mrhmhy Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I'm looking for science suggestions for my 4 yr old (5 in March). I had seen something here before which I thought looked fantastic but can't remember what it was. He is working at a mid-1st grade math level and reads around a 4th grade level. He absolutely loves science, both reading about it and hands-on. Current obsession is dinosaurs but he really takes to just about anything. I'd like to really encourage this, and most of the kindergarten science things I find are just too simplistic. I'm also not the most creative person so while I know I theoretically could grab some library books and put things together, I do better when I have an actual step by step guide in front of me. And my public school science education was certainly lacking so I need a program that gives me the explanations for things so I can explain it to him. We've subscribed to the Magic School Bus Science kits and he enjoys them but I don't really feel they actually teach anything. Suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 My DD loved the Singapore "My Pals are Here" Science at that age (4a-6b, so 4th-6th grade). Nothing written for young children was a good fit for her, but those were cute while still having a lot of depth. I will warn you that they are NOT homeschool friendly at all-the expectation is that the teacher will add a lot of background. The Evan Moor Daily Science was nice, too-again, the 4th-6th grade ones, not the primary grade ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 We did Real Science Odyssey. The Level One stuff was a pretty good fit - content, but still young enough that it did not feel textbookish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Another vote for real science odyssey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Btervet Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 My oldest is about the same age (5 in Feb), and we are in the same spot. We use Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, and Real Science Odyssey as our core for science. We then get lots and lots of library books, both curriculum have good recommendations. I also use science videos for his screen time: Magic School Bus, The Happy Scientist, and Wild Kratts. We have two sets of snap circuits as well, which he can now play with on his own and these keep him pretty busy. Even with all this, I struggle to keep up with him in science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I have a similar kid - 4yo, 1st grade math, 6th grade reading, science-focused. I haven't found a standard curric that fits. We use Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, using the topics with lots of parent-education included within the book plus library books suggested. I add to that with Snap Circuits, The Private Eye curriculum, Zometool, The Happy Scientist, Science in a Nutshell kits, and a local children's museum membership. The prehistory setup in my signature is also pretty science-heavy, including many prehistoric animals. We did do Magic School Bus at age 3, but also found them fun but lacking in actual educational value. Except the germs kit, which is awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 RS4K might be what you are thinking of as having seen before. http://www.gravitaspublications.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staceyshoe Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I really like BFSU for science because it excels at teaching thinking skills as well as teaching information. It's very flexible. We have added a lapbooking/notebooking component. Great hands-on and living books program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyoustxmama Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I like BFSU and Sonlight Science for elementary kids. I'm working on a series of workable lesson plans based on BFSU (1 page outlines) to make it more open-and-go for us as I have a toddler and another baby coming who will be here by ds1's 1st grade year. I posted them here if they'd help anyone else who is busy - I've done the first 4 lessons; hopefully I'll be adding more over the coming months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrhmhy Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 Thanks for all the advice. I just got REAL Science Odyssey and it looks like exactly what I wanted! Not too much prep work, lots of activities and pretty much open & go as long as I have supplies and books on hand (the additional reading list they offer is a great help!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal_Bear Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Actually, the new International Version of My Pals are Here is much better and friendlier to homeschoolers if you are willing to pony up for the rather expensive Teacher's Guide which has lots of teaching notes, objectives, and activities to guide you through. I am hoping to sell these later as only the Activity Book is consumable. They seem to have addressed the critiques that I have seen of the older version of MPH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 I do not know if you are aware of the PBS show Dinosaur Train, but it is pretty great. They do not shy away from technical terms, large swaths of dinosaurs (rather than the usual simplistic five species), timelines and periods, the whole deal. But they are colorful and animated. They sing songs. They have fun. Totally kid friendly, but definitely dense. You can stream episodes for free on PBSkidsGo.org if you are in the United States. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grover Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 We used a mixture of REAL, Mr Q and Ellen McHenry at that age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 We like BFSU. But we draw from many sources. I can't recommend the Peter Weatherall DVDs enough. The content is string and the tunes are catchy. My son has been watching the DVDs on and off for a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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