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I've been seduced back into the realm of Tapestry!

 

We're getting back to it and I need some inspirational ideas to make this more fun for my 14 ds - grade 9. He's willing to give it a go again but would really benefit from some, um, I don't know...intriguing avenues to pursue with it.

 

I've been perusing karenciavo's website (Karen, I didn't see your weekly info on year 1, I'm guessing you weren't doing that then, bummer!) and thought of some great things from there (we're on year 1 unit 2).

 

Does anyone know of other blogs or other websites where moms are using Tapestry for rhetoric age students?

 

I'll have a 2nd grader and 5th grader also.

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Welcome back to Tapestry!

My ninth grade daughter and eleventh grade son will resume their fall studies with TOG, year 1. We have completed years 3 and 4, but this mom is learning the revised version this summer.

How do have fun learning with TOG? Hmmm. Yes, the TOG web site will offer you a plethora of support, encouragement, and ideas. Personally, I do not have time to glance at the forums, wish I did. Having fun learning is a very personal, subjective concept. As you know what my teens feel is fun is probably very different from your children's perspective. I guess, from my own humble experience (how God has humbled me) I find that my children really enjoy learning - any subject - depending on my enthusiasm. TOG really shines for the dialetic and rhetoric stages! Each Monday morning we sit at the kitchen table, command central, and briefly discuss the week's agenda in every school subject, church activiites, and part-time jobs. This is the time they write down which books we are reading for the coming week regarding TOG. They now own their schedules and go off in separate rooms of the house to study. I help them daily with math, foreign language study, some science, and grammar, but the TOG studies are usually self-explanatory. For my teens this is one of the reasons they like TOG as a spine. They like the independence of reading wonderful historical and literature selections, preparing for discussion with mom on Fridays, and not having me "lecture" history and literature until Fridays! Probably the younger ages enjoy the daily interaction with mom, especially all the fun activities suggested in TOG. My children are so comfortable with independent studying that TOG is a natural fit. Obviously, a unit study approach is not for every home school family. But for my family preparing for the weekly discussions is fun. Sometimes, the large dry erase board is used to pontificate points made during discussion time. Sometimes my teens will debate with one another - sometimes mom has to intercede with "time out". I really appreciate Marcia Somerville's outstanding "Thinking Questions" to help get my teen's creatiing thinking going. I realize that you have one teen with TOG this year. This is actually my first time I have two in rhetoric at the same time. Previously, I have discussed a little bit with both of them and then branching off separately. I may have to discuss with my older teen apart from his sister as well throughout the year, but the discussions will still be great. It is an amazing process to hear and watch my teens think aloud their responses, to analyze and support their positions. Does this rhetoric process come easy and naturual? For my daughter, yes. For my son, definetly not. Yet, we persevere. It is a gradual process, one to be acquired, and very much worth it!

One thought is that you may check in your area and might locate a local TOG group.

While summer is waning, take time to really understand the TOG objectives available. I probably have learned more than my children, but that is a vital and wonderful benefit to reach them more effectively. Get excited, but try not to get too bogged down with details.

Wishing you wonderful home schooling endeavors this coming fall!

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Thanks Heather for such a needed post.

 

I know instinctively what will work, I just need to trust that and use what I know about this student to our advantage.

 

One question after reading your reply.

 

Would you mind going into what your planning time looks like? I am envisioning my ds being able to see the subjects he needs to cover and plug that work into his daily planner accordingly. I know this will take time, I'm just curious how your family does it with their experience and ages.

 

Previously, I would type out all of the work for the week and THEN we would sit down and plot it out onto a daily schedule sheet.

 

I'd like to have him go directly from the TOG pages to his planner with the work, so I can get out of the way, so to speak. Not sure if this is asking too much.

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While I have you, can I also ask about accountability?

 

That is one area we both are needing to beef up as high school approaches.

 

How do you provide accountability daily? I realize the effort put in will show itself during our discussion times but I also need to be ensuring work is adequate each day until he's up and running.

 

I don't want to set up an expectation of looking over his shoulder but we have a bit of history to overcome of work not being done because of excuses (mostly blaming me for not being clear on an assignment). Main reason I'd like to get out of the way in terms of bridging the gap between TOG and his planner.

 

thanks for your thoughts, I'm off to put a little one to sleep and that usually puts me to sleep also so I'll check back tomorrow for your wise reply ;) Thanks so much for sharing the info - I'm so glad to hear from someone with teenage students. They're a whole new ball game, aren't they?

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Thanks Heather for such a needed post.

 

I know instinctively what will work, I just need to trust that and use what I know about this student to our advantage.

 

One question after reading your reply.

 

Would you mind going into what your planning time looks like? I am envisioning my ds being able to see the subjects he needs to cover and plug that work into his daily planner accordingly. I know this will take time, I'm just curious how your family does it with their experience and ages.

