We assume that Bible study is already an integral and essential part of the child's daily
schedule. We believe that science, for Christians, is simply observing and describing God's
creation. Our books are carefully selected to provide marvelous examples of all of the
wonders of His creation. Our materials are written to provide a framework for an organized
study of science, not as a tool to provide our own commentary. If science is viewed from a
Christian perspective, then His invisible qualities will be clearly seen (Romans 1:20) without
any need for comments from us.
We have also chosen not to include Scriptural references in our materials. Many science
programs are being marketed as Christian homeschool science because they have “sprinkled”
in a Bible verse here and there. Some of these programs use verses that are clearly taken out
of context. In our opinion, it is unacceptable to teach children to mold Scripture to fit our needs
rather than allowing it to teach us in context. We instead recommend that a complete, sound
Bible study be used in conjunction with our curriculum (or any other).
How are evolution and other secular ideas handled?
Evolution and other secular ideas are occasionally presented in the books that we provide.
However, we do not include books that are overly dogmatic in their presentation of these
ideas. We think it is important for children to learn differing views and to have meaningful
discussions about these topics with their parents. Covering up or hiding these ideas in the
home school only creates confusion for the child who hears and sees this information
presented elsewhere (e.g. television, radio, magazines, bumper stickers, college,...). We also
think it is more important for children to hear what their own parents believe about these issues
than what we believe. For this reason, we have not included “canned” commentary for these
discussions.
Why don’t you include review questions, worksheets, or tests (with answer
keys)? How can a child be evaluated/graded without these tools?
Think about the last time that you were trying to learn something new. Did you run out looking
for the best 500 page workbook that you could find on the subject? I doubt it. You more likely
searched for the best books available on that topic…with engaging text and practical examples
(with pictures!). Maybe you took some notes or discussed what you learned with someone
else that had knowledge of the subject. Now think about how much you still remember.
Most of us are products of a classroom education. Our grades were typically based on
successfully completing a series of worksheets, quizzes, and tests. The information was
placed in short-term memory by “cramming” for the next exam. Upon successfully satisfying
our need for the information, we then quickly forgot it and moved on to the next task.
Unfortunately, these evaluation tools are sometimes necessary in an environment where large
numbers of students need to be graded at the same time. However, we should not limit our
teaching techniques to those methods that are most familiar to us. There are many more
natural learning tools available to homeschoolers.
Charlotte Mason used the term “narration” to describe a student’s summary of a recent
reading assignment. The student was required to read, or listen to someone reading, a short
section of a book. The student then submitted an oral or written recount of the text in their
own words. The child was evaluated based on their recollection of the reading. It is not
possible or desirable to have an “answer key” for such discussions. The narrations are very
individualized and allow for creativity. Most of all, narrations are an effective teaching tool that
require a student to respond to their learning and to “own” their newly discovered knowledge.
Understandably, this technique has also been called the “teach back” method. As a teacher,
you can probably relate to how much is learned by teaching someone else. It is a simple, yet
remarkably effective technique. Many have said, “If you can teach it, then you have learned it
for life”.
For more information on using narrations to teach, you may want to visit the following websites:
Narration Beats Tests -- by Karen Andreola
(author of A Charlotte Mason Companion)
Tips for Narration -- by Susan Wise Bauer
(author of The Well-Trained Mind, A Guide to Classical Education at Home)
Illustrating Science Lessons is Another Form of Narration – by Karen Andreola
(author of A Charlotte Mason Companion)
Do your instructor's guides include commentary or just schedules?
We provide occasional commentary, but the books and experiment kits provide the substance
of the program. Typically, our comments clarify an assignment, point out a minor error in a
text, or note an upcoming topic that may prompt further discussion.
Our instructor’s guides are designed to provide a logically organized structure to the reading
assignments, experiments, and activities. However, they are much more than “just
schedules”. They allow you to use multiple books and experiment kits concurrently, rather
than simply “read this book, then this book…” The experiments actually relate closely to the
reading and multiple books add variety to the topic being studied. The guides also include
reproducible student notebook pages and vocabulary word lists. Best of all, these time-savers
are a bargain at a price of $19.95 ($15.96 if purchased with a set).
My nine-year-old (or older) child has not studied much science yet. Should we
start with the Level I courses?
The recommended ages for our courses are directed more towards a child’s current reading
level than their prior knowledge of science. The Level I courses are not required to be
completed before the Level II courses. However, if you feel that your child will become
frustrated by the more challenging reading in the Level II courses, then we would suggest
using a Level I program with that child. Our age and grade levels are simply
recommendations. You are the best judge of your children’s needs.
