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Help! TOG users: How to finish the year's material when I am behind


LisaD
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Hi!  If there are any of you who use TOG with your younger kids, I have a question for you:

 

I am behind…..really behind. (finishing week 10)  I love the curriculum and have just found a groove.  I want to cover the remaining year's material even if it's just a light skimming, but I really don't want to do school past the end of May.  I don't even know if this is realistic.  Is there a way I can hit the highlights, so that there isn't too big of a gap in learning when we start year 2 in the fall?

 

I got really bogged down in the first several weeks with all the bible reading plus trying to get used to the curriculum and figuring out how much or little to do.  Now I am at a quicker pace, but I rely on library books and have hit some waiting periods with that process.  Here is what I found works for us:

 

First: Vocabulary (the most concrete ones) (my Ker copies the words, cuts out pictures and pastes above correct word)

Second: Map (he colors, then glues on the correct labels that I have precut from the answer map)

Third: we read the main book that goes with that week (or the alternate if the main one isn't available)

 

 I also hang up the vocab and map work during the week which reinforces learning.  I have done some of the activities, but often do not, because I keep running out of time.

 

This year with our schedule, what I finally figured out works for us is to do history 3 days/wk.  (We take my daughter to/from preschool 2x/wk, are in a Monday co-op, and do afternoon sports most days.  Next year our mornings are clear and our school schedule will have much more flexibility. Thank goodness!)

 

Id prefer not to drop the vocab or map work, but I'm guessing I might have to consider that if I want to zoom through the remainder of the time.

 

My main concern is that I don't want a big time gap in the content when we start year 2 in the fall.  I am firm about starting a new year in the fall (I plan to take a break between cycles in 4th grade for our state history, and I know this year's material will be covered again in 5th grade- which will be so fun and more in-depth and engaging because of the age).

 

Any thoughts, comments, tips from some veteran TOG users who might be reading this?  (BTW- my k'er loves history and will often ask to read history, and enjoys the map and vocab activities.)

 

Thank you so much, in advance!!

 

 

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I don't think you can realistically hit the next 26 weeks of material by May, no. What if you keep doing history read alouds over the summer, but finish the bulk of school (vocab, maps, math, etc) in May? You could just use the book offerings, SOTW, and the lit read alouds to get them kind of familiar with the material by September, so they could go into year 2 with some context. Hope that helps. :)

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I don't think you can realistically hit the next 26 weeks of material by May, no. What if you keep doing history read alouds over the summer, but finish the bulk of school (vocab, maps, math, etc) in May? You could just use the book offerings, SOTW, and the lit read alouds to get them kind of familiar with the material by September, so they could go into year 2 with some context. Hope that helps. :)


I agree with this. I think you will regret trying to push it. If finishing is something that you think is important, then I think it's worthwhile to either continue to work through it on a limited basis theough the summer term, picking up more come fall *or* stopping wherever you are in May (find a good break - maybe at the end of a thematic unit, not sure how TOG is organized as we don't use it) and then pick up where you left off come fall.

There's nothing saying you have to finish nor is there any rule that says you have to adhere to a rigid rotation/year assignment.
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I would scrap the 5 year plan and take each year at your child's pace. Retention and enjoyment will both be higher if you don't feel stuck to a schedule. You don't know what the future will bring. Many things could take you off schedule. Or you may find that there isn't much interest in other aspects of history and that will become a good time to get back on schedule.

 

Since you said that is not an option, my second thought is just keep going at your current pace and skip the rest of year 1. There will be no assumed knowledge needed at the beginning of the year, and if you try to cram it all in there will be little retention regardless.

 

 

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Good thoughts.....thank you ladies. I really love the curriculum and I also knew I would have a big learning curve....I definitely feel comfortable with it now and wish I could just start fresh with the new year. Lol. Part of me is just considering pushing ahead steadily and just making a clean break with the end of this year and start the second year in the fall. I also like the suggestion one of you made to just keep reading thru the summer. I may just make a list of books for the material that's left to cover when this year ends and sequentially and leisurely read thru it over the summer for exposure's sake.

Have any of you used TOG year 1 with kindergarten and worked through the years? Am I agonizing over something that in the big scope will not be as detrimental as I feel like it is?

I feel like I have a much better grasp of the curriculum and can keep pace next year. Any other users experience this?

Thanks for your input! Please keep sending me your thoughts. :)

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Have any of you used TOG year 1 with kindergarten and worked through the years? Am I agonizing over something that in the big scope will not be as detrimental as I feel like it is?

I feel like I have a much better grasp of the curriculum and can keep pace next year. Any other users experience this?

Thanks for your input! Please keep sending me your thoughts. :)

I haven't used TOG, but I think the key with any rotation based curriculum (like WTM which is what we use), is that this is not the first time you're going to go through this material. You will be swinging back this way again. What you're doing now is laying the foundation, creating hooks on which to hang future learning. Your children probably will not remember a huge amount of what you have covered because they're young, but you are building familiarity.

The short of it is, no, it's not going to be detrimental. Relax and enjoy the ride. Your kids are young - no need to put that much pressure on yourself (easier said than done, I know).
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I agree that if you do just core history and read through the summer that you would be good to go on to the next year in the Fall.  However, your kids are really, really little.  The way young kids get something out of history is not by rushing through it.  It is by taking your time and getting dirty with it.  Consider spreading the remainder of Year 1 over the rest of this year and all of next year.  Or, do some fun geography for the rest of this year, and then do the rest of Year 1 next year, with just a little review of the 10 weeks that you already did this year.  (Geography is a great way to lead into history.)  

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