Real Science 4 Kids is a worldview-neutral curriculum that focuses on real science and gives your kids the tools to evaluate both philosophical and religious perspectives. It was designed by a homeschool mom, Dr. Rebecca Keller, who has a PhD in Biophysical Chemistry. The curriculum covers chemistry, biology, physics, geology and astronomy.
Dr. Keller's philosophy is that the student needs to learn the building blocks of science at a young age in order to excel in the more strenuous high school and college level science courses. She teaches "basic scientific facts and the scientific theory of inquiry along with how science is a part of [our] everyday lives". By keeping her curriculum simple and concise, Dr. Keller teaches even young children about complicated scientific concepts in a way that even a parent with no scientific background can teach and a young student can understand.
Real Science 4 Kids starts at Kindergarten level through high school and begins with chemistry, the foundation of all science, to build a solid foundation as your child moves through biology and physics; geology and astronomy. Most bundles can be accessed in eBook format.
Website: Real Science 4 Kids
(6 Reviews)
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Contributor Reviews
Reviews are solely the opinions of the contributor.
Cons: Doesn't cover highschool yet
Grades Used: 3rd -7th grade
We used and loved their Building Blocks series. It has a lot more depth than the Focus On books. You only have to buy 1 book for the school year and it covers all 5 science topics. We liked that kids learn all the fundamentals of science, so they can understand complex concepts later on. We found it to be very comprehensive with a lot of supportive material. Would buy and use again. Wish they had high school covered though.
Grades Used: Middle School
What a breath of fresh air! Real Science 4 Kids has been such a wonderful addition to our homeschool family. I only wish I had found it sooner. Our family has been using the Middle School level curriculum in Chemistry, Biology, and Physics; although, we are going to try their Astronomy and Geology in the near future. It's easy to complete one chapter per week with the included lab, and there are 10 chapters in each book.
This science curriculum is wonderful for many reasons. It is written at an age appropriate level. The author is very good at explaining topics in a clear, kid-friendly manner using advanced terminology. In the teacher book, they give you extra information just in case your child has more questions beyond what is covered in the book. This significantly reduces prep work. The experiments use household items and rarely do I have to do a supply run for the experiment. This makes it much easier to complete the weekly lab. I also love that the experiments actually work!
I highly recommend Real Science 4 Kids. I even signed up for their newsletter and found some really great discounts during the holidays.
Grades Used: Pre-Level 1 Chemistry and Biology
Simplifies complex concepts so even my youngest can learn. Presents concepts in a colorful, engaging manner that keeps my kids' attention. The labs are fun and generally easy to do.
Cons: very light content
Grades Used: 5th
My fifth grader blew through the RS4K Chemistry book in a month, and I was supplementing tons of extra experiments. There is just not enough in this to be considered a curriculum for me. Maybe it can be a supplement to the program you're already using, or maybe we were in the wrong grade for it?
Cons: not very deep/broad
Grades Used: Level 1
I liked RS4K for my science-loving, visual learner. However, he didn't get enough meat with this curriculum. So we zoomed through the level one of Bio, Chem, and Physics then moved on to Apologia's high school level.
The books and labs are visually stunning. I love the vocabulary tie-ins, too. That's a good prep for higher-level sciences and root word study.
Grades Used: 3/4
This book is hard to appreciate, though I will keep it on our bookshelf and take another look at it in the future. The content is not engaging for this age, although it is recommended by Sonlight for Science 4. The layout is not conducive to easy reading; the color contrast, font, amateurish pictures and their placement are all detrimental in my opinion. This was a disappointing purchase.