A Review of LIFEPAC’s Christian Grade 1 Science Curriculum

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Working through a science curriculum for young children often takes a back seat to core subjects like math and language arts when you’re homeschooling, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Little ones can and should learn about the wonderful world around them, and LIFEPAC makes that accessible and fun.

In September, Alpha Omega Publications gave us the chance to try their Grade 1 Science Kit for Erik. Alpha Omega’s LIFEPAC series is an award-winning, Christian program with a parent and child focused approached that has defined their company since 1977.

Like the math program we reviewed last year, LIFEPAC’s science series consists of full-color, worktexts and a teacher’s guide. There are 10 student worktexts and at first glance, you might ask “why so many books?” But each is only about 25-30 pages, giving your child the feeling of completing multiple units, and sparing you both the inconvenience of lugging around a big heavy textbook.

The Grade 1 Science Set includes the teacher manuals (part 1 and 2), plus 10 consumable student workbooks in full color. The kit retails for $99.95 and provides a whole year’s worth of science education and experimentation.

Workbooks can also be purchased separately for $7.50 if there are certain subjects you’re more interested in than others and if you don’t want to spend money on the teacher guides (any parent should be able to administer the program without a manual). Here’s a sample page showing suggestions for teaching the lesson on ramps:

I find Alpha Omega’s prices to be fair and comparable to other similar programs with student and teacher materials bundled together.

LIFEPAC uses the traditional approach of touching lightly on a variety of topics, rather than spending a lot of time on any one concept. If you find that your child gets really excited about one of the lessons, consider putting that unit on hold. Explore the topic in depth by checking out library books or going on a field trip.

Topics covered in these 10 units include:

The human body
Animals and plants
Energy and machines
Health

Lessons are manageable and pleasant to work through, with a page or two of teaching and then another page or so of written work. Depending on your child’s age and skill level, he or she may already be very familiar with the material. For example, early units (1 through 5) cover such basic concepts ranging from colors to sizes to animals on a farm; most first graders already understand these concepts well. I would suggest skipping these units and/or pages, and moving on to things that will challenge your child. Or consider moving up a grade level, because overall I would say the difficulty level of this kit is very low.

There’s a lab kit that you can purchase for $23.95 to reinforce the lessons, but it’s optional.

As a Christian publisher, Alpha Omega weaves a biblical worldview throughout its books. LIFEPAC Science Grade 1 gives due credit to God for His creation and encourages children to appreciate and explore its wonder.

In conclusion, here are the pros and cons of LIFEPAC’s Grade 1 Science Kit:

Pros

Full-color workbooks with appealing images and easy-to-understand text.
Workbooks are lightweight and not lengthy, and your child will get to “complete” 10 of them in the course of a year.
Affordable
Christian worldview

Cons

May not be challenging enough
Doesn’t go into depth on any particular topic

Alpha Omega offers a full homeschool curriculum for grades 1-12, including Bible and electives. There are print-based, computer-based and online components. You can also check out the accredited Alpha Omega online academy.