Nearly at the end of my rope with Apologia Biology…

I agree with hard work being the answer, but there are other curricula besides Apologia. We use ACE for highschool science. My son did better with it after trying Apologia. He has trouble with foreign language and vocabulary.

My younger kids are going to use Science Roots before highschool science. I second the Latin recommendation.

Lishie, there is material that one will read that is more “beginning-middle-end” and is fairly easy to narrate.  A story from The Storybook of Science, perhaps.  Then there are descriptions of mitosis.  This is not a STORY, which is easier to narrate.  One has to think harder, process the information differently.  You can leave out a few details in telling back a STORY.  You might even be able to leave out an event in it.  But scramble mitosis, and you just as well may not have bothered!  You either comprehend and understand mitosis or you don’t.  

That makes sense – thanks.

opps!  I was just going to agree with bookworm’s take on the “story” versus ‘knowing” types of science books.  i’ll be honest.  We really have never used living science books here.  My children found them very frustrating.  They wanted to understand the science not hear a story with some science in it.  They love texts, field journals from scientists, biographies of scientists, and even lower level fact type books.  Things that help them understand and form the images for the science they are studying.

I don’t think it does. The stories they enjoy and the things they observe in nature in their youngest years set them up well to be interested and able to put the facts into context, and we just try to choose sources that are not more “dry” than necessary…that’s my take on it. And the things Claire mentioned…straight from the minds of the scientists who were passionate about it…certainly fit CM’s definition of “living” materials!

Okay. That helps clarify but then leaves me to wonder what that looks like. For example, we tried Outdoor Secrets and Companion this past year but my son was not interested. He was 5.5 at the time but capable of processing the info which is why I did it at that age. You may tell me it’s still best to wait which is why I’m trying it again in Term 3 this year and he’ll be 7. But he shows a huge interest in experiments, animal facts, exploring, etc. How do I feed that hunger at this age? Sorry if this has gone off-topic from OP.

Let him do experiments, learn animal facts, and go exploring!  Also encourage him to study what he sees and take observations.  Share stories of scientists who had questions and did exactly what he is doing!  Now, still read him literature and poetry and have him listen to music.  I had a son who never did learn to love this stuff, but he was exposed.  He also if we were studying wildflowers, tended to measure all the petals and record them in his notebook instead of drawing them.  OK, then!  He DID learn to identify them.  He did study them, come to know them.  He still preferred snakes and experiments (especially the kind that made a boom)  LOL  DO NOT under any circumstances squash that inquisitive nature and curiosity!!!!!  Harness it.  Feed it.  Give him as many stories about or books by naturalists as he can manage at this age.  Have fun!

Thanks for bumping this! Reading it was very encouraging. Might have to read it once or twice more before school starts!!