So far we've covered topics such as identifying a family vision, figuring out what your children want to learn, and decluttering the school area, and planning a daily rhythm.
I'd love to share some insight into teaching science in this post.
Many families write to ask if they need to add science to our resources in the elementary years. The answer is no.
Each of our resources, from preschool through 6th grade, includes projects, nature study, scientific observation and notebooking, along with experiments, and information about scientists.
They help your children develop the skills of asking questions, following a plan and exploring cause and effect.
In one article about how to teach science in elementary school the authors write, "The term “science” is one that encompasses a broad world of phenomena and events such as weather, the solar system, animal and plant life and more. And while students will surely explore these niche aspects of science as they mature in the K-12 school system, at the elementary level it’s the job of the teacher to essentially introduce science and some of its categories to the student. This is best done through visual, hands-on activities that allow students to observe and analyze a particular phenomenon, while at the same time getting some entertainment out of it." (emphasis mine)
So in the Peaceful Press resources, you are doing the best practice of offering hands-on learning experiences through observing nature, baking bread, watching a flame absorb oxygen, building a rocket or telescope, collecting leaves, and more.
Furthermore, education researchers such as Peter Gray believe that when we try to over-educate young children, offering worksheets for every subject to prove we learned something, we actually negate learning.
He writes,
"The mania for increased instruction, with consequent decreases in play, has even struck our kindergartens and preschools. Teachers in these settings are increasingly required to forego playful, creative, and enjoyable activities, so they can spend more time on worksheets and test preparation (Lynch, 2015 ). This is despite repeated studies showing that the immediate academic gains of such training wash out within 2 or 3 years (Carlsson-Paige, Almon, & McLaughlin, 2015 ; DarlingHammond & Snyder, 1992 ; Katz, 2015 ). Indeed, in some well-controlled studies, students from academic-based preschools and kindergartens performed worse , by fourth grade and beyond, on measures of reading, math, social maturity, and emotional control than otherwise comparable children from play-based preschools and kindergartens (Goldbeck, 2001 ; Marcon, 2002 ; Schweinhart & Weikart, 1997 )"(emphasis mine)
As well, when you look at scientists who have had notable achievements, they often had unconventional childhoods, such as Francis Collins, who was homeschooled on a farm in Virginia.
So you can be assured that the Peaceful Press has you covered for science and history in K-6.
Our elementary bundles include all of the geography, history, science, and social studies you need to prepare your children for high school and college.
Just add math and age-appropriate phonics, spelling, grammar, or writing.