Thanks for you honesty on Apologia. I also homeschool just one daughter and I really just could never get never get excited with their "one science topic for the year" approach. I love that BB has their books set up in chronological order. Seems like an effective approach. We use Sonlight for Scinece which is literature based. We love it and have no plans to switch anytime soon. However, Berean Builders is now offered through Sonlight in the high school years so i know it must be incredible as I feel Sonlight chooses their suggestions wisely. Good luck and im loving your channel! New subscriber 🔬🧬👩🏼‍🔬

We loveeeee berean builders! It gets my kids thinking like a scientist! The experiments are simple, clear and effective, the worldview is biblical, the price point is amazing, the family style, we love it. And you can grow all the way with It into high school

We’re using BB this year and really enjoy it. I think it’s the first science that I’m not either overwhelmed by, or that’s too easy that my kid has learned nothing. It’s been perfect!

Thanks for your honesty. True teachers can reflect on their work.

I had to use Apologia when I taught CC. It is BAD. Just a lot of wrong information that I was constantly correcting. The writing style is supposed to be chatty and approachable, but I just found it tedious. I would also never use Berean, because it's written by the same guy. I don't do a science curriculum before late middle school with my own kids. Before that, we do a TON of nature study, which is real science that young people can actually do. Before late middle they don't have the math or cognition for real science, it's just a waste of time.

Purple is bible or ELA for me

Thank you for the info! I haven't really heard of Berean Builders so i will definitely look into it! We just started botany this year 🤪😆 oh and science is definitely green, math is red, language arts is blue. 😂

I'm so glad to hear you are enjoying Berean Builders. We are starting the first in the series and I'm really hoping it will work for us. It isn't a science curriculum that is talked about much so I'm thankful for the positive review! 😊

We are using TGTB science units and enjoy them for 6th grade. But next year we may switch up and use BB for the short lessons and science kits. My question is do you add in science videos or just read and do the experiments?

We use Apologia at co-op, I tried on my own and couldn't push through with lessons. We loved Masterbooks science

Not me with my kids’ math in an orange notebook 😂. Science is of course green! 🤣 I was going to buy Apologia, but now I’m leaning towards Berean Builders.

This is our first year using Apologia. My daughter wanted to do the zoology 2 swimming creatures. She has really been interested in learning about ocean animals. The only way I could make it work was to ditch the notebooking journal (because it felt like way too much) & use the audio version while following along with the book (we listen to it at lunch). We also save the experiments and do them on our fun Fridays, but we don’t do them all. She has actually really enjoyed it. I almost made a last minute switch right before our school year started because I was worried about it. I think holding it loosely and making it work for what we could handle has been key. I think we will finish way before the year is over, so I’m beginning to think about what we will do next. I’ll have to look at Berean Builders!

My 7th grade son just started Apologia’s General Science self-paced course. It’s cool because he can do it all himself on his pc. We have been using other sciences up until this point that I have taught, but I wanted him to be more independent starting this year and learn how to take notes and all that. We have used gather round and TGATB units which were great. Apologia is just a different vibe. I am using apologia for my 4th grader too this year and made sure to pick one that changes topics, so we don’t get bored 😂 I picked zoology 1 and she likes it a lot and so do I because it’s different than what we have ever done. Plus I got the audiobook, so I don’t have to read aloud and the natures workshop science experiment kit to make life easier. All that to say is, we like Apologia so far. I’ll look into Berean builders if we ever get bored of apologia 😊

We love Berean Builders, too! So glad that you like it. The experiments are our favorite!!!!

My 9th graders used Apologia Biology. We didn’t like it at all. We had never used Apologia before and won’t again. They will be using Berean Builders Chemistry this year.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about these or your favorite science curriculum! 😊 🔬 🧪

We are one month in to Bookshark and I feel the same about the info. There is not enough. I am already looking at other curriculum for next year. I like it but I just need more, especially for the cost. Thinking about Build Your Library.

Everything said rings true for us. We can’t celebrate his achievements in math without it sounding like a brag no matter how it is said. When people ask about math I’d say he is in 7th grade(2 grades above) but then I always follow it with “but he isn’t advanced in anything else” and that puts them at ease. It’s sad. Internally my daughter tries to keep up but he moves so fast she can’t. That has resulted in many discussions in natural talents (which she also has her own).

Thank you!! We are using grades 4 and 8 parent led math and language arts minus the writing and penmanship portions.

