I am trying to make my final decision about science for next year... I am 99% sure I am using Apologia science, but we have been using A Beka all this time, and I am having a hard time imagining not doing it next year. I have decided to just by the A Beka text and let my son read it over the summer. However, I keep wondering if that is necessary. Previously, I was worried about starting my son (who will be in 5th grade next year) in Apologia so late. I don't want him to do an in-depth program and be lacking in knowledge on the subjects we might miss (since we are starting so late). We do plan on doing two books per school year, if possible. Anyway, is it better to go into depth over each science topic, or just get a broad overview? What are the pros and cons for each type of program? I have been stressing over this whole thing for awhile now! It didn't help that I went to an A Beka display and drooled over their science book.
We currently use Abeka too, and I am going to start using Apologia. After much thought on the subject, I have decided that we will be using both. I think Apologia is very well done but I know my son will want to cover more than 2 topics in a year.
I can't comment on Apologia or ABeka since I haven't used either, but we do love going in depth around here. The material seems to be retained better and it can often instill an interest in further independent study.
Mattsmama, I don't think my dc will mind doing only one topic per year, but I just really like the 5th grade science book that I saw at the A Beka materials display. Are you going to try to get through the whole Apologia elementary series before 7th grade? Jackie, what grade is he in? Embassy, I have heard retention is better. I'm still worrying about not finishing the series before ds hits 7th grade... I'm worried there will be gaps that he wouldn't have had if we would have just continued A Beka only (vs doing Apologia only).
Phillip will be 6th in the fall. I actually suggested waiting a year and doing CGC, but he said he'd rather do Apologia.
I think "gaps" is a relative term. Is there some specific reason he needs to know the Abeka material before 7th grade? Is there some reason why he can't learn it at another time and/or in another way, as long as it all gets learned eventually? Is there any reason why he has to finish all of the Apologia books by 7th grade? We're using Apologia, and we love it. We love being able to dig deeper, and yes, the retention is definitely great. We started with Abeka in kindergarten, but the book was a joke. It was just a little reader that he (literally) read by himself in one sitting. Same with health. Apologia's anatomy book is a great substitute for or addition to elementary health. We're finishing the 4th of 6 books in 2 years right now. We'll do anatomy this Fall and botany next Spring to finish out the series (for the first time... we'll do it again as well.) Here are some things to consider ... I'm very close to a family who has used Abeka the whole way through, and now their children are rocket scientists (not literally - just engineers... LOL). They've been competing in state level science competitions and things like that for years. Abeka is great. However, I can say that equally for another family who uses Apologia. Their kids are just as successful with it. My college minor was science. I LOVE science! I chose Apologia because it just makes more sense to me. Why tease a child with a little bit of info from here and there without giving them the chance to go as in depth as they'd like to go? Why give them knowledge but not let them use it or experiment with it? I remember almost nothing from my public school science classes (the broad approached ones), but I remember a lot from my deeper classes (starting in 9th grade ... bio, chem, anatomy, and phys). I remember almost everything from my college classes, because they were deeper and allowed my mind to focus on the topic long enough to retain it. Science is the only subject in which textbook authors feel it's a good idea to skip around a lot. All other subjects either dig deeper or build higher. IMO, it's no wonder kids hate science by the time they get to middle school. I think, for an older child who is truly interested, you can easily do 3 of the young explorers books per year. (I've even considered it for my little guy, but decided to take a trimester each of two summers off for a deeper study in ancient Rome & Greece instead.) Three books per year gives you one lesson per week with 10 weeks of break. Take a couple of weeks for Christmas/New Years, a week in the fall, a week in the spring, and 6 weeks in the summer. Very doable to finish by 7th grade.... and at that pace, more will be retained as well. He'll be "in the zone" for 6 short bursts of somewhat unrelated information, and it'll be REALLY nice to do all 3 zoology books in the same year! They build on each other just a little bit (but can be used alone, if necessary).
