I had to put 5 stars on this product because it is great and we love it! I wasn't thrilled with the prospect of heavy textbooks and loaded writing journals for younger kids that other programs seem to offer, so we put off really delving into a science program until now. When researching and ultimately purchasing this one, I went ahead and chose to start at the begining, even though I have a 2nd and 4th grader because the projects looked so good. The reading is a bit simplistic for them, of course, but they are still learning and LOVE doing the projects. I'm trying to push them through it so we can move up to a more advanced level, but they don't mind at all since its one of their favorite subjects now.
The bad stuff? It is written for schools, so there is a lot of senseless repetition. What they want you to do in a 5-day week, I would streamline down to 2 or 3 days, even without my need to "rush." But this is all the better for us busy moms anyway. Also, the supply kit does NOT give any extras where you need them. It is set up for "1 group" (think group projects in schools) so when I had two kids wanting to make their own model butterfly, the kit didn't have it. This is also a problem if mistakes are made and you need more of a certain material. BUT, the things needed are pretty common (such as balloons, flour, etc.) and haven't been a problem to obtain. So it's an easy fix...but with the price of the program, you'd hope they'd be a little more generous.
Despite that, I am planning on getting the next level. Overall, a great science program! [Source: Christian Book, January 14, 2014]