I am so excited about this review. I am loving Oak Meadow Fourth Grade. I’ve heard many times that the work really “ramps up” in Grade 4, and it’s true. Fourth grade is really Oak Meadow all grown up and it’s a beautiful thing. This is another one of those reviews where I wish I could just invite you over to spend some time with us and the books. I am going to try and touch on as much as I can here, but as always, please ask me any questions you may have in the comments, so I can help you get a good idea of what this program is.
What is Oak Meadow?
Oak Meadow is a child-centered curriculum that focuses on the developmental needs of kids, and their unique need for beauty and magic in their education. This program is Waldorf based, but has been adapted to meet standards expected from a modern education. Material is presented in a clear way, with a focus on nature, crafts, beautiful stories, and just allowing children to be children!
What does Oak Meadow Fourth Grade Cover?
Fourth grade is a big year for learning new things! Research projects are a new addition to the curriculum this year, and are used across multiple subjects.
Language Arts: In language arts this year, your child will be writing in a journal daily. They can write anything they want, but sometimes there are specific ideas of what to write about, like responding to their reading. They will be reading from classic books daily. Grammar and punctuation is taught more in depth. Kids are taught to write 3 and 5 sentence paragraphs, and learn to write a report. Poetry is taught in the middle of the year. Kids make a personal dictionary, write and edit short stories, and read, read, read.
Math: Reviews third grade concepts before moving on to roman numerals, measurement, graphing, fractions, money, long division, and more
Social Studies: This year’s focus is on geography, state history, and early American history. Topics include: topography, migration, Native Americans, state geography, colonial history, state history, exploration, pilgrims, pioneers, gold rush, transcontinental railroad and more.
Science: science topics include: geometry and patterns in nature, seeds, nutrition, cells, animal studies, astronomy, geology concepts
Art and Music: Art this year is a lot of drawing skills, with plenty of detailed directions. Music is still recorder, you can start from the beginning, or use the duets book which is for more advanced recorder skills.
What are the big differences between Third and Fourth Grade?
Of course, the expectations on the student are much higher between grades 3 and 4, as you can tell from the content above, but there are some organizational differences between the third and fourth grade syllabus that I wanted to point out specifically:
1. It is written to the student: Grade 4 is all about independence. One of the things I have loved about having Bug read the lessons on his own is that I get to watch his little cogs turn as he solves problems. One of the very first assignments in the syllabus is a longer project that takes a couple weeks to work on. He needed to decide how he was going to get it done, and what work he was going to do when. By handing the reins over to Bug, he’s become more excited about his lessons, and has a stronger sense of ownership of his work
2. It’s all in the details: The neat thing about the syllabus being written to the student is the additional information they included to make sure your student is successful. The child doesn’t really need to fill in the blank anywhere, the information is detailed, clear, and well organized. It is not broken down into “day 1, day 2” but it is clear as to what needs to be done.
3. Information is given directly instead of through stories: I am a little sad about this, but it goes along with the curriculum growing up with the child. In the first 4 grades (K-3) concepts are taught through beautiful stories. For example, you learn about trade goods through a story about a family trading goods for services. In Grade 4, information for science and social studies is given directly in text form, with plenty of well done graphics and diagrams. The short stories are replaced with quality literature, which the student reads and responds to throughout the year in Language Arts. Fourth Grade literature includes:
Stuart Little, Heidi, The Trumpet of the Swan, The Sign of the Beaver, Indian Legends, The Search for Delicious, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Rachel’s Journal and James Herriot’s Treasury for Children.
4. Math is separate: This is another really good change. One of the things I struggled with in Grade 3 was coming up with my own problems in the math section. I was told what type of problems to write, but I needed to come up with them on my own. Grade 4 comes with a printed math book, with the problems already written out for you. You can have your child work on a separate paper if you like, and save the book as a non-consumable, but I decided to have Bug work directly from it since there is enough room for him to write. I can purchase another book separately for Mr. Man when his time to use the program comes.
This is really helpful, especially with a kid like Bug who is “ahead” in math. He is working on a 5th-6th grade level in a different curriculum, so I chose to still use the Oak Meadow 4th Grade book as a review for him, but I do like that I had the option of ordering a different grade level, or leaving the Math out of my package completely.
(Looking for more info about the Grade 3 program? Read our other Oak Meadow reviews)
How is the Syllabus Set up?
Oak Meadow breaks their content down into 36 lessons. Each lesson contains a week’s worth of material. There is an overview section, which gives you a quick run down of the topics covered week by week, and then it goes into the lessons. Each week is 4-7 pages or so of information broken down by subject, rather than day. I tend to pre-read Bug’s lesson on the weekend before he gets started, so I know what is expected of him, before he sits down to look at his weeks worth of lessons. Some things, like journal writing is done every day, but some other assignments will be done in just a couple days. This is a very flexible program, you can schedule it on a block, and do science one day, and social studies the next, or complete it all in 4 days a week (which is what we do). How you break it down is up to you.
