laughing lioness Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I've been reading the TOG and Omnibus threads with great interest. Those who have chosen TOG-why? What was the deciding factor for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jananc Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Hi Lisa, the deciding factor for me was 4 years ago, when my dc were 5th and 3rd grade -- and that was just that TOG allowed me to teach them both on the same topic, and it was structured enough to keep me on schedule when I couldn't do that with WTM as written. Now, though, my dc are rising 9th and 7th grade. The deciding factor now, for us to continue on through a second go-round with TOG, is seeing the wonderful teacher's notes. In my opinion, the discussion outlines are the true worth of this program. I am so excited to be beginning a new cycle with Rhetoric and Dialectic students because of the amazing connections that Marcia Somerville has laid out for me. I believe that any student who uses TOG for a high school program will have had a rich educational experience that would be hard to match elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Thanks, Jana. I am looking at the TOG sample copy! I appreciate what you and Karen have posted on your blogs but now I am back to being indecisive!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelbelle7 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I love it that TOG puts all my kids on the same slice of history each week, but at levels that are appropriate for each. I love that I can prepare ONE time and be ready for each level of learning for the week. I love the 4 year cycle through history. I love the extensive teacher's notes that really help me feel like I know what I'm talking about. I love that TOG includes history, literature, fine arts, bible/worldview, geography, writing, important people/dates all in one handy-dandy teacher's guide. I love that TOG now provides evaluations (as my umbrella school requires high schoolers have at least 1 test/academic subject/month) and I don't have to write my own tests anymore. I love that TOG uses lots of resources and is not a boring old textbook. I love that TOG includes lots of hands-on activities so that IF I want to do them, I don't have to hunt them down myself. I love that TOG is making the Pop Quiz CD's and note cards so dh can easily participate without having to resort to the question, "So, what did you learn in school today?" I love that TOG shows my kids history in a way that puts God in charge of it. There are probably many more reasons why I switched to TOG, but these were the first ones that I could think of! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in PA Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Ditto. I so enjoyed reading the replys. TOG became my educational cornerstone two years ago. My family and I are so grateful for Marcia Sommerville's creativity and amazing energy. This coming school year both of my teens will be taught from the rhetoric standpoint. We look forward to each unit, gleaning from the wonderful assortment of suggested books. I must write that one of my teens does not care to read and even cares less for studying history (yes, he is a math geek - God bless him.) Yet, he reads real books each week pertaining to our history and literature timeline. One of the concepts I am grateful for is that TOG taught my children to organize their weekly schedule. Each Monday morning at the kitchen table we sit down and list the books, questions, maps, tests, all homework for every subject, work hours, church activities for the week. My students fill out their own weekly planner and are encouraged to check-off all the assignments due. They now are responsible for their schedule. Fridays are usally set aside for history and literature discussions. By then, my kids come prepared with their typed out answers from the "Thinking Question" section from TOG. Marcia has made my teaching organization a piece of cake. All my teacher notes are laid out for me with terrific, thought provoking, discussion scripts. Her questions really help the kids to analyze and synthesize. One last point, TOG is really flexible, to be totally tailored to each family's needs. Once you become familiar with TOG then you can relax and have fun learning with your children! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jananc Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Thanks, Jana. I am looking at the TOG sample copy! I appreciate what you and Karen have posted on your blogs but now I am back to being indecisive!! :) LOL! I understand! There are so many good programs out there, it's a tough decision. Once I decided on TOG, I had to start covering my ears and singing La-la-la-la a lot! I just had to pick and stick with it. Now if I could just do that with math..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in PA Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Amen! Several years when I was searching for core curriculum for my children the plethora of choices overwhelmed me. Once I did settle on the curriculum I plowed ahead, not worrying about the "what if's". Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopers5 Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I agree with all of these TOG users, especially Shelbelle7. These statements communicate my exact feelings. We did YR. 2 Redesigned, this year. I plan to move on to the new Yr. 3 this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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