Unhappy with MPH science, any suggestions for something more rigorous?

[Friederike in Persia]

This year we've used MPH science 3 for dd8 and 2 for dd7. We had the textbook and the workbook. I found it way too easy and superficial for what I would like to do with them.
Could you suggest something with more text, that goes into depth and doesn't require a lot of extra books (living in Central Asia there's no library:()).
I don't care if it's CC or secular and if it covers many subjects in one book or one at a time (like biology, chemistry,...). Some experiments would be good, but we've already have various kits out here.

[Eliana]

I think the best approach at those ages is hands-on... and no worksheets or textbook reading. I don't think that type of science learning is meaningful in the elementary years, and I would recommend actively avoiding it.

Using good subject specific books, lots of experiments/nature walks/activities, listening to lyric life science CDs in the background periodically, and talking about how the world works will give elementary kids a great foundation.

The heart of science, imnsho, is not going to be found in worksheets, it will be found in joyful exploration of the world and how it works. That sense of discovery and of making sense of the world, along with some basic vocabulary (learned while *doing* things) will not only prepare kids well for further, more structured science learning, it will also help them see science as what it really is - a very logical extension of what little kids do naturally, observing and making sense of the world they live in.

Sorry, I got carried away there! If you choose an area and want some great book recommendations, I let me know...

And, good luck finding an approach/resource which works well for your family!

[Laura Corin]

Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry level I was great - in-depth, clear and with good experiments. I found all the ingredients here with no problem. I'm not keen on the bio and physics, but the chemistry is excellent. It's not cheap though - look for it second hand. The course lasts ten weeks.

Laura

[training5]

bump

[Linda...inOwasso]

I 2nd Laura. Real Science 4 Kids contains NO fluff and I love it!

[Friederike in Persia]

did you like the physics? Where could I get it from, if I went that way?

[Linda...inOwasso]

Firederike,

Physics is the only one we haven't used yet... it's scheduled for next year. However, I've perused the text and it looks just as solid as the other two. I bought all 3 (biology, chemistry & physics) level 1 complete sets from TWTM "for sale" boards. Real Science 4 Kids has a website and I know you can order directly from them. If you can wait a bit, I would post a wanted notice on the sale boards and see if you can find it used. This time of year people start to sell the old to make room for the new so it's worth a try.

BTW, I tried Singapore's MPH with my dd7 this year and felt the same as you -- complete waste of time. Best wishes to you!!

[Tami]

Another idea that is more direct instruction than text is ScienceWorks by Evan-Moor. THese books are a lot of fun, and cover important concepts. "Energy" and "Simple Machines" may work for you if you want to keep a physics focus.

I love this series.