1. I have two children that I would like to teach Science 2 at the same time. What do I need to purchase? Are there enough consumable items in the kit to teach a second child?

You will need to purchase a Science 2 Homeschool Kit and a set of Student Materials for your second child. There are only a few items that are consumable in the Nancy Larson^® Science Homeschool Kits. If you are teaching two children at a time, your children can easily share items in the Tool Kits. If a group of three or more children are taught together, the only items of issue would be the Science 2 Starch Packing Peanuts and Owl Pellets. There would not be any problems for Science 1 or Science 3.

2. What do I need to teach Nancy Larson^® Science to another child in a following year?

If you are going to use a Nancy Larson^® Science Homeschool Kit a second year, you will need to purchase a set of Student Materials and there will be some consumable items you will need. At this time we are not selling individual consumable items. Items can be purchased from ETA/Cuisenaire or another vendor of science manipulatives. There are very few consumable items that need to be replaced. These are the consumable items you will need to purchase or collect:

Science 1

• Jack Pine Cones (2 cones)
• Butterfly Larvae Coupon
• Ladybug Larvae Coupon

Science 2

• Sandpaper (probably will be enough left over from previous year)
• Starch Packing Peanuts (can be any type of packing peanut but we used starch to be "green." Most packaging and mailing stores will give these to you.)
• Owl Pellets (2 pellets)

Science 3

• Clay, Sand, Silt, Humus (enough for more than one year if you save the clay)
• Grass and Bean Seeds (enough several students if seed is stored properly.)

3. Are there hands-on items not provided that we have to purchase separately?

We provide all the hard-to-find items so you don't have to hunt for them. We do not provide those things that are easily accessible in most homes (e.g., spoons, plastic cups, paper towels). The only equipment used that we do not provide in our Homeschool Tool Kit is a balance in Science 3. This is a part of the Science 2 Tool Kit and used also in Saxon Math. We did not want to make you purchase another balance. Any balance will work.

4. Your kits really seem to be expensive at $225 per kit. Can I just buy the topics I want to teach?

No, we do not believe in just teaching by units. Nancy Larson^® Science builds upon prior knowledge that we have incorporated in the lessons. If lessons or topics are skipped within a science level, there will be concepts that will not make sense or be difficult to comprehend for students. For example in Science 3, if the chemistry lessons and the Periodic Table of the Elements are skipped, then the physical science lesson comparing physical and chemical changes will not make sense to your child. Meteorology will be difficult when the elements in the atmosphere of Earth are discussed. If you skip the astronomy and chemistry lessons, discussing the elements found in the atmospheres of the planets will be confusing. Students will not understand the elements that make up the layers of Earth. Also, without teaching the chemistry lessons first, understanding the chemical reaction that happens in photosynthesis in the plants lessons would be extremely confusing to your child.

Compare buying other programs and companies that sell individual topics. If you buy Nancy Larson^® Science 1 or Science 2 you are getting six booklets or topics that are cohesive and build upon each other. For the sake of argument, this could be six units if purchased separately. This means $225 divided by 6 would be only $37.50 for a complete unit with everything you need, except the items you would have around your home. Science 3 is even a better deal because it has seven booklets or topics. Per booklet it is only $32.15 for a complete unit. Don't forget the building of reading skills found in Nancy Larson^® Science that many programs do not include.

5. I would like to just buy the Teacher's Manual and Student Materials without all the Tool Kits items. I have many of these at home. Why don't you just sell the Tool Kit items separately so I can purchase just what I need?

We believe it is absolutely necessary to do every lesson and all activities for children to have the best learning experience and understanding of each concept taught. We only sell the program as a kit because we want to make sure you have everything you need. Lessons and concepts won't have to be skipped because you are missing an important hands-on item.

It is true you might have some of the manipulatives and resource books that are in our Tool Kits. However, we have worked very hard to make our Tool Kit as affordable as possible for you with all those difficult to find items at your finger tips. If you were to spend your valuable time to purchase just pieces you are missing, the cost would add up very quickly. We also have been able to get items made specifically for our lessons that are not sold separately or in small quantities otherwise (i.e. magnets, soil samples, rock samples, Jack Pine cones, owl pellets, tree cookies, starch packing peanuts, etc.)

6. When will Science K, 4 and 5 be ready?

We spend a great amount of time researching and field testing our programs. We want to provide the highest quality program possible so we put our time in up front in the developmental stages. Our goal is to have Science K Homeschool Kit ready by the summer of 2011. We are striving to have Science 4 Homeschool Kit ready for the summer of 2012. Science 5 Homeschool Kit is scheduled to be released summer of 2013.

7. Does Nancy Larson^® Science have additional lists of books to supplement the lessons?

We know how important it is to have good literature for children to read. We have listed a few additional suggested books in our lessons. Currently we do not have any additional lists of books we recommend other than the ones we have listed in the lessons. We are working on a list that we will place on our website at some point. We want to be sure we read all the books for correct science content and appropriateness to supplement our program before we make any recommendations.

