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early science besides nature study
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Hi there,
We will be doing K this year and I know all we are supposed to do is nature study, but I would like to do some simple science, and since it is not my strength, I would like a curriculum or teacher guide, preferably living books with experiments. Also, as I am trying to think of a long range plan, what age do you find is best to start Apologia books? Their web site says K for some books, but that seems soon. Is it? I was thinking of doing some simple overview science with some little experiments for K and maybe for several years depending on what you moms think, then doing SCM 106 days for one year, and then start into Apologia books. Regarding the nature study part, we will always do nature study every week like on Fridays (yes, I know at 5 we are supposed to be outside doing that more, but it never seems to work out for us, so I am just being realistic for our particular life) and read nature books during our lunch time. I looked at Sonlight science, which is all Usborne books and some experiments and the more I look at it, I just don’t know if I dig it. Any other suggestions? Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
Not being snarky fyi. From my experience, if you do too much your first year of schooling you’ll burn out fast. A K-er doesn’t need science experiments and it’s highly likely they won’t “get” it anyway. Just hit your local science museum a couple times during the year. 🙂
I agree with the9Clarks. Nature study is enough science for a kindergartener. The only thing you might want to add in is reading living books. Follow your child’s interests for choosing books. You will be surprised at how much your child can learn with nature study and good books!
I echo the9clarks – nature study is indeed science and the basis for all future scientific study (and the foundation for other topics, habits, and fond memories as well). Instead of spending the time with stand-alone science experiments, take those moments to spend outdoors. Discovering an ant hill in your driveway, watching swallows, looking for worms under rocks or for stars in the sky, collecting rocks or leaves, observing the changing seasons and daily weather, taking an occasional hike or trip to the shore, etc…all of that can be considered hands-on science at this age.
If you really want some books, I think the “Let’s Find Out about Science” books at the library are good and appropriate for kindergarten. There are books in the series on a variety of science topics.
A book you might enjoy reading yourself is “A Sense of Wonder” by Rachel Carson. It’s a picture book and quick read, but is very encouraging of adults to give the gift of wonder to children by spending time in nature. The sense of wonder is a gift that will last a child an entire lifetime, which I really can’t say those early science experiments from a kit or book will give them. I don’t mean to sound preachy, just trying to be encouraging about the values of nature study. It really is enough right now.
Cooking is science. So is making your own play dough, playing with a magnet set, ooblek (cornstarch and water mix), bringing a bucket of snow inside to play with. You are probably doing experiments all the time.
Real Science-4-Kids (pre-level) was recommended to me. I will be slowly going through one of the books this coming winter with my 1st grader.
Elemental Science
Narrations, short readings from Encyclopedia type”picture books” notebooking, experiments and hands on activities, poetry, vocabulary (optional), parent friendly. Written by a homeschool mom (with a science degree in ……)who is following the suggestions of the WTM. You should look at this. I’m doing it next year with my kids. It makes suggestions for older students if you have older children who want to participate in what their younger siblings are learning about, or if you have a very gifted child who is asking to learn more. I like it becasue it is “gentle.”
Don’t let “Classical” scare you away. We do have some things in common.
Science for a K should simply be exploring God’s creation and talking about the things around him (in my opinion). The library is filled with science books that don’t have to be dismissed because of false teachings…..just simple books about ladybugs or spiders or water or seasons are abundant in the library. Kids love to be read to, and you can fill their minds with the wonders around them. That is science. Remember the first process in scientific processing….observation! Let the little ones observe God’s world around them and enjoy the Creator and His wonderful works! They are becoming little scientist who will love to learn! 🙂
I have a simple question for others about science/nature study/nature journaling. We love to observe the things outside and around us….but when it comes to trying to keep a nature journal it seems the “love of learning” disappears. I have a few children who don’t “enjoy” drawing, and judge what they draw with what they see. (perfectionistic, I know) How can I continue to encourage love in learning AND get the nature journaling on a positive experience?
I have an example from today: this isn’t directly related to Nature Study, but it does show how science is really so much about observation and kids learn so much without our help.
It has been very HOT here the last couple of days so we have all of our fans going. Today, my 5 year old daughter sat down on the floor in front of the box fan and just watched it for awhile. Then she said, “Mommy, the fan sucks in the air from back here and pushes it out in front here.” I would never have taken the time to explain that to her, but she noticed that all on her own. Amazing what little scientists they can be when left to their own devices…
In response to donnarolle, could they take pics with a digital camera and put the pics in a notebook or simple scrapbook? That type of art might be more satisfying to a perfectionist and my kids love using the camera. I think we have a picture of EVERY sea urchin at Shed’s Aquarium! They could also use them to make a slide show on the computer. What about making video clips of their own nature show or recording a “radio” show describing the flowers, trees, or habitat? You could also print coloring pages of the animal or plant they see for them to color if they prefer that. Dover publications has great coloring books and more that are very detailed, on thick paper, and very inexpensive. I would try to think outside the box and find a “journal” that fits your family. Just some ideas.
This thread was so great for me to read because it helped me see that I worried needlessly for years…
My oldest is now going into 10th grade. When she was K, I followed CM’s recommendations for studying nature. {We did not consistently keep a nature journal though} Looking back I see how it was so foundational. She still remembers how one day we dropped a hard candy outside and every day watched how the ants would come and devour it. We studied the leaves, and collected feathers, spent lots of time at the zoo and nature preserves. No curriculum at all (did I mention I worried constantly that it wouldn’t be “enough”???).
All my children (I have 5) have a love of nature because of this foundation. My 15 yo dd loves horses and in the last few years developed an interest in painting pictures of ducks. She studies them, reads about them, we go to the nature preserve and she photographs them. She even placed 3rd in our state for the Junior Duck stamp competition this year (she was the only homeschooler to get a top 3 place).
My 13 yo dd developed an interest in drawing detailed pictures of flowers and birds. This past spring she also has taken it upon herself to plant a flower garden with my 6 yo dd, teaching her all about flowers and plants, reading gardening magazines.
We did add the Apologia books in later years, but nothing formal before that.
All this to say, I wish I had just “trusted the process” more (and trusted that the Lord was leading me as I taught my children) and worried less. This is a great encouragement to me as we continue on our homeschooling journey.
P.S. In reply to Donnarolle, could you let them take photos with a digital camera instead of drawing? I agree with you that everytime I tried to make them do nature journals, all I got was resistance, and this was with my children all loving to draw. It somehow added a burden to our homeschool because I felt I “should” be doing it, even though it wasn’t working for us at the time. They did develop the habit of nature journalling on their own, when they felt there was something they wanted to draw. I have boxes of their prolific journals Maybe that’s kind of like “narrating” what they saw, but it had to be something that really made an impact on them to want to put it to paper????
Thanks for “listening”
Nanci
to Igeurink and quietwatersmom…..thank you both!!! 🙂 That was very helpful to think of using the camera. They love to take pictures!! They also love to use the computer and make web pages. I didn’t think that I was thinking inside the box, but now I see that I was! 🙂 Thanks for the encouragement! 🙂
ANother idea for the nature notebook that doesn’t require drawing is to let them bring something home to paste or tape into their notebooks. We’ve dried flowers and put them in. We have shells taped down (it gets a little bumpy but they love it). We’ve used postcards from the Butterfly Pavillion and Buffalo ranch. Sometimes my kids just like to make lists of what they’ve seen (ie turtles: 2, birds: 3 robins, 2 herons, etc).
I do try to encourage some type of drawing at least occasionally but these other ideas seem to get them over the issue of actually doing a notebook.
Nature study is science. It’s not a cop-out. 
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