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Biblioplan or TOG


rjand6more
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I have waaaay too many decisions to make right now and this one is haunting me. lol  I have looked at all the samples at length and I still don't know.

 

I have used SL for years(in its entirety/loosely), Winter Promise combined with SL, Wayfarers.

 

I am not afraid of a schedule. :)

 

I chose to leave SL when I was overwhelmed with doing 4 cores.  I needed to do some combining.  Next year, I will be combining grades 1, 4, 7.  My preschooler will just hang around.  The high schooler will do her own thing.

 

I like a little about all the programs I have used.

 

SL:  I love the SL books.   But, I cringe at reading some of them for the 4th time. UGH.  I like *some* of the notes in the IG.  I now skip 90% of them.  I really don't like the comprehension questions.  I DO like some of the writing prompts.  I think the maps are useless.  There should be some way to use these better, but I never(in 8 years!!) figured out how to make them work.

 

WP:  Like the clean fresh look of the schedule.  I like the hands on things added in. (Although we don't do many of them...I like the suggestions and option to do something related.)  I like the books recommended for different age ranges.  The one time I used WP, I heavily modified it, but I still found value in it. 

 

Wayfarers:  This came as close as I have ever seen to what I would love.  It is a schedule of all ages.  She does such a great job!  There are a few paragraphs about a couple of the books at the end of each week. The schedule is compact and easy to use.

 

My new perfect curriculum(LOL): I would love questions(discussion starters...higher level questions) for the readers and history.  I do read alouds and since I am reading it, I am able to ask appropriate questions.  But, I am a busy mommy and I don't have time to read their readers every time.  I also would love appropriate maps and timeline. I print these off but it takes so much time.  I don't need things like math, science, and electives scheduled.  I do my own thing there.  I would like suggestions for writing assignments and craft/recipe/activity options.

 

Has anyone used Biblioplan or TOG? Ideally, if you have used both and can speak of the comparison?

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I haven't used TOG. I looked at their samples and felt overwhelmed haha. We have used Biblioplan for Ancient only and used Story of the world for our spine. I love Biblioplan. It is easy, I like how it gives so many other spine options, I love how the bible is scheduled, I love all of the extra books recommended, and I also like how flexible it is to add your own components. There are many different books to Biblioplan and you can use whatever ones you want. We used the schedule, the textbook, and craft book mainly. With that said, we are giving Wayferers a try this next year I think since I have just decided to use ELTL and RLTL for one of my son's next year. Otherwise I would have absolutely used it again.

Edited by nixpix5
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I haven't used TOG. I looked at their samples and felt overwhelmed haha. We have used Biblioplan for Ancient only and used Story of the world for our spine. I love Biblioplan. It is easy, I like how it gives so many other spine options, I love how the bible is scheduled, I love all of the extra books recommended, and I also like how flexible it is to add your own components. There are many different books to Biblioplan and you can use whatever ones you want. We used the schedule, the textbook, and craft book mainly. With that said, we are giving Wayferers a try this next year I think since I have just decided to use ELTL and RLTL for one of my son's next year. Otherwise I would have absolutely used it again.

 

We liked Wayfarers.  I just wish there was more...

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We liked Wayfarers. I just wish there was more...

I forgot to mention that Biblioplan has maps and timelines but we didn't purchase them due to using Map Trek and Homeschool in the Woods Timeline. I can honestly say Biblioplan offers everything. There isn't much that is left out of that curriculum. It caters to both those who want someone to find options in all areas for them while leaving a ton of flexibility for those who don't. We also have the cool history for littles additional book. I like it for days I don't want to think up my own questions or topics. Good stuff :)

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I forgot to mention that Biblioplan has maps and timelines but we didn't purchase them due to using Map Trek and Homeschool in the Woods Timeline. I can honestly say Biblioplan offers everything. There isn't much that is left out of that curriculum. It caters to both those who want someone to find options in all areas for them while leaving a ton of flexibility for those who don't. We also have the cool history for littles additional book. I like it for days I don't want to think up my own questions or topics. Good stuff :)

 

Very good to know!  Thank you!