8. What model of teaching does Nancy Larson^® Science follow: traditional, unit based, classical, eclectic, literature, Charlotte Mason Approach ?

Often we are asked what our model of teaching is. Our methodology does not fit perfectly into any one model, but is a combination of several. We know children have many different styles of learning and we have incorporated visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic activities to promote understanding of concepts. Maggi Beardsley, reviewer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC. stated: "I appreciate that Nancy Larson has ventured into the science world with these (science) kits. They are more interactive than a dry textbook, with a hint of Charlotte Mason style and the vigor of classic science study."

9. I have a child that is 9 and another child that is just turning 7. I would like to have both children in the same material if possible. Does Nancy Larson^® Science lend itself to this?

Yes, we would recommend you start both children in Science 1, especially if you have not given much science instruction to your children. If you have given your older child a great deal of Life Science instruction, you probably will still find that we go into greater detail and concept building than in other programs, and the child will not be bored. The very first unit in Science 1 is at a lower reading-content level but once you have finished this unit, the rest of the booklets will incorporate more reading passages. We did not want to make the introduction to science to be too hard for the very young student. We still recommend reading the passages aloud to all children to insure they hear the words pronounced correctly and to aid in comprehension. Children should be encouraged to reread passages independently if they are capable.

10. My child is 11 years old but we have not done much physical science. What would you recommend?

The content in Science 2 is not too immature for older children. We have parents who have felt they had not done enough teaching of Physical Science with their older children and have used Science 2 with 5th graders. If your older child has not had much Physical Science, it would definitely be appropriate to use Science 2. Your child won't feel like he or she is using a little kids booklet. In Science 2's first booklet on physical properties of matter (e.g., buoyancy, luster, transparency, magnetism) we go into in-depth explanation of these concepts. Then we use this knowledge in understanding rocks and their physical properties. The simple machines unit goes way beyond a typical second grade program. For example, we study simple machines that are first-class, second-class, and third-class levers. In "Exploring Sound and Light" we explain white light and the light spectrum to a much higher level than is normally found in second grade. The fun part is that students "get it." This all culminates in the bird lessons where we incorporate the characteristics of physical properties, simple machines, sound, and light in relationship to living things.

11. I understand how your program builds and you have emphasis on Life Science in Science 1, Physical Science in Science 2, and Earth and Space in Science 3. Does my child have to start in Science 1 to be successful in Science 2 and Science 3?

No, your child can start in any level. We do teach at least a little of all three science areas in each level. However, you feel that your child is lacking in one of the areas, start your child in that level. Many parents have told us they feel they have done a pretty good job teaching Life Science. After looking more closely at our program and the depth that we teach Life Science, many homeschoolers have opted to start in Science 1 to assure not missing any of the concepts we teach. It will not be a problem to start a child in Science 2 or Science 3 without having had the previous programs. It does not work though to skip or just to do booklets within a science level. A general rule would be to use our chart listed on page two of our brochure that lists general guidelines for ages for each program. We would suggest there is more flexibility for the upper age ranges than the lower ranges for each level. Of course, it all just depends on your child and situation.

12. Do you teach any chemistry in Nancy Larson^® Science?

Yes, but we are not just mixing a bunch of chemicals together. We begin by teaching the Periodic Table of the Elements and helping students to understand how these elements are a part of everyday life. We teach the elements, molecules, atoms, and chemical formulas. We find the elements listed on the table in nutrition fact labels on everyday food items. Within the Chemistry lessons we do experiments to understand what happens in chemical reactions and show chemical formulas and how they change. When students get to the meteorology and geology lessons, they already understand elements and learn how these elements make up our atmosphere and Earth. Through experiments on chemical and physical reactions, students enter the unit on plants with a background that allows you to teach photosynthesis in a way that students can see the chemical formula and understand what is happening instead of just learning a new term.

13. Do you have information or technology on the website for students?

Yes, we have photographs that pertain to individual lessons. We also have website links to other websites with activities, videos, and photographs about the concepts taught in the lessons. Photographs can be shown to help build background knowledge before a lesson is taught or to supplement the learning experience after the lesson is taught. Additional information and website links are also listed under Teacher Links for clarification of subject matter and additional website activities. This allows us to keep you up-to-date on the latest changes in science. Pluto no longer being labeled a planet is a great example.

14. We have had programs where the materials are more for a school setting with cooperative groups and activities. Is Nancy Larson^® Science geared towards homeschool or more for a school setting?

Nancy Larson^® Science Homeschool has been written for a homeschool setting. Each lesson was specifically written with a homeschool parent and child in mind. Homeschool parents field tested the program and gave input on how to make lessons work more efficiently. Activities are designed for one teacher and one student though can be modified if more than one child being taught.