Real Science-4-Kids Help

[bass chick]

I am looking for help with Real Science-4-Kids with someone who has used it.

It is my understanding that there are the 3 sciences...Biology, Chemistry, and Physics and there are 3 levels of each...Pre-level 1, Level 1 and Level 2.

We have just started Pre-level 1 Biology. There are only 10 lessons in them, so I was thinking it was meant to be 1 lesson a week. That would cover 3 sciences (Biology, Physics & Chemistry) in 30 weeks. So Pre-level 1 would take a year. (Well, less than a year, but a year with the breaks in between). Pre-level 1 is for kids ages K-grade 3. So when you finish Pre-level 1, what next? Level 1 is recommended for grades 4-7. They cover a 4 year gap, but only take a year to do. So, I'm confused.

I'm doing this with my 5 and 7 year old. It is definately not holding my 5 year old's interest well yet, but we are proceeding anyways as best we can. It is just a little confusing to me as it seems there are 3 complete years of sciences to span an 8 year gap. What about the remaining 5 years? Are they meant to be repeated?

[moominmamma]

We've used the Level 1 books as enjoyable diversions whenever my kids expressed an interest in doing something sorta formal in a science vein. As someone with a lot of background in the sciences, I find that they're generally scientifically sound and not cutesy and dumbed down. However, while they touch on the topics they do with a certain amount of conceptual depth, there's not a lot of breadth to them. I wouldn't consider them a complete science curriculum by any stretch. Our main science learning is unschooling based; for us RS4K is just a supplement. We've made use of science clubs, DVD documentaries, hands-on explorations, podcasts, science radio and TV, tons of science-based family activities, biographies, history books, some great non-fiction in graphic-novel type format, hobbies, interest-led experiments, tinkering, field trips and such. RS4K does have the appealing feature of satisfying in at least a cursory way a lot of the learning objectives that show up on schoolish scope and sequence lists. 

Oh, and for my kids Level 1 was most appropriate from 1st to 3rd grade. By 4th through 7th grades they were definitely looking for resources with a lot more breadth and substance to them.

Miranda

[bass chick]

Thank you!

I am not a real science person. While I enjoyed science in school, for me it was just a matter of regurgitating information and not a lot of exploration. And since I am working full-time (55-60 hours a week) while caring for my kids, running a household, starting a new business (apart from my full-time work), and homeschooling all at the same time I need a curriculum to follow because I don't have a whole lot of time for homeschooling and "unschooly" exploration.

I did go and look around the Science for Kids website to see what her recommendation was and that helped.

If anyone has recommendations about what you would consider a complete science curriculum available in Canada, or ways to supplement this curriculum (keeping in mind I have NO time to make it up as I go - I don't even have time to have a shower every day!) I would love to hear. I looked for Real Science Odyssey at our homeschool convention this year but none of the suppliers there had ever heard of it.

[AAK]

Originally Posted by bass chick 

I looked for Real Science Odyssey at our homeschool convention this year but none of the suppliers there had ever heard of it.

You can do a "try before you buy" for real science odyssey.  You get several lessons downloaded to your computer.  If you like it, you can order the rest (hardcopy via mail; digital copy via download).

But about Real Science 4 Kids, I kinda thought of it as one/year even though it doesn't have enough for a whole year.  I thought this way because our local schools only do science for about a third of the year too.  (At least in the k-3 grades)

Amy