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I just received a nice letter from Mike Edwards, President and CEO of Borders, explaining what is happening with the corporation reorganization. For a link to the information he shared in his letter, you can go here to the Borders Group, Inc. website. It's pretty sad to see so many companies struggling and/or folding in during these tough times. Blessings, Lucinda

My 11yo dd in 6th grade has used TT for the past two school years, and she is doing very well. I had her tested at the end of last school year and she was in the 99th percentile after completing just one year. She is currently on TT7 and we are supplementing with LOF once per week. I plan to continue with TT through to the end because it is a great fit for her and for me as her teacher. Next year we will be using Pre-Algebra for 7th grade, supplementing with LOF Pre-Algebra I. Blessings, Lucinda

Thank you, Dina! You are right about this. Let's remind each other of that fact when we need to. Deal? Blessings, Lucinda

Ah, yes...I DO know what you mean and appreciate it a great deal. Your words already bring me a great deal of comfort. Not only do I want to help my dd learn to be a good writer, I also want to learn more about being a good writing teacher. Connecting with others here in the Hive should be a great resource for both I think. I recently listened to an audio of a writing workshop given by Marcia Somerville, the writer of TOG curriculum. It was so helpful, and what she shared in part corresponds beautifully with what you have said here about our children's writing. Many of us are trying to teach our dc to write somewhat "accidentally" because we did not get the best training ourselves in school and we did not expect to become writing teachers. According to MC, this is why writing is so challenging for many hs parents. She goes on to share that even for those that feel they are lagging behind, there is hope. We all need to remember that writing is a process, and that we CAN help our children move up to where they should be and beyond. Thank you again for the assurance! I will stay connected, and will also post some of dd's writing soon - as well as get her going on her typing lessons. (BTW, I am a very hands on person that feels handwriting at this stage is still very important.) Blessings, Lucinda

Am I correct in assuming that the online store will continue? Blessings, Lucinda

How funny! I use the circle/arrow method too!!! And I do love my WPD book. I'd be lost without it. As to the English section issue that you mentioned, I just abbreviate some of the categories and take up less space because these are fairly short daily things that just need to be checked off. I save the lion's share of the space for writing and grammar assignments. Blessings, Lucinda

I am a bit reluctant as I join up with this thread and group, but feel maybe I should...Although 11yo dd is becoming a stronger writer, I have not yet introduced typing to her school papers. We are still working on writing everything out by hand, improving handwriting skills along with grammar and composition. So one question I have for you all is this: Did you type the samples for your dc or did they? My plan has been to hold off dd's typing of school papers until 7th/8th grade level. I am going to try once again to get her to do a typing course over the summer. Dd types a lot online, but hasn't been interested in learning to type correctly despite many efforts to get her to go through a whole course such as Dance Mat. She is actually a fast typist doing it "her way" and she can be a very strong willed child. I know that I'm going to have to break her of her typing habits at some point, and don't look forward to that day! Another reason for my reluctance is that in some ways we are lagging a bit (i.e. We are using R&S 5th grade English this year instead of 6th grade level, and I am just now beefing up her composition lessons during the second semester of 6th grade.) Dd is bright, capable and eager to learn -- a voracious reader and a very expressive person, so I have no worries about her abilities. As I write this post, I am beginning to realize that perhaps I feel a bit intimidated by some of you who have been placing a stronger emphasis on writing at younger age levels. I, myself, am a strong writer. Up until now I've just struggled with being a strong writing teacher. By profession I am an artist and art teacher, and I have a great love for literature and history. These are where my greatest strengths as a teacher lie, but I can see how I could also be a good writing teacher. Maybe I need to write about this in my blog. :001_huh: There are so many things I could share related to these things, but for now I'll get back to the point. We are TOG users, and I am finally delving more into the writing side of the curriculum. I am learning how to use Writing Aids to its full potential after only dabbling in it for the past 1.5 years. I like the program and plan to continue using it, as I'm convinced that this combined with R&S English should provide more than adequate writing instruction for dd's education. If anyone has suggestions or encouragement for me as I timidly approach this group, then I'm listening and ready to go forward. It seems that maybe the Lord is giving me a gentle nudge in this direction. Blessings, Lucinda

