Ultimate Apologia Science Curriculum Delivers Out-of-This-World Learning
Why Apologia Works
Overview
Apologia offers a science curriculum that stands out from a typical textbook. The materials are designed with the child at heart and seek to match student interests.
The company presents content in a colorful, friendly way with engaging visuals. Godly messages are woven in, providing a values-based context for learning.
Why We Chose Apologia for Our Science…
At the beginning of our homeschool adventure, our eldest child became a guinea pig. We tested many textbooks we would later invest in. One of the science books we used was Apologia. We evaluated value, durability, and alignment with our goals.
Much of the reason we did this was to include science curriculum more formally in daily teaching. We believed a structured resource would steady our routines. This approach helped us build consistent daily lessons. Over time, the plan reduced scrambling and created predictable time blocks for science.
We had been doing science informally with library books, magazines and crafts. We had inherited an older version of the astronomy book from family. It was a bit advanced, but we were testing out what the book did and taught since it had been years since my husband Zach had read it in his homeschooling days.
Sometimes it is best to let the child try it out.
Our son found it appealing and he learned a lot even with the more advanced sections. So we started by looking it up on Amazon to see. Like many homeschool parents, we were figuring it out as we went, learning and adapting, many times improvising.
Plus we had two toddlers in the midst of trying to start a regular, everyday, full schedule curriculum with our eldest. We weren’t always fully with it or even fully awake to realize the obvious solutions. A year passed and then finally, we stumbled upon the Apologia website. There we found updated versions of the books. We bought some and continued having our son read those for another year. While the books were helpful, we weren’t 100% convinced we were meeting our goals with it. That’s when Zach stumbled upon the workbook journals on the website. We discovered had elementary and junior versions of the workbooks. We tried one just to see and it was a game changer.
All About Apologia Science
Pros
- Colorful
- God-centered
- “Regular” and “Junior” versions
- Many different textbook subjects
- Good quality
- Textbook is user-friendly and not too thick
- Great index
- Most content in activities match book
- Reasonably affordable!
Cons
- Journals can fall apart at times
- Some of the activities are repeated
- Some are not age appropriate
- Some info hard to find
- Some activities are unrealistic depending on your geographical location
Why it is so effective- and fun!
Our middle child absolutely adores science. He is fascinated by Planet Earth documentaries and his Kids National Geographic magazine. It includes silly animal facts. He is always sharing new discoveries. Sharks and birds fascinate him. Space also intrigues him. Planets, stars, and dust spark questions.
We started him with the regular textbook version with no workbook. However, it became too much for him, being young and having ADHD. He found it boring and could not focus on content. Then Apologia released a new version with junior workbooks. Now he asks to do science together.
The newer junior workbooks make learning enjoyable again. They help him stay focused during lessons. This approach supports his curiosity about science topics. With activity pages, he can apply what he learns. We see progress in his focus and enthusiasm. Every day he asks for science time.
The format is beautiful and colorful
What I love most about this curriculum is that it is fun for me as a parent. It is fun for the child as well. The format is user-friendly and colorful. I even find myself learning something new when I work on a craft or lesson with my son.
I was pleased to find fun craft ideas. Bold vocabulary is easy to find, and the photos are interesting, especially in the Astronomy textbook. It’s clear the company took a great deal of time and effort. It made the text and workbook colorful and easy on the child’s eyes for interactive learning. Since we had the old Astronomy textbook, we were pleasantly surprised. We noticed many upgrades Apologia added to the new version of this text.
If I had to change anything…
There isn’t a lot I would change about this curriculum. There are a few minor issues that would help it. The journals have great activities, but the cover and binding are flimsy.
Our boys are destructive and constantly cleaning up the schoolroom. After six months of using this journal, the spiral binding is ripping. The cover is coming undone. I am constantly fixing it. It’s also hard to put away because it’s ‘floppy’ and lacks a sturdy cover. While we are teaching our children to be organized and take care of their things, daily use shows wear on the journal.
Some of the material is repetitive…
The only other minor complaint I have about this curriculum is that you must be prepared for repetitive content. That repetition can feel tedious. For some kids, that is great and useful. For our children, we skip some crafts or pages. They just aren’t practical or helpful.
Some of the observation pages are too annoying or cumbersome. They are just plain unrealistic for their age. I do appreciate the option, though. On occasion we have greatly benefited from it. This helps us extend learning beyond the basic lessons.
There is so much more…
There is more I could say about this curriculum, but you should try it and see.
With kid-friendly text, photos, colorful designs, and easy-to-use resources, this is a winning resource for any homeschool family.
Whether your child is advanced or struggling, ADHD, or anything in between, I highly recommend you try this curriculum. With the workbooks now available, your child can take interest in all sciences and gain appreciation for our world.
There are many science curricula out there. What have you found to be the best resource for your family, and do you enjoy the crafts or content? Additionally, what makes it special for your family?