Tell me about Oak Meadow

[EKS]

I am seriously thinking about switching to OM 5 (literature, history, and science) immediately. Am I completely nuts?

 

My son is using the following resources:

 

MCT Town which we love and will continue to use

 

Mosdos Coral--I've stopped being impressed. I'm finding the reading to be too easy and the questions to be unrelated to the literary topic being illustrated.

 

SOTW 3--While each chapter is nice, I'm finding that the story is difficult to keep track of. I would like something more focused with truly meaningful activities. We do the mapwork and read lots of extra books with this.

 

Science Explorer earth science--This is too textbooky though the level is fine.

 

Thank you for reading this far and for any insight you may have!

[NanceXToo]

Well *I* certainly don't think you're nuts- being as I am using Oak Meadow 5 with my daughter this year and loving it just as much as we loved Oak Meadow 4 last year :)

 

Maybe you will find this helpful:

 

http://nancextoo.livejournal.com/126296.html

 

It's a link to a sample week of OM5 for us (our first week). It shows how I broke the weekly schedule down by day, includes pics of some of the things we did, and at the bottom there's a link to my entry describing our first official day of OM5. From there, you can easily go through as many days as you want to see what OM5 has been like for us so far this year; I usually describe our day and include at least some pictures, and we're midway through our fifth week of using OM5 as of now, so there's over a month's worth of entries there to look through.

[EKS]

Thank you for this. Your blog is great!

[OregonNative]

I have a friend that really enjoys OM. I don't think it's crazy to change at all if you feel there is something that will work better.

[MariannNOVA]

I don't have a blog, but I can tell you that we started using OM (History) this year and I WISH WISH WISH I had used OM right from the beginning in First Grade with the twins - I think I might have never put them in private school.........that is how positive my OM experience has been.

 

I wanted to switch to it at the end of our first week last year as there was so much of our curric that we all HATED, but I didn't -- I wish I had, except that I am not sure I would have discovered MCT if I had so I guess that is one good thing about not switching -- BUT who knows.

 

This year, we are using OM History -- by using portions from a few different grade, I have been able to get the twins (4th grade) on the same history period that dd11 (6th grade) is doing and we are all very happy. I purchased everything used from one h-ser here and two on the OM Yahoo group (where things are ALWAYS being offered for sale).

 

I am also using it for US History with all three children --

 

I LOVE it -- the twins and I just finished Ancient Rome and it was so easy to add in illustrations and short readings from the many books that I have here -- we all loved it. In fact, on Friday evening, we are having a Roman Feast to celebrate the end of our study of Ancient Rome -- there are recipes for a couple of things in the OM book. The kids, dh and I are really happy to be doing this -- the kids love this kind of stuff, and they loved doing this stuff in private school. By doing it at home (which we did alot last year) they don't feel like they are missing anything.

 

BTW, I am still doing MCT with all three children, and using OM for the History and anything else I find interesting. I am going to be using Apologia Science at the 9th grade level with the three of them as soon as it arrives, but if that doesn't work for the twins, I will be using OM. And, DD11 is doing Pre-algebra with Kinetic and TT. Twins are doing Singapore and ds(almost 10) is going to start pre-alg TT in a couple of weeks.

 

But, all that to say, I don't think you are nuts, and I WISH I had known about it when I started.:)

[AngieW in Texas]

I switched my middle dd over to Oak Meadow last year for 9th grade and switched my youngest over as well this year for 7th grade.

 

My middle dd is using OM for 10th grade history and English, but is using Kinetic Books for Algebra II and Giancoli's for Physics (Saxon-haters here). She'll use OM for history, English, and Chemistry next year.

 

My youngest is using OM for history and English. I would use OM for science as well, but I already own Prentice Hall Science Explorer and my middle dd loved the series. My youngest doesn't care for it as much, so I may switch her over to OM for science as well next year. I'm using this year as a "fun" year for science. She's using MUS for prealgebra (just got it last week and it's going very well so far). She's using OM6 this year for 7th grade and will use OM7 for 8th grade and then skip over OM8 to do the high school levels starting in 9th grade.

[Closeacademy]

We are finishing up OM5 with my oldest. I also so wish I would have used it from K on through. Everyone is so much more relaxed and not stressed and we are making good progress this year. I've also blogged about the experience and have regular weekly reports. under 4th and 5th grade.

 

Right now we are in the middle of the big project for OM5 history. She gets to plan and write about a trip across the country. She chose to meander through IN, KY, TN, AL, and GA on her way to Disney World. It is a lot of fun for her to pick out where she will stay, where to eat and what she will do.

 

As for the science. I love it. We tried out so many different programs in the past and this is the first thing that has really worked long term. There is just enough text, good thought provoking questions that have to do with stuff in her real life and fun projects that we actually have the stuff at our house to do.

 

This was a great decision for us to dive into Oak Meadow. We also use SWR for spelling, Rod and Staff for math and Scott-Foresman grammar/composition books.

 

:001_smile:

[Veritaserum]

My 10yo dd just switched to OM5 history and science. She is still doing SOTW 1 with her younger siblings and we do a history outline together once a week. She is also reading from TWTM reading list for Ancients. Today is only day 3 of OM, but so far so good. We skipped Early Modern in our first cycle through, so OM 5 is good for that. :) ETA: We are still using MCT.

Edited October 6, 2010 by Veritaserum

[EKS]

Thanks everyone! I ordered OM5 for English and history and OM7 for science.

 

Why do I always make major changes 6 weeks into the school year? Last year it was MCT.

[MariannNOVA]

Thanks everyone! I ordered OM5 for English and history and OM7 for science.

 

Why do I always make major changes 6 weeks into the school year? Last year it was MCT.

 

I think that 6 weeks is a pivotal time. One probably knew at 2 or 4 weeks that a change had to be made, BUT wants to mull it over and see if things improve. Next thing you know, it's 6 weeks, and you really KNOW a change must be made.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Well, I adore Oak Meadow, so I don't think you're nuts. Nance's blog is so great to get details. I point people to it all the time. :)