Has anyone used Science in the Beginning or

I am using Science in the Beginning with dd7 and ds10. They enjoy the experiments. It’s well done and we will finish it but I wouldn’t do over. The writing seems repetitive to me and I find that annoying. Good info and well stated, but it seems the same info is stated and then restated in all the units we’ve completed so far. (~20).

My kids are 14 this month, 11 this month, 7, and 5. No, we haven’t, but will use the HS biology next year with a co-op. I cannot compare.Try the sample here – http://www.christianbook.com/science-in-the-beginning/jay-wile/pd/042455

I love the simplicity and the kids are learning a lot, just something about the receptiveness of the writing annoys me. Kind of like Ann VosKamp’s geo. books. I love her blog and loathe the geo. books. Maybe I’m just weird.

We are using Science in the Beginning this year.  We’re using it slowly though.  I plan to spread it out over a few years and fill it in with other living books.  So we only do it about once a week.  I like it so far.  We really like the experiments, and I’m not an experiment kind of gal. 🙂  I don’t mind the author’s style.  (although I totally agree with missceegee about Ann Voskamp…I adore her blog, I can’t stomach the geography books…so glad to hear I’m not the only one)

It’s the first science that we have gotten done consistently.  I’m using it with 6th, 4th and 1st graders.  They all seem to enjoy it.

This past week, we returned to our tried and true living books approach with the kids choosing their own experiments (dd7 and ds11) to do that tied in. The kids LOVED it! They are enjoying books about weather and natural disasters for a few weeks. They did a volcano experiment of their own choosing, not once, but twice to see if they could repeat the results. SitB is nice and informative, but just isn’t as good of a fit for us. I think we will dabble with it since I have it, but I’m not making a point of doing it all.

*repetitiveness not receptiveness in my first post.

@twas – I have found that if I put the experiment books I own (I have many.) within their reach, they choose what interests them and get at it. I have a good supply of basic equipment and if they want something particular, they can let me know and come back to that experiment later. That said, I do like an experiment kit with it all separated and ready to go. SitB is just not a great fit for us writing style wise.

Just to add another perspective: we are almost finished with our 3rd SITB unit and are enjoying it for the most part. Wile’s repetitiveness does get on my nerves, but I’ve learned to just skim through and skip to the next main point.

Science is NOT my thing. Most topics bore me half to death. Many days I really want to skip science. BUT. My son loves it and is learning a ton from it. The experiments simply and clearly illustrate the lesson’s main point. We haven’t done any written work this year since DS is only in 2nd grade, so I was beginning to question how much he would remember. The other day I asked him to tell me what he remembers from each of the units we have done, and was pleasantly pleased with his recall.

SITB is, in my mind, a simple, plain-Jane science curriculum. Just one book. Notebooking if you want. But the concepts taught are profoundly deep.

My only real con for the book is that it’s written on a pretty high reading and comprehension level. I find myself simplifying some of the explanations because they’re so full of “science speak.” I could never hand this book to DS and say, “go do it.” At least, not until around 5th or 6th grade.

We will move on to a different choice next year, but that’s more due to my boredom with the subject rather than any real problem with the curriculum. I figure planned, thoughtful change designed to spice things up can’t be a bad thing!

I would sell my books.