In the early years, science education consists primarily of nature study. Try to spend some time observing nature at least once a week and journaling. It not only hones our observation skills and teaches us about life science, but it also teaches us to slow down and experience the beauty of creation.
Reading literary books about nature also help children develop a relationship with the natural world around them.
After we have spent years observing nature, we can begin to study the details of all these things we have spent years observing (botany, physiology, weather patterns, fossil development, astronomy, genetics, physics, etc). As the well-known physist professor Richard Feynman once said, “You can know the name of that bird in all the languages of the world, but when you’re finished, you’ll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird. You’ll only know about humans in different places, and what they call the bird. … I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.”
Depending on your child’s interests and learning needs, you can choose one of the full curricula listed below or build your own science education based on living books, also listed below.
Nature Study
How to Teach Nature Journaling: Curiosity, Wonder, Attention by John Muir Laws
Full Curricula
Sassafras Science Adventures — K-6 literature-based science curriculum.
Elemental Science — K-8 homeschool science curriculum.
Lyrical Learning — music-based science curriculum for middle grades.
Ellen McHenry — science materials for grades 3-10
Science Living Books
A longer list is in the works. Meanwhile, enjoy the following books.
Elementary
The Way Science Works
Life in a Bucket of Soil (Dover Children’s Science Books)
A World in a Drop of Water: Exploring with a Microscope (Dover Children’s Science Books)
Metamorphosis: Nature’s Magical Transformations (Dover Children’s Science Books) by Alvin and Virginia Silverstein
Nature’s Champions: The Biggest, the Fastest, the Best (Dover Children’s Science Books) by Alvin and Virginia Silverstein
Life in a Tidal Pool by Alvin and Virginia Silverstein
The Way Things Work Now
Clara Dillingham Pierson’s Complete Among the People Series
Snowflake Bentley
Let’s Read and Find Out Science
Butterfly House
My First Field Guide: Looking at Rocks
My First Field Guide: Looking at Trees and Leaves
My First Field Guide: Looking at the Sky
One Small Square: Woods
One Small Square: Backyard
One Small Square: Seashore
One Small Square: Pond
One Small Square: Coral Reef
One Small Square: The Night Sky
One Small Square: Cactus Desert
One Small Square: Tropical Rain Forest
One Small Square: Swamp
One Small Square: Arctic Tundra
One Small Square: Cave
One Small Square: African Savanna
One Day in the Woods by Jean Craighead George
One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest by Jean Craighead George
One Day in the Prairie by Jean Craighead George
One Day in the Desert by Jean Craighead George
One Day in the Alpine Tundra by Jean Craighead George
101 Hands-On Science Experiments by Phil Parratore
Middle Grades
The Sciences, Illustrated Edition (Yesterday’s Classics)
The Fairy-Land of Science by Arabella Buckley
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way
The Story of Science: Newton at the Center
The Story of Science: Einstein Adds a New Dimension
The Stars: A New Way to See Them
The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Jeanne Bendick
The Code of Life (Dover Children’s Science Books) by Alvin and Virginia Silverstein
Forces and Motion (Science Concepts, Second Series) by Alvin and Virginia Silverstein
Photosynthesis (Science Concepts, Second Series) by Alvin and Virginia Silverstein
High School
Genesis and the Big Bang: The Discovery Of Harmony Between Modern Science And The Bible
The Science of God: The Convergence of Scientific and Biblical Wisdom
The Hidden Face of God: How Science Reveals the Ultimate Truth
The Torah Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom
Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher
Objects in Motion: Principles of Classical Mechanics by Paul Fleisher
Waves: Principles of Light, Electricity and Magnetism by Paul Fleisher
Matter and Energy: Principles of Matter and Thermodynamics by Paul Fleisher
Liquids and Gases: Principles of Fluid Mechanics by Paul Fleisher
Relativity and Quantum Mechanics: Principles of Modern Physics by Paul Fleisher
What a Plant Knows by Daniel Chamovitz
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
Life in the Soil: A Guide for Naturalists and Gardeners by James B. Nardi
The Periodic Kingdom: A Journey Into The Land Of The Chemical Elements by P. W. Atkins