Anyone using Oak Meadow in the fall?

[NanceXToo]

Ds will be using Oak Meadow 1. I decided to do the whole program even though he knows much of it (because I want to educate the "whole" child, not just the academic child). I will use it to review. Also, I plan on using Singapore for Math and continue with OPGTR.

 

My dd will be going into 4th and she will learn to knit and play the flute along with her brother. I think I will also have her do form drawing and do some of the art lessons he will be doing.

 

I'm really looking forward to starting Oak Meadow.

 

Yeah, OM is kind of big on the child as more than just an intellect thing and about how childhood is a valuable period with nothing to be gained by rushing through it and so on, hence the more gentle start in the earlier years.

 

While you could certainly decide to start at a higher level so it won't be "too easy" for your Kindergartener or first grader and could probably do just fine with it, a couple of things to consider are:

 

Do I prefer a more gentle approach in the early years and will I feel wistful later, wishing we'd taken the time for this more gentle, hands on approach if I just skip it... because, you know, young childhood goes pretty fast and it's much easier to try to turn the clock back when they are 5 or 6 than it is when they are older... in a year or two it really WILL be too late to go back and do the stuff you might wish you hadn't missed out on. But right now it's just not a big deal if you have a year of review and focusing on aspects of your child's development that might not be as academic centered as they will be in the coming years.

 

Also, what about the later years when it does become more academic with a lot more reading and writing assignments... will my child be more likely to get more out of it and do better with it if he's a year older rather than a year younger... (OM4 starts getting pretty big on writing assignments and more and more so from there on. My daughter started out in public school for K as the youngest in her class, and more than once I've found myself thinking as she's completed OM4 and OM5, both of which we loved by the way, that she might have had an easier time with some of the writing assignments (or at least gotten more out of them) if she'd had that extra year of age and maturity.

 

Or, you could just use it, but supplement as desired with language arts etc if you feel you need to.

 

You can also call or email OM and talk to them about it, they've got great customer service!

 

As for cost- I bought mine used. I lucked out and got OMK through OM8 all from one person, used. They are like 1998 editions but so far I've used them for OM4, OM5, and will be using them for OM6 and OMK (which I've looked through pretty thoroughly) this coming fall and I am happy with it. I've also been told that while some of the stories etc in the K and 1st books have changed, and some things (like "circle time" and splitting up morning and afternoon sessions for K for example) are newer concepts, the vast majority of the curriculum hasn't really changed- something confirmed by OM when I'd called them to get their input prior to purchasing.

[oleladyintheshoe]

Well, I have been eating, sleeping, and breathing OM since that last post so I am pretty much set with all my issues, LOL.

 

I am going ahead with OM1 for my younger. I understand the philosophy behind the gentleness and want to go with that flow. At the same time, I do want to go with her natural ability to read as it goes along so will not hold that back at all. She had just begun reading last year after a torturous trip through "100 EZ Lessons". Oh, how I wish I had known about OM last year. I have no specific plans of supplementing at this point but I do want her not to lose the ability she worked so hard to accomplish last year. Maybe let her read a sentence here and there out of the books we are reading. That should suffice.

 

I will also be using OM5 for my older. I did have a question. Funny, Nance, I was coming to "find you" on here today to see if you could answer this for me. I have asked on the yahoo group but it seems to have gone silent in the last couple of weeks. Could you tell me what large science equiptment you needed for 5th? Just looking at the sample week, it looks like we need a microscope, petri dishes, and slides. I have not seen any kind of supply list and am still trying to tally the costs for the upcoming year. I don't need to know all the little things just large items like microscopes.

 

I have been lucky to find extremely good deals on the curriculum, used, from some really great ladies that were willing to let me pay in 2 parts and whatnot. Helps alot. Actually, it is a great price, even new, for a full years curriculum. My problem was just finding it so late and after having already purchased 2 entire other sets of curriculum that I thought I was going to use.