I haven't really been the receiving end in person anyway but there's definitely also cliques within the homeschooling community and with my chronic pain in my leg and feet, it's hard to go to every event or have my kid socialize. My son is special needs and very shy so he doesn't do well in a big group setting and find that the kids don't play with him much. That's the hardest part of homeschooling for me. I can so relate to those comments online though! I'll ask for advise and they'll sway you into sticking with the curriculum or get hate bc you want to try something else lol especially with math! It's so hard to find something that will work for both of us. I also want to say that alot of homeschoolers bash on parents who send the kids to public school and vice versa. Now i live in the state where the education is scored on the bottom compared to any other state and i haven't had a great experiences with public schools and private is too expensive but we should definitely have grace to other moms who send the kids to public school 🏫 😅 sorry for this long comment 😂😅

Thank you so much for this information. This is exactly what I was looking for to helped me with my decision in switching to parent led.

Have you used star spangled banner story from Notgrass? Just wondered about your experiences with it? I'm trying to decide bw Masterbooks America's story or Notgrass 😅

If you’re interested in Abeka language arts, this could be helpful. This is probably our last year with it though! 😊

Wow! I just found your channel. This video is a gem. Thank you so much ❤🙏🤗

Idk how many maths we have went through - TGTB, Math Mammoth, Math You See, and a few others. We endes up settling on Teaching Textbooks. It is very easy to move ahead if needed, lots of review, and it helps lightem my load with having 3 kids to teach.

I'd suggest you give your daughter the 5th grade tests or review lessons for each chapter right now to see where she truly is. Elementary math is extremely boring for advanced kids, so that is why many of them skip into middle school math early. Your daughter might surprise you with her current level of understanding. You might also just ask her what she wants to do, because she might have some good insight that you haven't thought of which could be perfect for her.

Why not just get Abeka 6th grade?

I would do a review page from Abeka 5 and then skip to a new concept from Abeka 5.

I came to this same realization this year. I’m just going to work through what we have at a good pace and if it takes over a year then so be it. No big deal 😊

If abeka has worked for so many years I would just let her move quicker in level 5 so you are sure to cover all the skills and concepts, so your plan sounds great!

I have also done three maths this year already! We are good to go now though😂

If it’s too easy for her but she likes the curriculum (don’t fix what it’s not broken) maybe just give her the chapter tests until she reaches a point that she needs to learn the concept and slow down there. If she passes the test there’s no need to practice it so much when abeka is spiral and she’ll practice anyway. I did that with one of my kids because I didn’t want to spend a whole year on a grade level if she doesn’t need it. (Not with abeka though but Bju which is similar-in my understanding) And like you said, that’s the beauty of homeschooling, you’re catering to her specific needs. Wish you a great year

My older kids went to private Christian school and did Abeka math for K-4th grade, then switched to Saxon 6/5 for 5th grade, and stayed with Saxon through all of middle school, which worked really well for them!

That sounds like a good plan to be flexible and move quicker through that level. It is more work for you but will probably make it a lot less boring for her!

It’s our ages lol. I’m only 37 and I’ll sleep and wake up with a new hurt!! 😂

It can be stressful when trying to figure it all out. I'd guess most of us homeschool moms have all been there! I know I have :)

The main word in my life right now is FLEXIBILITY! 😂😂

We are supposed to be on week 2, but I panicked and returned our entire grade kits for Abeka. Waiting for my refund so that I can purchase new curriculum.

If you have never used Abeka for math would you reccomend going down a grade level

Thank you so much for sharing! I have an only child and have started thinking about homeschooling when she’s ready (she’s just turning 3). These are all great things to keep in the back of my mind when we are ready to start

I battle that same tendency. I have to frame it as "getting it over with" or "enjoying, digesting, understanding"

Using a boxed curriculum is great for working homeschool parents, too! A lot of people on the internet devalue all-in-one kits or say that it’s just for people who don’t know what they are doing. Piecing together curriculum takes a lot of time and work. The switch from eclectic to all-in-one was a gift for my homeschool.

Thank you for sharing your experience. This video is helpful. I’m deciding between parent or video led.

I’m so excited to see a video tailored to homeschooling an only! I have an only child. An 8th grader and we’ve been homeschooling for 8 years. It definitely takes more effort for me to organize friend hang outs. We don’t do a co-op and never have so I am very intentional with our activities. I love homeschooling and our time together. It’s been a very positive experience. Side note- we wanted more kids but are blessed to have one.

Wow! I can relate to everything you said. I also have an only child and I pushed him so hard so early. My struggle was also that my son is an advanced learner so i set the standard way too high which was not fair to him, and I wish I would’ve taken it easy. But you live and you learn 💕 thanks for sharing.

What would you or have you changed on a second go round?? I’d love to know! 😊

Can you do a walkthrough of a language arts lesson as well? This math one answered a question I was stumped in. Thank you!

We are switching to Abeka this school year. I’m making it work for me. We are doing the parent led version. Just doing math and language arts. History we are using Bookshark D and for science we are using Masterbooks General Science 1.