Description
At the preschool level, science is all about exposure, not
memorization of facts. It’s helping the youngest explorers understand
that their world is discoverable. Through guided exploration of their
world, young children learn how to naturally incorporate all aspects of
language (expanding vocabulary), math (counting and recording), science
(observing and experimenting), and art (drawing out ideas) into their
understanding of how their world works. Most importantly, children will
come to understand that their world is wonder-full, peace-full, and
beauty-full because God created it full of His love and wisdom.
Preschool Science Curriculum Overview
Preschool Science: Exploring Creation Together is a
spiral-bound curriculum with 2 distinct sections included. The first
half is written in a story format that parents can read with their
child. Activities are not inserted into the flow of the story, but icons
will alert parents to corresponding activities found in the 2nd half of
the book, which serves as the parent guide. It’s up to the parent
whether the moment dictates more reading or an activity break. Since
this is about exposure, if a student wants to keep reading, that’s
fantastic. It is our hope that students will want to read this book over
and over again. There will be plenty of opportunities to choose when
and where activities fit into a family’s busy schedule.
The second half of this curriculum is written directly to the parent
as the parent guide. It reviews the science topics being learned in the
story and contains many age-appropriate activities that demonstrate the
science concepts discussed in the story. These activities can help a
child better understand the ideas presented in the text. It also has
lots of fun activity sheets and games.
Preschool Science: Exploring Creation Together is an
Apologia science title recommended for students ages 3-5. The goal of
the course is exposure to topics, not science mastery. It is meant to be
a fun course that parents read to their youngest explorers. The
separate parent section is written to give parents activities that they
can choose to use when they see the opportunity arise, letting science
activities be natural extensions of their child’s regular activities
(play in the backyard), their family activities (grocery shopping), or
special events (field trips and vacations).
And what budding young scientist doesn’t want to get their hands on
activities? As homeschooling parents, we know that hands-on play allows
students to have their own “Ah Ha!” moment as they discover science. All
activities in Preschool Science: Exploring Creation Together use common household materials. This science book includes 2 types of activities:
- Hands-on Activities: These are self-contained,
individual activities that allow your child to explore concepts at a
deeper level. Some are experiments; others are games or worksheets that
parents can choose from to develop ideas.
- Project Activities: The “Window to My World”
project is a trifold poster board that becomes a large picture window.
Your child will add items to the window as the science is explained,
eventually creating an entirely unique scene.
Daily Schedule and Supplies
There is no set schedule for this preschool curriculum. Parents are encouraged to let their days guide what to cover each day.
Encourage Interest with these Tips
- Watch for opportunities to mentor in the moment.
- Use open-ended questions.
- Encourage your child to think aloud.
The curriculum encourages parents to be on the lookout for the
impromptu adventure in science. Because there are 2 separate sections to
this curriculum (one written to the student and one written to the
parent), the curriculum can be done over multiple years with it being
different every time.
Key Curriculum Components
This curriculum is designed around several key components essential to a successful preschool science program.
Enjoyable
The content is a story written to the student, interacting and
engaging the child in an age-appropriate manner that is all about
exposure. Carefully crafted activities are available in the parent
guide, letting the parent decide when and where to interject more
science.
Makes Christian Connections
As a God-honoring science curriculum, Preschool Science: Exploring Creation Together connects God to science concepts in a natural manner.
Parent-Led
Parents are the ultimate teachers of their children. Apologia
recognizes and honors this fact. This preschool science course is
written in a manner that lets the parent lead the learning. Some parents
may choose to do the story reading only. Other parents may wish to pick
and choose which activities to insert. And all methods are equally
valid. The child’s story portion of the science curriculum is carefully
created to be complete. Activities add to the fun of the science
discussed.
Open-and-Go
The structure of Preschool Science: Exploring Creation Together
is simple. Parents can choose an appropriate time to read the story
portion of the curriculum. Icons within the story portion alert the
parent to age-appropriate activity materials found in the parent guide.
It’s up to parents to decide if the moment is best served with more
reading or if an activity break is a good idea. Because there are so
many activities to choose from, each time the story is read, a new
adventure can be inserted.
Meet the Author
Rachael Yunis is a coauthor of Apologia’s advanced biology textbook,
the author of Apologia’s Young Explorer Earth Science textbook, and the
science and math director at Apologia. She holds a Bachelor of Science
degree in Biology, a Master of Science degree in Molecular Genetics, and
a Master of Arts degree in Biomedical Ethics. Preschool Science: Exploring Creation Together
was written with her husband and technical editor, Sam Yunis, PhD. Dr.
Yunis works in the aerospace industry. Together they homeschooled their
boys through high school. Their children have degrees in the sciences
and work in the aerospace and computer science industries.
