Trisms vs. Tog?

[Tenaj]

I'm a TOG drop-out of a few years ago but am finding myself intrigued by Trisms for next year. We're currently using Sonlight but I have several cores going, not using their writing assignments and while I feel like my kidlets are learning, I feel like we are doing a lot of reading without much discussion/narration/research, etc. going on (the meat of classical education!)

 

I'm thinking of maybe using Biblioplan for my youngers (up to sixth or seventh grade) then using History Makers than Trisms for eighth grade and high school. That way we would all be basically in the same time period again (except for the one kid at a time in History Makers)

 

From looking at Trisms website it seems that Trisms might be more specific than the classic TOG which was the problem for me. I like the idea of research and the making of a coursebook.

 

Is there anyone who didn't like TOG and went with Trisms and likes it?

 

Any feedback/advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

Janet

[ereks mom]

Is there anyone who didn't like TOG and went with Trisms and likes it?

 

I'm just the opposite -- a TRISMS user considering a switch to TOG. We used TRISMS high school levels for 3 years -- but the new 4th level is WAY expensive, so I just made up my own TRISMS-style program for modern history (1800-present). My ds will graduate this year, and I'm considering switching to TOG for my dd, who will be in 8th grade next year.

 

I do hope you get some response to your question. I'm interesting in hearing how TRISMS compares to TOG.

[Tenaj]

Hey - I have an idea - I'll trade you my TOG for your Trisms (LOL - just kidding, my TOG is the old classic and is all marked up and a general mess!)

 

Here's the question I need to ask: Why are considering switching to TOG and leaving Trisms behind? Is it the cost of the fourth year or something else?

 

Just curious.

Janet

[Sylvia in CA]

I'm curious also about your desire to switch. I was considering TOG for two levels, Logic and Rhetoric, but by the time I added in all the multi-unit essential resources and multi year essentials to the manual, it came out to a big chunk of money. What attracted me to TRISMS is that I have so many resources around the house already (they're just not the ones that TOG uses), that it would be a less expensive route. But I don't know. Maybe I'm looking at it all wrong. I would only use TOG for one go-around, so it's not even that it would be worth it in the long run.

 

Thanks for letting me jump in here.

Sylvia

[ereks mom]

Why are considering switching to TOG and leaving Trisms behind? Is it the cost of the fourth year or something else?

 

I really love TRISMS because I think that the approach is great: study each civilization in-depth and move chronologically through the major (and some minor) ones. I especially love the research component.

 

I started using TRISMS way before the 4th year course was published (but it was already being written). I'm the type that likes to pick a program and stick with it for the duration, not jump from one publisher to another. I think continuity is important for the student. Then when the newest volume of TRISMS came out, I had severe sticker shock! I could NOT afford it and had no choice but to move to something else. I didn't want to move to a new format for ER's senior year, so I continued with "TRISMS-style" studies for the modern history period.

 

I find that *for me*, TRISMS is planning-intensive. I was thinking that TOG might be more "pick up and go"..

[Tenaj]

Thanks for your input - now I'm really going to have to rethink the whole thing because I was thinking that Trisms might be more "pick up and go" than TOG was. Granted I was using the classic TOG, the new redesign is very different from what I understand.

 

Janet

[momee]

This thread is interesting to me - we left TOG for Sonlight because I wanted pick up and go :)

 

Are you using the upper levels with SL? Although there is definitely not the meat in the teacher's information or answer keys in SL that TOG has in their teacher's notes - I still am finding plenty to discuss with my 9th grader.

 

Consider buying SWB's Well Educated Mind to help you with the literature discussions. She gives tons of info in that book, your library may even have it.

For history discussions - I"ve found the most fruitful discussions have come forth when I simply read the material and discuss his interpretation of those events.

 

I left TOG mainly because of the mom prep work required. I actually sat down last night to read through his literature assignments for the week and answer the questions that went with it when I remember SL has all the answers laid out in the answer key.

I was one happy slappy camper - my husband just laughed and wondered if I was loosing my mind! Freed me up to play a quick round of cards with the kids before bed.

 

THANK YOU SL!!!!!!!

[Tenaj]

I really, really like Sonlight - I'm using Core 100 with my ninth grader this year and have thoroughly enjoyed it - though I've not been able to keep up with the history reading like I should. Only slightly concerned that a lot of the questions seem a little superficial for the high school level - I've been using Teaching the Classics with the literature to add in literature analysis and it's been going well BUT I don't have time to keep up with the reading to have those great indepth discussions so he's been writing out the answers to the study guide questions which is fine but . . .

 

The main issue I'm trying to address is the number of different educational levels I find myself working with - this year I've got first grade, fifth grade, eighth grade and ninth grade going and I need to fold a kindergartner into that mess next year with two preschooler to boot :) I don't feel like I'm going to be able to keep going with Sonlight without a lot of tweaking so I'm consider Trisms for the olders and just using something more simple with the youngers (biblioplan or maybe just STOW) so that I can keep us all in the same history cycle and I just can't get past loving that four-year rotation outlined in WTM.

 

 

I agree Songlight is the tops in pick up and go - but for me - it's not quite as pick up and go as it could be - Even with clumping kids together I think the fewest number of Cores I could realistically use is three which is really, really, busy!

 

Janet

[ereks mom]

I think that one reason I don't find TRISMS to be a "pick up & go" program is that there are so many activities/assignments from which to choose. There is NO WAY we could do ALL of them, so I have to sift through them to figure out which ones I want to do.

 

Another reason is that sometimes we use the literature assignments in TRISMS, but other times I select alternative (or additional) titles. However, I find that TRISMS reading/resource lists are lacking, so I usually make selections from other reading lists (such as Beautiful Feet or TruthQuest). That means coming up with alternative/additional writing assignments as well. Also, we don't like IEW, so we use something else besides the IEW lessons in TRISMS for our writing component.

 

With all that tweaking, PLUS making sure we have the necessary books (ILL or purchase) and copies of map studies, worksheets, etc., I spend a LOT of time in planning.

 

I hear such great things about TOG, one being that it's all laid out for you, and that after the initial learning curve, it becomes easy. But maybe it's just a case of "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence"???

[Happy]

Thanks for your input - now I'm really going to have to rethink the whole thing because I was thinking that Trisms might be more "pick up and go" than TOG was. Granted I was using the classic TOG, the new redesign is very different from what I understand.

 

Janet

 

We are in our third year of using Trisms and I find it VERY pick up and go. Flexible, interesting, and fun. Our family loves it. One of the reasons I chose it was to develop independence in my son's study habits. I do not require every jot and tittle be done, we conference about what is necessary and what is optional a few times a month.

This year we wanted to study Shakespeare in depth and so abandoned Trism's lit in favor of Lightning Lit.

 

Like I said, we find it very easy to use and not at all teacher intensive. Perhaps in contrast to Konos HOW that we used with our oldest son. :rolleyes:

[Tenaj]

Thanks for your reply - the independence factor is a big one here, also.

 

Do you feel that Trisms literature is complete enough on it's own? Erek's Mom said she changed the literature choices - I was just wondering if you felt the a lack, or if the Shakespeare study was due to a special interest, not a lack in Trisms?

 

Thanks

Janet