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We love TOG and have used it for 7 years. Have never used Biblioplan. Their writing program, Writing Aids, can be a stand alone curriculum, but you need to come up with topics. If you use it with TOG, each week gives you topics. By topics, I mean WA will tell you how to do a Literary Analysis (or Book Review or Compare/Contrast, etc) and give you graphic organizers but you would need to give the student the idea to write about. TOG will give you history, Lit, Bible or Church History (depending on the year), arts/activities, maps, timeline, vocabulary, government, philosophy. Can be use K-12th grade.

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Im not sure what the current TOG digital format is like, but I bought just the writing curriculum years ago and was horrified at how locked out I was from what I bought.

 

Don't buy digital TOG without doing your research.

 

yes.  Digital would be the way I would go.  I only use parts and would not print out the whole thing.

 

Thanks for the heads up!

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We love TOG and have used it for 7 years. Have never used Biblioplan. Their writing program, Writing Aids, can be a stand alone curriculum, but you need to come up with topics. If you use it with TOG, each week gives you topics. By topics, I mean WA will tell you how to do a Literary Analysis (or Book Review or Compare/Contrast, etc) and give you graphic organizers but you would need to give the student the idea to write about. TOG will give you history, Lit, Bible or Church History (depending on the year), arts/activities, maps, timeline, vocabulary, government, philosophy. Can be use K-12th grade

 

It sounds very comprehensive!  I certainly would not need all of it.  Great to hear you have stuck with it so long though.  That means a lot!

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I tried TOG for one semester when I realized Sonlight was about to become impractical with a Kindergartener coming on board (at the time I had an 8 year old, and a 10 year old with special needs). O my goodness, I've never been so bogged down in paperwork, choices, and scheduling fatigue. I think that program is probably for moms who are at a level of busy I haven't reached yet. For me, with 3 kids close in age/stage, it was more planning work than was necessary. We used Wayfarers this year, and for me, it really inspired me that with a good grid, I might be able to plan something perfectly tailored for us for the next two years until my middle son is in the Logic stage and needs different history and science spines. We really enjoyed Wayfarers, and I would totally recommend it, but I think my frustrations with Wayfarers are similar to yours in that I wanted a little more in the way of discussion, and a little less in the way of pre-filled out language arts and math. I wonder if I would have appreciated it more if I had children in more than just the Grammar stage. I've always been curious about Biblioplan. Looking forward to hear some comparisons.

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I tried TOG for one semester when I realized Sonlight was about to become impractical with a Kindergartener coming on board (at the time I had an 8 year old, and a 10 year old with special needs). O my goodness, I've never been so bogged down in paperwork, choices, and scheduling fatigue. I think that program is probably for moms who are at a level of busy I haven't reached yet. For me, with 3 kids close in age/stage, it was more planning work than was necessary. We used Wayfarers this year, and for me, it really inspired me that with a good grid, I might be able to plan something perfectly tailored for us for the next two years until my middle son is in the Logic stage and needs different history and science spines. We really enjoyed Wayfarers, and I would totally recommend it, but I think my frustrations with Wayfarers are similar to yours in that I wanted a little more in the way of discussion, and a little less in the way of pre-filled out language arts and math. I wonder if I would have appreciated it more if I had children in more than just the Grammar stage. I've always been curious about Biblioplan. Looking forward to hear some comparisons.

