Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

This topic has 7 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 3 months ago by Shanna.

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

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February 24, 2009 at 6:31 pm
simplicity
Participant
Hi all. I’m wondering if anyone is using living books for Science (no curriculum or program)? My dds are 8 and 11 (grades 3 and 5) and it seems our day is so full now that there’s no way I could add a true science program. We LOVE living science books and nature study, but I guess I’m feeling we are not doing science “right”, you know? When does it become super important to use a more structured science program and not just living books? Thanks.
Rachel
February 24, 2009 at 6:55 pm
hvfth99
Member
Have you looked at the 101 Days of Creation on this site? It’s a wonderful way to add a science in little bites. It’s very fun and incorporates nature study and living books. We started it last year, took a break, and will be picking it back up this spring. I highly recommend it.
Faith 🙂
February 24, 2009 at 8:39 pm
simplicity
Participant
Faith, I did look at 101 DOC, but I was concerned maybe the books would be a little young for an eight and eleven-year old. What do you think?
February 24, 2009 at 9:32 pm
live2inspire
Participant
I’ve been looking for something to do living science in “modules” as a family (like Sonya does for History) and came across Noeo Science (http://www.noeoscience.com/curriculum_design.html) which I’ve decided to use next school year as a family.
From their website:
Noeo Homeschool Science is variety-filled, with a structure that is best
described as a balance between the classical method and the Charlotte
Mason approach. We emphasize narration and summarization, vocabulary
development, observation, and the scientific method. We do not promote
rote memorization or the worksheet and test methodology, as we think that
this approach is less valuable for long-term retention.
I’m excited about it.
**********************************
EDIT POST: Ooops, I just re-read your post and you mentioned that you aren’t interested in a curriculum. I’m sorry. 😳 Just disregard.
February 25, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Tanya
Participant
Hi Rachel,
My children are younger than yours, but yes we read living books for science and no, we don’t use a curriculum (we did buy 101 D of C, but we haven’t gotten into it yet!).
They are wonderful because they are easily tailored to older or younger ones. For example, if you read a biography of a scientist, you could have your older ones do more research on the person or his/her contribution, and younger ones could orally narrate, make an art project, etc. But even as I say this, the truth is we usually just read them and enjoy them.
Sometimes my husband will check out a book of simple science experiments from the library and will pick a few to do on successive Saturdays (they usually have nothing to do with anything we’re studying throughout the week, but the kids love it!).
The nice thing about using living books is that they are so flexible – if you have more time you can extend the learning, and if you don’t have time, they still get wonderful information in a way that will probably help them to remember.
I hope this helps!
-Tanya
February 26, 2009 at 6:27 pm
simplicity
Participant
Tanya,
That helps a great deal….thanks!
February 27, 2009 at 1:03 am
Rachel White
Participant
HI Rachel,
I have a 7 and 8 yr. old and we aren’t using a curriculum either at this point. I have bought Exploring Creation through Astronomy for my son, but he uses as independant learning; including doing the projects. I do plan on using the other Exploring Creation…series, but only as rebooks for read alouds and/or independant efforts. eventually I will use Answers in Genesis as a base, but I plan on stressing the living books. Both your children could pick out one of the Exploring…books he/she is interested in and use it independantly. The series switches for 7th grade into General Science. Again, highly recommended. Also, around 13, you could delve into Creation-based Classical Astronomy with “Signs and Seasons”. The best prices for these are used on Amazon or Christianbook.
We use (and will continue to use) the living science books from Yesterdays Classics; those are our read-alouds w/narration. They have books for every age bracket. I combine those with Christian Liberty nature readers for their independant reading w/narration and Sam Campbell’s books for my son reading. We also get many experiment books from the library and my children do those independantly. The Backyard Scientist is a good one as well as “101 Great Science Experiments”. Then there’s the nature identifier books and keeping a Creation Study Notebook, day and night versions. I also add in nature myths and legends from other cultures. Those are amusing! Also, I keep an eye out for the books from Answers in Genesis; if you do a search on the Bookfinder you’ll find many great books; on dinosaurs, the flood, etc… Don’t forget the wonderful videos from Moody and all the new ones that are out there.
We also use Johnathon Park audios and I downloaded the Thornton Burgess animal books off of Librivox for them to listen to. There is so much info. in those Burgess books, but they are encased in wonderful storytelling (I just had to explain that we don’t use the term “Mother Nature” in our references to Creation, no biggie).
I do follow the order of creation in which read-alouds I do. Here’s Yesterday’s Classics Nature Page:
http://www.yesterdaysclassics.com/catalog/displaycatalog.php?catalog=nature
My children have absorbed so much info it amazes me. I couldn’t have taught this much to them. Noe I admit, they are rusty on their body info; we just haven’t delved into that yet. When I do (I’m shooting for next year) I’ll be very caerful and use only the Answers in Genesis and their are a couple of dvds and some books from Queen Homeschool to discuss body changes.
Hope this helps,
Rachel
March 6, 2009 at 2:32 am
Shanna
Participant
mainlesson.com has lots of wonderful living books you can use for Science. And they are free!!