 

Previously, I would type out all of the work for the week and THEN we would sit down and plot it out onto a daily schedule sheet.

 

I'd like to have him go directly from the TOG pages to his planner with the work, so I can get out of the way, so to speak. Not sure if this is asking too much.

 

Well I don't have a student old enough that they are doing their own schedule, yet.

 

Generally the first thing I dive into is the books. I am a page protector, so first I list the books I already own, but aren't in TOG. For example I own Story of the Great Republic, which isn't used in y3, so I correlated what chapters to read where and wrote that in. After that I go in and work with one unit at a time. I decide if I have enough books to cover a topic or if I need to order more and put them all on an Amazon wish list. I put the week the book is used on the notes in the wish list so when I go to place orders I just work off of that. Even if I order used off of Half I use the Amazon list as my master list.

 

Stage two happens after I have all the books for a unit. That is when I go in and print off all the maps, timeline figures, Lit worksheets, ect... I don't make the nifty binders that Karen does. I just put them into 3 ring binders. I also make up my schedule, so by the time I get to the week it is pretty much open and go.

 

It takes me about a week to plan and print a unit and put all my books for the next unit on a wish list.

 

Heather

 

 

 

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While I have you, can I also ask about accountability?

 

That is one area we both are needing to beef up as high school approaches.

 

How do you provide accountability daily? I realize the effort put in will show itself during our discussion times but I also need to be ensuring work is adequate each day until he's up and running.

 

I don't want to set up an expectation of looking over his shoulder but we have a bit of history to overcome of work not being done because of excuses (mostly blaming me for not being clear on an assignment). Main reason I'd like to get out of the way in terms of bridging the gap between TOG and his planner.

 

thanks for your thoughts, I'm off to put a little one to sleep and that usually puts me to sleep also so I'll check back tomorrow for your wise reply ;) Thanks so much for sharing the info - I'm so glad to hear from someone with teenage students. They're a whole new ball game, aren't they?

 

With my oldest, who does a lot of her work independently, I schedule what she needs to do, so I just have to ask her if she has completed her work, if I feel the need. Most of the time I don't overly worry. When I find out she has been sliding on something I just make it painful to discourage her from doing so again. ;)

 

Anything that can be, "turned in" I have her do so. Even if that means I have to give it back to her. To make sure *I* follow through, I also have a check list just of things I need to review each day before starting hs. If I don't have a list it gets away from me and either goes unchecked, or I have to hold up some other part of hs to check it for her, which really stresses me out!

 

In your case, given there is a history, you can have him turn in outlines of his papers, as well as the rough draft then the final. Have them, "due" on different days so he can't cram. Well at least the whole thing in one day, LOL! He might still do it at the last possible minuet, but at least by virtue of the process being over than more than one day he might accidentally think about it ahead of time and write a better paper. :D

 

The other thing I would work on training him on is making his responsibility to get clarification on an assignment if he doesn't understand it. It isn't your fault for not being clear, it is his for not asking for more information when he needed it. Employers LOVE people who can ask the right questions, so he really need to start to develop that skill.

 

Beyond those ideas, which might or might not fit your needs, I would suggest a new post about training a child to do scheduling. So far it doesn't look like most of the people who have BTDT have jump on the thread. They might yet, but a new thread might catch their attention faster. You can also try the TOG yahoo group. You might get more traffic there.

 

Heather

 

 

 

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What does this entail? Things like check math or is it a more day specific list?

 

That's a great idea as well as others.

 

I really! need to get this area under control.

thanks for all your help, it's much appreciated

I started a new thread on accountability here and on the tog yahoo group you mentioned. thanks for the suggestion

 

"To make sure *I* follow through, I also have a check list just of things I need to review each day before starting hs. If I don't have a list it gets away from me and either goes unchecked, or I have to hold up some other part of hs to check it for her, which really stresses me out! "

 

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What does this entail? Things like check math or is it a more day specific list?

 

That's a great idea as well as others.

 

I really! need to get this area under control.

thanks for all your help, it's much appreciated

I started a new thread on accountability here and on the tog yahoo group you mentioned. thanks for the suggestion

 

"To make sure *I* follow through, I also have a check list just of things I need to review each day before starting hs. If I don't have a list it gets away from me and either goes unchecked, or I have to hold up some other part of hs to check it for her, which really stresses me out! "

 

 

 

I have anything I might drop: making vocab cards (Mondays), checking her grammar work, checking her writing, getting dictation ready, anything I haven't been organized and pre-printed I put on the list, making up Bible memorization cards, ect...

 

I make a new one each week, and I add things that I need to take care of as I go. It really keeps me focused so that I don't drop the ball.

 

Heather

 

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