My primary desire with this blog is to find solutions to the problems that drive us crazy. With respect to homeschooling, I know that one of the most crazy-making aspects of it is choosing curriculum. You spend HOURS researching. By the time you’re done, you can’t even remember what you’ve looked at and what you haven’t. If you make a choice that doesn’t fit, you start the process all over again.
Most of my education as a clinical psychologist wasn’t on treating patients, but on research. I really enjoy researching things and decided to research curriculum so you don’t have to! I thought science would be a quicker curriculum to research, and while it may have taken me less time than other subjects, IT TOOK ME A VERY LONG TIME. I have tremendous respect for the people who make their living by reviewing curricula. Whew!
How This List of the Best Homeschool Science Curriculum Will Save You Time
But you don’t want to read my whine about how long this took, do you? 🙂 You want the list of the best science curriculum! But before I share it with you, I want to explain how I’ve organized the research. You can read this list of my opinions of the best curricula, pin it, and share it–and I hope you do!
But the real gold I’ve produced is a complete PDF of all the best science curricula for elementary, junior high, and high school students. You can look through the tables within the PDF to find Christian, Catholic, or secular curricula. You can look for curricula by cost, difficulty, teacher involvement, or materials required. But even better, you can click on the BEST REVIEWS for each curriculum. No more Googling for you!! You can save the PDF to your computer for when your child reaches the next level of education or if you want to find something new. You can form your OWN opinions of the best homeschool science curriculum with this list.
The best news of all is that I’m not going to charge you for this great resource. You’ll get it for free when you subscribe to any of my email lists (which includes a Freebies Only list, meaning you’ll only be notified when a valuable freebie is ready for subscribers). Sound good? Click on the picture of the table below, add your email, and BAM! It’s yours as quick as it takes vinegar to react with baking soda. Now on to what, in my opinion, is the best of the best.
Best Elementary Homeschool Science Curriculum
Best Christian Science Curriculum
God’s Design for Science by Answers in Genesis is my top pick. Why? Because it takes the least amount of time to teach, is very interesting (I learn new things every week!), and is light on experiments. As a creationist, this perspective on science is also very important to me. But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered if you’re looking for something else. A very close second for best Christian elementary science curriculum is Berean Builders. I love that it’s written by Jay Wile and would be excellent preparation for higher-level science. I’m also crazy about the fact that it’s organized historically. How wonderful to have your science curriculum coincide with your history studies!
Best Secular Science Curriculum
Just because I’m calling a science curriculum secular doesn’t mean that it’s anti-creationist. None of the curriculum I’ve included on my complete list of the best (which you can get by scrolling down) is anti-creation. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, my top pick in this area is Real Science 4 Kids. I love it because the lessons are short, engaging, and very easy to understand. The chemistry explanations are my favorite!
Best Science Curriculum for Experiment Lovers
Supercharged Science is my top pick. This curriculum is perfect for kids who love to investigate (and teachers, too). If you are raising a future inventor, I can’t think of a better choice. Runner-up in this category is R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey. One of the criticisms of it is it has too many labs. The reviews say they’re a lot of fun, so if you’re a lab lover but you don’t want to go full boar, this may be the perfect option.
Other Options
Not what you’re looking for? No worries! I have included several other elementary science curricula and all the info you need in the complete PDF. Click Here to Get the PDF!
Best Junior High Homeschool Science Curriculum
Both of my top picks for junior high homeschool science are Christian curricula.
Apologia is my favorite. It has just the right mix of interesting, conversational text with labs and it’s not expensive.
Runner-up is The Rainbow, which also has a conversational text and might be easier for some students. It is more expensive, however.
Best High School Homeschool Science Curriculum
Again my top picks are both Christian curricula.
Apologia is once again my favorite. Three of my children have used it and have enjoyed it. The criticism that it does not prepare students for college is unwarranted in my experience.
My second-place pick may be surprising. It’s Switched-On Schoolhouse or Monarch (the online version of SOS). I have been asked by parents of students who struggle with science what they should choose and this is it. It’s less challenging and the least demanding for teachers.
One final option is especially appropriate for high school and that is outside classes through local co-ops. The advantage is your student may enjoy doing labs with others and you won’t have to purchase equipment. If you have an advanced student, consider dual enrollment or AP classes online through programs like Pennsylvania Homeschoolers. My son had an excellent experience taking Advanced Chemistry through them.
