Living Books for 5th grade Science

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  • July 13, 2010 at 1:44 am
    delightx7
    Participant

    I have used Apologia’s Young Explorers Series for my previous 5th graders, but my current 5th grade daughter is simply not interested, so we need to do something else. The living books in the SCM curriculum guide for 4-6th grade Science look fantastic. However, I am just wondering if these books are recommended for the child to read independently, or if I will need to do them with her as read-alouds? 

    Also, when you are using living books for Science, is it just reading and narration?  That seems far too easy, but as I will have 6 to school this year a newborn joining us in Nov, the easier the better!

    Any insight is greatly appreciated!

    Robin

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    July 13, 2010 at 3:24 pm
    delightx7
    Participant

    Any thoughts?

     

    Robin

    July 13, 2010 at 4:37 pm
    6boys1girl
    Participant

    Based on the ones we have, I would think that your 5th grader could read them independently.

    It does seem to easy to just read and narrate but kids learn SO MUCH more from that then they ever will from a textbook! I would try to do nature study too though.

    July 14, 2010 at 12:32 am
    Karen Smith
    Moderator

    It is your choice if you want your child to read the books on the curriculum guide independently or if you want to read them to her. If your child is a good reader she should have no problem reading the books. The books listed on the curriculum guide are only suggestions and it is not an exhaustive list so feel free to follow your daughter’s interests.

    Reading and narrating good living books alongside nature study is enough to cover science for this age. This is the age of discovery that will be built on in later years. As Charlotte Mason said, “there is no part of a child’s education more important than that he should lay, by his own observation, a wide basis of facts towards scientific knowledge in the future. He must live hours daily in the open air, and, as far as possible, in the country; must look and touch and listen; must be quick to note, consciously, every peculiarity of habit or structure, in beast, bird, or insect; the manner of growth and fructification of every plant.” (Vol. 1, p. 264) And again, “Of Natural Science, too, we have to learn that the way into the secrets of nature is not through the barbed wire entanglements of science as she is taught but through field work or other immediate channel, illustrated and illuminated by books of literary value.” (Vol. 6, p. 256)

    July 14, 2010 at 1:04 am
    fivestones
    Member

    Hi Robin!

    I have a 5th grade boy who reads well.  After looking at the titles, I believe that my son could read these independently.

    We read, narrate, do experiments (maybe 1 a week, sometimes every 2 weeks), add scientist that we have read about to our time line, and use dover colorpages to add to our science/nature notebook.

    Have you looked at the SCM bookfinder?  I just went and plugged in science and listed the grades that you stated.  There were 17 pages of wonderful books.  So, if you think the ones listed in the guide may be to difficult, there are many alternatives there.  Or if your child has interest in something and wants ‘more’ of that, you can find some more great living books to feed her interest.  I absolutely love the bookfinder!  Can you tell?

    Blessings,

    Vanessa

    July 14, 2010 at 10:51 am
    delightx7
    Participant

    Thanks ladies!  Your insights have been helpful. Karen, thank you for the quote from Charlotte herself.  She really has a way of putting things into perspective.

    I showed dd10 the list of recommended books and we looked at each of them on Amazon.  She loves the choices and is so excited to begin. She is a strong reader so I am pretty sure she will do fine on her own. I also checked out the bookfinder as Vanessa recommended and was so happy to see that I have several of those books already on my bookshelves!

    This has also been a great reminder that we need to be more faithful in Nature Study.  We are working towards it becoming a way of life rather than just something we “do for school”, but sometimes, when life gets busy, we fall off the wagon;-).

    Thanks again,

    Robin

     

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