I guess I'm curious to know if this would keep an early elementary age student up to speed academically. There's a chance she may to go school for 2nd grade and I want her to be ready, if so.

My dd is 6, and we've been using OPGTR and Right Start Math for Kindergarten. Right Start is going ok (although we shelve it a lot when the weather is nice) but she (and I) HATES OPGTR. She has expressed that it is boring. I agree. Very dry. She finds no joy or interest in reading a few black and white sentences in the book. She's wanting something more imaginative, as am I. I am teacher, and I know I could supplement with lots of other student-centered hands-on activities, but with 2 other little ones plus a new small homestead, I just want something easier for next year. So, I have the Right Start and OPGTR materials. I also have The Story of the World and First Language Lesson materials, but we haven't touched them yet, so I may or may not return, if we choose something else that is comprehensive. In all of my research, I keep coming back to Oak Meadow. She's not a fluent reader yet (part of the problem. She needs more review in OPGTR, but reviewing that dry material is not appealing.) and has a passion for nature, stories/narrative/self-guided memorization, recitation and dramatization, art (not crafts, real art), etc. OM seems like it might be a great fit for her, but I've heard that it leaves a lot of gaps academically, although from folks who used it years ago. So, how is OM academically? I'm not concerned about it progressing slowly, we can always step it up if need be, and she's an average speed academic learner...and her real strengths, art and nature study, are things I'm comfortable covering myself and through enrichment activities. If we use OM, should I plan on supplementing with TWTM materials, or would that be overkill? I'm also not concerned about 1st grade being too academically rigorous. Covering basic 1st grade math skills and continuing to learn to read are priorities. Everything else is bonus. Thoughts?

Thanks for all of the tips! I think that my inclination (as a former teacher/tutor) is to expand the OPGTR to include spelling skills...we supplement a lot. But I like how thorough AAS looks, and I really wasn't impressed by a friend's copy of Spelling Workout, so I think we're going to go with AAS!

karensk, have you used Learning Language Arts Through Literature? As a former teacher, I wonder if I can combine the solid content in First Language Lessons with something like this?

will starting from the beginning with AAS be a lot of review from OPGTR? Or is it presented quite differently as a spelling program?

also looking at Explode the Code

I'm looking for some solid alternatives to First Language Lessons (for First Grade). I like the material covered in this curriculum, but don't like the out-of-context literature in the book...I'm not sure of what I'm looking for. Maybe whole literature based? Preferably not text book or workbook based. Just looking for some alternatives to research!

Do any of you fine parents use these two together? I checked out a friend's Spelling Workout book, but decided to try to find something a little more visual, active, and hands-on for my 6 year old. However, it looks like it may overlap in many ways with OPG. I suppose my main question is whether we need much more than a workbook or just general reinforcement activities for spelling while using OPG.