In the back of the syllabus, there is a section with suggested spelling and vocabulary words, an extended reading list if your child needs more books, and a whole section of craft projects which complement the curriculum.
What’s in the Teacher’s Manual?
The teachers manual is a really helpful tool, especially in Grade 4, because this is a “transition year” for your child. Children using this level will be somewhere in the 8-10 age range, and are really starting to find their own way. This level assumes that the child is going to gain more and more independence with their studies throughout the year, and the teachers manual will support you in how and when to introduce new responsibilities.
For example, In the first 12 weeks, part of your job as a parent and teacher is to help your child find a way to organize their workspace and their lessons. I sat down with Bug the first week, and listened while he read his lesson. I helped him figure out how to break it down to read only one part at a time, and helped him decide where to start. After each thing he did, he brought the syllabus over, told me about what he did, and what he wanted to do next. Over time, I will work with him to be able to do more of this on his own, but for now, it’s a fantastic start.
Along with supporting the teacher on the big picture, there is also more specific guidance for each week. It points out where your child may need help, gives suggestions for evaluating their knowledge, and helps you guide the child in their work. Your roll as a teacher is less about teaching the material itself, as it is supporting independence and working as a reference and sounding board.
Final Thoughts
I am so pleased with this level of Oak Meadow. I feel like it has grown perfectly along with Bug, and I am excited to keep using this program for our school year. I don’t always continue on with the products we review, so I feel like it’s important to note that this is one that I plan on sticking with indefinitely.
This level is requiring more writing and seatwork than ever before, but it’s not overwhelming to Bug at this point. One of the things I love the most about being an Oak Meadow family is that the program really works along side my children, instead of forcing them to be too serious and too still, it allows them to still be outside exploring the world around them. Bug still gets to go on nature walks, he still gets to create fun things, and he is still very much an academic child.
I think it’s wonderful that Oak Meadow can merge childhood and learning in such a seamless way, even for a child who is growing up. We’re all very happy with the program!
Read all our reviews! 
Thank you for your review! I will be a brand new homeschooling momma this fall. I have been researching curriculum for months and Oak Meadow’s is the first one I’m excited about. I have a soon to be 9 year old boy who absolutely loves the outdoors and likes to learn through experiences and this seems like a great option for him. I’m excited!
I know the contest is WAY over but I just wanted to comment on the curriculum itself. I was going to be getting grade three next but after reading your review I think my son is most definitely ready for year four. It sounds more geared into the direction we want to go with him. I can’t wait to get it!
I enjoyed looking over this site. Thanks for the encouragement in our most important work: loving and teaching our our children. 🙂
Thank you for the kind comment!
I love that it reflects the seasons!
I would love to use the curriculum. It looks so fun and relaxed.
Have ordered the 4th grade curriculum based on this review. Thank you!!! for the helpful review and the contest. I am excited about trying this curriculum.
I’m happy for you! I hope you love it!
I have never really looked into Oak Meadow, but after reading your review I am very interested. I’m going to go check it out right now. It sounds like it might be a good fit for us!
I love how the early years are gentle and appropriate for young children.
I would love this for my children:)
I love how it sounds so flexible.
I love that it feels as natural as breathing. My child loves the hands on nature of it. No busy work that kills the love of learning new things.
I love that I keep hearing how “gentle” it is. That fits in with what I believe little ones should be doing. 🙂
love that it is relaxed
This is our first year using Oak Meadow and I am so excited to start on this adventure! My oldest will be using OM2 and my middle is tagging along with OMP.
We started using Oak Meadow last year, and we love its creative and flexible approach to learning. Thank you for offering this wonderful giveaway!
I think Oak Meadows would be great for us! Fingers Crossed!
I love the organic approach that Oak Meadow seems to endorse. It is Waldorf inspired without being full-blown Waldorf (many aspects of Waldorf wouldn’t work for our family, but OM seems like a good compromise). Love the use of Main Lesson books—so many opportunities for kids to make connections on their own.
I have been interested in trying Oak Meadow for a few years now. Fingers crossed!
I am on the same boat! Oak Meadow looks like it would fit with my family. Good luck to everybody!
We did OM in 3rd grade, would love to win a package for next year!
Oak Meadow allows the natural flow of childrens learning and the family together.
Looks awesome! I like a literature focus, and not too much seat work so they can get out and have fun!
I love how OM seems so “natural” instead of rush rush rush! I would love to use this with our boys.
We are looking to start oak Meadow this year. I’m really excited about this curriculum!
Thanks for the review!
We love the integration of the arts into ALL subjects. It really helps to bring traditionally drier subjects to life.
I think this would be great for us to try. Love the review.
