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MamaFence
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I'm starting to look ahead for next year. It will be second grade and kindergarten. What are good resources? Does anyone have experience with Apologia Science, or Behold and See from CHC?
Thanks!
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Gina, mother to 4
DD 7yr (11.04)
DD 5yr (6.06)
DS 3yr (6.08)
DS 2yr (11.09)
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Erin
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Love the Magic School Bus series for this age. Chapter books, teacher's guides and DVDs.
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
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Mackfam
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Hi Gina! 
For Kindergarten and 2nd grade, I'm going to suggest that you don't need a text or formal curriculum for science at all. I think we so often feel like we have a subject -- science -- and we need to fill in the blank with a text or curriculum next to that subject. I've done that before!!! What I've found is that if I provide opportunities and resources, the learning happens and it's so substantial because it is learning in relationship to something a child is interested in. The door is open for them to make their own connections, and however simple these initial connections may be, they will be relevant to that child.
Lots of opportunities to explore out of doors presents a variety of great subjects to wonder and learn about! Visiting the library or building your home library with some great living books and resources offers valuable ways for children to come into closer relationship with the things they discover in nature. I HIGHLY recommend the following series/authors and have slowly built our own collection over the years. For our early years science we return to these delightful books again and again.
Let's Read and Find Out Science Series
Smithsonian Backyard Series
Carol Lerner books
Eyes and No Eyes Series by Arabella Buckley
Yesterday's Classics Nature books - we have really enjoyed the many books reprinted and made available through this site. Many of them are available for free online. A quick search should yield links or you can ask here if you're looking for something particular.
There are many, many more living books; we've discovered some wonderful treasures, but these series of books have provided such a backbone for our early years science that I wanted to mention them for you to consider.
If you're concerned about this being too relaxed, or that it doesn't leave you with anything in your blank next to the word SCIENCE on your plans, instead of a formal curriculum, you might consider just choosing a few themes you'd like to focus on for the year - maybe ANIMALS, BIRDS, INSECTS rather than {{insert name of science curriculum here}}. Then, begin to build a library of interesting living books around those themes you've chosen while remaining open to spontaneous, natural learning that happens *in the moment*....you know...like when your six year old brings you a cicada shell and you take the time to sit down and explore it and learn about it. That's the kind of learning that STICKS!!! (Once you've picked a theme, ask us here again...because boy can we make some fantastic recommendations for books to read!!)
Our family revisits familiar nature study or science themes depending on the season of the year, and this has yielded an enormous variety of layers of learning over the years. One year an idea may be introduced through a living book or an experience the child explores, the next year it could be reviewed in some way, but the child brings different interests and experiences to the table so their perspective is different and the connections made go deeper...and so on...and so on through the years. Check out nature study themes for some great ideas for seasonal themes that tie in to nature study.
Hope this gives you something different to consider for early years science ideas! No formal curriculum necessary! 
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Grace&Chaos
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| Posted: May 18 2011 at 5:47pm | IP Logged
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Ditto all of Jen's suggestions!! 
I just wrote a post about this very thing yesterday. I took the Easy as 1,2,3, from CHC made a skeleton of what I would cover for the year and filled in with suggested picture books to read for the week. This way like Jen suggests you are not feeling like you're not prepared, but at the same time you're letting the kids feel free to explore science for themselves. With a little guidance from you.
By the way your four seem to match up almost exactly to mine (my 2 yr old just turned 3)
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Jenny
Mom to dds(00,03) and dss(05,06,08,09)
Grace in Loving Chaos
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Chris V
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Jen,
Thank you!
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Chris
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seeker
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I've been wondering about "winging" it as well. I was going to get HNS and use that, the blog that corresponds with it and the living books we have here and the ones we can find at the library. I thought, though that I might get Nebel's BFSU book instead of HNS. Thoughts? Hope I'm not derailing... 
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guitarnan
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What Jen said.
I used Behold and See 3 and LOVED it...but you might want to save it for next year. Younger students really really like hands-on science, outdoor activities, etc.
When my dd was in 1st/2nd grades, we did a lot of themed study - the Bird Year was so much fun! She colored and cut out birds of all species (Enchanted Learning and 50birds.com were our good friends!) and made a bulletin board of bird species. We studied nests. We went birdwatching. We learned how the wildlife folks rescue and heal injured birds (each state has a group that does this, either via Department of Natural Resources or some other agency). We watched bird videos (and laughed until we cried as our cats stalked the birds on TV!) Years later, she is still an avid birder, and I think it's because we let her run with the topic until she "ran out," as it were.
