The Rainbow Science Curriculum

[Shelly in IL]

Wow!! How have I missed this program before? It looks so great! It looks so appealing to boys!! It doesn't look like it is going to be that time consuming! Yeah!! Thank you to whomever suggested it - I will be ordering it this week. (Can I just say that I want to kiss the company for including ALL the lab equipment in the price?) Yes, it looks expensive, but all the running around we would have to do to accumulate all that stuff for experiments would probably cost alot, too!!

[mom2abcd]

We'll be using it, too. I've heard so many raving reviews by happy customers. The elementary program is coming out at any time.

[titianmom]

DOn't tell me there's another one out there I need to take a look at, LOL.

 

I'm debating over RS4K and Science Explorer...

 

Now I'll have to take a look at Rainbow.

 

Sigh.

 

Kim

[Margo out of lurking]

We began using Rainbow last year with my science-hating 7th grade dd. It worked so well. I'm not a science person to begin with, and once I saw Apologia a few years ago, I've been dreading middle school science ever since.

 

Rainbow was expensive, but it was worth every penny. My friend Lee (shameless plug, http://www.thehomescholar.com) has always said to "invest in your weakness," so I did.

 

My dd easily tolerated it. I even understood parts of it, lol. She would even do much of the work on her own (unusual for her). When we'd do it together, she would get the answers before I did. The lessons were short but GOOD. I'd consider using it with my science-loving ds this coming school year, except that I don't want him to get too close to dd in a subject in which she doesn't excel...

 

But you already know all of this!!!!

 

* * *

 

Disclaimer: once we hit the second unit, chemistry, we rather fizzled out. But we'll pick it back up again in the fall!

It's the science story of my life...

[4kids4me]

I suggested it as a possibility to a friend about three years ago (though I never used it, my kids were too young...heard about it on the boards)...she purchased it and LOVES, LOVES, LOVES it (she's great a science, too). I just purchased it used and am really looking forward to using it since my ds just HATES school, except for science.

[Sugarfoot]

Hi, All,

 

Yes, there is a new program due out this fall for late elementary! We pre-ordered it at our conference. It looks great. We can't wait to get it!

[Shelly in IL]

Next year for 4th (little ds) I will order the elementary program as well!

[Susan in TN]

I agree that it is totally worth every penny, and I'm a "budget homeschooler" (to a point.) 13yods has just started Year 2. Since I am homeschooling 3, with a 3yo and 1yo and another "on the way", it is such a blessing that my son can at least do science completely on his own. There were very few times last year when he needed assistance (usually as requested by a lab - particularly if fire was involved :tongue_smilie:) When my younger kids get to Rainbow, there will be much less cost involved, and that makes it even more worth it. (I'm also having ds write his lab reports in a notebook rather than in the lab book - just to save that purchase later on.)

[mom2abcd]

Does anyone know if there's a yahoo group yet for support/encouragement? It's nice to see a good-sized group here using it. I'm afraid we'll "fall off the wagon" with this science program, too, and would stick with it better if I saw others using it and loving it.

 

I didn't realize it could be used pretty much independently! Huge plus!!!!

 

(Just gotta reinforce that dd, my unmotivated student... who would rather read books of her choosing or do handicrafts... sticks with it!)

[titianmom]

ON Homeschoolreviews there were several bad reviews, saying that it ins't very meaty at all and they felt for the grade level there should be a lot more to it than there is.

 

??

 

How indepth do they go into chemistry and physics? Do they talk about covalent compounds, for ex? Alkanes, Isomers, Alkenes and Plymers,LOL?

 

Thanks, I need to know the truth about Rainbow. :)

 

Kim

[Shelly in IL]

They have a place where you can e-mail the writer of the program. Maybe he can answer your specific questions??

This program is designed for grades 7 and 8. I'm sure it is a thorough overview of science, as in depth study would begin in high school. But, I haven't used the program yet (but am excited to!), so I don't know the specific answers to your questions.

 

http://www.beginningspublishing.com (this is their website)

[Susan in TN]

ON Homeschoolreviews there were several bad reviews, saying that it ins't very meaty at all and they felt for the grade level there should be a lot more to it than there is.

 

??

 

How indepth do they go into chemistry and physics? Do they talk about covalent compounds, for ex? Alkanes, Isomers, Alkenes and Plymers,LOL?

 

Thanks, I need to know the truth about Rainbow. :)

 

Kim

 

Ok - just glancing through the chemistry part of the text, they discuss the elements, chemical bonding, properties of elements, alkali metals, , transition metals, post-transition elements, reactants, actinoids, noble gases, molecular weight, compound reactions, polyatomic ions, alkanes, linear alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and we could go on and on - there are 17 more chapters on chemistry. In physics, we start with Newtons laws, gravitation, , acceleration, parallel, curved, and orbiting paths, waves, fluid properties, work, machines, energies, heat, light, and chemical bonds, mass energy, forces, etc.

 

On the website, there is a scope and sequence page that will give a better overview. http://www.beginningspublishing.com/RL1ss.htm

 

I think some of the criticism about Rainbow comes from the fact that the chapters are short and to the point. Honestly, it could go on into greater depth, but this is a program written for middle school, not high school. It's written to give a solid base in the 4 sciences to prepare for high school level work. And I think it does that very well. Sure, we can try to cram as much info as we can into their brains, but would they actually be learning the basics, or would the foundational concepts get lost in the shuffle?

[sagira]

Ok - I think some of the criticism about Rainbow comes from the fact that the chapters are short and to the point. Honestly, it could go on into greater depth, but this is a program written for middle school, not high school. It's written to give a solid base in the 4 sciences to prepare for high school level work. And I think it does that very well. Sure, we can try to cram as much info as we can into their brains, but would they actually be learning the basics, or would the foundational concepts get lost in the shuffle?

 

:iagree: Well said.

 

With us, we strive for quality vs. quantity, a la Charlotte Mason.

[chaik76]

This looks interesting...I wish I could take a look at it, but it wouldn't be a wise purchase for us right now as we like to focus on one area of science per year (Biology this year).