New here and I have a question!

[my2girls]

Hi! This is my first post. I am currently hsling my dd6 and will be pulling dd8 out of ps either after Christmas or let her finish third grade there, have not made a final decision yet.

This curriculum was advised over on the HSR board, so I thought I would look into it a little more. I am really impressed with what I have seen so far. My dd6 is *big* into activities, and I am activities "challenged"!
I have been told that there are lots of good activities in this curriculum. My main question is about the science. My dd6 loves Science and I want to know if it is going to be "beefy" enough for her. I will be using the Beyond book. What are some of the Science topics that are covered in this book?

I look forward to meeting more of you and learning more about this curriculum.

Lisa

[Carrie]

Welcome to the board! I definitely fall into the activities' challenged area too. However, with my 4 boys I found activity necessary to our school-day and to keeping my sanity. The guides help force me to do activities daily that I would otherwise just do without. I know my boys are always grateful to do anything that gets them up and moving.

As far as the science in "Beyond...", it is written to be light compared to the more important areas of reading, writing, and math, yet still cover the various areas of science. Its main focus is to point children toward our Creator and to the wonder of His creation. Life, earth, and physical science are each covered, so the kiddos get an overview of the various science areas. This helps form mental "pegs" for the kids to hang more in-depth science studies on in the coming years.

It's been my experience that most children love science early on and then as they get older, if there is too much memorization or textbook-type facts thrown at them, they lose the joy of science. Some naturally science-bent kiddos devour any science materials placed in front of them, but many need a more living, gentle approach to science.

The great part about "Little Hearts..." and "Beyond..." is that you're able to finish them early enough each day that you can add on whatever areas most interest your child. So, if you have a science-minded kiddo, you can add in other books, experiments, etc. If not, you've still got science covered in any enjoyable way.

I'm sure the other ladies on the board will chime in too. We're glad you're here!

Blessings,
Carrie

[Melanie]

Hi Lisa! I think I was one of HSR gals that sent you this way!
We are using Little Hearts..., but the topics are basically the same. Here's what we add (keep in mind I am a CM junkie ). I use the natural history read-alouds from AmblesideOnline year 1 and the science read-alouds from Old Fashioned Education year 1. We also take lots of nature walks. Next year, when we use Beyond....., I'll probably add the year 2 readings. The great thing about this curriculum is that there is time in your day to add what you want for your kids. I agree very much with Carrie's philosophy on science, it is perfect for our family!

HTH, Melanie

[my3sons]

Hi! Just wanted to chime in and give a list with a sampling of topics covered in Beyond's... science:

the oceans and their currents
animal adaptations
categorizing animals
pollination
reflection/absorption/blocking of light
water and surface tension
movement of light
human body
weather
energy
simple machines
buoyancy
earth's rotation and revolution
climate
water cycle

There's still about 2/3 of the science plans that I did not list science topics for, but this will give you an idea of topics that are included. There are short, hands-on experiments for each of these topics in the plans, and they are all linked to God's Wonderful Works. If your child really loves science, I think it would be easy to find books on these topics to add in, and Melanie gave some great resources!