You could use this same approach with any science topic - volcanoes, rocks, reptiles, marine mammals...start at your local library and look for books, DVDs, etc., then go online for coloring pages, diagrams, etc. It will be as much fun for you as it is for your children!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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SeaStar
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Erin wrote:
| Love the Magic School Bus series for this age. Chapter books, teacher's guides and DVDs. |
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I agree- and this year I used the science kits as well, which were fun and easy to use.
We do lots of themed reading for topics, but I have found that my dc really want "experiments" to do- neat stuff that has results: changes they can see or measure. The "wow" factor is big here. So- the science kits have helped us there.
The other thing is that my dc really like having a "science book" that is theirs. This year we have kept a science notebook for each with their drawings. They love to look back through all the pages. You could easily do this with notebooking pages or a blank journal.
As for myself- I find I really need a "program" to follow. A book basket is great, but that is all that would get down if I didn't have the science kits to motivate me. Putting together experiments myself is easy but just takes a lot of time, week after week, and I find my energy flagging. So I tend to lean more towards formal programs.
I have just ordered Behold and See One from CHC, so I can let you know how it looks when it comes.
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Grace&Chaos
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SeaStar wrote:
| The other thing is that my dc really like having a "science book" that is theirs. This year we have kept a science notebook for each with their drawings. They love to look back through all the pages. You could easily do this with notebooking pages or a blank journal. |
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This has been very important for us too. At the end it really is their own.
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Blessings,
Jenny
Mom to dds(00,03) and dss(05,06,08,09)
Grace in Loving Chaos
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Mackfam
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seeker wrote:
| I've been wondering about "winging" it as well. I was going to get HNS and use that, the blog that corresponds with it and the living books we have here and the ones we can find at the library. |
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That's wonderful!! I use the Handbook of Nature Study (HNS) in a specific way and find that supplementing lessons with living books is a wonderful and very thorough way of presenting additional information for the study of nature in the early years. I enjoy the Handbook of Nature Study blog as a shot in the arm or for inspiration when I feel like our studies are a little flat. Because the blog is free and the book can be found online for free, this can be a very affordable way to bolster nature studies.
seeker wrote:
| I thought, though that I might get Nebel's BFSU book instead of HNS. Thoughts? Hope I'm not derailing... |
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Hmmmm...so your question is, IF YOU COULD ONLY CHOOSE ONE, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU CHOOSE? Right? I see you asked this question on the Nebel's Building Foundations of Science Thread, but never really got an answer on that thread. I'll see if I can pull out a few points for you to help with this decision.
I enjoy both books, and I don't think there's necessarily a right or wrong answer here. The question is: what direction do you want to go next year? Are you looking to begin building a foundation in SCIENCE (Nebel's book) or NATURE STUDY (Comstock's book)? These ideas (science & nature study) are not mutually exclusive, by the way, but I'm asking because your question is seeking to determine which one to purchase. Are you open to considering both in one year? (ideas below for that if so)
IF....
You go with Nebel's book, you'll still want to make sure there is plenty of time spent out of doors, and that you have some resources (basic - you don't need a lot, and many can be found at the library, but I like having a few at home for instant researching...and the internet can be such a huge resource in itself!!) for looking up topics. Time spent out of doors is a priority!!
IF....
You go with Comstock's book and the HNS blog and spend the year focusing on nature study and the abundant science that can be learned through observing nature, you don't necessarily need to add anything else in. While Nebel's book could complement nature study, it wouldn't be necessary in the same way that nature study is always an important component of education and should always have a place in a child's week. Does that make sense?
CHOOSING WHAT IS BEST MEANS SOMETIMES WE LEAVE BEHIND THE GOOD (for the moment):
Ask around your local group!! Someone is bound to have both resources. Ask to borrow them for 1 week. I can get a really good feel for a resource, but I need time alone with it. Take a good look through the table of contents for both books. Look at the way they're formatted. Do a little research - can you find either online used? Ask around your local group - is anyone looking to get rid of a copy of either for cheap/free? Then think about where you're starting this year (this will be your first year homeschooling, right seeker? a second grader, right?). What is your goal? What's important for your student for the year? These are two good resources. Let yourself get more specific by thinking of your child as you consider. This alone helps me narrow my focus when considering resources! There are so many great resources available today -- be prepared to be choosy based on your own philosophy of education, your child's needs, your teaching styles, family budget, reality, your season of life, etc. At some point, every one of us must decline a resource (grateful it's available for others!!) that IS GOOD in order to use WHAT IS BEST for our family at this time! That can be a very difficult decision sometimes when the two resources seem to overlap, or to both offer so much good. Narrow your focus by identifying needs for a year/particular child, choose and have peace! There will be a lot of time to revisit the good that was left behind this year.