 

I felt a bit bogged down by the sample schedules of TOG!  It's so MUCH. Looking at Biblioplan... It may be the happy medium.  Not exactly what I need, but closer than Wayfarers.  Maybe.:)

Maybe I'll figure it out before they ALL graduate. lol

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Nope. They graduate and you realize you still don't have it all figured out. Tutoring has let me figure out more than homeschooling ever did. Lots of different students and more time to prepare than time bogged down teaching . Tutoring has been a privilege.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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TOG is a lot. There is a lot of pre-reading imo. They did improve the digital stuff last year. The lock lizard program was a total PITA previously- you couldn't have any other type of Microsoft product open for all intents and purposes, or it wouldn't open. That was such a hassle and honestly was partly why we abandoned it. I had to shut down OneNote, Word and Excel each time I wanted to open TOG. They have since removed that issue and now it seems to work fine with other programs running. But the samples are honestly a good indication of what it's like to use daily, so if you think they're a lot, take that as a serious flag. 

 

If you're worried about being crunched for time, honestly I would put it towards the bottom of my list. It is a strong program, but it's time intensive. At least it was for me. I loved all the options though and do plan to go back to it at some point when my two younger kids are a year or two older. But it's a harder program to jump into during a hectic time. 

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TOG is a lot. There is a lot of pre-reading imo. They did improve the digital stuff last year. The lock lizard program was a total PITA previously- you couldn't have any other type of Microsoft product open for all intents and purposes, or it wouldn't open. That was such a hassle and honestly was partly why we abandoned it. I had to shut down OneNote, Word and Excel each time I wanted to open TOG. They have since removed that issue and now it seems to work fine with other programs running. But the samples are honestly a good indication of what it's like to use daily, so if you think they're a lot, take that as a serious flag. 

 

If you're worried about being crunched for time, honestly I would put it towards the bottom of my list. It is a strong program, but it's time intensive. At least it was for me. I loved all the options though and do plan to go back to it at some point when my two younger kids are a year or two older. But it's a harder program to jump into during a hectic time. 

 

I am willing to learn(yet another!) new program.  I do not have time for a steep learning curve, though.  A friend walked me through her digital TOG.  It looked good, but it does have too many moving parts for me. I do not have time to prep like it requires.   I think I have decided to give Biblioplan a try.

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I am willing to learn(yet another!) new program. I do not have time for a steep learning curve, though. A friend walked me through her digital TOG. It looked good, but it does have too many moving parts for me. I do not have time to prep like it requires. I think I have decided to give Biblioplan a try.

Honestly I've recommended a couple of friends who were looking at TOG to buy only one print unit to start and try it out. It's less intimidating that way. So if you ever do decide to give it a go, you might consider that. Digital is nice, but it's harder to get the hang of while you're dealing with "the TOG fog".

 

Good luck with Biblio! I've never used it but people here rave about it.

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You didn't mention it but Bright Ideas Press has a curriculum similar, I think, to Tapestry of Grace, but uses MOH as their spine. It has discussion questions for readers, copywork, Bible, writing, etc all built in. It's called "Illuminations", and it's got a built in scheduler. I bought it last year but it was also my first year of homeschooling and we didn't move forward fast enough, so I bought Biblioplan for this year and we finished Ancients in Biblioplan. Honestly, I think it was my inexperience, and I was overwhelmed in general. I still used it for some things this year. What I have found is all of those are really tailored for 3rd grade as a minimum age and it's sort of all over the heads of the younger kids, even though they attempt to adapt. Maybe it's because I didn't do a great job of incorporating the younger books, too, I don't know. We loved Biblioplan this year, and I'm continuing with this next year for my coming 6th grader, but the younger two are going to move to sonlight core C (which should work alongside our year 2 of Biblioplan quite nicely).

 

FWIW, I considered TOG, but it was so expensive and so overwhelming I just couldn't jump.

