| Many parents love the idea of home-schooling | | | | books of activities and/or experiments. These will |
| their children but worry that they may not be | | | | be geared to different age ranges and levels, so |
| able to teach all subjects, themselves. Science is | | | | be sure to look at both the difficulty of the |
| often one of those subjects. Parents worry that | | | | experiments (and the explanations given) and |
| either they do not know enough science to teach | | | | whether the materials needed are easy for you |
| the theory adequately, or they worry that they | | | | to acquire. Finally, you will want to get exercise |
| will not be able to afford to buy specialized | | | | books and a hardcover, non-spiral bound notebook |
| equipment with which to teach science. There are, | | | | that your child will use as a "lab book" in which to |
| however, many ways to overcome these and | | | | record the results and observations of their |
| other obstacles to teaching science at home. This | | | | experiments. Once you have made your |
| article will give you some options to solve the " I | | | | selections, you are ready to plan your program. It |
| don't know enough science to teach my kids!" | | | | is much easier to choose the activities or |
| dilemma, and hopefully encourage you not to give | | | | experiments you want to do and then consult the |
| up on providing your children the education you | | | | appropriate sections of the reference books to |
| desire for them. | | | | learn and teach the required background theory, |
| Joining a homeschool co-op group is a great way | | | | than it is to find a suitable experiment to go with |
| to meet other homeschooling families and share | | | | the theory that you are teaching. Also, if you |
| resources and ideas. These groups generally meet | | | | start with the experiment, then you can use the |
| once a week to do group activities or go on field | | | | reference books to show your child how to find |
| trips. Oftentimes, parents in the co-op will take | | | | the answers to his or her questions that were |
| turns teaching workshops or classes in their own | | | | sparked by doing the experiment. |
| area of expertise to all of the children in the | | | | If planning your own science program sounds too |
| co-op. If there is a special area of interest (such | | | | complicated, or you just don't have the time to |
| as science) in which none of the parents feels | | | | do all that planning, there are many pre-packaged, |
| comfortable teaching, the co-op will decide to hire | | | | commercially-available curriculae that are very |
| an outside teacher to provide instruction for the | | | | easy to use. The advantages of these programs |
| group. In this way, the families share the cost of | | | | are that they include all the reference material |
| the lessons, thereby providing a much more | | | | you will need to teach the curriculum. Many include |
| affordable alternative to private tutoring. | | | | student textbooks, student workbooks, activity |
| If there are no vacancies in a homeschool co-op | | | | guides, adiitional reference material such as charts |
| in your area (group size is often limited in order to | | | | and study/flashcards, student tests, and teacher's |
| preserve the intimate, family atmosphere that | | | | guides that give step-by-step instructions for how |
| many homeschooling families desire), and you | | | | and when to teach each lesson. They walk you |
| don't want to start one, yourself, you could look | | | | through the program from start to finish and are |
| for someone offering classes, independently, in | | | | generally very thorough. The disadvantages, |
| your area. You could also hire a private tutor, but | | | | however, are that these programs are generally |
| this could be quite costly. Depending on where | | | | quite expensive, you don't have as much flexibility |
| you live, the going rate for tutoring ranges | | | | to tailor the program to your child's interests, and |
| anywhere from $30 per hour to over $100 per | | | | they also tend to be country-specific (ie. Canadian, |
| hour. Group classes tend to be more affordable. | | | | American, Australian, British etc.). If you decide to |
| If you do not want to have other people teach | | | | buy a commercial science curriculum, you will soon |
| your child(ren) science, or you cannot find a | | | | find that there are many, many available. It is |
| suitable group or class, there are many excellent | | | | wise to go to a curriculum fair (these are often |
| science books and science curriculum resources | | | | sponsored by homeschooling associations and |
| available for all ages and levels. Many of these | | | | support groups) or to contact the manufacturers |
| have step by step instructions for doing | | | | of each curriculum you are considering, in order to |
| experiments and activities at home. If you want | | | | make comparisons before you invest in one. |
| to plan your own program, decide which topics | | | | The expression, "where there's a will, there's a |
| you want your children to study first and head to | | | | way," certainly applies to giving your child a good |
| your local library or bookstore. choose one or two | | | | science education at home. Your options include |
| reference books on the subject (for you and/or | | | | joining a homeschool co-op that offers group |
| for your children). Do not feel that you need to | | | | science classes; finding a class or tutor on your |
| look through every book that there is on the | | | | own; designing your own program using books as |
| topic. You will get overwhelmed and waste a lot | | | | reference material and activity guides; or using a |
| of time that way. Introductory books will | | | | commercially available curriculum. Many families |
| generally cover the same basic information. Once | | | | combine one or more of these methods to |
| you are familiar with the basics, then, if you want | | | | provide a very rich overall science education for |
| to go deeper into a certain topic you can look for | | | | their children. If science was one of your weak |
| more specific books, later. Initially, you just want | | | | areas, when you were in school (or homeschool), |
| to get an overview. Get one or two reference | | | | or science simply did not interest you, you may |
| books for yourself (if you feel that you need to | | | | find that providing science instruction to your |
| learn the theory yourself, first), and two or three | | | | children results in a new understanding of and |
| for your child. Depending on the age of the child, | | | | interest in the subject. The road ahead could be |
| you may want to look for books that have | | | | quite an exciting one, so be sure to open your |
| accurate and colourful pictures. Next look for | | | | mind as you are opening your child's! |