Valentine’s Day is coming up–the day that reminds far too many married women that they’re not married to a romantic. Unfortunately, the communication problem isn’t limited to one day a year.
A psychologist friend and I were bemoaning the struggle our men have in knowing what to say to us to create intimacy. My friend laughed, “They need a cheat sheet!”
“That’s a great idea!” I told her. And Pillow Talk Printables were born. I created a list of compliments and conversation starters that can make any man a romantic. I knew I needed a discreet way of keeping them bedside and decided to make them Altoid-tin size. Scroll down for the link and printable directions, but first I have a few tips to make the cards the most effective.
#1 Select the conversation starters you like most
I created 30 compliments or conversation starters. Some of these may do nothing for you. No problem! Just don’t use those you don’t care for. I included blank cards for you to add the words you most long to hear.
#2 Stay positive
My own husband has educated me that romance for him (and I suspect for many men) is intimidating. He admitted he would rather not even try than fail. To counteract that hesitancy, DO NOT CRITICIZE if your man is bold enough to use these cue cards. In fact, may I suggest rewarding him the best way you know how? 🙂 This is not the time to bring up past conflicts. Those are best kept away from the pillows.
#3 Put the blame on you
When you present these cards to your man, explain that you know women can be hard to understand and you’re sorry about any confusion you’ve created. You are giving him these cards, you’ll say, to simplify things. When he wants to be intimate with you (however he defines that), he can choose a card to start a conversation. Remind him that the most erotic part of a woman’s body is her mind and that you’ll be so happy if he gives the cards a try. Promise that you won’t be critical.
Note: If your husband is still resistant to using the cards, ask him why. There may be hurt feelings or unresolved conflict that must be addressed before using them. If you need help building communication skills, see your pastor or marriage counselor.
Great gift idea
These cards would make a great anniversary gift and would be a lovely bridal shower gift, especially for a couples’ shower. Maybe your own man is romantic, but you know someone who could benefit from this romance cheat sheet. Please pin it and share it to strengthen marriages.
Directions
Save the cards to your computer and print them on cardstock. I prefer white. Cut the cards of your choice out on the lines and add them to an empty, clean Altoids tin. Use the “Pillow Talk” card as a cover for the box. I recommend adhering it with glue dots.
A friend asked how I used the approach. I explained how I am using it to improve my marriage and work with my digital task list. She mentioned that she wished there was a good paper list to be used with this approach and I was inspired! Read on for what I shared with her and what I ended up using to manage my own tasks.
Gary Keller urges his readers to determine the one thing that would make the biggest impact in their lives (usually that will be the thing that makes the biggest impact in others’ lives, too). Once we know that, we can determine the one thing that would have the biggest impact on our lives in the next five years, next year, and so on. The great way he defines the one thing is:
the one thing you can do that will make everything else easier or unnecessary.
If you don’t yet know what you want to do with your life, I urge you to spend time praying and thinking about it. The book itself may help your thinking. Once you know your ultimate goal, deciding the one most important thing to do becomes easier. As a busy homeschooling mom with many interests, I loved the concept of choosing the one thing in every area of my life. I can’t possibly choose only one important area of my life to focus on! If you get stuck choosing one thing, remember that choosing doesn’t mean you can’t do anything else–it just means that you have chosen what you think is the most valuable use of your time for now. Perfectionists, take note: choose what appears to be the one thing. That’s good enough!
For inspiration on using a one-thing approach, listen to Jeff Sanders’s podcast on the subject.
How I’m Using The One Thing to Build My Marriage
I realized from interviewing Dr. Don McCulloch, author of Perfect Circle, that I longed for my husband to ask me what he could do to make the marriage of my dreams a reality. The problem was, like most men, he was inclined to guess what I needed and would give me that instead. Inspired by The One Thing, I asked my husband what the one thing was that would make his day easier (that I could do) and he told me. He was very open to hearing the one thing he could do to make my day easier, too. In fact, he is asking me this question on his own now. Wow!
I recommend asking your spouse what s/he needs first and then telling your spouse what you need most and make it a daily habit. Morning works best for us. Before you know it, your spouse will be asking you first!
How I Use The One Thing to Get More Done with ToDoist
Because I already have my tasks sorted by life area (colored categories) in ToDoist, it’s easy for me to review these and choose my one thing each day. I have tasks dated (something I accomplish during my weekly review) for the week, making choosing one to make top priority quick and easy. Rather than work from the Today view, I keep my list open to Top Priority tasks until they’re complete. I take all of this one step further by scheduling time for each “one thing” in Timeful. I explain more about this in 6 Important Habits for Getting More Done.