Can one curriculum package be shared with multiple students (and different
ages)?
Yes. A single package can be shared with multiple students and with various ages of children.
The notebook pages are reproducible for multiple students. The experiment kits can be
shared with several students at the same time (Note: some consumable materials may need to
be replaced if you plan to save the kits for younger children to use in subsequent years).
If you have children with widely varied ages, then you may want to consider using a Level I and
a Level II program simultaneously. However, others have successfully used our curriculum by
having the younger student(s) “listen in” on the Level II study. This is typically done with the
understanding that the younger children will hear the information again at a later date.
Can Noeo Science be used for co-ops or other group teaching situations?
Yes. The materials can be shared between small groups of students. Depending on your
group’s schedule, you may want to have the parents cover some of the material at home (e.g.
complete the reading assignments at home and the experiments at the co-op).
Small schools can also successfully use our curriculum. The books can be shared by 2 or 3
students, and the experiment kits can also be shared. Typically, only one Instructor’s Guide is
needed. Please contact us for special pricing on classroom orders.
Do the Level I courses correspond to the Level II courses by content area
being studied during the course of a year? (e.g. if one child is studying atoms
in Chemistry I, will an older child also be studying atoms at the same time in
Chemistry II?)
Although we understand that this would be a convenient option, it is simply not feasible with the
variety of books that we use and the wide range of topics that need to be covered. There are
times when the two levels might overlap, but not as a general rule. However, this does not
prevent two different aged children from learning from each level of the curriculum. For
example, an older child studying Biology II could assist a younger child with the reading and
experiments in Biology I. The younger child could also listen to the reading assignments and
observe the experiments of the older child. Both would benefit from the exposure to the
different presentations of the material.
How long does each course take?
Each of our science courses is intended to take an entire school year (36 weeks) to complete.
For example, you may decide to do Chemistry I in grade 1, followed by Physics I in grade 2,
followed by Biology I in grade 3 (also see the related question below concerning order of
study). This is assuming that you follow our scheduled outline. Some families may elect to
speed up or slow down the pace.
Is there any particular order that the curriculum needs to be completed in (e.g.
biology first, then chemistry, then physics)?
No. A child may start at any point in our curriculum without prior knowledge of that subject.
There is no particular order of study that needs to be followed or any material in one subject
that requires an understanding from another. If you were to poll the “experts”, you would find
wide disparity in their opinions of which science should be studied first, and a variety of
reasons why. The opinions seem to be determined as much by area of expertise as anything
else. We recommend that you select the course that is most interesting to your child. At this
age, our goal is to promote an interest in science.
Do the experiments correlate with the reading assignments?
Yes! That is one of the main features of our program. We understand how frustrating it is to
be asked to complete an experiment that is completely unrelated to the subject matter being
studied. Our Instructor’s Guides are designed to provide a logical order to the reading
assignments and experiments.
Is there a separate “Student Notebook” that needs to be purchased?
No. The student notebooks are created using our reproducible pages (now available online)
or any other form of notebook that you and your children prefer to use. The notebook will
include narrations (summarizations), sketches and drawings, definitions, experiment pages,
and any other items that you would like to include (e.g. photographs, nature walk “treasures”,
etc.).
Can I use my library for some of the books and order only what I can’t find
there?
Yes. Our books and experiment kits can be purchased separately or as a complete set. The
Instructor’s Guides are also available individually. We provide our products separately in
order to accommodate those that use their library or already own some of the titles. However,
please keep in mind that our curriculum is intended to be used as a complete program. It will
not be nearly as effective if only a few books are used or the experiments are excluded.
However, if you have a great library nearby and can organize your checkout times to
correspond to your schedule, then you can definitely use our program successfully.
Do you have a printed catalog?
We had originally planned to produce a printed catalog. However, we have had very few
requests for one. Most people are now comfortable with looking at products in an online
environment. This method allows the most up-to-date information to be available to all of our
customers. In addition, the cost of printing a catalog would likely force us to increase our
pricing. We hope that you will find our online catalog to be sufficient. However, if you would
really prefer to have a printed catalog please let us know.
Do you plan to attend any homeschool conferences?
We plan to attend a very limited number of conferences this year (in CO, NM, AZ, FL, and
possibly TX). We feel that it is necessary to concentrate on finishing and refining the
curriculum before we can devote significant amounts of time to traveling to conferences. We
do hope to attend more conferences in 2007.
Do you plan to develop programs for older students?
Our long-term plans will depend on the needs of our customers. We have had numerous
inquiries about development of the curriculum for ages 13 and up. At this point in time, we are
uncertain if or when we might develop such a program.