I love the waldorf style of education and oak meadow has made it possible for us homeschoolers !
I love the easy, make-it-work-for-your-family style of learning Oak Meadow offers.
we love the hands on activities
I have used Oak Meadow and my daughter is currently taking their high school courses. They are a fantastic company.
I love everything about this curriculum. Very nice!
Thank you for sharing your insight. I have followed Oak Meadow for a while and would love to try the curriculum for my pre-k or 3rd grader.
We love Oak Meadow as well! We’ve used grades 4 & 5 and this year we will begin 6th grade with OM! I just love their “whole child” approach:)
I think Oak Meadow will be the perfect fit for my 8 year old.
What a great give-away. I hope I win. 🙂
I would love to try this curriculum. I keep going back to look at it!
I like the relaxed pace and the way it can be tailored to fit specific learning styles. Flexible and practical!
I really appreciate the gentleness and flexibility.
I want my children to learn at their pace in the family setting. I love the natural pace of oak meadow.
I am checking out the 7th grade program. I like the hands on activities and practical lessons.
I can’t wait for grade 7! We start grade 6 this year, but grade 7 looks so grown up and I love the reading list. I’m hoping to win grade 7!
I love the use of so many wonderful activities to make children strong learners – knitting, recorder, books….
I love the idea of music and art focus and the full syllabus
I love OM. And would love to win!
Really really interested in trying Oak Meadow!
My girls love Oak Meadow! They love learning!
Oak Meadow is just what we have been looking for. I have a package on its way also! I have not found 1 thing I don’t like about it at all!
I love the easy, laid back, natural aspect of OM.
We’ve had the privilege of Oak Meadow in our homeschool life since Kindergarten. My daughters are 9 and 7. Unfortunately, we only have up to Gr.3! So next year, when the oldest moves into gr4 I don’t know what we will use. As many of us know, choosing to homeschool and being a single income family means trying to find these curriculums for less/handed down by friends.
to answer the question, we love the stories! and the math concepts layout! and the wonder and joy that is instilled in the curriculum!
We are using OM Kindergarten this year; we will be starting in July but I have read through the whole curriculum and I can see how well it will work for our family. (Your earlier OM reviews were very helpful to me in confirming my gut impression that OM was for us, by the way!) One of the things I like about the program as a whole is that it begins to hand over the reins to the student so early; I know a lot of Waldorf purists don’t love that, but I really think it’s important for children to begin to take responsibility for and ownership of their own education, so I love that aspect of it.
Hoping to start OM in the fall!
I love that it’s Waldorf-inspired. 🙂 It’s hard to find stuff for the upper grades (7-8th) that is Waldorf inspired. 🙂
I really love how organized it.
Thanks for the review. I found it really helpful. I am in the market for something new.
Thanks for a great contest!
I’m new to homeschooling & I really like how it gets them moving and doing different things
This is our first year using Oak Meadows for our first grade curriculum. We love the creativity and flexibility of it. We intend to continue using Oak Meadows throughout our homeschooling.
From your reviews, it seems that OM is one of few curriculums that lean more towards instilling a love of learning through engaging and quality products. It is one of the few that i am considering for my kinder next year 🙂 thanks for the opportunity!
I love the fact that Oak Meadow is Waldorf inspired and yet fully accredited; it gives such wonderful connection with nature and hands-on experience, gently leading students to full independent learning. Also, I love that it is so simply divided in lessons, so planning is really a breeze.
Nice complete review! It really gives me a clear idea of Oak Meadow. Thanks so much!!
We used Oak Meadow kindergarten and would love to consider it again for next year. It is so warm and gentle and truly lovely.
I’m just starting to research homeschooling and consider it for my family. I love the honest review and would love to give it a try!
I’m just starting to research homeschool. I have a 5 and 2 year olds with another on the way. I am still trying to determine where I should even start!
I like that it gets you outside!
I love the flexibility of it! Never gotten so much info on this curriculum, only heard about it in passing. It sounds amazing!
The convenience of an all in one!
I am new to homeschooling and would love to win a oak meadow curriculum for my girls!
I love that it is nature based!
I’m intrigued by the flexibility and natural learning focus.
We are just finishing up OM3 this year. I am so happy I read this review and so excited for next year!! We will be starting OMK and OM4.
The fact that it’s so hands on! I already commented but don’t see my comment, so I’m commenting again 😉
I am so excited about this giveaway!! I’ve been looking into Oak Meadow for the last few months for our children and would LOVE to win and start in the Fall! Thank you for the opportunity!
Having a curriculum laid out for me this year with me in school to finish my BS would be an absolute relief! I love that it’s all planned and written to the students for the older grades!
That is fantastic that you really enjoy it. My boys love what they have done too, but are K and 2 at the moment 🙂
I like the focus on nature and all the hands-on activities.
