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We currently use Abeka science for grades 3-8 at our school. However, we’ve gotten frustrated with the need to buy revised material quite frequently. The decision was made a few years ago to relook at our science program before we bought all new (revised) text books again. That time has now come. What do you use? Why would you recommend it? What don’t you like about it? We are looking for options.
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I am very interested to hear replies to this thread. We have been using Christian Light and I’m afraid I don’t have many charitable comments on it.
To select a new curriculum, I have ordered several samples. BJU seems too intense, both for teacher and students, for the younger grades. God’s Design from Answers in Genesis provides very little student material or teacher guidance. Also the text is too difficult for 3rd graders.
Purposeful Design from ACSI catches my eye. It is 100% teacher led and has an age appropriate student workbook.
I would love to hear reviews from actual users.
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I recommend you review Rod and Staff science. Each level from grade 3 and up has a pupil edition, helpful teacher’s annotated edition, and tests. I had the opportunity to teach from the latest edition of 7 & 8 and found them very practically useful. Each lesson introduces a concept well, concluding with helpful review questions and activities. Experienced teachers will find the lessons useful in providing a substantial springboard for extension activities. Every curriculum has its limitations. The lowest levels of this series are in black and white; each increasing level introduces more color.
You can find the entire scope and sequence, view sample pages, and order samples from Milestone books here.
https://info.milestonebooks.com/rod-and-staff/samples/science/
If you have trouble finding sample pages on a particular title, try accessing it through the catalog portion of the website that includes the price for each title. -
We have run into the same trouble with Abeka. We do CLE for 2nd grade, Abeka for 3rd grade, and Rod and Staff for 4th to 8th. 9th and 10th do Abeka Biology and Physical Science. We still have Abeka for 3rd grade because the teachers we talked to felt that the Rod and Staff 3rd grade course was too difficult for most students. I would gladly trade Abeka for another curriculum but we haven’t found another suitable one yet. I have taught both 4th and 5th grade Rod and Staff science. Like Jonas said, the teacher’s keys are laid out very nicely and (from my experience) more user-friendly than Abeka’s. I also like how they relate the science concepts to everyday life. The books are shorter (especially than the upper grade Abeka), allowing us to spend more time with history. Byron, I would be interested in hearing what you decide about Purposeful Design from ACSI.
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