Science for 4 year old-good books. I mean, REALLY good books

[fillyjonk]

REALLY inspirational stuff.

I used to have a couple of usbourne books-light fantastic and liquid magic, which i might just get off ABE but am wondering if there is anything else

Have looked at the obvious sites for experiments but...I need a book that I can sit down with my kids and read, not a website thing (don't want to print it off and read it either, want something permenant IYKWIM).

It also needs to be accurate and non patronising. I suppose I am marginally more interested in physics/chemistry-I feel pretty confident about biology.

ideas please!

TBH at age 4 I would be more tempted to go for the practical approach if you want to really inspire.

I know that ds loves his science lessons, but that is because the school take a more project based slant on things, rather than getting them to read about stuff

We have some Usbourn and DK large refernce books, the Visual Dictionary is a very good one. But that tends to be good for 'rounding off' a topic IYSWIM. And at age 4 would be a read with book, rather than a read on their own book. They are very accurate and quite absorbing, the pictures are always well chosen.

Yes, I agree --- I think the hands-on approach is the way to really go. I spend a lot of time trying to do simple things and approach thing via the line of inquiry learning. 'What do you think will happen if we do such and such? Let's test it and then observe." I am hopeful that this approach will serve my dd for a longtime, if not for life!

yes agree.

i want a book that does this, so lays out the experiment, what its showing, etc. I want to be able to sit down with ds and talk it through.

kind of like a craft or gardening book, only magnets and borax crystals etc

def not a referance book

oh the usborne books were GREAT, I might just get those. Though they had a fondness for dangerous chemicals

Ds started expressing interest in science around that age and I had a hard time finding appropriate books to read to him. I found a few that I thought were great that had nice colorful pictures but that also gave facts as well. They tended to be more in the space/earth vein as that's what he was interested in, but I would guess that the same publishers do other sciences as well. We are in the USA, so I don't know how easily you can get them in the UK, but here's a link to one of them. The publisher is twocan books. There are also some lovely books published by www.scholastic.com who are again american, but do great books. The ones we like the best are listed as available only to teachers (we got ours at a used bookstore).

ah thanks!

scholastic ARE fabulous

HOW are they only avalible to teachers, fgs? I mean, I come from a family of teachers so i can't see that that would be a problem but...how do they KNOW?

Dorling Kindersley might do something - ds is nearly 10 and has quite a few science books and as he's so interested I bought him a proper chemistry/physics/biology book suitable for about GCSE level - he loves all the stuff iin it even though he can't understand it all but it has fired his interest even more.

this is the kind of thing i want

oh fgs i can put that together myself. I just need to get my head around it

am feeling oddly unconfident here.

Filly, I reaise that you don't want to be slavisly tied to the NC But if you goggle, you can find all the stuff listed and QCA will give you lesson plans to go with each part of the stage.

Do you want me to find them for you?

Not that you'd follow them all (I don't even!) but they are a bit of gentle hand holding IYSWIM

Fun for you to look through is 101 science experiment to do in a garden shed (or words to that effect!) You can read up the stuf (and it explains the background) and then do stuff with them

Fillyjonk - I have a book ds1 enjoyed from this sort of age, but it's no longer in print

It has sections on Air, Water, Light, Magnetism, Electricity, and Chemistry.

It has simple introductions, easy to follow experiments, and explanations as to what is happening and why. Then further scientific details and explanations.

My boys have outgrown it now, and I'd be happy to send it to you for P&P only if you want, but it is 190 pp hardback, so won't be cheap to post

Other scientific books (among many) that we particularly like are:
www.amazon.co.uk/What-Makes-Robert-M-L-Winston/dp/140530359X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/202-5464966-9055055?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180858287&sr=8-1 What makes me me by Rober Winston [DK]
www.amazon.co.uk/Can-Feel-Force-Richard-Hammond/dp/1405315431/ref=cm_lmf_img_1_rdssss1/202-5464966-9055055 Can you feel the force by Richard Hammond [DK]

the schemes of work for ks1 and 2 science

roisin, could you post the title and publisher of the book that is out of print? Then I can try and find it secondhand, perhaps.

I once worked with Scholastic, long ago, but stopped doing so when they told me they would not use the word "evolution." Perhaps they have since changed.

The book I mentioned does have a name
The Big Book of Experiments: An Encylopedia of Science edited/translated by Maureen Spurgeon ... but it is not the Usborne book on Amazon with the same name!

ISBN is 0709713754
Publisher Brown Watson, English edition: 2000, reprinted 2001 and 2002.
Originally published in Italian:
Il grande libro degli Esperimenti
1999 Instituto Geografico De Agostini S.p.A.

had to go feed kids, sorry

roisin, can't find any reviews of book but it does sound good, really wouldn't mind it. any idea at all how much it will cost to post?

I loved the other books also in the link, esp the robert winston one.

mb that is really helpful re the ks stuff, actually I find that stuff oddly rather hard to find so ta.

These are really helpful, thanks!

Have you come across "Robert Krampf's Experiment of the Week"?
Sent free to your inbox from here;
groups.yahoo.com/group/krampf/

"Every week, Robert sends out a simple science activity, aimed at a broad range of ages and interests. They range from why wet things turn dark to why you don't put tomatoes in the refrigerator.

You can also find video versions of some of his favorite experiments on his website, at www.krampf.com."

I like the experimenst as he explains everything- and it was always a winner in our house.

Have signed up for that Julie, it looks fun.

Fillyjonk - sorry I've been off to swimming and church. DS2 wants computer now, but I'll try and get a postage guesstimate for you later today.

eek Dh says it would be £7-£8 to post

Interesting, maomao, I think they must be different now. Ds (6) has learned about the big bang theory from his scholastic books and has been heatedly arguing it with dd (4) who goes to a jewish preschool and is consequently a complete believer in god being the origin of everything. (Dh and I are devout atheists, so it's been interesting hearing the debate.) Happy to help if there are books in the US that you want. Dh goes back and forth between london and los angeles every month (except in the summer).

SofiaAmes, thanks so much for the offer of ordering books for me --- I did not realize that you are now in LA! When did you move house? I don't come on MN very often, and can see that I miss a great deal.

I wish you could record your children's debates --- I would love to hear them!

I moved back in september of 2005 as my ds was starting kindergarten and I really wanted him to go to school in america (I was not happy with the choices available in london to an atheist).

oh rosin, thats FINE. I was bracing myself for a bit more, actually.

if you don't find posting it, we'd love to give it a home! whats the best way to get money to you?

(can paypal, bank transfer, or cheque-cheque might take a while though-we were burgled and they took our chequebook-luckily we cancelled same day- so they are having to be reissued)

I've CATd you.