As your child moves from elementary grades towards middle school their minds are beginning to make more connections and their comprehension is increasing. Therefore, choosing the right homeschool science curriculum that supports your religious convictions and homeschool values is more important.
Having a curriculum that allows your pre-teen to ask questions and explore ideas more in-depth in a safe, nurturing environment is invaluable. To help decide which middle school science curriculum is right for you, here are some questions that are worth asking.
This article contains affiliate links.
What is the Provider’s Doctrine of Creation?
Within Christian curriculum providers, there is a broad range of doctrines present about Creation. Does the curriculum support old earth or young earth creation? Do they support a literal six days of creation, or do they promote a reading of Genesis 1 and 2 as a literary framework, not to be taken literally?
While there may be others, these providers are known to adhere to young Earth creationist doctrines: Answers in Genesis, Masterbooks, and Apologia curricula.
What Are the Provider’s Views on Evolution?
Do they believe that God used the processes of evolution to create life? Within the vast array of Christian denominations, there are many variations on creationism. As your child’s worldview is forming, it is important you understand the biblical worldview presented and if this differs from your own.
Many Christian science courses, especially in middle school, are likely to be broad in their approach. However, it is important you know this before you make your curriculum choices. If you are looking at a provider who states to be Christian, look at their statement of faith before purchasing.
Online, Live Classes, Self-Paced or Textbook?
There are many homeschool science curriculum options available and they are available in different formats. How you decide will depend on your child, as well as the price of the class. Live online courses provide a level of accountability for middle schoolers that is appreciated by the family and the student. If you are choosing an online live class, you may want to also check the biblical worldview of the teacher.
There are also online self-paced classes that provide video lessons but can be completed at your child’s pace. This can be a more affordable option, as well as less stressful if you have a child who may find an online class with other students challenging. Anxiety can be a roadblock to effective learning, so finding ways to help your unique homeschooler find middle school science success is vital.
There are many excellent textbook options. Apologia science has been used by countless homeschool families over the years and offers a rigorous, complete curriculum. It is also a popular choice amongst families who prefer a Charlotte Mason approach to learning. The Apologia books, although textbook-based, are of a quality to pass as living books. However, the textbooks can be very wordy, and some dyslexic students may struggle. But they now also offer a variety of learning formats. Whichever format you may choose, Apologia comes with a strong Christian perspective whilst maintaining scientific rigor.
Is There An Emphasis on Scientific Methods And Labs?
Middle schoolers enjoy hands-on experiments. Does the curriculum provide science labs that are well outlined and can be done at home? Are there interactive activities to engage your child and open up the wonders of science? Do labs require expensive equipment or hard-to-source materials, or can you achieve them with household items? If the course does require specific items, does it come with an experiment kit for the hands-on activities?
In middle school, students need to begin using science lab sheets more regularly. While parents are likely to still be involved in the experiment or lab activity, it is vital that students begin learning how to create a hypothesis, document their procedures and results, and formulate conclusions. When they reach high school science classes, these activities need to be understood to avoid stress in college-prep science courses.
Which Area of Science Is Covered?
Does your child have a passion for a particular field of science? Many kids of this age have a broad range of interests. If this is the case, consider a general science curriculum that covers a bit of everything. However, some students are developing stronger interests in a particular field. For children who have a particular passion for science, you may want to do more than one. Many children love deep diving into marine biology, human anatomy, astronomy, or earth science; as well as traditional high school science (biology, chemistry, or physics).
Does the Student Know What They Want To Study in High School?
If your middle schooler is already eyeing a particular field of study or a job they want to do when they are older, you may need to reverse-engineer their education. They may know what subjects to study in high school science, therefore this will help inform them in middle school. However, it is good at this stage to still be a bit broad in your choices, as they may yet change their mind.
Choose Wisely
Whatever option you choose, it is important that the middle school science curriculum you choose:
- opens up the wonder of God’s creation to your child,
- points to God as the creator of the heavens and the earth
- allows your child to begin seeing the hallmarks of design in all He has made.
How can you go about making the best middle school science curriculum choices for your homeschool family?
- Pray for direction.
- Talk with your child about how they learn best and what they love learning about
- Explore a variety of curricula using sample lessons.
