Our homeschool science curriculum includes a few different things. Science is really a wonderful thing to be studied and explored. When we introduce our children to various opportunities for science learning, they will experience a life long process of seeking answers that will help them later in life.
When two of our children were still in mainstream school, they were using a program called Skwirk at school. Skwirk covers six subjects from Foundation/Reception/Kindergarten to Year 10. They have Maths, English, Science, Geography, Commerce and History. The children liked it so I continued their subscription at home and we had been using it as part of our homeschool science curriculum.
Skwirk is an online, interactive learning program for children from
Kindergarten to Year Ten. It covers a wide range of subjects. It is used
all around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia,
HongKong, India, and the USA. A lot of homeschooling families use Skwirk
to supplement their educational programs. Skwirk encourages independent
learning and it offers a review of previously learnt content.
With
my children, when they use Skwirk as part of our homeschool science
curriculum, I normally let them choose what particular subject they want
to learn on a certain day. For instance if my son wants to study Microbiology
on a certain day, he can learn about Microorganisms and the human
body or Microorganisms used by humans or Microorganisms: what are
they? If he wants to learn about Earth and Space, he can choose to
learn about The formation, The origin of the universe, Plate tectonics,
What things in our universe can tell us or Geological time and the
fossil record.
I prefer that my children choose what they want
to learn for a particular subject so they are more interested in it and
can learn more because they have chosen that particular topic. Of course, if I wanted to
get them to learn something else, I try to encourage them but I always
try not to force them so they will feel happy that they are given a choice about what they are learning.
Also, if my children have finished their grade
level, as a teacher, I have the option to put them on the next level if
they want to. That way, they do not find themselves locked in a year
level for the whole school year.
As the child gets used to the program, they can easily
work through Skwirk independently. It is pretty easy to navigate, by
subject, by topic, and by chapter. There are also texts, videos and
animations that can be utilized. There is also a quiz and a test for
each topic.
It think it is not a comprehensive homeschool science curriculum but it is a good program to use to supplement kids learning.
I use Khan Academy as part of our homeschool science curriculum. Khan Academy science mainly focuses on older kids. However, if your young child loves to learn what the older kids want, I don't see any reason why they can't learn. The courses usually start at the basic level and gets a little more complex as you progress.
I've also looked into the The Good and the Beautiful science units. They are faith-based, but focus on only very basic Bible principles, allowing all Christians to use the units and add in their specific beliefs. The units work for those who hold both Young Earth or Old Earth theories.
Part of our homeschool science curriculum is taking the children to the Science Museum. Science answers a lot of questions about the past, and the present and it gives us clues about the future. Without science we wouldn't know and understand a lot of things. There are lots of important scientific discovery throughout our history. A lot of the things that we enjoy today are were created or invented because of scientific discovery.
That is the very reason why museums are a great place for students to learn more. Who knows, one day you will have a future scientist in your children? If curiosity is sparked in our children at a young age, then they might have great discoveries later on. The Science Museums encourages children to explore the world and offers knowledge on how science affects things.
Science Museums are great places to take your family. They usually offer exhibits that deal with various aspects of our life. Some also allow a very hands on approach to learning. It won't only amuse the little kids but even us parents. Some museums even have rare specimens that can no longer be found in the wild.