I have been using The Well Planned Day for the past couple of years and plan to stay with it because it works beautifully for what we need. I prefer just having a book to write in myself, and the layout of this planner is perfect. Also, this year I have ordered a student planner for dd for the first time rather than make one myself for her. We just ordered both for 30% off from a recent sale through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op and can't wait to see them! Blessings, Lucinda

:iagree: I have raised three kids to adulthood and 11 yo dd is my fourth and last. I have to say that from my own experience that Mejane's point is solid. You don't find their "thing" or even really help them purposely find their "thing". Their "thing" will slowly emerge and become recognizable to you. It will hold their attention longer than other activities/persuits. They'll talk about it a lot, draw pictures and write stories about it...beg you for it, pay their own money for it, etc. It may come along during adolescence, in fact, most likely will come at about that time. Trust me, you will know. There will be no doubt. Blessings, Lucinda

Seems so in the beginning, but once you get the hang of it it's actually very clear. Maybe you've heard of the TOG "fog" before....well, it's like learning anything new. At some point the fog lifts and you suddenly "GET IT"! My fog didn't last very long at all, it just seemed to come together and work for us within a week or two. I just bought the books and we dove in! Blessings, Lucinda

This is our second year of using TOG and like I've stated in other threads, it has been life changing for both dd and I. Before this, we used an eclectic mix of curriculum pulled around the model of TWTM plus the curriculum choices and sequence used by the Classical Christian school where I teach part-time. We did this for two years and it was all right, but I knew it could be better. I looked and looked at SL, had an online account there and kept filling my shopping cart up with proposed materials. While I appreciated the Christian focus, especially the inclusion of missions throughout the study of the world, it wasn't enough though. I ended up abandoning my cart on several occasions. I just couldn't do it, mainly because I felt that it was more disjointed than I wanted our schooling to be. My own ps education hopped around from point to point, and that was what I didn't want for my dd. I saw TOG as a way to teach my dd classically very much as it is laid out in TWTM. I saw that a person can combine the two beautifully! I especially liked the idea of history flowing along smoothly, laying the foundation for all of our projects and goals, week by week, month by month and throughout the school year and TOG follow the classical model more closely in teaching history chronologically. I wanted to tie subjects together for my dd in a way that unit studies do. And I wanted hands on projects because I have a busy little girl. TOG could do all of that for us, and more. Another pull was the choice of many of the classics in literature TOG uses. Perhaps I didn't look close enough, but I didn't notice titles of books that we'd consider to be classics whenever I looked at SL. I also noticed that TOG pulled art history in to the studies in a way that SL doesn't. As an art teacher, I realize the importance of this in connection to the study of history. Marcia Sommerville has included a wonderful selection the arts (visual arts, literature, music, etc.) into TOG. I appreciate this so much. And it isn't segmented off as a lone study, it's all tied to HISTORY and the period that is being studied. We are not a large family, but I see the value in using TOG for families with multiple children. That would have been a huge draw to me if I were a mom in that situation. SL does not offer that. I'm sure I could come up with some other points, but for me, these were the deal breakers. I've already invested quite a bit in TOG, and have felt it has been worth every penny, every hour and every effort. Blessings, Lucinda

This is the same as what I had said too. Dd and I always cover all of the Core and In-Depth books, and nearly always add SOTW and read alouds. As dd is in her first year of D, sometimes we stretch it over two weeks just to cover it all at a reasonable pace. She loves it! Blessings, Lucinda

I agree with Siloam, and I use Redesigned. :iagree: One thing I have also noticed is that TOG lays a foundation in Unit 1 of every year plan that is built upon during that particular year. This can be as simple as setting up notebooks at the beginning of the year, but it also carries over to the writing assignments and like Siloam suggested, there is even a progression in the reading levels. I always suggest to people exploring TOG to be sure to start at the beginning of whatever year plan you start with for this reason. Choose the year you want to study, but start with Unit 1 and you will appreciate the difference if you are a brand new TOG user trying to understand how it all works. Blessings, Lucinda