What a great review!!! Thank you for sharing it, there really aren’t many solid reviews for OM4 on the internet as I was searching for quite some time a few weeks ago. We have been using OM for grades 1 through 3 and I was considering separating from them for fourth, but your review really gives me the encouragement I need to stick with it. I am glad to hear that you agree with what others say about the curriculum ramping up in grade 4.
I had one question. How does OM approach the study of animals in relation to man as per Steiner’s recommendation for the child at this age?
To be honest, I haven’t read Steiner’s work!
I love Oak Meadows focus on the Whole child and nurturance of their creativity. We will be working on 4th grade this year too!
Looking forward to the increased independent work in 4th grade. Thanks for your review!
Thank you for your review! We’re getting ready to start grade 4 in August. Looking forward to it!
We just started homeschooling this year with OM4. We went from having a son who thought he was dumb and hated school to a child who says every day, “See, I AM smart!” Our favorite this year has been observing the night sky for the Astronomy assignments!
Being written directly to the student is perfect for my fifth grader. That, along with all the great art projects, is her favorite part!
We will begin OM this fall for my 5th and 8th grade boys. I’m very eager and feel like OM will be a perfect fit for us!
I love how active and hands on this curriculum is, and that my son, also known as “Bug” (!), gets to do projects and apply his knowledge to the world around him, he loves that!
Nothing DOESN’T appeal to me about Oak Meadow, LOL! Seriously, this is our first year with it (3rd as well) and we love it so much! On to 4th soon!
Love OM – for ease of use, but mostly for the more natural focus
I love how Oak Meadow dives into nature and teaches kids an appreciation of it.
I’m so excited to be using Oak Meadow starting next year!
We love Oak Meadow. It’s perfect for our busy family w/ multiple grades going at once.
That the curriculum is written to the student is a big reason I’m interested in it.
Developmentally appropriate, will work for a variety of families and gets children outdoors and involved in hands on learning. I would love to try! Love the review and your blog. Thanks!
I like that the curriculum seems to be complete and thorough.
I love that it’s Waldorf inspired, but also meets the standards.
I love how hands-on and nature centered this curriculum looks. I would LOVE to use it!!
The programs for my upcoming 4th and sixth grader look for well rounded. I love the scope and sequence of the language arts program.
I love the flexibility!
I love Oak Meadow! It would be great to win this kit for my kids!
I would love to use this with my son. He loves being outdoors and is very excited about learning!
I love the literature that they use!
I’ve been following your page for a year…I’d love the chance to try the program! 🙂
I would love to use Oak Meadow for our first year of homeschooling. I have read many reviews and researched many options, but my heart keeps telling me to stop looking and go with Oak Meadow. I would love to win this!
We would love this so much! I appreciate your review!
Excited to try OM for our first year of homeschooling!
We love Oak Meadow. We have been using it for years!!
I’m most interested in the FULL curriculum aspect of it. I love that it’s written to YOU and then to your students. I’m very curious about it and have been following you all year, so that helps, too. Thanks for offering such a generous giveaway. (p.s. Army family here)
I’m very interested in homeschooling my kids but have no idea where to start. This would be a blessing, if I could afford it.
I love the gentle flow of Oak Meadow. I have two children that despise workbooks and grasp concepts best when they are fully engaged in learning. I think Oak Meadow would finally be the curriculum to fit both of my children.
Wonderful review. I have been attracted to Oak Meadow for years but have never taken the plunge. Yet I keep coming back… There is something about it that seems…peaceful.
I used Oak Meadow about 12 years ago with my first and second children, I would love to use it again with my youngest.
I am looking for a new curriculum for 4th grade. This sounds pretty great. We are also expecting a new addition so this is the first year I have really considered a “boxed” curriculum to try and take some of the pressure off. Thank you!
I appreciate it being a complete curriculum, with the flexibility to supplement in some ares without it being overwhelming for the child.
What I like the most about OM is that it is child lead and relaxed
I have had my eye on OM for about a month now and would love to give this a try for our first year of homeschooling!
I like that it’s Waldorf-based and that it’s child-centered.
I love the gentle, creative nature of OM.
I haven’t had a chance to try Oak Meadow yet, but I love the idea of a Waldorf based curriculum. I have read all your Oak Meadow reviews and each time I think I need to try it! 🙂 I love that it fits standards while still allowing flexibility for child-centered education. Thank-you for hosting this great giveaway!
would love to try it with my kids!
I would so love to try this curriculum.
It seems to be very well rounded!
Very thorough review, thank you for such helpful information!
The transition to independent work at 4th grade. Most curriculums wait way too long for that!~
The flexibility!
