Master Books God’s Design for Life For Beginners Review

Please Share With Your Friends!

As homeschool parents, we want science to feel like wonder—not work. That’s why I was so excited to use Master Books God’s Design for Life For Beginners with my 7-year-old daughter Julia.

This gentle, colorful K–2 life science curriculum has been one of our favorite finds for elementary science in my 18 years of homeschooling.

Science for early elementary has always been a struggle for us, so this curriculum was a huge surprise!

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use, faith-based science program for the early years that covers plants, the human body, and animals, this one is absolutely worth checking out.

Here is the deal with science in early elementary. I ALWAYS have GREAT intentions. Science is so fun and colorful and hands-on. But in reality, when things get busy I’m always going to default to language arts and math. Those are both absolutely foundational and I know we can pick up science later if we don’t cover it now.

** This is a sponsored post. I received this product or compensation for review purposes only and was compensated for my time. I was not asked nor required to share a positive review; all opinions are my own. READ DISCLAIMER HERE for more information.

I made my peace with being an imperfect homeschool parent a LONG time ago! LOL. However…that doesn’t mean I don’t want to include science. I do. My kids love it! We usually cover it through life and at our co-op. I just don’t have time for a heavy science curriculum at home for early elementary.

So when I had the chance to use God’s Design for Life for Beginners with my daughter going into 2nd grade, I was unexpectedly surprised at how amazing it is to use with a young student. It covers the basics without burying the parent in pages of reading. Each lesson progressively covers one concept at a time making it a great foundation that is fun and easy to use.

1. What’s Included in God’s Design for Life For Beginners?

This course includes three units in one full-color book:

• Plants for Beginners
• Human Body for Beginners
• Animals for Beginners

There are a total of 105 lessons across the three units, designed for grades K–2. Each lesson includes a short reading passage, vocabulary words to trace, review questions, and either a hands-on activity, Scripture trace, or worksheet. The book also includes unit vocabulary reviews that you can use as a quiz or review if you like.

An inexpensive, optional science kit is available from Master Books to make doing the included activities quick and easy as well!

2. How the Curriculum Works

Each day’s lesson is short—usually just 1–2 pages of reading followed by an engaging activity. Some days your child might be identifying parts of a leaf, while other days they may be tracing Bible verses, matching animal types, or doing a simple science experiment.

What I really appreciate is how the lessons are:

• Developmentally appropriate for early elementary students
• Grounded in Scripture—biblical worldview is woven throughout
• Visual and engaging—bright, colorful pages hold a child’s attention
• Hands-on without the hassle—activities use basic supplies you likely already have

You can do this course 2–4 times a week depending on your schedule. We averaged 20–30 minutes per lesson, and that was a great pace for us.

Let me frank though…what I loved is that this curriculum is doable and fun. In this season of life, I’m a working-at-home mom with two kids in elementary school. Years ago, I was a stay-at-home mom with 7 kids being homeschooled. Both seasons are busy. Right now, my computer is literally right between my two kids work space. They work and I work. I’m available but I highly prioritize work they can do semi-independently.

3. Why My Daughter Loved It

Julia absolutely loved God’s Design For Life For Beginners. She has looked forward to science every day and regularly asked questions and talked about what she learned. The lessons felt like fun discoveries, not boring schoolwork. Here’s why it worked so well for her:

• She could read some of it herself, boosting her confidence. She is going into 2nd grade so she can’t read it all…but reading some was a boost!
• The coloring, matching, and hands-on activities were just right for her age. None of it felt too hard or like it was too much.
• The Bible verses made her feel like science and faith go together

And as a parent? I appreciated that I didn’t have to prepare much. It was open-and-go with minimal materials needed (you can find supply lists at the beginning of each unit!).

4. Prep, Lessons & Time Commitment

Prep Level: Low. Most lessons use everyday items or paper-based activities. You’ll want to check the supply list at the beginning of each unit (pages 8–10) to see if there’s anything to gather in advance.

Time Per Lesson: 20–30 minutes. That includes reading, tracing, discussion, and activity time. Some activities may take longer if your child wants to go deeper (like examining seeds or experimenting with food coloring).

Lesson Count: 105 total. That’s roughly 35 lessons per unit, and if you do science 3 times per week, it’ll last a full school year. Or, if you are like me and prefer more block scheduling, have your child do a few lessons at a time and you’ll still get through the book in a year!

5. Pros & Cons of God’s Design For Life For Beginners

Pros of this Elementary Science

• Beautiful full-color pages
• Easy for young students to understand
• Very little prep for mom
• Faith-based, Scripture included throughout
• Wide range of science topics (plants, body, animals)
• Works well for multiple learning styles
• Optional final project for creative kids

Cons of this Curriculum

• It’s not a deep dive into science theory—but that’s okay for K–2!
• Some activities may need light supervision (e.g., scissors or small parts)
• The teacher and student material are combined in one book, so you’ll want to supervise if you don’t want answers visible

A Science Win Win for Parents and Kids

God’s Design for Life For Beginners is one of those homeschool wins that’s both joyful for kids and simple for parents.

If you want a science curriculum that connects your child’s curiosity with biblical truth, teaches science in bite-sized pieces, and builds foundational knowledge without overwhelming them—this is a wonderful place to start!

We’ll definitely be using more from the God’s Design series in the future.

👉 You can check out more Master Books Curriculum here!
👉 Looking for something similar for older kids? Try the God’s Design for Life series for grades 3–8.

More Reading:

• Master Books Math Level 1 Review – Charlotte Mason Math 
• Master Books World Religion Curriculum: Faith based Apologetics Guide
• Master Books Intro to Forensic Science High School Curriculum Review