Jackie, has your son ever done Apologia before? What is your plan for the series? What are you doing after? 2littleboys, thanks for the reply! I should have gone into more detail in my post. As of now, I am planning on using the Apologia 7th grade text, and I want to stay on schedule to finish the high school textbooks before graduation. Therefore, I need to finish the elementary textbooks before 7th grade. So, if we start in 5th grade, but do not finish the elementary texts, I am afraid ds will be missing something. Hopefully, anything missed will be reviewed in the 7th grade textbook, but I am not sure if it is. So, it sounds like you have been able to complete two books per school year... has it been a struggle? Do you feel like you are hurrying through? Do you feel the need to slow down? I figured we would try to do two per year, and one during the summer, but I don't want to overwhelm my younger dd (who will also be doing Apologia). I don't want it to move too quickly for her (she will be in third grade next school year). I, also, do not remember much from elementary science... heck, I don't remember a much of anything I learned in elementary school. I honestly studied to get a good grade on my tests, and then forgot everything. I would like to avoid this for my dc.
Yes, we've been doing 2 per year, and no, we don't feel like we're rushing. We school year-round, but we skip science for the summer term. My son is young, but even so, we read the text usually in 2 chunks during the week and then may or may not do the experiments depending on the lesson. (Like... we're not going to raise baby lizards in zoology, but we would make constellations for the astronomy book.) I would expect an older child to do the notebooking activities, but not a younger one. Mine will be in 3rd next year, but he won't do the notebooking until 4th (our second time through the books will be 4th-6th, which is also when little brother will join us).
No, Phillip hasn't but Rachael has. She started with General, then Physical, Biology, Chemistry, and is now finishing up with Physics. This started in 7th grade. Phillip will be 6th, but he wants to take it. Faythe...is Faythe, lol! We've started General with her and have quit each time. I plan on having her read through it this summer, and then putting her in Physical in the fall (as a Sophmore!!!) and let her do the labs at Co-Op. (Phillip will also be doing the labs at Co-Op). That way, she can take Biology her Junior year and Chemistry her Senior year. Keep in mind that when Rachael started, they didn't have Apologia science for younger kids!
Sorry I have so many questions!!! 2littleboys, Do you think the notebooking is too difficult for a 3rd grader? I planned on having my third grader do it, but then I heard a Jr. Notebook is coming out for Astronomy (within the next couple of months), so I will have her do that one instead. For the rest, though, she will do the regular notebook (if a jr. notebook doesn't come out instead). Oh, and I noticed you are doing MOH1... that is my plan next year! How do you like it? Well, maybe I will start a new thread for that, lol. Jackie, so what elementary Apologia texts will Phillip finish before starting the 7th grade text? What has he done in the past?
In all honesty, NONE!!! No, that's not exactly true. I did CGC when he was VERY young (like pre-school, Kindergarten) where he sat in with his sisters. He also did the Great Science Adventures Tools and Technology. The past two years, we've had a science co-op at my house with him and two other boys. We did the human body, oceans, weather, electricity, earth science (ie: volcanoes, earthquakes, etc.) and space. He also is involved with Lego Robotics.
So, he has done quite a bit. Do you just feel like Jr. High/High school science will be enough? Maybe I need to be less rigid, lol. I think I will just do my best to get through as many as we can, but not freak out if we miss one. I am still having trouble letting go of using A Beka science, though! I keep thinking he should just read it on his own!
I don't know. I'd REALLY prefer him doing CGC next year, but he really wants to start Apologia. He says that most science books "aren't enough". I originally had planned on doing CGC with my small group on Fridays this year, but we had already done so much of the units (space, human body, ocean, earth) the year before.
For "A THIRD GRADER", no, not too difficult. For "MY THIRD GRADER", yes, it's too difficult. He'll be 6 next year, and his motor skills are delayed. I try to limit the amount of time he spends writing because it overwhelms him and makes his hand hurt. There are some things he absolutely has to write himself. Science isn't one of them. Besides, he's a visual learner, so the more we're able to *do* rather than *write*, the better he's able to retain it.