How To Use The One Thing with a Paper To-Do List
I’m absolutely crazy about digital task solutions like ToDoist, but I’m also crazy about pretty paper lists–the more colorful, the better. When my friend mentioned a paper list, I had to create a weekly form that would work for 1-Thing Productivity. Each life area has a color and a space for one monthly and weekly thing that will make everything else in that life area easier. What do I mean by life areas? The best way to explain is with examples. My life areas are church/faith, marriage, kids, homeschooling, blog, business, relationships, organization, personal, and scrapbooking.
The beauty of this list is the linear connection between your monthly and weekly 1-things and your daily 1-things. Every day, you list a new 1-thing per life area and check it or cross it off as you complete it.
A few notes. Sometimes your 1 thing won’t correspond with your weekly and monthly 1 thing. That’s ok. The form exists to keep your longer-term things top of mind. You may also have days when you don’t need to do anything in a particular life area. That’s ok, too. The form serves as a reminder of all the important aspects of your life and where you’re devoting the most time. If I don’t complete an area’s “one thing,” I rewrite it for the next day IF it’s still the one most important thing I can do.
Finally, you may have other must-do’s for a particular life area. You can approach this in a few different ways. First, list the rest of your must-do-today’s on the back of the form under today’s date. You could work on them as you complete the various 1 things. Second, you could keep these other must-do’s on a separate list that you only tackle once all of your 1 things are done. Lastly, you could schedule your “one things” and everything else you want to accomplish today on your calendar or datebook or using an app like Timeful. I use the latter approach.
Whatever method you choose, the 1 Thing approach to getting more done is really powerful. What 1 thing could you do right now that would make the rest of your day easier? Let me know how this works for you.
My passion is for language arts. I especially love to teach writing to my own and friends’ children. I started thinking about how I could combine my passion for writing with Classical Conversations and stayed up late creating a list of 96 creative writing prompts to go with Cycle 3.
You can use these writing prompts even if you don’t use CC
If you don’t use Classical Conversations, I think you will enjoy these creative writing prompts that you can use with your studies of American history and geography and human anatomy.
These writing prompts are flexible
You could assign one a day during the week. You could choose one or two per week or let your child choose. You can also adapt these writing prompts to your child’s ability. If your student isn’t proficient in handwriting or typing yet, have him dictate his writing to you. Or, allow her to use the dictation feature on your phone. If you want to include older students in your Foundations memory work, you can ask them to do some background research for some writing prompts.
These writing prompts will help your children memorize
Kids who don’t like to write usually respond to fun assignments like these. Writing creatively about the material is very helpful in memorization. The added benefit, of course, is your children will continue to improve their writing skills.
All 96 writing prompts are available to subscribers
I’m sharing the first three weeks of writing prompts with you and all 24 weeks’ worth with my subscribers for free. I hope you enjoy them!
Week 1
History: Write a letter to Columbus warning him not to make the mistakes he made.
English: Write a funny sentence beginning with an infinitive in this format: To __________ or not to ____________; that is the question.
Science: Write an argument from one type of tissue why it’s the most important.
Geography: Write which of the capitals this week is hardest to remember and why.
Week 2
History: Write where you would like to have landed (instead of Plymouth) on the Mayflower and why.
English: Write a funny sentence that begins with a present participle.
Science: Write a story about waking up and realizing you have no axial skeleton.
Geography: Describe Trenton from New Jersey.
Week 3
History: Write a story about a colonist who showed up in a different costume for the Boston Tea Party.
English: Write a two-word sentence that includes a past participle.
Science: Write what would happen to you if one of your muscle kinds became huge.
Geography: Pretend that you are Columbia, South Carolina. Write about how you hate being confused with the country of Colombia, South America and what makes you a great place to live.
I’m a Christian psychologist turned homeschooling mother of six. My life can be a little crazy, so I look for sanity-saving ideas to use and share. I hope you’ll read my About page to learn more.
My primary desire with this blog is to find solutions to the problems that drive us crazy. With respect to homeschooling, I know that one of the most crazy-making aspects of it is choosing curriculum. You spend HOURS researching. By the time you’re done, you can’t even remember what you’ve looked at and what you haven’t. If you make a choice that doesn’t fit, you start the process all over again.
Best Secular Science Curriculum
Best Science Curriculum for Experiment Lovers
