We are using Singapore Science for 3rd grade. My DS does fine with the reading, workbook and activities. But come there unit tests, he does fairly poorly. I honestly think it's the wording and the fact that he can't relate to some of the things they are referring to. Where to go from here. I can trudge through to finish the year, or drop it like a bad habit and buy something else, although I'd rather not considering the holidays are around the corner. Any suggestions?
Is it possible to make up your own tests in words that can be understood? I make tests for Ems in Health and a couple other subjects.
Been there... We had to scrap the history that came with our curriculum and I too could not afford to start over. We are doing History Notebooks and timelines, using material from the library, internet, and Netflix. My 3rd grader's science curriculum was also a bust, so I have him do a scaled down version of whatever my daughter (6th grade) is doing, OR we study what he is interested in (i.e. insects, birds, etc.) Next year I will be ordering from more than one place!
I used Considering God's Creation in grade school, or just let DD pick what she liked. There was some Magic School Bus in the beginning, a lot of Mythbusters later. Maybe if you just did the curriculum you have and make it fun and suppliment with fun stuff you find, like Magic School Bus or some other TV show or activity, and then skip testing, maybe she would enjoy it more and retain more of what she is learning. She could try notebooking what she is doing instead too. My daughter is hoping to be an engineer and go to MIT or Stanford some day. She scored 97 percentile on the ITBS science portion this past year.
Last year we tried Apologia and didn't like it. This year - we love it! Both kids are doing something different - but I am thinking of changing that some as I watch my son try and listen in to my daughter's lesson on Zoology There are so many choices and you don't have to go in order which is great - pick a subject your child would like and go from there!!
I think science for the younger set is an easy one to "wing it" on. I tend to use a mix of "hand me down" textbooks and interest. (we are doing electricity right now, which ds expressed interest in) I have found some fun stuff online. and we look at the diagrams in the otherwise boring texts...but they repeat the same material in different ways so that is handy. I think in 3rd grade...if he is enjoying the material and just not doing well on the tests. bag the tests. who are they for anyway? Many ps don't have a set 'science' curriculum...just various units on weather and simple machines and all that...fun coloring sheets.
I would just skip the unit tests, Science is more a learn asyou do thing, if he is doing good on the lesson work and the activities, go with that! you dont HAVE to test him.
Are you looking for another secular text? There's a great looking and free life science curriculum at Classic Science.
