Literature based curriculum. You guys- It. Is. My. Jam. I can’t get enough of all of the beautiful books that can go along with any topic in our homeschool, and science cannot be excluded here. Learning through literature can open up so many possibilities and actually keep kids engaged and wanting to learn more. Here are 3 reasons to use a literature based science in your homeschool.

Why Choose a Literature Based Science?

There is no shortage of great science curriculum options out there. I should know- we’ve tried quite a few in our years homeschooling! But, like other subjects, using a science curriculum that is designed around quality literature is what we have chosen to use and why we have had so much fun using Rabbit Trails through Science! Here are 3 reasons why this curriculum has been a great fit for us and why we choose literature based science in our homeschool.

1. Using literature for science gives us the opportunity to pull information from many quality books

Having quality books in my home and my homeschool is a priority for me. I love having classics and beautiful books available for my kids to use on a regular basis. This gives us the opportunity to get information from many different places as opposed to one textbook. I feel that this helps kids down the road learn how to research. Think about it: when you’re in high school and college, you’re expected to find information from more than one source when you learn about a topic, not just rely on your class textbook. So, why do we deprive our kids of that when they’re young? You can learn different points of view and have a more well rounded education by using literature based curriculum.

Rabbit Trails through Science has given us this opportunity in our homeschool, without me having to put in all the work to dig into what books we should use! We have been using Chemistry and Botany this year. My kids have been doing experiments, researching, learning about chemists and botanists… this is just some of what make up this curriculum, and what make my kids excited to do science! Which brings me to my next point…

2. Using real books keeps my kids engaged

Let’s face it. Textbooks can be very dry. Yes, they can be filled with wonderful pictures and tons of information, but the monotony of the same type of textbook or manual that kids are expected to use all year brings my children to boredom pretty quickly. Using real books helps to keep my kids engaged because there’s something new and fun to explore often throughout the school year.

The great thing about Rabbit Trails through Science is that it uses real books, and uses those as a spine to get hands on in our science, which is a must in our homeschool! All of the lessons have a short lesson out of great science book spines, then lists of picture books so you can read the books. Then, your kids will get hands on with planned experiments, journaling, vocab, and more! Hands on experiments and activities are my kids’ favorite part of Rabbit Trails.

3. Literature based science allows us to do school together

One of the things I always tell other homeschoolers to reduce stress in their homeschool is to combine subjects as much as possible. Rabbit Trails makes this super doable for us. Rabbit Trails through Science is for all elementary ages, with our newest Chemistry unit that is for middle grades (4th-8th). My 7 and 12 year olds did their science units together and it was perfect. Rabbit Trails even has a list of middle grade science novels so that you can easily combine those ages and give your older kids even more substance by having their own books to read on top of the curriculum (these also work great as family read alouds, too!)

Having a literature based science fits right in with our Charlotte-Mason inspired, relaxed homeschool. It allows us to easily add to our morning basket to sit down and read together before venturing off and exploring through experiments and hands on learning. Do you use literature based science in your homeschool? Share about your experience in the comments or in my online homeschool community.