My kids think Evan moor daily science is a joke.

[grantmeawish]

It is so easy.  I think it may take them 3 min to complete. Hey it gets done right! My kids are 6 and 8.  I will say they are retaining what they learn maybe because it is so easy, but they want more.  I check out extra books every week to "beef it up", but they want more. 

The best science we had was a book we checked out on lakes and rivers from the library and spent a couple months going through it.  Is anyone familiar with great science books out there?

[boscopup]

Ask them what topics they'd like to study. Then go to the library and get random books on those topics. :)

 

Also, invest in some good science encylcopedias and other reference type books that the kids can read when they want to. My oldest learned a lot by reading an Usborne science encyclopedia, The Way Things Work, and The Way We Work. I also have Apologia Elementary books around, though those are young earth.

[Mrs Twain]

If you would like something easy to add to science, try Studies Weekly Science.  These are weekly science newspapers  The children read the newspaper, and then you can give them a quiz about it (which you can print off the Studies Weekly website).  You could look at the samples to see whether to use your children's grade level or use a higher grade level.  We are using them this year as a supplement for our science program, and dh and I are quite impressed. 

 

If you would like something teacher intensive, then look at Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (Nebel).  This is a fantastic science program, but it takes a lot of mom-effort.

 

If you are looking for good library books, there are a ton of great ones from the "Let's Read and Find Out Science" series.

 

ETA:  We are just finishing The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting:  Build a Weather Station, "Read" the Sky and Make Predictions!  (Breen, Friestad).

All I can say is WOW!

 

 

[brendag]

http://www.msnucleus.org/membership/k-6.html  

 

You start at Applied Science, move on to Universe Cycle and continue on clockwise.  My twin 6 year olds love it and so do I.  Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

Brenda

[Hunter]

It is so easy. I think it may take them 3 min to complete. Hey it gets done right! My kids are 6 and 8. I will say they are retaining what they learn maybe because it is so easy, but they want more. I check out extra books every week to "beef it up", but they want more.

The best science we had was a book we checked out on lakes and rivers from the library and spent a couple months going through it. Is anyone familiar with great science books out there?

Hardcopy encyclopedias. The science is current for most topics even in pretty old ones. Broken sets are fine and often free. My sons' favorites were World Book, Compton's, and New Book of Knowledge.

 

Don't be too quick to abandon EM Daily Science. They are retaining it. Easy learning doesn't mean inferior learning. It just means there is time for MORE too.

[Targhee]

They are! We use them, but for Reading Comprehension practice (not science), and a grade level ahead at that. It forces my son to pay attention to the details he often blows by (he reads the encyclopedia for fun, but in a haphazard, interest-led way).  I'm just using it to help him develop good habits in reading. It is very reminiscent of a standardized test passage and questions, no?

[clemota]

We use it but beef it way, WAY up.  I like that the worksheets are more of a starting point for worksheet-loving DD.  But from there we add on higher-level detail from books or use Netflix, BrainPop, Discovery Steaming and Amazon for other science-y topics.  We go off on rabbit trails a lot.

 

For example - DD is using grade 1.  We are currently doing "Can a whale live in a lake?"  The basic Evan-Moore premise is that animals live in different places.  So we've not only done those habitats studies, but we've also done food chains and food webs, explored why some animals are becoming endangered, what impact humans have on the earth, and how we can take care of the earth for all future animals.  We studies all animals of the desert, not just camels, and learned how native Americans used the inner wood of the saguaro cactus.  We made a terrarium of succulents for a contained habitat.  I try to incorporate a lot of labs when I can find something that fits (I'm seriously considering hatching some "Sea Monkeys" to show DD one of the lower foods on the food chain - not sure if that's too crazy or what...lol)

 

It sounds like a lot of work, but honestly, DD loves science and if I ask her a question she will just respond with some info she learned from Wild Kratts or Fetch.  Then I let her lead the discussion and see where it takes us.

The worksheets, taken by themselves, are ridiculously easy.  But as Hunter points out, easy does not mean inferior.  Think of the topic ideas as starting points.  We only do the worksheets because DD loves them, but I'd probably skip them and use the ideas more for discussion starters if she didn't.

