Progressing in Logic Stage Science

[Arshia]

Hi Everyone! 

I have a 6th and 7th grader. We are returning to homeschooling after we took a 2 year break of them going to a Montessori school. I am planning to use the Well Trained Mind schedule in science of studying each of the areas for around 6 weeks, but progressing in depth. However, I'm not sure how to do it as the books and method up to 8th grade are the same.

How do I ensure my 7th grader is studying a more in depth level than my 6th grader?

How do I ensure that next year they are studying a deeper level than this year?

And where do we begin with the books? Do we start at the beginning even though they are in the middle of the logic stage?

I appreciate any and all advice. Thank you so much! 

~ Arshia 

[Coco_Clark]

In my experience a 7th grader does not necessarily need more depth than a 6th grader. Those are very close numbers. In fact, in my home often a younger child is more capable/willing to go to greater depths in any given subject.  I would just teach them together (of course expecting output to the best of their individual ability).   

As for where to start, I'd begin where they have the strongest interest.

[wendyroo]

Science is a content subject, so I would expect the depth of study to depend on what a student already knows, not their grade level.

That said, all my kids (ages 4 - 11) do science together.  Primarily I read aloud - from picture book, living books, biographies of scientists, a middle/high school science curriculum they enjoy, some really fascinating books written by scientists that we all learned a lot from.  And when we decide to do an experiment or demonstration, everyone is included because I am certainly not going to pull out all the supplies multiple times!!

Since science is a content subject, there is no right order or right depth for any particular age or grade.  A couple months age we read a lot about paleontology, and each of the kids took from the books I read exactly the information they were ready for.  My 4 year old became very interested in transitional fossils and Archaeopteryx...I doubt that is on any preschool science scope and sequence, but those ideas spoke to her, they clarified or expanded or connected to her previous knowledge, and those new ideas then created further pegs on which she could hang future learning. 

Now I am reading some books about energy and entropy.  Some are at an elementary level, some at middle school level, and others at high school level.  I only read books that are accurate and interesting, so I read them all to everyone - I have faith that each of the kids, no matter their age, will learn something from every book, no matter its depth.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

My 6th and 8th graders do all history and some science together.  I see the biggest difference in their output.  My 8th grader can write a clearer, more cohesive paragraph than my 6th grader on any given topic.  In terms of science CONTENT, I don't really expect a difference in what they learn.  There are just some basic science concepts to be laid down before high school, and it doesn't matter if the physical science is covered in 7th or 8th, vs, chemistry or biology or whatever.  You just need to build up a basic science vocabulary and understanding of large concepts so they are prepared for high school.