Our Story

Real Science-4-Kids began with a simple but powerful realization: science education in the United States was built on the wrong map.

Dr. Rebecca Woodbury, a biophysical chemist and curriculum designer, founded RS4K after years of frustration with science textbooks that introduced students to colors, textures, and surface-level “fun facts”—but left out the most important part: atoms and molecules.

These books were colorful. They were engaging. But they weren’t scientific. Students were learning to describe phenomena without understanding why they occurred. And when atomic theory finally appeared years later, it felt disconnected—an afterthought in a long list of vocabulary words.

Dr. Woodbury knew this was backwards.

Dr. Woodbury and her three children, 2005


In the real world, atomic and molecular structures drive everything. Chemistry, biology, physics, earth science—even the behavior of light or the growth of a tree—make sense only when we understand how atoms behave, bond, and interact. Why wait to teach this?

So, she created a new model.

Flipping the Script: Atoms First

Real Science-4-Kids is built on an atoms-first approach—a learning model that starts at the microscopic level and helps students build explanatory frameworks from the beginning.

We don’t just show that a balloon expands—we explain how energy moves molecules.
We don’t just label the states of matter—we reveal how atomic motion governs phase changes.
We don’t say “what” happens. We show why.

This approach changes everything. Students learn early on that science isn’t just about observation—it’s about causes.

RATATAZ: Experiments That Teach Thinking

To support this deeper learning, we developed the RATATAZ pedagogy—a multi-step experimental framework designed around real cognitive science.

RATATAZ stands for:
Read, Ask, Test,Tinker, Try, Analyze, Tazzle (Talk, Tell, and Dazzle)

This isn’t a kit or a collection of disconnected activities. RATATAZ is a full thinking model that helps students engage with experiments the way scientists do: asking questions, testing ideas, analyzing data, and revising their understanding.

It’s the difference between doing an activity and doing science.

From Books to a Movement

What started as a set of printed student and teacher books has become something more: a movement to reclaim authentic science education. Today, RS4K includes:

  • Full K–8 curriculum: Chemistry, biology, and physics built on the atomic model

  • Teacher and parent guides: Designed to support instruction, even for non-scientists

  • Conceptual Readers: Narrative books that deepen understanding of atomic structure and energy

  • MAISBY (coming soon): An adaptive learning AI that detects and corrects student misconceptions before they solidify, guiding learners back toward accurate atomic explanations

Bringing Science Back to Communities

We believe science learning should happen everywhere—not just in classrooms. That’s why we launched the Atomic Tour, a national outreach campaign that challenged the outdated “pre-atomic” model still found in most science instruction.

Through public talks, educator workshops, and hands-on demonstrations, the Atomic Tour helped communities across the country see what modern, atoms-first science education could be. It was a success—and it sparked a deeper demand.

Now, that vision is evolving into something even more impactful:

The Atomic Roadshow

The Atomic Roadshow is a mobile, hands-on science experience that brings the atoms-first approach directly to your community or school. We transform gyms, libraries, or classrooms into vibrant learning labs where students build molecules, model energy transfer, and discover the science beneath everyday phenomena—all in a powerful two-hour session.

This is more than a show. It’s an invitation to rethink how science is taught, experienced, and understood.

Together, the Tour and Roadshow are part of a growing movement—one that brings educators, parents, scientists, and students together to build a future where science instruction is modern, meaningful, and grounded in atomic understanding.

Where We’re Going

Science isn’t static. It evolves. Our understanding of learning does too. As we look to the future, RS4K is committed to:

  • Reaching more classrooms and homeschoolers with atoms-first curriculum

  • Empowering educators through training and support in modern cognitive science

  • Collaborating with scientists to build materials that reflect real-world research

  • Expanding MAISBY, our intelligent learning assistant, to personalize the science journey for every child

Why It Matters

When students understand atoms, they understand science. When they can explain “why,” they’re no longer memorizing—they’re reasoning.

And when we give them the right map, they don’t just follow the path of science.
They become the explorers.

Just for fun:

Look at how Gravitas Publications Inc.. Real Science-4-Kids, and RATATAZ have changed over time.