Real Science 4 Kids level 1 users...

[Melissa in CA]

How do you like this program? Does one have to use it in the order specified online? First Chemistry, then Biology, and Physics last? We are already doing Chemistry this year with NOEO, and next year we are planning to use SL Science 5. I thought it would be fun to add in the RS4Ks Biology to use a couple days a week for something different.

Any thoughts?

[Mom2GirlsTX]

Yahoo group devoted totally to RS4Kids and it is very helpful. We bought the whole set at the homeschool convention this summer, but haven't implemented it yet, we meant to but dh health problems have put much of our homeschooling on hold. DH is the one who bought it, he really likes it, although he was a math major, he minored in chemistry and thinks it is a very educational/fun program. I've heard so many raves about it, I hope it works as well as I hope it does. (of course nothing works if you just leave it on a bookshelf like I've done:rolleyes: )
Maybe the yahoo group can help inform you about all the questions you might have. Here is a link to it:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RealScience4Kids/

[Suzanne in ABQ]

We've done the Chemistry and loved it.

The author gives reasons to do them in order. They get more challenging as you progress from Chemistry, through Biology and Physics. Namely, the labs become more independent. In Chemistry, the procedures are clearly detailed. In Physics, the students design their own experiments. Also, the author considers Biology to be, in a sense, *applied* Chemistry. It is easier to understand photosynthesis and other biological functions when you understand the chemical reactions involved.

Anyway, this is my understanding, based on what I heard the author say. Hope it's helpful.

[Lenora in MD]

I have used all three and we really enjoyed them. I think that would be a great idea to add it in. Since you have already done chemistry, biology would be perfect to do next.

[Laura Corin]

Loved the chemistry - in depth, well explained and the experiments all worked. The biology was a strange mishmash: very easy things (life cycles of frog, food webs, etc.) and in-depth things (cell work). Physics was a bit dry and some of the experiments (for which I bought equipment) didn't work.

With my second son I plan to do the easy bits of the bio, followed by the chemistry, then the hard bits of the bio. We may well use something else for physics.

Laura

[Jenny in Atl]

We too enjoyed chemistry the best. I actually liked SL 3's bio better. We will use them again but with supplements, maybe science in a nutshell?

[kalanamak]

Loved the chemistry - in depth, well explained and the experiments all worked. The biology was a strange mishmash: very easy things (life cycles of frog, food webs, etc.) and in-depth things (cell work). Physics was a bit dry and some of the experiments (for which I bought equipment) didn't work.

Laura

Up to what age is the Chemistry appropriate? Is it more fact oriented or hands on oriented, i.e. are the experiments reinforcement for bookwork or the main focus, and you learn any terminology as you do the experiment?
Thanks.

[Kelli in TN]

Loved the chemistry - in depth, well explained and the experiments all worked. The biology was a strange mishmash: very easy things (life cycles of frog, food webs, etc.) and in-depth things (cell work). Physics was a bit dry and some of the experiments (for which I bought equipment) didn't work.

With my second son I plan to do the easy bits of the bio, followed by the chemistry, then the hard bits of the bio. We may well use something else for physics.

Laura

I agree with this review. For physics we are doing this and that (a little reading from the Usborne book, a little reading from the RS4K book, a couple of Science in a Nutshell kits....).

[Laura Corin]

Up to what age is the Chemistry appropriate? Is it more fact oriented or hands on oriented, i.e. are the experiments reinforcement for bookwork or the main focus, and you learn any terminology as you do the experiment?
Thanks.

The chemistry is explained in some detail in the book and there is a little testing at the end of the chapter, but I would say that the focus is on understanding the processes, rather than drilling the facts. The experiments require some thought as to how what you observe fits with what you have learned (or doesn't). We used to spend about as long on doing/writing up the experiment as we did on reading and understanding the text.

Calvin used it at nine, but he's a somewhat abstract learner and the molecular work wasn't a problem. I wouldn't hesitate to use it up to age eleven or so.

Best wishes

Laura