Berean builders elementary science vs Sonlight science

I think I answered you on the well trained forum;) Additionally, I’m not sure how engaging Sonlight’s books really are. Maybe check a few out from the library and see what you think. The most engaging books I’ve seen for science are those from here (Simply Charlotte Mason). I really like Exploring what God has Made with the student doing the reading as a bridge to Wiles Atomic Age. I love pond and stream as well as Discovering what God has Made for earlier elementary.

Those use real living books that are fun to read and the kids pull off our shelves to read later. Not as many experiments though. It hade nature exploration suggestions instead. Lots in Exploring and discovering somewhat fewer in pond and stream. You are supposed to take a few trips to ponds and streams though and look for stuff.

I have used both of these curricula.

First, if you are looking for a truly Christian Science curriculum, the Berean Builders is better, hands down.  Dr. Wile weaves the Christian, creationist viewpoint into everything.

Sonlight, if you’re talking about the elementary/middle school levels, on the other hand, uses mainly secular books.  For example, in the Sonlight Science E program, none of the books are from a Christian perspective.  They are all secular (DK, Osborne, etc.). I had to find supplemental Christian books to counter any evolution material that was present in the books.  Another thing I didn’t like is the readings felt very choppy and a lot of times the experiments have nothing to do with the concepts being learned.  It’s just too disjointed.  While it is all laid-out nicely, content-wise it wasn’t aligned with our worldview (even though Sonlight is a Christian company).

My son used Science in the Atomic Age this past year and he loved it.  While it may seem textbook-y, it really isn’t.

The way Dr. Wile writes is like he is having a conversation with the student as they go through the book.  Also, he emphasizes that the experiments are meant to be viewed as a demonstration of the concepts being learned, not something from which to create an entire lab report (at least with the book we did; this may be different for high school).

I’m not sure what grade levels you’re looking for but Science in the Atomic Age had a schedule to follow and a downloadable & printable notebook for the on-your-own questions and study guide questions.  My son did everything pretty independently, including the experiments (he was 8th grade).

Check out Dr. Wile’s blog as well as the Berean Builders site.  There’s lots of insight there.

I hope this helped.  Let me know if you have additional questions.

My 7th grader did atomic age also mostly independently. He’s dyslexic so I got the audio and we don’t the chapter reviews orally together. I did not get a kit. It was easy to look ahead a chapter and buy the materials. We only skipped a few labs due to mama forgetting to buy red cabbage at the correct time. I was very pleased with it and have already bought Earth science. I will get the partial kit for that:)

I have science in the beginning and like it very well as well. My kids just sometimes find the writing a bit dry. I think it’s best for 2nd or 3rd on up.

I would really recommend atomic age for the 8th grader. My 7th grader did it without me. It is written to the student. I scheduled it for him and spent about 1/2 an hour reviewing each chapter. I also bought supplies for the experiments. I wasn’t sure how he would do as he is not particularly academic, but he rose to the occasion.

Of course you know your family best and are free to make choices that fit your family. Do consider, however, that your oldest is almost high school age. She will need to learn how to work independently as she matures into adulthood and will need to complete courses that have the amount of work expected for high school in order for them to be recorded on a transcript. That being said, a child doesn’t have to graduate at the age of 18. You can choose to have her work at a slower pace for high school and take more time to accumulate credits, as long as there are no restrictions or expectations with her being a foster child.

Science in the Atomic Age is a step up from the elementary Science in the . . . books. That is to be expected since it is designed for middle school. Science in the elementary years is more about experiencing as many different branches of science as possible through reading good books, experiments, and the personal connections made with nature study. Two to three days each week for science lessons is plenty in grades 1-6. Middle school and high school courses usually need 5 days per week for science lessons because there is more material to cover as the student does a deeper dive into a single branch of science with each course.

I would encourage you and your daughter to work through the full sample chapter for Science in the Atomic Age (look under Product Resources) to see if it is an option now or if you should wait a year. Keep in mind that Science in the Atomic Age (and any of the middle school/high school courses) can be spread out over more than a year if your student needs to take them at a slower pace. Berean Builders’ middle school and high school level courses are written directly to the student with the assumption that the student has no one in the home who knows science well enough to help. Even though the courses are designed to be worked independently, Dr. Wile/Berean Builders provide several options for help. Dr. Wile has a website set up where students can ask him questions (the link is given in each book), there are online classes taught by a teacher, and there are pre-recorded classes that can be purchased for a reasonable fee. The online classes are an option if you think your daughter would work better for someone who isn’t mom. The pre-recorded classes allow the student to work at her own pace, instead of the pace of a live class. If you think your 5th grader could handle Science in the Atomic Age, you could have both your 8th grade and your 5th grade students complete it together. That way your 8th grader would not be working alone.

As for the amount of experiments, Science in the Atomic Age has an average of 3-4 experiments per chapter, some chapters have less and some have more. Chapters take about 2 to 2-1/2 weeks to complete if working at a pace to finish it in one school year.

If you decide that keeping your daughter with your younger children is the best option for your family, then I recommend that you have her complete all of the lessons in the elementary book you choose to use. You have the option in the elementary books to have lessons 2 or 3 times each week. By having your daughter complete 3 lessons each week, you will help her transition to 5 lessons each week for the middle school/high school level courses. It also would give her an opportunity to work independently for one lesson per week if you choose to do 2 lessons each week with the rest of your children.