary viewpoint, and some cool science kits. We found SO much additional stuff, we could spread out "How Earth Works" (earth science) and "How Science Works" (physical science -- chemistry and physics overview) over the 3 years of middle school.

 

Another middle school option is to spread the 2-year program of Rainbow Science over 3 years.

 

 

Side note on Apologia: We're doing Apologia Biology in 9th grade this year -- our first year with Apologia -- and while my son really likes the Christian/Creation viewpoint, the overly "chatty" text and the layout of words on the page (extremely LONG line lengths that make it hard to keep your place on the page) really drives me nuts, we're managing. Though, it's the first year that science HASN'T been a blast for us. Maybe we're just not "textbook science" type of homeschoolers. :tongue_smilie:

 

BEST of luck, whatever you decide to go with. Warmest regards, Lori D.

[HollyDay]

Nope, dont use Apologia either. Tried it, didnt like it.

[G5052]

And it's one of those lovely issues that divide and bring about strong emotions on this board and in homeschool circles in general.

 

I've looked through all of the 7th grade and up books and outlined and worked through the entire Physics book myself, and I was not as impressed with it as some of it's marketing indicates. It's a decent curriculum for what it intends (doing science at home). Compared to some textbooks used in elite high schools though, it does have gaps and the labs are lighter than most. If you use their quizzes/tests, they don't have the depth of critical thinking that I'd personally like to see.

 

It all depends on your goals and budget though....!

[GraceinMD]

for Prentice Hall Science Explorer's.

 

...and a third vote here. I don't care for Apologia at all, but we (ds and I) have both liked the PH SE series.

[Beth in Central TX]

I really, really like the Elementary Apologia series, but I don't like the Junior High or High School Apologia books at all. Therefore, my DH and I have decided to do science informally in 7th & 8th grade with the new Zoology III book in the Elem Apologia series and Legos Mindstorm NXT homeschool set. In high school we plan to use the BJUP science series, but that's subject to change--science is the only subject I do not have a clear vision and plan for at this time.

[angela in ohio]

We won't be doing Apologia science or Saxon math, which is really saying something about my feelings about them, because I am passing up many opportunities to co-op science and math because *everyone* uses them...

 

We did General Science this year for 6th, but are moving to BJU's 8th grade for next year. Future dc will start BJU 7th grade science in 6th and progress from there.

[DarcyM]

Not an Apologia fan here, either. We will never use them in our home.

 

My students are young, so the library has been plenty for their current ages. I have liked what I've read about the Prentiss Hall materials, but I can't vouch for them personally. I like subject-specific readers. Instead of a text, I've stocked our library with science-related books, stories, photo books, etc.

 

We've also gotten a lot of mileage out of Discovery Streaming Education for really visualizing our science. I'm usually not a proponent of sticking a child in front of the TV or computer for teaching... but these videos are often 7-10 minutes in length and really help bring science to life.

 

It seems that whenever "everybody else is doing it" is always stuff that flops and fails here. If I've learned anything from these boards, it's be careful from whom you take advice. Families are so different. What works for someone else may not work for you and yours. I wish I would have learned that about $500 dollars ago. ;)

[teacalm]

I bought and sold all the elementary Apologia texts but I never got to starting them with my kids. I used Calvert with my girls last year and ended using up their McGraw Hill Science. With my son, I used Harcourt Science for 5th grade, and I really liked this series (2000 CA ed). I also used Rainbow Science for 5th grade and again I liked their brief and concise treatment of topics without losing substance and quality.

 

I bought the elementary Apologia texts for the second time and again, I just set them aside and ended up using Real Science 4 Kids with my girls. I'm planning on using Harcourt Science this coming school year for the science class I'm teaching with our homeschool group.

 

Ds took K12 Earth Science for 6th grade but I wasn't impressed. This year, I was going to enroll him in Regina Agnus Dei Life Science but I found out that it is using the 1st ed of Apologia General Science. I bought a used copy of this text and from going through the first pages, I decided to look for another text. So, my plan is to use BJU Life Science 2nd ed with DVD.

 

The elementary texts have beautiful pictures but I just knew that I wasn't going to use them.

[GoodGrief]

K12 science. It's pricey, but I've never found another one I like as much. We've used it for 1st through 7th grades thus far.

[Peela]

Definitely not Apologia users here. For starters we are not Christian, and even if we were, i doubt we would like the tone.

We use Singapore Sciences.

[Ravin]

I really doubt we'll use a formal science curriculum until high school. And if we did, it would be one that actually teaches science as it is understood as a discipline and knowledge set by most scientists. Other worldviews will be part of religious studies and history education.

[Stacy in NJ]

I need old earth, baby!

 

We've used Science in a Nutshell, Exploration Education and the Prentice Hall human body text. Next year we'll be using K12's Earth Science.

[Stacy in NJ]

Ds took K12 Earth Science for 6th grade but I wasn't impressed.

 

 

Can you tell me what left you less than impressed with K12's Earth Science? I was planning it for next year with my 6th grader, little brother, 4th grader, as a hanger on.

 

I haven't been able to find any reviews for this, and wonder if you wouldn't do a quicky for me? The samples on K12's site are neat.

[Stacy in NJ]

K12 science. It's pricey, but I've never found another one I like as much. We've used it for 1st through 7th grades thus far.

 

Did you use K12 Earth Science? Likes? Dislikes? :001_smile:

[Tami]

Apologia does not work for us, and we prefer BJU for elementary followed by Prentice Hall in middle. Unsure about high schoool.

[teacalm]

Hi Stacy,

 

Terribly sorry. I take back what I said. Looking back, I actually like it very much but got discouraged bec. ds didn't share the same enthusiasm as I do about this course. It's very well done and information is presented in a logical manner. The graphics and pictures are vivid and beautiful. The only thing I wish they would do differently is offer this course in a textbook format. I had ds took notes from the lessons (all of the lessons are online) but he didn't like going back and forth through all the online pages. I modelled the notetaking for him at first and we compare our notes but when I suggested going back to see what he missed as the important points, he would go into a "fit". I guess, it's this experience that made me "loathe" Earth Science. It's not the subject itself but the teaching experience of it. FWIW, my son is going through the dreaded and horrible "pre-teen" hormonal changes and it knocked me off my chair. I just don't know how to handle this side of him.

 

So, in a nutshell, i consider it a very well done course and I wish that they would offer in a textbook format.

 

Lyn

[Stacy in NJ]

Thanks, Lyn. I do think it would be handy to have a text. I'm hoping the student pages and teachers manual help in that respect. We plan to do a notebook, as well. I like the scope and sequence, per the online info.

 

My 11 yo is approching the terrible teens as well. Good Luck to us both.

[lv2sing]

Use it, but tweak it constantly. Have a science guy for a husband and he loves to add to what we are doing.