Oak Meadow Preschool Curriculum Review
Summary of Oak Meadow Preschool Curriculum Review
- Grades: PreK
- Subjects: All
- Category: Non-Religious
- Format: Textbook; Play-based
- Price: $151 for complete course materials package
Visit the Oak Meadow Preschool website here.
How to Use Oak Meadow Preschool in Your Homeschool
The Oak Meadow Preschool program is geared specifically for 3- and 4-year-olds, but can be used for children ages 2-5. This course is very play-focused as children this age learn best through playing. The activities laid out in the material are very hands-on for children and easy to understand for adults as well. Your kids are sure to learn and have so much fun doing it!
Oak Meadow Preschool Highlights
Oak Meadow’s Preschool program, Seasons of Wonder, uses the 4 seasons to incorporate science, literature, music, art, and more while also building character traits. The course materials include:
- Oak Meadow coursebook, Preschool Play: Seasons of Wonder
- Autumn: Working Together
- Winter: Caring for One Another
- Spring: Diversity Makes Us Stronger
- Summer: Community
- Anytime: Kindness
- Read to Your Toddler Every Day: 20 Folktales to Read Aloud
- A Bedtime Full of Stories: 50 Folktales and Legends from Around the World
- Barefoot Books Children of the World
- I Am Kind: Songs for Unique Kids (Music CD)
Oak Meadow Preschool Pros and Cons
Pros:
- The curriculum can be completed in any order based on the season you’re in
- Everything is clear and easy to understand
- Age-appropriate in the activities, the stories, and even the amount of time required to complete the material
- Entertaining and engaging curriculum
- Affordable
- No screen time required
- Allows space to adapt the subjects to your family
Cons:
- If you’re looking for a faith-based curriculum, this isn’t it; however, it would be very easy to add that faith component on your own if that is important to you.
Additional Comments from Oak Meadow Preschool Curriculum Reviewer
“As a former preschool teacher and current homeschooling parent of a preschool-aged child, I love checking out different curriculum options, and I was so excited to see what Oak Meadow had to offer. They absolutely did not disappoint.
The coursebook, Preschool Play: Seasons of Wonder, is a new homeschooling parent’s dream. Everything is laid out in such a way that anyone can open the book and teach the material…no teaching degree required. It’s very simplistic and explanatory. From the very beginning, I felt as though I would have no trouble going through this program with my son, and that we would both enjoy it. Before beginning with the program instructions, there are several pages of parental encouragement, sample schedules, information on how play and reading aloud are so beneficial to children, tips on creating a felt board to use for storytelling, and additional inspirational resources.
I love that inside the seasons, the curriculum is divided into months as well with corresponding stories, songs, field trip suggestions, fun activities with step-by-step instructions (and even YouTube links if you need a visual!), ideas for getting out in nature, recipes for cooking with what is in season (my FAVORITES!), and so much more. And look at the beautiful artwork sprinkled throughout the book!
In the ‘Anytime’ section in the back, there are ideas and activities for birthdays, including telling your child their ‘Birthday story.’ They are such great tips and suggestions to make their special day even better! The appendix is also an amazing resource for quick information with a materials list broken down by season, month, and activity; age-appropriate tasks and rewards to include your kids around the house; suggestions for gifts to give children and gifts your children can make to give others; instructions to make your own toys; templates for making felt storyboards, and more.
The additional books – Read to Your Toddler Every Day, A Bedtime Full of Stories, and Children of the World – introduce children to people and ideas beyond their little bubble. Expanding their worldview through folktales is a great way to get them thinking about others: how we’re all different, and how we’re all the same.
I don’t throw the word ‘perfect’ around a lot, but honestly, for this age, Oak Meadow nailed this curriculum. It’s pretty perfect!” – Naomi W., North Carolina