Has anyone adjusted the schedule of TOG for high school?

[angela in ohio]

I really like the resources available for TOG, but I want to spend more time in Greece and Rome and less in the 19th/20th century, so we have more time to read complete classics. If you have done this, how did it work out and how did you schedule it, what did you add, etc.

[PeterPan]

Can I just butt in to ask if this means you're considering TOG? You had tried (or considered) Omnibus, right? Then you did Starting Points? So rather than continuing either of those, you're going with TOG? You're the trail blazer, so I'm just watching here and want to see the thought process... :)

[Karenciavo]

Have you thought about reducing the time spent in Israel during Year 1? Reducing Year 4 somewhat would be fine and I totally understand why you want your high schooler reading more ancients, but the literature and other Year 4 subjects really help students understand today's prevailing philosophies.

[angela in ohio]

Can I just butt in to ask if this means you're considering TOG? You had tried (or considered) Omnibus, right? Then you did Starting Points? So rather than continuing either of those, you're going with TOG? You're the trail blazer, so I'm just watching here and want to see the thought process... :)

 

We did Starting Points last year, but we only used that and didn't intend to continue in WVWW. I looked at it at convention for a long time and wanted to like it, but I don't. Starting Points is fabulous, though. I had known I was going to use that ever since a local homeschool mom showed it to me when oldest dd was only in third grade or so.

 

We were considering Omnibus for this next year (actually for this year, but we took a detour into CC's Challenge program this year,) and I think we were pretty much set on it, but I have always had TOG in the back of my mind. My biggest consideration against it has been cost. I just don't feel like it is worth the money it costs.

 

But the thought of coordinating my two younger dc to Omnibus started to overwhelm me, now that I see how. much. work. all this teaching is as dd gets older. :D And I like the broader scope of TOG. Theologically we are more in line with Omnibus, but I can just keep an eye out for anything different.

 

At this point, I think we will get TOG Year 1 and Omnibus I for next year. I want to do Unit 1-3 of TOG and add in more Greek literature and Old Testament study. I will use the Omnibus for some extra reading and for my own resource.

 

If we don't do Challenge again. And if we don't sign her up for the Middle College after our interview with them next week. :D Good times... I'd like to go back to picking out a kindergarten math program for her.

[angela in ohio]

Have you thought about reducing the time spent in Israel during Year 1? Reducing Year 4 somewhat would be fine and I totally understand why you want your high schooler reading more ancients, but the literature and other Year 4 subjects really help students understand today's prevailing philosophies.

 

I hadn't thought about that. Thank you. :001_smile: (And thanks for the schedule at our blog, that helps to get an idea of how to plan.)

[Leanna Tomlinson]

Have you thought about reducing the time spent in Israel during Year 1? Reducing Year 4 somewhat would be fine and I totally understand why you want your high schooler reading more ancients, but the literature and other Year 4 subjects really help students understand today's prevailing philosophies.

 

I agree with Karen. I also might consider changing the Lit schedule to eliminate the Ancient Egyptian Lit, Mesopotamian Lit, and possibly the 'Gita (can't remember how to spell the long name of this Indian Lit). In my lit classes we had two levels. My three oldest students chose to read the entire Iliad and Odyssey and had no problem fitting it into the time frame allotted. The time frame was similar to the weeks allowed for reading the entire work in WVWW by Quine (Cornerstone).

 

When my eldest dd was in a co-op that did WVWW, she was required to read the entire Iliad over the summer, so she would not get bogged down during the school year. That's another possible way to approach the TOG year 1 schedule without having to eliminate anything.

 

HTH,

Leanna

[angela in ohio]

I agree with Karen. I also might consider changing the Lit schedule to eliminate the Ancient Egyptian Lit, Mesopotamian Lit, and possibly the 'Gita (can't remember how to spell the long name of this Indian Lit). In my lit classes we had two levels. My three oldest students chose to read the entire Iliad and Odyssey and had no problem fitting it into the time frame allotted. The time frame was similar to the weeks allowed for reading the entire work in WVWW by Quine (Cornerstone).

 

When my eldest dd was in a co-op that did WVWW, she was required to read the entire Iliad over the summer, so she would not get bogged down during the school year. That's another possible way to approach the TOG year 1 schedule without having to eliminate anything.

 

HTH,

Leanna

 

Thank you. I had already crossed the Egyptian poetry and some of the non-Western lit off the list, so I'm glad to hear that. Dd has alredy read the Iliad and the Odyssey (not sure if she has finished the Odyssey, maybe she has only read most of it,) but we haven't done anything with them at all, so I want plenty of time for discussion, etc. I'm glad to hear there's time for reading both entirely. I like the TOG selections for Greece, I just don't want to read parts and pieces or rush them.

[PeterPan]

Ok, I'm curious. What is the Middle College? As far as doing TOG1 and then repeating the next year with Omnibus 1, that doesn't make sense to me, but maybe I'm totally missing what you're saying. Do you actually have Omnibus yet? I got it a while back and started reading. I got way-laid by some other things (oops), but I got enough done to conclude I wanted a seperate history spine I could just hand her. I ended up with a western civ book (the one TOG uses? I'd have to go check) that has study guides, map workbooks, etc. to go with it. That way it's pretty straightforward to implement. I got the Rutherford classics guides (http://www.aquinasandmore.com ) and I think they'll be handy for pre-discussion reading comprehension. So that narrows it down to actually doing the discussion. At least that's my idea.

 

I don't see why you need to coordinate your others to Omnibus or whatever you're doing with your oldest. Omnibus is its whole own world, universe, and orbit. I'd just pick out something implementable and practical for your youngers. I'm LOVING the Guerber Ancients book, so that would be delightful as the spine for your youngers while the oldest does O1.

 

Or do TOG. I'm not saying not to do TOG. I'm just wondering why you'd want to spend two years in a row on ancients. I'd do one or the other and move forward into Church history and the middle ages the following year.

 

Well maybe that doesn't apply, or maybe I totally misunderstood you.

[angela in ohio]

No, I would just use bits of Omnibus to supplement TOG, but still keep to the (possibly slowed down in the beginning) TOG 4-year plan. I have Omnibus anyway, though it is out on loan to for this school year, since I wasn't going to be using it.

 

In looking at the course load for my older two (I will have an 8th grader as well as the 9th grader next year,) there is no way I am doing more than one topic a week for history. If I'm teaching something for oldest, youngers are going to get a scaled down version of it that week. I could do that myself with Omnibus, but I think TOG will make it easier. Actually, younger ds will be lucky if he gets fed, looking at the older two's course load. I have no idea how bigger families do this. :)

 

The Middle College is a high school that meets at the local community college. Student come out with a HS diploma and a 2yr Associate's degree or 2 yrs of credits to transfer. They are usually for "at risk" students, but dh's school district has one that enrolls college-prep students apparently. I feel like we should look at it, and dh is interested in seeing what they offer, but I don't think there is any way we are giving up our girl to the school. :)