This is one of the full curricula choices that I was looking into – it can be difficult at times piecing together subjects. I am noticing that my daughter could just work on concepts at a higher grade level using a full curriculum. I would love the opportunity ti try this curriculum. I really like that it is child-centered and encourages independence. I love that it emphasizes nature, crafts, and stories. I also like that Alyssa would be completing daily writing assignments in either a journal or other form. Last of all, I appreciate that the program is flexible. With our schedule, that is a definite plus! Thank you for the opportunity to win this curriculum! The fourth grade topics seem like a perfect fit with what I want to cover this year. I am definitely going to take another look at the other grades as well.
Im thinking about doing this curriculum for my K next year. =)
Looks great!
I love that it’s so interactive and that it’s artistic. My kids love anything where they can get messy and artistic.
What a great review! It sounds like an amazing program!
I love that it’s child centered
I like the all in one package.
I’ve been wanting to try OM. I’ve heard great things about it. I love that it is offers so much nature and art.
I don’t know anything about them; therefore, I am hoping to win so I can experience them for myself as well as for my children.
I have looked at Oak Meadow SOOOO many times. It looks amazing! I love how when I read through their information it has the feeling of being child-led but with still some structure. To me that seems to make so much common sense. The reason I haven’t taken the plunge is because we are doing okay in our current curriculum, but at the same time I know things could be better (hence why I keep looking!), but afraid to make the leap. That whole “the unknown may be better than where we are, but at least I know the current situation”. This would be the push I need to give it a try and hopefully adopt for future years!
The art and nature study appeals to me a lot, my kids love those kinds of activities.
I’m very interested in learning more about the Oak Meadow curriculums!
This looks like a great one to receive! I love that’s it’s all one, especially when you have multiple kids.
I love how gentle, but thorough Oak Meadow is!
The all in one package aspect, I done need much else.
Thank You for this opportunity. Winning this is a blessing with my four children to enrol.
That looks great! I have always wanted to try some of their curriculum.
Thank you for sharing your review. I think this would be a wonderful start for my girls, ages 5, 7, and 8. Crossing fingers and toes to be chosen!
I love this all-in-one curriculum! I would love to win it!
I love that it’s gentle, child-centered, with lots of art and nature.
I love that it is Waldorf based and seems to be centered on the child.
Can you tell me how much each day looks like the others? My daughter (8 years old, almost a 3rd grader) is a lover of all things new — new foods, new games, and now new curriculums. I’m finding that the structure and routine that some kids love is the same thing that drives her crazy. I’m looking for a curriculum that has a wide variety of activities so that she doesn’t get bored and so that I don’t have to keep coming up with ideas on my own.
This one is easy to mix up, because of the way it gives you a week of material at a time. One day rarely looks like the next year. In the third grade level, there is a bit of a routine of you listen to a story, and then respond to it in some way each week. Sometimes you do copy work, other times there is a project. Third grade is gentle enough (its complete, but didn’t take us a huge amount of time) that you can mix it up with other things easily (It worked well with reviews 😉 ). There are lots of projects, lots of stories, lots of drawing, but not a lot of the same each day. I would say there are lots of different things to do- we never got bored like we do with other predictable programs (I’m thinking things like worksheets where every week is the exact same).
Sounds like it might be perfect for Lauren.
I like the idea of a full curriculum, instead of finding materials for doing each subject separately.
I love that it places importance on rhythm and really want to find a loving rhythm for our first “official” year of homeschool.
Over the last four years of homeschooling my kiddos, I’ve often thought of trying Oak Meadow Curriculum, this is a great opportunity for us!
I have always wanted to try Oak Meadow ~ in fact I was just considering it again for the fall!
I love the whole child approach, and how it appeals to different learning styles.
I’ve considered Oak Meadow before so that I don’t have to piece together lesson plans myself. The first program we tried was not a good fight as my son found it boring. Right now I have different curriculums for each subject…. it would be nice to use a program that is already put together and that my son will enjoy.
I would love to win this. I’ve been looking at Oak Meadow for awhile now and really think it would be a good fit for my kids.
I love the literature used.
Looking at Oak Meadow for my soon to be 7th grader, happy to have stumbled onto this review!
I’d like this curriculum because of it’s emphasis on nature! Great giveaway, thanks.
I have heard so many good reviews about this. Can’t wait to get a set to try with my 5 and 7 year olds. One is a little advanced while the elder has learning disabilities. Getting them to do lessons together might help foster better relationship between them too. I am praying.
I’ve recently started researching curriculum for my 4 year old and Oak Meadow seems like it will be a really natural transition into more “structured” learning.
Would love to win ! Great review!
I like that art & music are integrated in the curriculum and that nature is the main theme which I’d like my kids to be more aware of since they did not have the same childhood experience I had being around nature all the time. Thank you.
Looks amazing! I like how it encourages getting out in nature!
Love Oak Meadow!! This would be an awesome prize for us!!
We’ll be new to homeschooling this fall and have heard wonderful things about Oak Meadow.