 

I am super excited. Can't wait to start our journey. I expect it to be amazing :)

[RainbowSprinkles]

You said it much better! :-)

 

 

Yeah, OM is kind of big on the child as more than just an intellect thing and about how childhood is a valuable period with nothing to be gained by rushing through it and so on, hence the more gentle start in the earlier years.

 

While you could certainly decide to start at a higher level so it won't be "too easy" for your Kindergartener or first grader and could probably do just fine with it, a couple of things to consider are:

 

Do I prefer a more gentle approach in the early years and will I feel wistful later, wishing we'd taken the time for this more gentle, hands on approach if I just skip it... because, you know, young childhood goes pretty fast and it's much easier to try to turn the clock back when they are 5 or 6 than it is when they are older... in a year or two it really WILL be too late to go back and do the stuff you might wish you hadn't missed out on. But right now it's just not a big deal if you have a year of review and focusing on aspects of your child's development that might not be as academic centered as they will be in the coming years.

 

Also, what about the later years when it does become more academic with a lot more reading and writing assignments... will my child be more likely to get more out of it and do better with it if he's a year older rather than a year younger... (OM4 starts getting pretty big on writing assignments and more and more so from there on. My daughter started out in public school for K as the youngest in her class, and more than once I've found myself thinking as she's completed OM4 and OM5, both of which we loved by the way, that she might have had an easier time with some of the writing assignments (or at least gotten more out of them) if she'd had that extra year of age and maturity.

 

Or, you could just use it, but supplement as desired with language arts etc if you feel you need to.

 

You can also call or email OM and talk to them about it, they've got great customer service!

 

As for cost- I bought mine used. I lucked out and got OMK through OM8 all from one person, used. They are like 1998 editions but so far I've used them for OM4, OM5, and will be using them for OM6 and OMK (which I've looked through pretty thoroughly) this coming fall and I am happy with it. I've also been told that while some of the stories etc in the K and 1st books have changed, and some things (like "circle time" and splitting up morning and afternoon sessions for K for example) are newer concepts, the vast majority of the curriculum hasn't really changed- something confirmed by OM when I'd called them to get their input prior to purchasing.

[NanceXToo]

You don't need any other large equipment for science! (Or for any of OM5, really) as far as I can recall!

 

As long as you have basic craft supplies, which I'm sure all of us parents do lol, a lot of the stuff you're just going to have on hand. But sometimes they might tell you that you need certain things for a craft or project (just little things, really) and I would just look a week or two ahead at a time in the curriculum, see what I'd need for that upcoming week or two, put it on my shopping list and just make sure I got it on time. And if I didn't, no biggie, so I'd do that particular thing a few days later or something. It all worked out, but I'm a fairly relaxed, go-with-the-flow kind of schooler anyway lol.

 

Well, I have been eating, sleeping, and breathing OM since that last post so I am pretty much set with all my issues, LOL.

 

I am going ahead with OM1 for my younger. I understand the philosophy behind the gentleness and want to go with that flow. At the same time, I do want to go with her natural ability to read as it goes along so will not hold that back at all. She had just begun reading last year after a torturous trip through "100 EZ Lessons". Oh, how I wish I had known about OM last year. I have no specific plans of supplementing at this point but I do want her not to lose the ability she worked so hard to accomplish last year. Maybe let her read a sentence here and there out of the books we are reading. That should suffice.

 

I will also be using OM5 for my older. I did have a question. Funny, Nance, I was coming to "find you" on here today to see if you could answer this for me. I have asked on the yahoo group but it seems to have gone silent in the last couple of weeks. Could you tell me what large science equiptment you needed for 5th? Just looking at the sample week, it looks like we need a microscope, petri dishes, and slides. I have not seen any kind of supply list and am still trying to tally the costs for the upcoming year. I don't need to know all the little things just large items like microscopes.

 

I have been lucky to find extremely good deals on the curriculum, used, from some really great ladies that were willing to let me pay in 2 parts and whatnot. Helps alot. Actually, it is a great price, even new, for a full years curriculum. My problem was just finding it so late and after having already purchased 2 entire other sets of curriculum that I thought I was going to use.

 

I am super excited. Can't wait to start our journey. I expect it to be amazing :)