Just Starting...

[Tena]

Hi everyone . I have been a member for quite a bit of time. Just quietly reading, and not posting a whole lot. We just started homeschooling our youngest, she is 11. I am using the Spectrum textbooks. So far we are doing ok, just stumbling along . We are trying to go slow. the problem I am having is I am horrible with Science. What kinds of things do you guys use for this subject? Is there a CD that teaches it? We want to finish up this year with the Spectrum series, then next year start out with ACE.

[lisaann]

We use God's Design curriculum for Science. What I love about it is it's a very short read that usually has an experiment to go with it using household stuff. My son is 11 and really likes it. In fact, what I did this year was choose books that went along with this curriculum for him to use as his "reading". It has gotten him much more interested in the subject.
On the link you can see that you can buy the set or just one book at a time. Listed on the left in the grey boxes are the different subjects covered.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/Publ...World,195.aspx

[Lucy]

We have used Usborne books for hands on experiements when the kids were small and then as they were more able to read alone and comprehend what they were reading we used the A Beka science books. Now that they are teenagers, we use Switched on Schoolhouse.

[BHuskey]

We use Apologia for science and absolutely love it. The books are very educational, colorful and yet written in a manner that is so easy to understand. There are tons of really fun and exciting experiments, which use common household items. I rarely have to go buy stuff specifically for our experiments.

[Reason&Hope]

For a child age 11, there are plenty of science opportunities to match different learning styles. And there's no one set standard of what actual science kids need to learn at this age.

For instance, my oldest son (17) likes Apologia books (he's gone through General Science, Physical Science, Biology and now Physics), but my 14 year old daughter says they're too wordy. Of course, she hates the idea of knowing how anything works ("It takes the mystery out of life" - actual quote. )

It depends if your child likes to do science experiments or not. There are unit kits you can get. Also, through our library, we've found a series of books by Janice VanCleave with tons of experiments. We've also had a few electronics kits (some were gifts) and some of them are just "plug this in to make X" while others actually teach what's happening and why a capacitor does what it does.

For a different, literature approach, there's the History of Science from Beautiful Feet. Kids learn about Archimedes through Madame Curie and Einstein, through biographical books, experiments, etc.

Check out Rainbow Resource online. They have tons of resources and great reviews.

You can get a curriculum that's a survey of different science subjects throughout the year. Or you can get specific books and kits on specific areas of science: meteorogoly, astronomy, geology, biology . . . One problem with getting the survey books is that it seems that every year they go through the same subjects again and again, and the kids keep getting a cursory introduction to each subject. On the other hand, some subjects, really, how much is there to say unless you're obsessed? (And yes, I'm speaking about geology, my personal least favorite. Once I learned the 3 kinds of rock, that's all I needed to know.)

[Tena]

Thanks everyone. These are all great places to start. She isn't really interested in Science right now, I am just trying to find books that she likes to read. I will let go of the guilt that I can't fit it all in a day yet. I want to go slow and make it fun for her.

[MidnightCry]

You are on the right track.

Have you found any local homeschooling groups yet? My 11 year old attends a science class in our neighborhood (talk about luck).

[Tena]

I did find a group. Their next open meeting is in Feb. I am trying to patiently wait for it. Thank you to all the members here. I have forund a wealth of information on this site!!!!!