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Giveaway: Oak Meadow curriculum package (Back to School Week)

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This giveaway has now ended. Thanks for entering!

Thanks for joining me for this year’s back to school week! I hope this week’s posts encourage you in your school and life planning as the start of the traditional school year grows nearer.

I discovered Oak Meadow through the magic of the blogosphere, and found it to be just what I needed for my kids at the time. The curriculum and the philosophy behind it have become a steady part of our home learning experience since then.

What first drew me to Oak Meadow was the heart behind it–is it possible for a curriculum company to have heart? Yes, it totally is! And I found that Oak Meadow’s connected with much of my own–their gentle approach, their slow introduction to academics, their focus on nature, free play, and stories.

Oak Meadow began over 35 years ago. The company offers complete curriculum packages from PreK through 12th Grade, which you can purchase and use at home with your children.

They also offer an enrollment option in their accredited distance learning school. This allows students to receive full academic credit and transcripts for their work at home–as well as the support of an experienced teacher.

For this giveaway, the generous folks at Oak Meadow sent me their 3rd grade curriculum to review (pictured below). If you’re interested in finding out more about other grade levels, I have previously reviewed the Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade packages as well.

The bulk of the 3rd grade material is presented in the syllabus. Like the ones I’ve seen before, this book is easy to use and lovely in its layout and design. Printed in full color, it is divided into three trimesters of 12 weeks each. Each trimester includes introductory material for the teacher to read, which explains the skills to be covered during that time period.

Each weekly lesson plan covers assignments in depth. Subjects included in each weekly plan: circle time, language arts, math, social studies, science, art, music, crafts, and health. I have always appreciated the fact that in these early years (K-3) all subjects are here together–no multiple binders or separate curricula to keep track of and juggle.

Plenty of ideas are provided for each week, and it can appear overwhelming initially. Just remember: There’s no law saying you have to do everything in any curriculum–I have written before about the unique way we use Oak Meadow in our homeschool, and I’ve learned over time to make the material my own as we go along. Oak Meadow provides plenty of room to adapt to meet your unique needs, and emphasizes that home teachers should do so.

Here is an overview of the 3rd grade package from an Oak Meadow teacher, citing the projects and studies that many of her students enjoy the most:

Language Arts

  • form drawing exercises in correlation with learning how to cursive write

Math

  • creating multiplication designs in conjunction with learning the times tables
  • reciting rhymes for each of the times tables and engaging in rhythmic activities associated with the times tables (catching and tossing a ball or beanbag, jump roping, etc.)

Social Studies

  • making a model of a sukkah (Lesson 2)
  • reading Native American creation stories and making a corn husk doll (Lesson 6) and a dream catcher (Lesson 7)
  • creating a folk art scrapbook of the student’s family heritage (Lesson 9)

Science

  • making Chinese, Greek and Roman water clocks (Lesson 3)
  • composing a story of “The Day There Was No Gravity” (Lesson 4)
  • observing the clouds and creating a cloud booklet (Lesson 10)
  • illustrating the four season cycle of a plant or tree (Lesson 19)
  • growing an avocado seed (Lesson 20)
  • constructing a terrarium to observe the natural process of the water cycle (Lesson 24)
  • making a collage of the student’s local natural resources (Lesson 28)

Art

  • cooking projects (First Trimester)
  • paper marbling and bookbinding (Second Trimester)
  • and engaging in carpentry projects (Third Trimester)

One Simple Homeschool reader will receive a curriculum package in the grade of your choice (grades K-8)  from Oak Meadow!

How to Win

Everyone has two chances to win. Here’s how:

1. Comment on this post, answering this question: Do you prefer one curriculum that covers all subjects or would you rather choose separate curricula for different subjects? (If you are reading this in an email, you must click over to enter your comment!)

2. ‘Like’ Oak Meadow and Simple Homeschool on Facebook. Then — this is important — you need to come back and leave an additional comment here, telling me you have done so.

This giveaway has now ended. Thanks for entering!

About Jamie C. Martin

Jamie is an introverted mom of three, who loves books, tea, and people (not always in that order), and avoids answering the phone when possible. She co-founded SimpleHomeschool.net in 2010 and began IntrovertedMoms.com in 2020.

Jamie is the author of four books, including Give Your Child the World (reached #9 on Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers list), and her latest release, Introverted Mom (an ECPA bestseller). Her work has been featured by LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow, the Washington Post, Parents, Today Parenting, and Psychology Today.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah Sigmon

    I find that it is easiest to use one whole complete one, but we have done the mix and match too. Actually I guess there are benefits for for either one.

  4. Stephanie

    Oak Meadow is the only boxed curriculum that has ever appealed to me and my kids . It works particularly well for younger kids, but I have found the math to be a little too slow moving as they get older. We have supplemented other curriculum for that most years (I really like Right Start). I super love their approach to social studies and their emphasis on writing. I found that the stories and topics they choose are spot on appropriate for my kids at each age/developmental stage. My oldest just finished their 8th grade curriculum, and the Civics course was particularly fantastic.

  5. Anne-Marie Soltero

    I would think, to begin with, I would go with one complete curriculum and then, as needed branch out on my own. Further on down the line, as my son’s needs change, I may opt to use different curricula for different subjects

  6. Vikki G

    I prefer to follow one inclusive curriculum, I can always supplement it with interesting things I come across!

  7. Asmaa C.

    Over the years, we have used a variety of materials and I prefer one curriculum for all subjects. Do supplement with other materials as our needs suit us. We love Oak Meadow! Thank you for the chance to win a grade level.

    Asmaa

  8. Anne-Marie Soltero

    I have liked both OM and SH on facebook. I found that I really like OM approach and am liking SH as well!

  12. Jessica Eastin

    I honestly like both types of curriculmn, as each of my children learn differently. One child does better with an “all in one” type, while the other two do better with separate types so we can focus on their interests.

  21. Syl

    Coming from a homeschool background, I’ve found that I’m drawn to picking a different curriculum for each subject. However, beginning to teach my own kids now, I find myself wanting the structure of a full package. Which is a kind of non-committal answer, really, but I guess it’s all about figuring out what works at this point.

  23. Kristina Best

    I haven’t used one curriculum for all subjects. Right now I just use what I can get my hands on.