See a thorough reveiw of Friendly Biology by Candice at Homeschool on the Hill here. Includes a flip-through of the text.
Mary, a homeschooling mother from North Dakota writes:
"I just want to say how much my daughter learned from Friendly Biology and actually enjoyed it!! I'm taking a college anantomy and physiology class this summer and she has been able to help me understand what a college textbook couldn't. So glad we tried Friendly Biology!"
Jena, a homeschooling mother shares her comments:
"What a great curriculum! The companion videos have helped my son, who is an auditory processor. It is so nice to see him investing in his learning. The curriculum is balanced between information and application. He loves the labs! Best of all he can independant accomplish the expectation within a 35-50 minute time period with no homework. For a young gentleman with dyslexia, it is just what he needs to be successful!"
Read a lengthy review of Friendly Biology by Marcy Crabtree on her blog at Ben and Me (benandme.com). Marcy shares her insights on utilizing video to enhance the learning experiences of homeschooled students.
Susan, a veteran homeschooling mom writes:
"I used the "hot off the press" Friendly Biology course with my 9th grade son this year. I was pleased with the overall curriculum. I had been looking for something not quite as intense as I had used for my first 3 children due to my 4th son's struggle with reading comprehension. Friendly Biology really met that need. We both enjoyed the way the authors used easy-to-understand examples to explain difficult concepts. For instance, they compared the anatomy of the heart to a 2-story house with 4 rooms. We also liked that the illustrations were "just enough" to explain a concept, while not making the page "too busy" and distracting to the reader. The companion workbook was just enough practice before taking the tests. Tests are mutiple choice and of reasonable difficulty. They did not frustrate my son."
Laura, a homeschooling mother from Ohio writes:
"I recently purchased Friendly Biology for my 16-year-old ADHD/ASD son. My son has a brilliant mind, but he gets over- whelmed by too many pages to read. We had started him on another program, but getting him to read it was like pulling teeth. He hated it. I hated it. I started hearing talk about Friendly Biology in the homeschool community and went to the webpage to check it out. Immediately I knew it was the biology program for us. Its chapters are short, the font is big and not so intimidating. The graphics and examples are fun and engaging. It is well-written, thorough, NOT BORING. It's actually cool, and dare I say fun? I like the questions, crosswords and word searches that go with the chapters. It reassures me he is learning. My son is halfway through the program, no longer dreads biology class and my life has been made easier as well. I highly recommend Friendly Biology.
Marne, a homeschooling mom from Wisconsin writes these comments regarding the Friendly Biology video lessons:
"Since adding the video version of the text to our study of Friendly Biology, I have seen a remarkable increase in my student’s retention of the material. This feature of Friendly Biology is a real plus for auditory learners and with the authors pointing out the facts and terms and what they mean or do, it really draws their attention to them. The motion of the pointer and moving things around really helps get things locked in for them. The dissections are super......... it was just like when our vet did a C section on one of our cows and gave me an anatomy lesson during the procedure including the layers of muscles, organs and then how he sewed the cow back up again. Very professional!”
Beth Hempton, owner/instructor at Classes by Beth Plus and homeschooling mom writes:
"We’re thrilled to offer Dr. Hajda’s Friendly Biology curriculum as our primary high school biology course curriculum in both live and recorded courses. Dr. Hajda used his new curriculum to teach our biology course last year and students loved it. Friendly Biology provides extensive enough ma- terial to meet any future science major standards while truly being easy enough to understand so that non-science students thrive, as well. The interest level proved to be high while the material was very understandable. I would recommend Dr. Hajda’s science curriculum in both classroom and homeschool settings because you don’t need a biology degree to use it. We so appreciate Dr. Hajda bringing science back to where students not only comprehend it, but they enjoy it!"
Deb Deffinbaugh of the Timberdoodle Company writes:
"Any text that uses Lego figures to discuss genetics has earned the moniker "Friendly!" Friendly Biology, with its clear, colorful diagrams and abundant photos, introduces the world of biology to high-school students in a gentle, non-intimidating manner. Written by a homeschooling husband and wife team, Friendly Biology covers topics such as mitosis and meiosis, genetics, taxon- omy, ecology, an overview of all human body systems, and much more. With meaningful lessons and spot-on lab activities, Friendly Biology will not merely teach your teen biological terms and processes, but it should also give him an awe and respect for both the splendor and complexity of living things. We were especially pleased with their tasteful and yet complete discussion of human reproduction." (Note: Friendly Biology has been chosen to be included in the Ninth-grade Curriculum Kit featured by the Timberdoodle Company.)