delaney Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I am really thinking about using this since it is all laid out and next year I will have 3 instead of 2 to organize. I will need K, 2nd, and 6th. Thoughts? Ideas? Negatives? Postitives? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Personally, I absolutely LOVE Oak Meadow. If you click on the link in my signature line, to go to my livejournal site, and check out the links on the sidebar to the left, you will see my Oak Meadow Review, some daily schedule samples (from OMK, OM4, and OM5), and you can also look at my recent entries from the past couple of weeks to see what OM has been like for us in practice- descriptions, pics, etc. I love it. I did it with my daughter for 4th grade last year, and this year I'm doing OM5 with her and OMK with my son. I am committed to using OM at least through 8th grade (I already have OMK-OM8 as I bought it all used from one person for a great price), and at that point I'll start researching OM's high school materials. But personally I love their early childhood philosophy, I love how they make things so hands on and creative rather than dry and textbookish... we really enjoy it over here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ourjourneys Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I love the natural learning of oak meadow especially for the early years. I have the old waldorf editions which are probably not as well laid out and organized, but we still love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jg_puppy Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I have been looking at Oak Meadow for next year. I will have a third grader and a 6th grader. I am wondering how easy it will be to pick up Oak Meadow with a 6th grader. Are there lots of crafts in Oak Meadow? My dd likes crafts, but doesn't usually like a lot of crafts related to school/history. Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 There are crafts in Oak Meadow but they are useful. In third grade they do woodworking and cooking, and in fourth grade they learn to bind a book with needle & thread, learn to marble paper for the cover, build a landscape model of a local native habitat, build an Indian village that they've been studying, etc. It's not busywork like a lot of other crafty things I've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 We are just starting OM 4, but so far, so good. With weekly grid type schedules (Sonlight, WP, etc.) there is very little leeway or flexibility. OM is laid out a week at a time, and your goal is to get through the week's objectives by the week's end. This is much more do-able to me. I can only really compare it to SL and WP, but it's very different in the sense that it's discussion & activity based and focuses on helping the child discover things on their own (cutting fruit to discover symmetry in nature, sketching a natural habitat and looking up native plants), while SL and WP mostly consist of read-alouds and comprehension questions. It's just so different (and in my opinion, so refreshing!). I do supplement Oak Meadow with CLE LA, and I substitute CLE math for OM math, and we'll add in various science projects that interest us. I like that there is room so pursue our own interests - right now we're learning states and capitals, and I feel like we have time to do that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I have been looking at Oak Meadow for next year. I will have a third grader and a 6th grader. I am wondering how easy it will be to pick up Oak Meadow with a 6th grader. Are there lots of crafts in Oak Meadow? My dd likes crafts, but doesn't usually like a lot of crafts related to school/history. Jan I don't see why you couldn't just pick it up with a 6th grader. Some of the crafts and projects listed on the OM site for OM6 are: Projects, Crafts, & Activities Write a research paper on Ancient Egypt Draw a freehand map of the world Interview a person from the Stone Age Compose an adventure for Robin Hood Make a miniature Renaissance fresco Make up math problems using the Mayan number system Research carnivorous plants Dissect flowers Right now my daughter and I are only in our third week of OM5 but so far, we've: Made a wooden sailboat Made our own compass (with a cork and magnetized needle) Made a multi-media mural of a forest Went outside to view the night sky and then wrote a poem about it Did a couple of creative writing assignments for social studies (one of them was writing a short story about what monsters and hazards awaited the early explorers who tried to sail around the world) Periodically checked the length of the shadow our shadow stick made at different times of the day (we'll now chart it once a week for 6 weeks). This week we'll be burying a variety of items to dig up later and see which decomposed and which didn't. ...I love how even in the "middle school" grades, they manage to incorporate plenty of fun, hands-on things to keep it interesting. I am sure OM6 will do that, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I am using the OM science for my dds12 and ds9; I have been very happy with it. I actually bought all of the OM6 used last year, b/c that was cheaper than I could find the science alone. I could easily have jumped right in to the whole program at that point, had we wanted to. I think the organizational structure is great for the naturally not-so-organized person such as myself--it has definite weekly goals, but is not pinned to individual days. For us, it was perfect. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaney Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 Can someone add something about assessment and if you supplement in areas like math?:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I love the science and the rest of it had made my life so much easier and my dds enjoy the lessons too. OM6 is written to the child so if you want to turn everything over to your oldest and just check the work, you can. A lot of times there are a variety of projects with each chapter: writing, craft, drawing, etc. You can have him do them all or just pick one or two. OM2 is a really nice year. We are finishing that one up and we really enjoyed it. I have lesson plans for the older OM2 syllabus on the second grade tab at my blog. They are free to download and you can see what kinds of things you can do. Lesson time took us less than an hour mosts days. You should be able to balance the three levels easily. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b.motherofthree.harvey Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I will be homeschooling my 5th grader next year (her 6th grade year). I'm torn between Core Curriculum of America and Oak Meadow. I realize that these are potentially two VERY different curricula, and so I'm looking for honest answers about both. We are a Christian home, and I've read several reviews that the Waldorf ideology leans more New Age. While that may work for some, it's not a good fit for us, but I LOVE the idea of exploring and appreciating nature. I need a curriculum that is pretty much laid out for us, and doesn't require HOURS of planning. (I used A Beka growing up, and it took more time for Mom to plan that for me to complete!) I love the idea of combining artistic pursuits and a more "holistic" approach to learning. BUT, I've read a lot of folks who use it saying things like, "I love the slower and more purposeful approach." My daughter is extremely bright and gets bored easily if she's not challenged. Will Oak Meadow's "slower, more purposeful approach" translate to a bored kid who comes to loath her school time? Do any of you know anything about Core Curriculum of America? (I'll post this question in a better place, also). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winoelle Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 We are using OM5 this year and it is my first experience with OM. Overall I really like it and will likely stick with it. I do not use the spelling and grammar portions of their language arts, we are using MBtP for language arts along with some supplementation. My dd10 loves the activities and being able to choose from several options for many assignments. I love having everything pretty well laid out. After pairing up my MBtP lit units with the topics we were studying in Oak Meadow my planning was pretty much done. The science portion is great, there is a lot of room for her to explore the topics more in depth when she chooses to do so or where I want to. She works fairly independently as it is written to her. I don't know what the math is like, we don't use that. I would say that for me the only negatives are that I don't feel like the language arts portion is enough and sometimes the projects they suggest are a little too involved or require access to supplies or locations that we don't have and cannot easily get (there was a big one where you needed to go to a frog pond for example). The positives are that it is comprehensive, interestingly written, well laid out, and has a lot of variety in assignments and projects. Also, the projects so far all have real learning and/or experiential value. It is not busywork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b.motherofthree.harvey Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 I'm taking this as confirmation. I ran upon (up on?) MBtP today. It did not register at all when I read your post the other day because I had NO idea what the abbreviation was. Today, after researching, I'm really strongly leaning toward MBtP fully. What Math are you using? I'm familiar with Saxon and I really like that, but I'm not really sure what else is out there. Do you have any idea where you'll go after 6th grade? Will you continue with OM and find some other curriculum to supplement? Thanks so much for details. BTW, I did some more research on Core Curriculum and they are not necessarily running an ethical business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winoelle Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 I'm taking this as confirmation. I ran upon (up on?) MBtP today. It did not register at all when I read your post the other day because I had NO idea what the abbreviation was. Today, after researching, I'm really strongly leaning toward MBtP fully. What Math are you using? I'm familiar with Saxon and I really like that, but I'm not really sure what else is out there. Do you have any idea where you'll go after 6th grade? Will you continue with OM and find some other curriculum to supplement? Thanks so much for details. BTW, I did some more research on Core Curriculum and they are not necessarily running an ethical business. I will stick with my current combination of OM and MBtP as long as their are levels available in MBtP to match up with. It works really well for us and my