I believe that the Core books are the history books that carry the main points of learning for the week. I believe this refers to the assumption that the units are all built around the subject of history, thus they are the CORE of what is to be taught. Then there are the In-Depth History books that add more meat to what is being taught. Some of the Core books are used for multiple weeks and even multiple units (i.e. Usborne World Religions for YR-2). It is recommended that a family purchase these first because of the fact that they are used longer than the others, making them more necessary over time. It is not because they are the Core books, although they are very important. One example would be the Famous Men books. They are listed as In-Depth for read alouds and are used over several weeks - but they are not Core books. KWIM? Make sense? SOTW is always listed as an Alternate Core book for UG, although many families use SOTW for D level as well because of its narrative style that adds another very interesting dimension to learning. I hope this helps. Blessings, Lucinda

Now THAT would be a good thing to know. Be sure to keep us posted when you find out!! Thanks so much -- :bigear: Blessings, Lucinda

This is exactly what I have been thinking lately. If I buy the DE and make my own binder, I'll have the best of both worlds! Blessings, Lucinda

Here you go: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WTM_TOG/ Yeah, you are right... Not very active, much to my disappointment. I've tried my best to encourage people to come over and talk, but not much response. We seem to kinda go in spurts. I'm also subscribed to Simply TOG and it is slightly more active. Blessings, Lucinda

No, you don't have to photocopy anything. It's all on disk to be printed out. I've been using the hardcopy print since starting TOG because I love to have a book in my hands. I am a very tactile person that needs to turn pages, use sticky notes, etc. I'm not crazy about reading from a computer screen all the time. So that is one issue. The hardcopy only versions come with a Loom disk (NOTE: Beware to NEVER buy a used hardcopy version that does not include the Loom disk!) Anyway, from the Loom you are able to print off your own SAP's (Student Activity Pages) and various other resources that are on the disk. Now you can also buy bundles of the SAP's if you want to, and that may be worth the money for you. You can also buy lapbook kits that are already printed, or you can buy the disk and print your own. Same with Map Aids. Now that I've been doing this for awhile (This is our second year...), I have had a dramatic realization and change of heart about the DE. In using used editions of the hardcopy versions, I've run across the fact that you don't have updates. So for this reason, I think I'm going to purchase DE for our next round. Another consideration is the bulk. I am teaching one child and my binder is full of info for every level. If I had DE I could customize my teacher's binder to only the pages that are relevant to what I need. Make sense? This may not answer all your questions, but maybe it helps. I hope. :D Blessings, Lucinda

Agreed! That would do the same for me if I were in your shoes. Now as to buying a used hard copy edition or the newer DE... here's something I shared recently on the WTM_TOG Yahoo group: I've touted (sometimes quite loudly) being a tactile person that needs a hard copy binder to touch, feel, turn the pages of, leave sticky notes on, etc., etc. Well I've more recently begun to look at this differently since considering the issue of Loom updates, having more information than necessary at my fingertips at a time (especially with only one student to teach), and now I've encountered the issue of having an older printed version with out-of-date SAP pages. No wonder dd couldn't understand the lit pages I'd printed off for her -- it was for a book with the same title, but by a different author!!! This is what can happen if you don't stay on top of it religiously when you buy older, used hard copy versions of TOG. Not saying it won't work, but you must be diligent or you may end up with a red face in front of those dc, with everyone feeling a bit confused....Wow! I never thought I'd be saying this in a million years. So there's yet another thing for you to consider. Not as big of a deal as the other issues, but still an issue that may come up. Blessings, Lucinda

Chris, I can't fully answer this since I've never seen or touched the Classic, but I have read on one of the Yahoo group sites that the older version has a heavier load of reading and fewer discussions. Another concern expressed was that the books were harder to find, probably because it's older (2003) and the books maybe are becoming scarcer. Not sure... You may want to check with Siloam. She's a Classic user and might know the major differences. Blessings, Lucinda

I was convinced by a salesman at Fry's Electronics to buy a Lexmark Impact 305s, and have come to the conclusion that I hate it. Worse electronic purchase I've ever made!! Sucks up ink like there is no tomorrow and there are no quality control settings on printing -- which I hate the most! Stay away from this one whatever you do. Blessings, Lucinda

Hi there, and welcome to the Hive! This is a great place for support and learning and I'm glad you found it. You may want to cross-post over on the General Board since this is the K-8 Curriculum Board and most people use it to talk about that subject. Anyhoo - again, welcome! Blessings, Lucinda

Dd just said, "I wish I could see you do THAT!!!!" Sheeeee!

You just made dd and I laugh so hard we are crying! Still. Oh, here we go again....!!!! Lucinda