BOTH RESOURCES? THINK OF THE YEAR IN LAYERS:
Assuming you take a look at both books and like them both - consider staggering purchases! I do this frequently. I may have a couple of big resources that I feel would be beneficial for the year. I start with the one that makes the most sense to me/is most intuitive to me because I know I can usually hit the ground running with that one. Then, I plan on purchasing the other resource at mid-year and give myself a little more time to become familiar with it, think of how I'm going to use it, research it more. Sometimes, I decide I really don't need to make that extra purchase and the additional time was a help in being a better steward of family resources. Sometimes, I do still feel it's necessary and staggering purchases like that is more affordable for our family - it also gives me time to look for deals.
It's possible that both of these resources could be a help to your family this year and thinking of/planning for the year in layers may help both in terms of the budget (purchasing/acquiring the resources), and also in terms of giving yourself time to learn one idea, establish a habit, and then begin to approach a new resource to use.
Give yourself permission to think outside of the "This year is a box and I have to make a decision about everything in this box right now, purchase it tomorrow, arrange it on the shelf the next day...and then let half of it sit for several months til I get to it" mentality. It's GREAT to have a big picture plan for the year, but consider that year in layers (is that a confusing word?? substitute term or quarter or semester if it's more helpful!). Purchasing for those layers is easy on the budget, and not so overwhelming all at once.
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Ok. I rambled way beyond your original question and I hope that was ok!  Let me know if we can help narrow this down more for you. My post was just a start!!! It might be enough to help with this decision...or it might just prompt more great questions worth asking! Ask away if that happens and we can brainstorm more!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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stellamaris
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I have both of Nebel's books as well as HNS. I agree with Jen that you can easily do both Nature Study and Science. We attempt to do this by having regular "science" focused lessons/reading 2x a week and nature study 1x a week. Or you could alternate--one month more "science-y", the next month more "nature-y". Or just do one or the other. Your children are all still very young and whatever they can learn will build their knowledge base and teach them scientific observation skills.
I know I've mentioned it before somewhere, but I still think that Science Experiences for the Early Childhood Years is a fantastic resource for early science instruction. It was first recommended by Raymond Moore back in "the day". It is structured by topic. Each topic is broken down into a series of questions that explore fundamental principles. For example, under the topic "AIR" is the question, "Does air take up space?". An experiment that answers this question is provided. I appreciate that the experiments use standard household or very easy-to-find items. No fancy equipment needed! At the end of each section are ideas for supplemental books, art project, gross movement activities, dramatic activities, poems, music, and more.
This book is VERY easy to just open and use, with scripted lessons that demonstrate exactly what you need to cover. The layout is accessible. I have used the 4th edition, but I have seen the 10th edition. The updated editions have updated books and resources, but the older editions cover all the science, so you could easily get a cheaper, older edition and it would work as well (just wouldn't have newer resources referenced). It is perfect for ages 4-7 or even 8.
Topics include plant life, animal life, the human body, air, water, weather and seasons, rocks and minerals, magnetism, gravity, sound, light, electricity. It covers the basic concepts that most science programs cover up through the 3rd grade or so.
This book is written for the TEACHER, not the student, to use. The teacher presents the material; the book is a resource text (sort of like Nebel's in that respect).
Personally, I find Nebel's books a lot more difficult to access and apply. They have a ton of good information, but the layout and presentation is (oops, that's ARE!)pretty convoluted.
The cost has risen, but for about $50 you get a non-consumable science curriculum that you can use with all of your children through 3rd grade and that works very well with a group of children of different ages, plus several wonderful resource ideas.
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In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
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MamaFence
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Thanks SO much for the wonderful replies, full of wisdom! When I look back on our first year, we did read the chapters in our Seton book, but DD found them flat and wanted more. One lesson came alive when we used a science kit (Science in a Nutshell) with it to do experiments and deeper observations. Other than that, what both my girls loved was learning about what they saw and experienced on their own, and it was so perfect. I think with that behind us, and all your advice here, I will do similar again this year. I will need to make a solid backbone plan, first, so if (When!) I get stuck, I'll have something to fall back on!
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Gina, mother to 4
DD 7yr (11.04)
DD 5yr (6.06)
DS 3yr (6.08)
DS 2yr (11.09)
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Looking for book recommendations