I want to try Oak Meadow in the worst way!
Oak Meadow is so attractive to me… I can’t wait to start with it with my 2 sons.
I love how Oak Meadow is Waldorf inspired and keeps things going at a more natural pace.
I am going to be starting homeschooling this year. With a PCS coming and not liking our current state’s school, I would love the flexibility!
We too love Oak Meadow and would greatly appreciate an opportunity to save money on our curriculum!! Thank you for the opportunity!!
I like that children are supported as children with this Syllabus, and are not forced to grow up too quickly!
I currently use a Waldorf Approach to our homeschooling. I look forward to using Oak Meadow with my 7th grader to give him more freedom in his learning.
I like that the parent work is already laid out for you.
It sounds like it incorporates a lot of hands on stuff which sounds great!
To not have to be tied to the table and worksheets.
I am very interested in Oak Meadow. I have a son who will starting 1-2 grade and a preschool aged daughter. I think OM may be a good fit for us.
Thank you for such a wonderful review! We will be trying Oak Meadow next year for one child and maybe this giveaway will allow me to use it for my other children.
Oak Meadow is exceptional and includes everyone in the family in the learning. As a single mama, this works for me! I have time to spend with every family member, plus enough time for myself – and I LOVE the activities. Especially because the Earth is included!
I love how Oak Meadow incorporates lots of movement and nature into their curriculum!
I love the flexibility of Oak Meadow.
I like the real books and the block schedule, so you can decide how to plan your week.
We love Oak Meadow so much! This is my daughter’s first year using it and she is finishing up grade 5.
I think the gentleness of it. I love that the books are spiral bound and the student books speak directly the child with the 4th. OM has always fascinated me. I’d love to try it with Lance. He seems like this would be a good fit for him if I had to pick a child anyway 😉 I enjoyed your review and the reviews of you all using 1st and 3rd grades too.
This is will be my first year to homeschool, so I’m a newbie to this world! I’m excited and scared at the same time and Oak Meadow sounds wonderful.
Just starting homeschool this fall with my two sons. This program sounds incredible!! Would love to win 🙂
This is an awesome giveaway! My son will be in 4th grade and I’m on a limited budget this year. Thanks for the opportunity!
I have not heard of this before and am always curious about the different approaches to home educating.
Man. I need to quit reading your blog, too much good curriculum!!
Wow, thanks for reviewing this curriculm. I had been wondering about it, so great to learn more about it.
Oak Meadow appeals to my family because it is gentle, child focused and secular.
Also, I like the fact that it includes all the parts of curriculum that are needed and uses Waldorf (and also seems like it incorporates Charlotte Mason).
I really appreciated the overview of Oak Meadow. We are looking into different curriculum options and the more I hear the more I like Oak Meado.
Great review! We’ve used Oak Meadow in the past for 1st, 2nd, and 6th grade. I love how it’s organized.
Great review 🙂
What appeals most to me about om is that everything is planned out for you and you don’t have to supplement.
We picked up Oak Meadow this last year for my oldest (6th grade) because she is very much into ancient civilizations. I was amazed at how much she (we) love it. Finally a curriculum that made learning fun and hands on! This year all my children are making the switch over to Oak Meadow! Thanks for the chance to win such an amazing prize!
I love OM! I cannot wait to get started! I hope I win! Thanks for the awesome review!
I would love to win this!! thank you for the opportunity:)
I can’t wait to get my hands on the curriculum and begin preparing for lessons already.
I like a child centered program with art and nature,
Wow! My son will be in 4th grade!
Ive been on the fence between this and MBTP for ages! Winning it would seal the deal so to speak!
Great review! We’re starting third grade this year
We used OM for preK & Kindy years! We loved it. Because of our own budget cuts last year, we had to go with a different curriculum. We would LOVE to use it again for our upcoming school year. Fingers crossed!!
This curriculum looks wonderful and I would love to try it with my children.
Im excited to use OM next year. Technically, I have a 3rd grade student, but I think the 4th grade would work much better for him. He is advanced in math, science, reading, and language.
Great review! I have always wanted Oak Meadow!
I love that is is a child centered Waldorf approach.
This is one of the most thorough reviews I’ve read for Oak Meadow. My daughter is 4, so we’ll be starting with the kindergarten curriculum. I’ve always been attracted to a relaxed approach to homeschooling, and Oak Meadow appears to be the perfect balance of maintaining a child’s lie of learning with a no-pressure approach and making sure a child has exposure to a wide variety of topics/experiences. I can’t wait to see what Oak Meadow is like once we et to apply it in our house!
Just starting with oak meadow this next year. Super excited
We have used OM K and 1. We love them! Thanks so much for this opportunity.
We’re in the second half of OM4, we’re absolutely loving it! This is our first year home educating and OM has been such a wonderful transition. Was just flipping through our OM5, getting excited for September!
