lindsrae Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Really? Can we just do that? For second grade and K4? What if we don't narrate and only occasionally do an experiment/demonstration??? Will the science police come get us? :) But, seriously, will they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runningmom80 Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 I don't know about the science police rules, but that's what we will be doing for first grade. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2koh Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 That's what we did! Next year will be our first with a formal type of science curriculum (dd will be in 4th next school year). I loved looking at the NOEO and Sonlight reading lists for ideas. Good luck. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystie Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 That's pretty much all we do and will do, even with my oldest going into 4th grade this year. We read the Apologia books like read-alouds (or independent reading) rather than use them like a curriculum. And we garden and do nature walks sometimes. And I get books from the library on whatever the boys say they're interested in. It's working for us! I'm not concerned about "doing" science until late middle school or high school, particularly if they are well read and interested in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 I say go for it. We read a lot of science books. My husband does experiments with the kids, but that's really not my specialty. We also watch A LOT of science videos. That's another great way to work science in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Of course you can do that. Don't forget that you can just READ science textbooks. I have started just buying student manuals of certain textbooks in many of the content areas. When I am feeling particularly frazzled, I like to read from textbooks instead of real books, because it's all organized at the correct reading level. Older editions without teacher's manuals are dirt cheap at Amazon and last for weeks as a read aloud. I don't worry about the student retaining all the information. Because we can read through so many books in such a relaxing fashion, they get more in the long run, than if I slow down and start quizzing them. I also often use books below grade level as retention is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Oh also! Try subscribing to some great science magazines. I cannot TELL you how much dd9 has learned just reading the many magazines we get! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mothergooseof4 Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 See my post in this thread from earlier today: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=386701 I think my oldest is well prepared to start middle school science next year. He has a broad knowledge of science and we have been very relaxed in this area. My younger two are following suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I did that the first time through the cycle with my oldest for biology and earth/space science. I had no budget for science curriculum those years because I had spent so much on Right Start B & C (which I don't regret). This time around, I've been reading Mr. Q to DS alongside library books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Yup, you can! I have told the science police that your house is off limits!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Yup, you can! I have told the science police that your house is off limits!:D I need that like button! :hurray: Seriously though, books and documentaries are the backbone of our science. Occasional fun projects/experiments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 The science police will not come get you and it will be more than what they do in public schools. A friend refers to ps science/social studies in the early grades as "for kids who have never been outside." On the other hand, don't be scared to do occasional experiments or be spontaneous. Many good science read alouds, such as the Let's Read and Find Out books have simple little experiments in them - and sometimes it's stuff you'd be silly not to do. I remember the one about how mountains are made suggested you go get a dishtowel and squish it up to see how folded mountains get, well, folded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmarango Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I will also say yes to the books as long as you are also working on observation skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsrae Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Of course you can do that. Don't forget that you can just READ science textbooks. I have started just buying student manuals of certain textbooks in many of the content areas. When I am feeling particularly frazzled, I like to read from textbooks instead of real books, because it's all organized at the correct reading level. Older editions without teacher's manuals are dirt cheap at Amazon and last for weeks as a read aloud. I don't worry about the student retaining all the information. Because we can read through so many books in such a relaxing fashion, they get more in the long run, than if I slow down and start quizzing them. I also often use books below grade level as retention is better. Ooh, good idea! I don't want to "miss" something, but I feel so much angst about science because it is the very last things we ever do. It would be freeing to just "read through" the textbook and not worry about retaining every little thing. (I know my girls remember things from Wild Kratz and The Cat in the Hat Know A Lot About That!) :) Oh also! Try subscribing to some great science magazines. I cannot TELL you how much dd9 has learned just reading the many magazines we get! Another good idea. Need to invest in those, instead of worrying about the shiny science curriculum that I never crack open! Yup, you can! I have told the science police that your house is off limits!:D WHEW! I can't tell you how much of a relief that is! Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way...:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpidarkomama Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 That's what we've been doing, pretty much (oldest finishing 3rd grade). Story time is for science and history (alternating) + whatever readaloud we're doing. Every other Wednesday is art/music/history/science day so that's when we do more involved activities. Frequently, Sunday works for science activities as well. Works great for us, and my kids are science FANATICS. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 That's mostly what we do... and I have some Science Wiz kits that DS sometimes does on his own, plus a couple Janice Cleave science experiment books that he has sometimes pulled info from on his own. I prefer experiments/projects to be done by him, not me. He never seems to get anything out of a project that I demonstrate to him. If he does it himself, he might learn something. If he reads about it, he learns even more. We discuss science topics all the time as they come up in life, so the kids are learning plenty of science. With DS2's copious "why" and "what happens if" questions, we can't miss talking about science! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 No! Of course you can't do that!!!:D This is exactly what we do, only I would suggest some "experiments." In our case that pretty much boils down to "grab your boots, let's go hiking!" We also do a lot of imaginative play with science. We went to the jogging trail which winds through a swamp, and since we've been studying rain forests, we pretended we were in the jungle, and had fun thinking about all the things we might see. We went pretty quickly between the ponds--anacondas, you know. I don't know about totally not narrating. We do narrate, but honestly, I think I'm just going to go with oral work for science. I'd rather hear the oral report at length than try to get it down to summary length at this point in their education. I might have them work on some science compositions instead of narration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 You can absolutely just read. For good measure, if you like, you can couple that with simply being observant with your children about the world. I think that most science programs for grades K-4 are a crock anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 The science police haven't caught up with us yet! I would say that we are science-heavy but most of that is reading living books. We do experiments but that isn't my main focus and I haven't stressed over them. We are growing mold right now but that's more of a talent so it almost doesn't count as an experiment. :tongue_smilie: I think my dc have learned more from their independent, fun science reading than from the curriculum we use. We do use and love Noeo (which is reading a lot of living books) and they've learned a lot from it but it doesn't compare to them diving in to a topic on their own that they really care about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I love this thread by 8filltheheart. She gives a little more detail about studying science later in the thread. I have been trying to let go of the idea of formal science in elementary school for several months. As time goes on, I notice more and more how much science my kids pick up just from reading books and discussing ideas with me. I have a "logic stage" biology curric on my shelf that is more rigorous than my high school biology class was. All the "rigor" for a 5th grader just makes us both dread science. It's so much more fun and interesting to see my 6yo sitting on the couch reading a book about the solar system, asking his siblings questions about Neptune, and informing me that he could have 234 birthdays every year if he lived on Pluto. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Honestly, I like starting with books much more than starting with experiments. I know the WTM says to go through the "Biology for Every Kid" and "Mudpies to Magnets" types of books, but there's no context for the experiments and it just seems sort of random. We read a bunch of science books and we do a lot of experiments and activities too but they're usually ones that just sort of become obvious after reading a book. Like, if the book says "for example, a balloon fills with air and then you can feel the air come out!" It's not exactly a leap to run and find a balloon and try it out. And the Let's Read and Find Out books usually have a suggested experiment at the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 And if you're looking for science magazines, I can't recommend the ones from Carus Publishing enough. They're kind of pricey, but ad-free and really just wonderfully done. IMO they are a bit advanced for the ages listed, so you might want to see if your library has any to preview before you select which ones to buy. For example, I subscribed to Click when my DD was 3, because it says ages 3-6, but I'd say it's a lot more appropriate for ages 5-7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Rose Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 There is even a $1 book on Scholastic called, "Teaching Science With Favorite Picture Books." http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/teaching-science-with-favorite-picture-books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 We are growing mold right now but that's more of a talent so it almost doesn't count as an experiment. :tongue_smilie: Ok, I've been thinking for a while that you must be my long lost homeschool twin, and now I know it! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Ok, I've been thinking for a while that you must be my long lost homeschool twin, and now I know it! :lol: I've thought that too :001_smile: You should have seen the look dh gave me when I told him we were growing mold for science this week. He even said, "that's the one type of plant we can keep alive" :lol:. Priceless. In my defense, I am successfully sprouting an avocado pit right now. Dh doesn't have much confidence that we'll get to the planting stage but I'm ever hopeful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 (edited) And if you're looking for science magazines, I can't recommend the ones from Carus Publishing enough. They're kind of pricey, but ad-free and really just wonderfully done. IMO they are a bit advanced for the ages listed, so you might want to see if your library has any to preview before you select which ones to buy. For example, I subscribed to Click when my DD was 3, because it says ages 3-6, but I'd say it's a lot more appropriate for ages 5-7. :iagree: My ds11 loves Odyssey from Carus Publishing! ETA: Other magazine recommendations? I have an 11 yo and a 9 yo, who would love more magazine. I was looking at Nat Geographic Kids, but understand from reviews that it is full of ads and junk. Edited May 23, 2012 by momto2Cs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 (edited) We love the Carus magazines... we used to get Cobblestone for history. Hmm, that must have expired. I just realized we haven't received one in a while. :) We get the NatGeo Kids, and it's not too bad with ads. DS loves it. Somehow we accidentally ordered the original National Geographic along with it, LOL, so DS is starting to read through that as well!! For the record, we haven't gone very deep into science yet either... we read a lot and that's about it. The science police haven't shown up.... yet... :leaving: Edited May 23, 2012 by SunnyDays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsrae Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 LOVE it! Great ideas!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefragile7393 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 :iagree: My ds11 loves Odyssey from Carus Publishing! ETA: Other magazine recommendations? I have an 11 yo and a 9 yo, who would love more magazine. I was looking at Nat Geographic Kids, but understand from reviews that it is full of ads and junk. I haven't seen any in my edition..but I have National Geographic Little Kids so maybe that is different. Also NWF.org does 3 levels of kids science magazines...Ranger Rick, Big Backyard (we get this) and Wild Animal Baby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandty Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Really? Can we just do that? For second grade and K4? What if we don't narrate and only occasionally do an experiment/demonstration??? Will the science police come get us? :) But, seriously, will they? This was my favorite science for my kids in the early grades!! We didn't do anything formal until 3rd grade. I just went to the library and got books on the subjects my kids liked. Wrote down the name of our favorite books for record when my youngest would be that age. Our suject matter wasn't random, but organized as we spent a month of the human body and a month on animals, etc. Plus it is free!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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