Oak Meadow

Updated on July 10, 2023

This review was written by Manisha Snoyer, the founder and CEO of Modulo, a company that provides resources and support families who are homeschooling their children. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher, Manisha has instructed over 2,000 children of all ages and abilities in three countries and 18 subjects. She has tutored at some of the best private schools in the world and throughout the NYC public school system. Manisha graduated summa cum laude from Brandeis University.

The thought of trying to pick and choose curriculum to ensure your child learns all subjects from home can be daunting, especially for a parent just starting out. That’s why many parents opt for an all-in-one curriculum.  After sifting through hundreds of reviews by parents who had tested a variety of curricula for all age groups, Oak Meadow, an accredited online school for preK-12th grade students stood out as one of our top choices for a comprehensive mastery-based program with a holistic approach that received consistently positive feedback from families using it. 

Both an accredited PreK-12th grade online school and a mastery-based curriculum, Oak Meadow is a top choice among parents for a comprehensive, clearly laid out program that integrates hands-on learning, student reflection and a multi-modal approach to learning. In it’s capacity as a virtual school, they offer unique support including 1-1 teacher interaction, educational coaches, college counselors and high school credits  

For the parent looking for an option where they don’t have to worry about planning lessons, Oak Meadow offers clearly laid out curricula requires no customization and little to no lesson prep. In fact, Oak Meadow is one of the best options we’ve found for mastery-based learning that spans all grades and subjects (most stop at middle school or even earlier).  It is also the only mastery-based program we selected that has is accredited online school through its distance learning program. Parents can use Oak Meadow for one to a few classes or enroll in the school and receive high school credits. They offer unique support including 1-1 teacher interaction, educational coaches and college counselors.  

This would not be option #1 for the innovative educator - or the parent looking for child-directed learning options as Oak Meadow requires rather heavy parent-student interaction, especially in early years (several parents shared that their child became completely independent by the middle school years). 

A better choice for a parent seeking to be less involved might be an audio or video-based program like Khan Academy or Torchlight. While many parents raved about the program, some found it way too dry and frustrating to follow. It seems to shine most in Kindergarten and Middle School, but like all curricula, this largely depends on the learner’s preferences and style. 

The most common critique of Oak Meadow is that the subjects are bundled. The implications of a bundled, all-in-one curriculum are that if a child is 2 months ahead in science but 4 months behind in reading, it can be difficult to support them in moving forward in each subject at the right pace because the parent has to teach the week 2 curricula in one subject and week 9 in another - and Oak Meadow is not well equipped to allow families to support families jumping around in this way. . 

Oak Meadow is also the most expensive option we selected for comprehensive curricula. Individual classes can run up to $500 just for material fees. A tip from parents: try to buy Oak Meadow Curricula used via parent groups or a site like Ebay.

What parents like 

Multi-modal approach to education
Incorporates Hands-on learning
Clearly laid out curricula
Gentle/slow pace
Minimal parent/teacher preparation necessary
Project-based learning
Ample opportunities for student reflection
Variety of projects and options
Well-organized
Nature-based curriculum is outstanding
History program challenges students to think critically

What parents thought could be improved
It’s expensive (they recommended buying the books on the annual “mother’s day sale,” Ebay or Oak Meadow Facebook groups
Heavy parent involvement required
Bundling all subjects together resulting in a situation where it was challenging to speed up or slow down in a certain subject
Too dull and traditional. It has a “Textbook feel.”
Chemistry curriculum is mediocre compared to other science programs

Parent reviews:
“We used Oak Meadow on and off in the early years and consistently for 8-12 grades. That was back in the 90's. It suited my daughter's learning style and prepared her well for her college and graduate school work.” -Christine Barranco

“Great curriculum. I love how the history curriculum challenges the student to think critically, not just memorize facts.” -Jill Rae

“We are over the moon with Oak Meadow. My kids have the tools to excel and follow their passions, and the support of a brilliant, enthusiastic team that knows them and communicates beautifully and regularly with them! My kids attended private schools and didn't find the depth of understanding they have found through Oak Meadow. There are so many ways to take advantage of their curriculums and flexibility!” -Pamela Telford