WIS0320 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Have you supplemented this curriculum? Why and what did you use in addition to what was scheduled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyMom Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 What are you looking at? Are you looking at OM 1 or OM 2; or is this for your younger one and you were planning on doing OM K? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIS0320 Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 I'm considering 2 but she's much farther in math and L/A and I'm actually unwilling to not stick with Singapore and PR. But she's crafty and would love the creativity of OM and she's little so we still should make time and it isn't really happening this year. I'm a nutcase who is already planning next year and I am determined to leave no stone unturned though I am pretty happy with our current choices. I have a feeling OM isn't quite right for me as the teacher but it looks perfect for my 6 year old and her interests and love of crafting, writing stories, fantasy, fairy tales and so on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyMom Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 The reason I am asking is because the answer would be very different, depending on the grade level you were looking at. OM 1 was fun, but it has a lot of word families and reading instruction built in. We didn't need that for my oldest, so we did our own LA. If I were ambitious and industrious, I would have used it more like a spelling list instead of a reading list; which is what I'm doing this year with OM 2. Math.... Dh is an electrical engineer and I had a minor in math, so we are very concerned about our girls truly understanding math. Math and reading are the most important to us; everything else is gravy, although still important. Anyway, I am not comfortable with their math solely right now. If I had the inclination to make up problems they suggest, it might work. However, I can't trust that myself. We use several math programs in tandem and I am much more comfortable with that. You will need to add other readers for OM 1 and 2 for emerging readers. The readers included are great and interesting, actually; however, they are below level, IMHO, and too few. That's all you *have* to supplement, IMHO. As far as K, well that's a whole other story. We add math to K, that's it on a daily basis. She has narration, drawing, painting, nature study and other things built in; so I don't feel like anything is really needed to supplement. While we are finishing up OM 2 for the week, I will add another book in for my youngest, maybe coloring pages, mazes, FIAR stuff, depending on our week and if she needs extra material. Being a child who soaks up anything I read to her and begs for more, we usually end up adding books. Hope that helps. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIS0320 Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 Thanks for the help. I was really trying to figure out if adding to OM was reasonable, it looks like from the samples you just get a week of topics and ideas and make a lot of it yourself based on those key items. I am NOT a box checker so having a framework in place without being super detailed appeals to me, but the price tag is pretty steep if I am going to be only using about half the material. Hmmm, so many decisions. I have no idea why I am considering this since I am truly happy with what we are already doing. The is my first true experience with "the grass is greener". Maybe I need to take a board break! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyMom Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Hmmm, so many decisions. I have no idea why I am considering this since I am truly happy with what we are already doing. The is my first true experience with "the grass is greener". Maybe I need to take a board break! :lol: Well, I took one. Had my account deleted, then when the dust settled in my head, I was comfortable coming back. I love OM and what it's done to our school life. However, I firmly believe "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." ;) Good luck with whatever you choose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIS0320 Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 Looking at 2nd and 3rd grades, the 3rd grade material seems more appropriate content-wise. Would that be a crazy thing to consider, just skipping grade 2? Hmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyMom Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Nope, not crazy. The sample is a week, so I would print it and try it out. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 You can try buying OM used, either here or on vegsource or I think OM has an "OM Seconds" category on their site? They have wonderful customer service. If you called them and explained where your daughter is at academically and asked their input on going into 6th you will get good advice from them, I'm sure. They tend to be big on the philosophy of childhood being a valuable period and that nothing is to be gained by hurrying through it (when you read about their philosophy and so on) but they will be willing to talk to you about what may be best for YOUR individual child. Do I think a smart kid could skip grade 2 and do just fine with grade 3? Yes. The only thing you have to consider is that as you get further on in OM (4th, 5th and 6th grades, for example, which are the grades I've used so far with my daughter), they start to get a lot bigger on various reading and writing assignments. Your child is going to be expected to read more books, do a LOT more writing assignments, start doing more research and so on. So what was a relatively 'easy" curriculum in say K-3 starts requiring more from a child in the later elementary and middle school years. So what you want to ask yourself is: 1. Should I do 2nd grade now even though it's 'easier' so that my child doesn't miss out on some of the projects, activities, foundation building etc and just supplement as desired/needed, or should I just skip it and move on to 3rd now... 2. And if I skip it and move on to 3rd now, the following year/s will my child be developmentally ready to start doing much more writing or will she be likely to struggle some with that? OM has great topics, writing assignment choices, reading materials and so on- and they are great about tying it all into several integrated subjects rounded out with fun hands on activities and projects- which is what I love about it- but you might have to consider that to get the most out of the assignments and put the most into them, a somewhat older child may do somewhat better than a younger child (when you get to the later years involving much more reading, writing, research, etc). Just some things to think about! As for supplementing- I am supplementing OMK with Funnix beginning reading lessons. As for what I supplemented OM4 and OM5 with I already linked some sample schedules in your other OM thread to those grades, and within those I'm pretty sure I mentioned what types of things I supplemented with. OM6 is a different ballgame altogether for us since we have decided for various reasons to spread 6th grade out over a two year period and therefore are doing more supplementing this year than we otherwise would have, to round everything out. Nance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I supplemented. I'm not ashamed of it, either! :lol: I needed more incremental math and more detailed/advanced LA lessons than OM provided, so IIRC, what we used were: Math Mamoth and MEP Jolly Grammar (done once a week) Phonics (we changed toward the end of the OM course from Dancing Bears to WRTR) Apples & Pears Spelling Winning with Writing 2 I also added a couple of GEMS science units for more hands-on "traditional" science, since OM2 focuses mainly on nature study with some biology. Something else you could do is do OM3 now and use OM4 over the course of 1.5 to 2 years, so it's not such a big shock when the workload ramps up in the higher grades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 I'm working on switching over to Oak Meadow, and I do have some substitution/supplementing planned... For dd8, who would be in OM3, I plan to use Teaching Textbooks for math, since we're already using and loving it. I would also supplement with phonics work since she is a late reader. For ds10, who will be in OM5, again Teaching Textbooks, and I think I would like to use the Time Travelers cd-roms as a supplement. I also plan on using The Sentence Family with both kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.