Read-alouds are key to our curriculum (Oak Meadow) and I think both kids retain more than I realize. Of course, their lang. arts is primarily based on the story(ies) so that cements things a bit.

I read through 1A and 1B and sold it within a week, lol. It was not the style I learned with and I was not comfortable teaching it.

My DD gets upset about bumps or wrinkles in her socks....she has some sensory processing issues.

The doctor hasn't called back yet with a plan of action. We did have genetics counseling when she was 3 months and they were looking for a syndrome. I am sure it will come up again. The doctor is off tomorrow so now I have to wait until Thursday. I did talk to someone who said it could look like congenital myotonia, but be sarcopenia from a perinatal stroke. It was suspected she had one but a CT scan didn't show any evidence and no mri was done. She is a mystery. Gross motor and fine motor delays, failure to thrive, sensory issues they refuse to DX, hypotonia, above average intelligence, a paralyzed left vocal cord that healed on its own, and two heart defects that have gotten better with time....Atrial Septal Defect and Pulminary Stenosis. Genetics testing was all normal. She is a great kid...i just hate going through this again. The (mis)diagnosis' started whdn she was 13 days old.

We just got back from DDs follow-up appointment on her hand xrays. The radiologist noted "congenital myotonia" in both hands. The doctor is unfamiliar with it and was calling other doctors....but we googled it together but there are so many different types. He will do some research and get back to me. Is anyone familiar with this? I see some cases that are not scary and others are fatal...with lots in between.

We live in a small town...where literally everytime someone realizes we homeschool, I get negative feedback. I let DDs OT go because she pushed headstart or pre-k every session. Our last Pedi flat out told me unless I had a degree in education I should not homeschool. Our new pedi (and last option unless I drive 150 miles) is more open but his nurse is on my cass to get an IEP, get her services at the school, etc... She slso brought up the S word last visit. DD, since I "quit" the OT 4 weeks ago and bought books to do it myself, has learned to write 4 letters. Not well, buts its progress.

DD, age 4, has some sensory issues. She also has fine motor delays, had hypotonia at birth, two heart defects, laryngimalacia, and a paralyzed left vocal cord. Her pedi has been reluctant to DX her with SPD. Her genetics tests (basic and macroarray) were normal. Her cognitive skills are excellent. Her vocab is two years ahead. We meet with her pedi tomorrow and he will decide whether to refer her to a neuorologist and a neuropyschologist. The nurse in his office was pushing for an IEP last time we were in. So I have some concerns. First, is it really THAT important to label her? She is in good health. Her ASD snd pulminary stenosis are under control, she is gaining weight... Do we need to know "why"? It doesn't seem important. Second, can they force me to get an IEP or have services at the school? I am no afraid they will scream educational neglect if I don't put her in school.

I stayed with DD during her OT. One, because I wanted to learn what to do at home and two, because I am untrusting by nature. In all honesty, I just stopped the OT because she was snalling at DD and threatening to take DDs lovey away for not paying attention...something I would not know if I hadn't been there.

We absolutely adore Oak Meadow. While it looks light on the surface, its not at all. It gives my kids the freedom to follow "rabbit trails" and avoid seatwork/workbooks.

Bumping in hopes of getting replies :-)

I was thinking of getting this for my 4 and 5 year olds...justvto give them the basics in a fun way. However, reveiws are scarce. Has anyone used this? Thoughts on it?

My 4 year old DD is doing Oak Meadow Kindergarten. She already knows her letters/sounds and badic math, but I wanted not only a fun approach but a holistic approach. There is little value to pushing kids at this age and OM seems to have a great balance of all a child needs to thrive.

DD will be doing Oak Meadow K. I wanted to do a bit of ETC as a supplement. It has become quite obvious she is not a workbook kid AT ALL. I shoild have known, because she used to cry everytime she saw a Rod and Staff workbook, lol. Should I shelve the ETC and HWT and go with the more organic approach of OM on its own? She DOES have fine motor delays (associated with her SPD and a hand issue), but is coloring now although its really a lot of scribble. I don't know if its frustration or non-interest or stubborness. I do not want her behind but I don't want to push, either. She is so younb.

We did try "traditional" math with my older this past year. He did fabulous...as long as he didn't take more than a week off. The retention, with him at least, was nill.

I hear you! I joined a group and was later told, via FB no less, that it was a sin to divorce. I was then given bible verses about hell. Yeah...i dropped that group like hot potatoes.

I am in a small town with few homeschoolers, and so far I have yet to meet another Secular homeschooling family. The Christian ones are extremelly "clique-ish" and wrongly asssume we are heathens, lol. So really, its just me :-/

We will be using Oak Meadow K and 1 this Fall. I had thought I would need to supplement Math and LA so I bought Singapore and Explode the Code. But looking at the program(s) now that I have them in hand, I am wondering if 1) supplementing is necessary and 2) if I did supplement, would it only confuse them? Is Oak Meadow "enough" on its own in math and LA? Does the Word Families approach work. DS, who would be doing OM 1 IS already reading a bit. Is it too much for a young first to learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division?

DD will be doing Earlybird Math. I know that Essentials is preferred, but EB will wotk better for her. She has SPD and needs the colors. Anyway, is the teachers guide necessary or will the textbook and activity book do?

We do a combo of Starfall, ETC, and BOB Books ands its perfect for us. My older is a narural born reader (he was reading at 3) and my younger is just on track with her peers...but it works for both!

My DS just finished K math and LA, but because he just turned 5, he will officially be K this fall. My 4 year old will be starting K work, but will still be pre-k in the fall.

I have both IGs/TMs sitting and have done lesson plans for the first week of both. Looking at them both at first glance, SL looks "meatier".

Sonlight, Winter Promise, and Oak Meadow are all fairly open and go and are suited to combine, IMO.

Thats just it for me. I am adding HWT, ETC/BOB Books, and Singapore Math to the OM, which defeats the idea behind the method. Essentially, I would be using the read-alouds, social studies, science, and art.

I have a 5 year old DS and a 4 year old DD. I have purchased (used) Oak Meadow 1 and Oak Meadow K for them for this school year. I saw how teacher intensive they were and decided to combine. But then I had trouble deciding which to combine them in. I started thinking about Sonlight again, specifically P4/5. I LOVE the thought process behind OM, but in all honesty, I do feel the need to supplement the Math and LA because I can't get behind delaying those as they suggest. In the long term, combining looks to be difficult. With Sonlight, my concerns are 1) the choppiness I read about in reveiws and 2) the sheer amount of reading. Personally, I am an avid reader. I want my kids to love reading, too...but both are wiggle worms, although I know it is the age. I don't want to curriculum hop every year, I really don't. I fully plan as a personal goal to stick with what we choose this year for three years. I am just so torn. Thanks in advance for any advice. Sent from my Verizon Wireless Device

I bought the Saxon k-3 math manipulative set from RR since it had nearly everything suggested in the 1A/1B HIGs. I also bought traingle addition and subtraction cards. I have one doing EB, too and will use the manipulatives as well.