I think she can't science, either. She does open-book science tests, because even after the kids are taught the material in class and given a teacher-provided study guide to prep for tests, "elementary science textbooks are just too hard for kids to understand."
I got the same thing from my DS11's teacher last year in 5th grade. "The text book is so HARD so I don't use it. They don't get it from the book. We do tons of hands on stuff and they get that."
But then at least 4 times (which is 3 times too many IMO) he studied for a test and got to school and the test wasn't on what he thought it was going to be on. I had several parent conferences saying...can't you send home the text book and have him write in his planner "the test on Friday will cover pages 50-65?" Because if he tells us the test is on forces and motion and he studies that and he gets to school and the test is on simple machines, well what are we supposed to do? And we can't go over the hands on stuff they did in class with him because we weren't there.
Then the tests were in the format of the high stakes science test that they were to take at the end of the school year and they were hard and not necessarily anything that you could look up and find the correct answer in the text book (sometimes she would send the D test papers home and say if you correct it she would raise the grade and I had to help him even with him looking it up in the textbook). That class was just one big mess. His lowest scores ever were given in that class and it was frustrating because it wasn't from his lack of trying or ability.
So I feel your pain and good luck. Hopefully this year will be better for him in science.
