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Two homeschool science programs, compared on what actually decides the fit: creation and faith content, teaching style, and how much you'll teach.
Updated September 2026 · based on parent reviews and publisher information
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Compare for my child| Novare Science (Classical Academic Press) | Apologia Exploring Creation Science | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | 6th–12th | K–12th |
| Creation/faith | Christian, old-earth friendly | Christian, young-earth creation |
| Approach | Mastery-based textbooks with labs and integrated math | Single-topic textbooks with notebooking journals and experiments |
| Who teaches | The parent teaches | The parent teaches |
| Parent prep | Moderate to high (labs and essay grading need a parent) | Moderate (read aloud in elementary; gather household lab supplies) |
| Screen time | Mostly offline (books and paper) | Mostly offline (books and paper) |
| Video lessons | Available: free demonstration videos support some courses | Available: video and self-paced online options sold for upper-level courses |
| Cost | $130.95: Earth Science: God's World, Our Home program (textbook + digital resources), middle school | $84.60: Elementary course set (textbook + notebooking journal), e.g. Zoology 1, sale price |
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Reviewers rank Novare among the most rigorous Christian science programs, praising its clear, compact texts, mastery focus and faith integration alongside mainstream science. The main cautions are heavy math, dense reading, labs that need real equipment, and an old-earth view young-earth families may reject.
Parents like the warm, conversational writing, the depth of each single-topic year, and the plentiful kitchen-table experiments, and many credit the upper-level courses with good college prep. The common complaints are that the books are text-heavy with long reading sections that can drag for wiggly or reluctant readers, and that the creation viewpoint is woven through everything, so it cannot be used as a secular course.
Neither is better for every child. Novare Science (Classical Academic Press) is the stronger fit for christian, open to an old earth; classical. Apologia Exploring Creation Science is the stronger fit for christian, young-earth creation; video-led; living books (charlotte mason).
Novare Science (Classical Academic Press): christian, old-earth friendly. Apologia Exploring Creation Science: christian, young-earth creation.
Novare Science (Classical Academic Press): $130.95: Earth Science: God's World, Our Home program (textbook + digital resources), middle school. Apologia Exploring Creation Science: $84.60: Elementary course set (textbook + notebooking journal), e.g. Zoology 1, sale price.
Summaries are in our own words.