The girls are enjoying Rainbow Science. It’s engaging–witty even, goes into considerable depth concisely, and speaks directly to the student with respect.
I’m loving the fact that it’s such a thorough, fascinating, and independent curriculum. Through the week they read two sections, organize the lab (all supplies are packaged together for minimal prep that they can “own” themselves. They are increasingly at the helm of their own education–establishing zeal and habits that should serve them through a lifetime of learning, and enjoying the satisfaction and self-confidence of independence.
I’m not involved in the experiments (unless I say, “Hey, that looks fun, can you show me how to play too?”). I just sip my coffee, start dinner prep, and enjoy the ensuing dinner table conversations. Once a week I also glance at finished lab reports. Kaira and Kendra are doing the program in its entirety; Keianna’s along for the ride, learning whatever she happens to glean, but exempt from the written work. (At 7 she lacks the mathematics required to figure out all the how and why behind the eperiments–but she’s still learning at her own level and having a blast!)
The teacher’s guide gives a handy, “What did my student do today” section in case I need more details beyond what the girl’s chatter. My chattery girls usually fill me in with delightful loquacity, so I often let the teacher’s helper gather dust.
They tell me that this week’s experiment involved centripetal force and wave motion. Dinner yesterday bubbled with conversation about nodes, standing waves, planar waves, and linear waves.
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