[Hunter]

I never used the workbook pages for EM Daily Science. I used the workbook as my teacher manual. The "Big Ideas" are no joke. My remedial adult students had NOT mastered those "Big Ideas" yet, and those big ideas are the foundation of later science.

 

I prepared my own copywork for students. We talked and talked about the ideas. We read books from the library on the topics. Sometimes I read a bit of an encyclopedia article, but really the topics were challenging for the student that I used EMDS with the most, and she was not up to dealing with advanced language along with new science. She needed short simple sentences, so I usually stuck to library books and talking and copywork..

 

EMDS can be done as a reading comprehension workbook, or it can be fleshed out into a very comprehensive science curriculum.

 

Try asking your students to narrate about the "Big Ideas" and to explain how the weekly topics support the "Big Ideas".

 

Don't be too quick to skip levels. I think starting at Grade 1 is critical, even if it means just skimming the book in a few weeks. I have yet to have even 1 adult student that had a basic understanding of even 1/2 of the grade 1 "Big Ideas". I think most people will find themselves spending a lot more time completing grade 1 than would have predicted.

 

When something seems easy, it doesn't mean it can or should be skipped. EMDS just did such a good job of making easy what others have made complex, that it is being slammed for being too easy and quick. How funny is that?

 

Try asking a student about the big idea before and after studying about it. Judge the book by what the student learned, not how difficult and long it took them to complete the workbook pages about each idea.

[SilverMoon]

The whole daily series from Evan-Moor is designed to be 5 minute bites; those books weren't written to be stand alone curriculum.

 

It sounds like you're already library users. Why not just do library book science? Pick books on random topics and roll with the ones that grab you.

 

My kids enjoyed the Thornton Burgess animal books at those ages.

[alisoncooks]

http://www.msnucleus.org/membership/k-6.html

 

You start at Applied Science, move on to Universe Cycle and continue on clockwise.  My twin 6 year olds love it and so do I.  Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

Brenda

 

This is interesting.  I've not seen it before, thanks for sharing!

[alisoncooks]

We're using Science: A Closer Look textbook for science.  It has great pictures/photographs, and a fairly basic scope & sequence.  It covers life, some chemistry, some physics & some earth science each year.  There are a few experiments sprinkled in, and free workbooks to go with it that can be printed from online.  With my 5 and 7 yr old, we're working through Grade 1 together.   We read a lesson, then illustrate in a science notebook and they retell a few key points that I jot down for them.

[Wolfmeis]

This is interesting.  I've not seen it before, thanks for sharing!

 

That looks great for this age group!

[ajfries]

If you would like something easy to add to science, try Studies Weekly Science.  These are weekly science newspapers  The children read the newspaper, and then you can give them a quiz about it (which you can print off the Studies Weekly website).  You could look at the samples to see whether to use your children's grade level or use a higher grade level.  We are using them this year as a supplement for our science program, and dh and I are quite impressed. 

 

 

I was just looking at this. When I input '1' student & added it to my cart the price was $8.48. That's for the whole year!? That's what it says but I keep thinking it should be more.

[clemota]

I was just looking at this. When I input '1' student & added it to my cart the price was $8.48. That's for the whole year!? That's what it says but I keep thinking it should be more.

 

Yes, that's for the whole year.  They get shipped out quarterly.  I haven't tried the science, but the history/social studies and ones are FANTASTIC.  They come with the weekly "paper" for the student, plus a teacher's edition (same paper plus stuff on the margins/sides) AND a separate teacher's guide with ideas for lesson planning, worksheets, and quizzes.  We don't really use the quizzes or many of the worksheets here, but it is a thorough, well-laid out curriculum.  I imagine science to be more of the same. 

 

I also got the health one for DD 11, it's similar, but only an 8-week course.  We haven't tried it yet as I was planning on adding that towards the end of the year.  They are a bargain, that's for sure, even if you're only using them as supplementation.

 

[tomandlorih]

I love Evan Moor books (had a teacher file box subscription last year) but I'm not currently using any EM books.  I am, however, using Studies Weekly 4th grade science here this year and love it!!

I do supplement from the library, online sites and Discovery Education/Brainpop videos just because my dd loves science and loves to read and watch videos.. lol

Lower grades are really very simple I think but they would make a great supplement too. Can't beat the price!  

Side note: We are using the state history Studies Weekly also and it is great also!    