We are planning on starting homeschool this fall. We have chosen Oak Meadow for the gentle approach it takes. And the fact that it teaches the whole child. I’m super excited to be starting and would love to win the curriculum as it would be a nice start to our first year!
been using it for a year already and love it! just bought 1st grade!
What drew me to Oak Meadow initially was how it incorporated nature into the lessons.. And that it didn’t rush things at an early age.
Great review!!
We are using oak meadows 1st grade curriculum right now and it has been a life changer for my daughter who was completely non- verbal 2 years ago. She loves it and has become so excited to learn. Most of the time she doesn’t even realize she is learning and laughs and enjoys her lessons.
Great review! Thank you for the in depth information.
So many things look great and make me want to try Oak Meadow… I’m impressed with how the TM has so much more than just lesson plans!
Wonderful! Would love to win!
This will be our first year with Oak Meadow. I love their philosophies! They truly understand child development.
I love that Oak Meadow is a custom curriculum that can be used year ’round. You can implement and review the units over time and see how much they have learned naturally and without stress. The younger grades are very creative and flexible and the older grades challenging and inspirational to me as the Mom/Teacher. We “home school’ more informally in the summer, but the learning and “hands on” parts, especially outdoors, and excitement continues full speed! Practical skills and family life increases dramatically as we work together, growing food and selling at local farmers markets. The custom part of homeschooling with a great curriculum that promotes reality and tangible grasp of concepts just keeps being more and more incredible with each passing grade! Of course, getting to the “end of the school year” is something they want to look forward to when they complete certain required book work and tests! Gotta love tests and getting them accomplished! Very great feeling! Onward and Upward! Moving on to the 4th Grade seems to be a big deal this year with our youngest as he feels so “ready” and he says so. Having hearing loss in one ear as well as having completed surgeries every year practically for having been born with a cleft lip and palate, has caused him to be incredibly advanced because of all the time he spends doing subjects he is interested in, passionately interested and hungry for learning. So grateful for all the helpful curriculum that Oak Meadow has put together to keep him interested, challenged and inspired to get more!
I love that they grow with my children while still allowing them the opportunity to be kids!
I just started the 4th grade curriculum with my son. This is our first year trying out OM. I love it but we are in week two and this is our first year homeschooling so it is very different from what everyone is used to. For someone new to homeschooling the week vs day schedule is a little hard. I do love the curriculum though. I find the independence is a little hard for my son, along with all the art because he isn’t comfortable drawing, but it is very well explained.
I especially like how Oak Meadow allows for creativity and steers away from traditional worksheet drill and kill.
The easy paced learning n the younger grades
This is my favorite curriculum! If I could afford it,I would be doing this! It would fit my daughter’s needs so well! I would love to win!!
I am hoping to homeschool my young son and I think this would be a great start for us!
And I love that the curriculum is play based and not overly “academic”
Love oak meadow!! Thanks for the chance to win.
had never heard of oak meadow but it sounds great
Everything!! 🙂
While I have only used 2nd and 5th grade, what I love most with Oak Meadow is that you’re nature based, and I can wrap up a few subjects with one curriculum.
I’ve used Oak Meadow this year and have loved it! I’m going to end up getting it for both my son and my daughter for next year. I think it’s a great program!
Thank you for this wonderful review! I would love to win this. We are in need of something new and this wold be a huge help to our family!
My son is 10. I like the literature choices and the hands on projects.
I am excited for my kids to start oak meadow!
I love that it is child centered and very gentle.
It make me feel confidence as a home school parent.
I’ve been wanting to try OM curriculum. Great review!
Oh, and I love Oak Meadow because it seems like it would fit my oldest daughter, but I have yet to try it!
Wow this is a great giveaway!
I love that it’s a child-centered curriculum.
we are new homeschoolers and moving to a new posting cross country..10 days in the car with three kiddos, wish us luck!
I would love to try Oak Meadow curriculum!!! It really looks interesting!!!!
I think that Oak Meadow curriculum looks awesome and would love to receive it so that my son and I could use it!!! He is starting fourth grade and I am considering bumping him up to 5th because he is ready for the work!!!
We used OMK and OM1 and I loved the relaxed feel of it. I would love a chance to win OM4 to use next year!
4th grade will be our first year homeschooling. This looks like it may be a perfect fit for us. Thank you for this review and opportunity,
Lance will be in 4th grade, hmmm, I’m entering =)
(sorry if this is a double post)
Embarrassing moment, I didn’t realize the last post ends up at the top. I was looking below 😛 (sorry)
Lance will be in 4th grade next year, hmmm, I’m entering 😉
I like Oak Meadow because it can be tailored to to the child.