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You didn't mention it but Bright Ideas Press has a curriculum similar, I think, to Tapestry of Grace, but uses MOH as their spine. It has discussion questions for readers, copywork, Bible, writing, etc all built in. It's called "Illuminations", and it's got a built in scheduler. I bought it last year but it was also my first year of homeschooling and we didn't move forward fast enough, so I bought Biblioplan for this year and we finished Ancients in Biblioplan. Honestly, I think it was my inexperience, and I was overwhelmed in general. I still used it for some things this year. What I have found is all of those are really tailored for 3rd grade as a minimum age and it's sort of all over the heads of the younger kids, even though they attempt to adapt. Maybe it's because I didn't do a great job of incorporating the younger books, too, I don't know. We loved Biblioplan this year, and I'm continuing with this next year for my coming 6th grader, but the younger two are going to move to sonlight core C (which should work alongside our year 2 of Biblioplan quite nicely).

 

FWIW, I considered TOG, but it was so expensive and so overwhelming I just couldn't jump.

I spent an hour looking at Illuminations last night!  It is a bit of a mystery to me still though. :huh:

 

For Modern history(the period we are ready for), they use All American History. There is a tiny preview only of that.  If I'm spending all that money, I would like to see more of it.  The Program is $125.  The AAH set is $68.  The AAH Jr set is a $40 download.  That's a lot. :(  I saw a bit of the schedule and it looks good.  I think the book guides look great too.  Do ALL the lit and history books have guides?

 

We will add our SL books to any plan we use.  I have Cores 4/5-100.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So does Biblioplan have discussion questions?

 

You'll have to look at the 3 week sample.  It appears there are questions for the history portion.  NOT the readers or read alouds.

 

There is a Discussion Guide. Looks kind of like Cliff Notes.:)

Edited by rjand6more
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TOG user here--6 years with kids who just finished 5th, 8th, and 12th grades. I prefer digital and haven't had any major issues with it. Once you become familiar with the curriculum, you'll see that there's a pattern to the assignments, and once you get into a groove, it's not as hard to use. The first year or so can be pretty confusing, though!

 

Also, although your kids would be studying the same time period, they would not be on the same level. You would only one year's curriculum, but (based on their ages, anyway), you would have one Lower Grammar, one Upper Grammar, and one Dialectic student. 

 

Before using TOG, we used My Father's World. You would be able to group them more with it. I don't remember how comprehension questions and all that worked, but I remember that I loved it when we used it!

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I spent an hour looking at Illuminations last night! It is a bit of a mystery to me still though. :huh:

 

For Modern history(the period we are ready for), they use All American History. There is a tiny preview only of that. If I'm spending all that money, I would like to see more of it. The Program is $125. The AAH set is $68. The AAH Jr set is a $40 download. That's a lot. :( I saw a bit of the schedule and it looks good. I think the book guides look great too. Do ALL the lit and history books have guides?

 

We will add our SL books to any plan we use. I have Cores 4/5-100.

I already had Mystery of History so it was just the cost of the Illuminations. There are a lot of books with discussion guides but I wouldn't say "all" and the younger kids' books don't have much in the way of guides. The copywork was also geared for older students. I think it would be perfect for middle school and high school. I don't remember how old you said your kids were.

 

I really like Biblioplan, and if you have the guides for sonlight, that's what I would do...use Biblioplan and supplement with sonlight for literature and any substitute read alouds! Honestly, I'm tempted to do this anyway! Biblioplan has discussion questions for their companion, and you would have literature discussion guides from sonlight, and could add to and play with it!

Edited by mamamoose
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I already had Mystery of History so it was just the cost of the Illuminations. There are a lot of books with discussion guides but I wouldn't say "all" and the younger kids' books don't have much in the way of guides. The copywork was also geared for older students. I think it would be perfect for middle school and high school. I don't remember how old you said your kids were.

 

I really like Biblioplan, and if you have the guides for sonlight, that's what I would do...use Biblioplan and supplement with sonlight for literature and any substitute read alouds! Honestly, I'm tempted to do this anyway! Biblioplan has discussion questions for their companion, and you would have literature discussion guides from sonlight, and could add to and play with it!

 

That is kind of what i did when I used Winter Promise.  I just wish the SL lit guides were meatier.  I have used SL for years.  It's really just comprehension questions.

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