[alisoncooks]

How full are the Studies Weekly?  Meaning: do you feel they make a complete program or are you using them to supplement another curric.?

[ajfries]

Sorry to derail the thread, OP, but I've been trying to figure out Social Studies & I think these fit the bill! Since they're shipped quarterly I wonder what I would get & when if I ordered now.

[Mrs Twain]

Sorry to derail the thread, OP, but I've been trying to figure out Social Studies & I think these fit the bill! Since they're shipped quarterly I wonder what I would get & when if I ordered now.

 

You can call them and ask, but I think they will send you all of the issues up to this point in the year.

[Mrs Twain]

How full are the Studies Weekly?  Meaning: do you feel they make a complete program or are you using them to supplement another curric.?

 

I think you could use Studies Weekly as a basis for a complete program, if you added in other books, did some hands on activities, etc.

 

I use Studies Weekly as a supplement and for review. 

 

Using Studies Weekly Science alone would be a lot better than doing nothing for science.  I say that because I think there are a fair number of homeschoolers who do little or nothing for science.

[clemota]

Sorry to derail the thread, OP, but I've been trying to figure out Social Studies & I think these fit the bill! Since they're shipped quarterly I wonder what I would get & when if I ordered now.

 

If you order now, they will send you all the issues they have sent out so far.  So, first quarter and second. They'll send them out right away - I remember finding some info about it on the teacher's FAQ.

[clemota]

How full are the Studies Weekly?  Meaning: do you feel they make a complete program or are you using them to supplement another curric.?

 

They were designed to be a full curriculum.  That said, I don't know that I would consider it very hearty.  Does it touch on all the standards per grade?  Yup.  Does it go into a lot of detail for each standard? No, that's too hard to do in a once-a-week newspaper.

 

However, it is one of those easy-to-get-done types.  So it works as a supplement or maybe for a family who needs something lighter.  We use it as a fun extra, so I pull it out on our why-in-the-world-did-I-schedule-so-many-activities-out-of-the-house days.  It travels well. ;)

[DawnL]

^{Following....}

 

^{These look pretty good. I may have to pick some of these up.}

^{If I order something at this time, does it start back with September? Or does it just pick up in the current month and I've missed some?}

[clemota]

^{Following....}

 

^{These look pretty good. I may have to pick some of these up.}

^{If I order something at this time, does it start back with September? Or does it just pick up in the current month and I've missed some?}

 

You'll get all the issues they've sent since September.

[Mrs. Lilac]

We do EMDS, but we do a week's worth in a day, and only do it twice a week.  I found if we did just the daily assignment they were bored and it had less cohesiveness- if we really dig in and do M-F in a day, it still doesn't take overly long (20 min?) and they retain more.

[Hunter]

We do EMDS, but we do a week's worth in a day, and only do it twice a week. I found if we did just the daily assignment they were bored and it had less cohesiveness- if we really dig in and do M-F in a day, it still doesn't take overly long (20 min?) and they retain more.

If JUST completing the workbooks and doing very little teaching and supplementing, this is a good approach. I TAUGHT the series, though, and TALKED about the whole weeks lesson topics every day, and then FOCUSED on the day's topic. Spending a week on the topic helped really drill it in.

[Mrs. Tharp]

We're using Science: A Closer Look textbook for science.  It has great pictures/photographs, and a fairly basic scope & sequence.  It covers life, some chemistry, some physics & some earth science each year.  There are a few experiments sprinkled in, and free workbooks to go with it that can be printed from online.  With my 5 and 7 yr old, we're working through Grade 1 together.   We read a lesson, then illustrate in a science notebook and they retell a few key points that I jot down for them.

 

That's the textbook Calvert uses. I agree that they are excellent.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

If you would like something teacher intensive, then look at Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (Nebel).  This is a fantastic science program, but it takes a lot of mom-effort.

 

 

:thumbup: Nebel is the best, and will take you K through 8.  He even runs a yahoo group to answer questions.  True, lots of prep compared to a plug-n-play program, but you get what you put into it.

[kiwik]

They may like to play with www.sciencekids.co.nz. It has facts, lesson plans and little virtual experiments which are quite fun (I had a play with the dissecting and labelling a flower and altering a circuit last week.