daughter likes it a lot. For math, we were using CLE which I like a lot but my daughter wanted to try Teaching Textbooks so we are doing that in combination with some games and puzzles to make it a little more challenging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 ... what is MBtP? couldn't find it on the abbreviations list ... to the OP, I think Halcyon used -- or at least seriously considered using -- OM to supplement/enhance her bright child's school; I don't know if you'd want to PM her about this, or search for thread by her ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 ... what is MBtP? couldn't find it on the abbreviations list ... to the OP, I think Halcyon used -- or at least seriously considered using -- OM to supplement/enhance her bright child's school; I don't know if you'd want to PM her about this, or search for thread by her ... I think it's Moving Beyond the Page. This thread is very interesting to me, because my dd needs to be more in control of her schooling and able to work at her own pace. She's in 5th grade. However, I have 2 other students that need something else and haven't been able to figure out how to get it all in if they're not combined. I am doing her a disservice though, by keeping her at their pace. Interestingly, OM and MBtP are the two I've been looking at. So OM 5th grade and beyond are written to the student? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suppleasthewind Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 I think it's Moving Beyond the Page. This thread is very interesting to me, because my dd needs to be more in control of her schooling and able to work at her own pace. She's in 5th grade. However, I have 2 other students that need something else and haven't been able to figure out how to get it all in if they're not combined. I am doing her a disservice though, by keeping her at their pace. Interestingly, OM and MBtP are the two I've been looking at. So OM 5th grade and beyond are written to the student? I am also wondering if OM 5th is written to the student. I am probably going to use it next year. Also, are the materials they send you like workbooks? Do kids write in them? I have twins and it would save a lot of money if I could just buy one set of materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suppleasthewind Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerMom Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 The original post was from 2 yrs ago, so I'll address the more recent questions as well as I can. ;) OM5 and on are written to the student. You can see samples on their website for each grade, for example: http://www.oakmeadow...rade-lesson.pdf The OM materials are non-consumables (syllabuses, reading books, and such). As such, they are both reusable AND resell-able. In fact, if you opt to buy a used set of materials, if you take reasonable care of them you could use them for your kids and turn around and resell them and only be out the cost of shipping to the next family. That makes for a very economical curriculum! If you want to buy used, subscribe to the OM Yahoo groups and either watch the pricing for the items that interest you for a bit or look at the history from old posts. ;) Of course, if something sound way too good... You can also check here, ebay, Amazon, and OM seconds (call OM and see of they have any with cosmetic misprints for sale at a discount). As to the question of Christian versus New Age and Waldorf -- I wouldn't get so hung up on labels as they are usually wrong. Waldorf began shortly after the turn of the 20th century and "New Age" was a movement during the 2nd half of the 20th century, so Waldorf is no "new age". For that matter, Oak Meadow was started by Waldorf teachers, but is not truly Waldorf. To me one of its strengths is that it is Waldorfy in its early years but progresses to a more rigorous, but still creative and engaging program as you move on. Christian also gets thrown around a lot as short hand for, "believing in the flavor of christianity *I* believe in" rather than what it actually means, that "I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior". Oak Meadow IS secular, but in no way does it promote any weird stuff that would conflict with any Christian beliefs. It leaves it up to the parent to provide the moral and spiritual guidance for their child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 The original post was from 2 yrs ago, so I'll address the more recent questions as well as I can. ;) good grief, I didn't see that! Thank you for the update on OM! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DandelionMom Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 We have used Oak Meadow in the past and found it helpful if you need a lot of instruction, but it is not as traditional "Waldorf" as other curriculum, like LIve Education or Christopherus. It is more like a cross over between Waldorf and classical I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b.motherofthree.harvey Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 Thanks everyone. I was homeschooled at various points with aBeKa and later with School of Tomorrow, but I had NO idea there was so much out there. I guess I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and make the choice between the two (OM and MBtP)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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