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Selecting Science Resource Books for Christian Families

by Cathy Duffy

The Christian perspective is vital in studying science. In science you will constantly find yourself wading through "untruth." Evolution is not the only problem. God's plan and purposes are a necessary part of most science studies, and secular materials are incomplete without it. If you are using secular "real" books, you shouldn't be surprised if you encounter non-Christian philosophy. It is up to you to supply corrections or truth when necessary. This can be a very advantageous way to teach if you have a good Scriptural foundation. It is important to develop discernment to be able to separate truth from untruth.

While it is fairly easy to select and use only those portions of library or supplementary books that are accurate and truthful, it is more difficult to do this with secular textbooks when you intend to use the entire book. The textbooks are generally based entirely on an untruthful premise (which they are trying to influence our children to accept as truth), making the entire book difficult to work with. If you choose to purchase science texts, you should choose Christian books.

Beyond this religious issue, most science textbooks for younger levels simply introduce areas of science with little demand for attention to detail. Often the concepts are presented so broadly there is no new information for the child, and he is bored. While details help make a topic more interesting, trying to present details to young children if they are not interested in the topic to begin with is probably a waste of time. Because of these factors, most science texts for first and second grades are a waste of money. If, in spite of these drawbacks you still wish to use texts, BJUP's look more interesting than most.

While detail can make science more interesting, some Christian publishers have put excessive emphasis on memorization of detail, so use caution even in choosing texts on older levels.

I generally do not recommend any workbook approach to science where the primary activity is filling in blanks. Workbook activities can be appropriate as reinforcement for learning, but they should not be the main event.

Another unintentional problem occurs with workbook courses such as Alpha Omega LIFEPACs that are designed primarily for independent study. Even when they include material to be presented by the teacher to expand on the student workbook, many parents skip those parts and use only the workbook. The result is often an inadequate and/or ineffective course.

Overall, BJUP, Rod and Staff, and A Beka science texts are good, although I often recommend that A Beka's test and review sheets be omitted.

copyright 2005 Cathy Duffy