OM is a nice curriculum that allows for a nature inspired feel with slower beginning academics
My special needs son will be in 5th grade in September and I have been lookng for some new curriculum for him. This looks like it will fit the bill perfectly.
The fact that “ease of use” and “ease of prep” were highly rated is great for me, since I often feel overwhelmed about whether or not I’d be an effective teacher, or if I’d be adequately prepared to teach and actually hold my kids’ attention.
This one does require the time to read ahead and decide what order to do it in, but almost everything does 😉 no guesswork needed here, clear, and easy to follow. Anyone could do it, and you’re FOR SURE prepared enough, if I remember right, you’re a smarty pants 😉
I want to thank you for sharing this review. I have never heard of this curriculum and am very interested in learning more.
I’ve never used an all in one boxed curriculum. I’d love to give it a try. Thanks for the chance!
I would really love to try this with my son. I think that he’d love the art, nature, literature aspects. It’s so gentle and nurturing!
wow, this looks awesome! thanks for the giveaway.
I love the holistic style of Oak Meadow’s teaching. 🙂
We loved Waldorf Inspired Curricula! 🙂
I would love to win this curriculum, I have been curious about it since I started following your blog last year and have been debating on using it for this first year of homeschooling my soon to be first grader! 🙂
I’ve heard it’s really gentle and relaxed but thorough.
I love how this is an all in one curriculum. My oldest son will be starting in 4th grade and I believe thus would help him with his growing independence.
I like the way it is set up! I think this way will appeal to my child.
I have heard a lot about Oak Meadow and would love to try it. I think it would be a really good fit for my kids
thank you for the giveaway! I enjoyed reading the review and think we might head in this direction for school next year.
What appeals to me the most is the ease of a plan and hands on work.
Curious and hoping to give it a try!
Love how it is structured yet relaxed
I use OM 6 with my older daughter, and I plan to use OM K with my younger daughter. I would love to win it!
Looking for ways to reach my middle schooler with interesting curriculum that she will learning from
I’m really grateful for this post, the timing could not be better!!! This week I made the decision to buy Oak Meadow curriculum for my son who will be 9 years old this fall. We’d been going through the 2nd grade book I bought for my daughter about 5 years ago to get a feel for it for him. I’m so glad to hear about the shift from parent to child for the 4th grade! This is exactly where we’re at so this helped me make the decision to get 4th instead of 3rd grade for him (although I think I’ll still get the woodworking and cursive books). Like your son, he’s a little “advanced” in math (and reading) so this compliments what we’ve got going for that as well (we chose Math-U-See). Thanks so much, Heather! Here’s to hoping I get the freebie! 🙂
The fourth grade book really is well done! I’m glad I was able to help you make the decision on where to place him! Those independent kiddos need their space, and this is just the right balance to save my sanity.
I love the focus on good lit
I would love to switch to Waldorf for my youngest and a curriculum that is already put together would be great. Thanks!
I have been homeschooling for 16 years now and definitely intrigued by this curric
I have never tried it before and would love to see if it fits my kids learning styles
I have looked at oak meadow several times but never tried anything. This would be the perfect opportunity!
I would love to try oak meadow! Awesome giveaway!!
Our home school could really use a reset, and maybe this would be just the thing. I love the emphasis on arts and crafts and the gentle feel. Thanks so much for your review!
Thanks for doing what you do Heather! I can’t express adequately in words how much you’ve helped our family on our homeschooling journey. <3
Aww- this may be my most favorite comment ever 🙂
I love that its child centered focused on nature, crafts, and stories.
I am always open to try new things…this sounds like a good fit for us!
I have tried to win an Oak Meadow curriculum several times. I love the Waldorf style as I feel it would pull some fun into our homeschool.
What a great giveaway! I’d love to learn more about the math.
It is averaging out to about one worksheet a day- I would say it’s right about on track for any basic math program. I need to read more ahead in the book to see what kind of guidance it offers for teaching subject, since right now it is reviewing math learned last year, which doesn’t require much teaching.
I’ll detail it more soon!
I love that Oak Meadow is a nature and art-based curriculum, and also that it affords such flexibility in our schedule! Thanks for the chance to win!
I love how interactive it sounds!
I would really love this for my little ones!!! I love the review it is really helpful.
I currently use a different curriculum and had tried OM in the past but my kids were a bit young. As my children get older I am wanting to keep my options open and would love to take another look at OM.
I soooooo want to try this for K next year!
Do you have to make up your own questions in both 2nd and 3rd for math?
You do. The syllabus is clear about what kinds of questions (two digit addition, subtraction under 10) and how many to write (never more than 20) so it’s not terribly complicated, but you do have to come up with your own. I was (am) the lazy type, so I tended to use printable worksheets from online (I just googled the type of problem and free worksheet) instead of writing my own.
I love oak meadow!
This is a great post. Excited to start my son in OM next school year. Winning would be awesome! Thanks