Tapestry of Grace- where have I been?

[mamato4girls]

Okay this past year, I heard of this maybe once or twice, but now I keep seeing ads on magazines, and hearing about it. Checked out the website and it looks neat, yet I am still confused.

Is it similar to Sonlight, MFW, etc?

How is the total cost if I buy the books, compared to SL or MFW?

 

I would be using it for my 3rd, 7th, and 9th grader, does it matter which unit we start with?

 

Thanks for helping this clueless Mama :)

Edited June 19, 2009 by mamato4girls

[TracyR]

Tapestry of Grace is similar to Sonlight but meatier. Sonlight focuses on literature and Tapestry of Grace focuses more on history.

From comparing each of them this is what I am gathering from it..

Sonlight is an open and go curriculum. Everything is done for you.

Sonlight isn't as multiaged family friendly. You may have to purchase several cores if you have children in grades that maybe spaced apart more then three years.

Sonlight doesn't give you ideas for additional activities . This is great for those who are crafty and don't need for someone to give them ideas. Not so great if want someone to give you a list of hands on activities to do after finishing reading the book.

I'm not sure since the last I used Sonlight (which was about 6yrs ago) there are instructor notes in the IG but sometimes they seem so long and windy that you tend to glaze over from them. I never used them. Also there weren't any questions and answers in the manuals. The creators assume you can come up with the questions all on your own. Which for younger grades that's great but not for the older children when you want literary analysis.

Sonlight includes readers for the children and read alouds for the parents to read. I enjoy reading to my daughters a lot.

I have used Sonlight and we've enjoyed the books from their curriculum. I still drool when I get the catalog

 

With TOG its less open and go. There is preparation for lessons that you would need to do before hand.

TOG is set up for the children to be more independent. They are expected to read the book then sometime in the week you discuss it. I'm sure you can modify that though if need be.

I do like the fact that TOG includes extra notes for the parent so you can teach the lessons intelligently. I also like the fact they have the questions and answers so you can answer their questions and not say" Hold on I'm not sure."

TOG is meant for multiple kids. You can use each year for all of your students. No need to buy seperate Cores like Sonlight.

More hands on activities. You have a smorgas board of choices. Sometimes this can be a good thing if you can pick and chose and sometimes it can be a curse if you're one of those types that feel they need to do everything!

I like the fact they have only 4 years with TOG, with Sonlight you need to purchase a Core every year.

I like the fact that TOG includes the Humanities in its curriculum(history, church history,literature, fine arts, government, philosophy and the fact they tie the writing and composition in with what is being taught at each level.)

 

Well those are some of the pros and cons of both curriculums. Its just a matter of what you want and what you prefer. Hope that helps.

[mamato4girls]

Anyone else, I am really curious about the total cost of everything.

[johnandtinagilbert]

I know they use some of the same books. You can often find their books for sale from previous users. I use TOG (3rd year using upcoming) and I use the library. I only buy a few spines, and most of the literature, history supplement, and activity books are available through my library.

 

Otherwise, I suggest you go to The Lampstand Press, a bookstore that is somewhat of a branch off from TOG.

 

The key difference in the two is hands on. I pointed a friend toward SL and TOG and she bought SL. There was just way, way too much sit down time for her. Her family needed hands on activity. For me, the hands on and the amazing teacher notes and answers distinguish the two programs. That and the fact that I'll use the same 4 years of TOG for all 5 for every cycle of school, as opposed to buying a bunch of cores.

 

I don't find the planning to be any greater than SOTW or MOH, except for the fact that I am inclined to really study the teacher notes so I can provide a rich lecture on the topic.

 

Check out The Lampstand Press to get those book prices.

 

HTH,

[mamato4girls]

Thank you!!

[Melissa in CA]

I think that the upfront cost of TOG may be greater than SL. A TOG year plan is around $200 depending on what add-ons you buy. Then there are books for each 'level.' Your 7th and 9th graders could possibly both use the Dialectic level and share books, your 3rd grader would either fit in at the upper grammar or Lower Grammar depending on ability (offhand, I don't recall the ages in the LG and UG levels). Of course, buying two SL Cores can be rather pricey too. It's really something you have to investigate for yourself.

 

I used SL for many years, two cores at a time. Our Homeschool bill was high. I switched to TOG this past year and fell in love. I like it SO much better than SL. The approaches are quite different. With SL, you are expected to spend a lot of daily time with your dc reading a read-aloud, as well as their history to/with them. You cannot have adequate discussions with SL if you are not reading their history books with them....this parent involvement is expected all the up through Core 400, except that in Core 400 you are ALSO expected to read their literature as well if you want to teach them about American Lit. This may have changed in recent years, but that was my experience 3 years ago.

 

TOG is much more independent. When your child is reading and can read his history books himself (this, of course, varies from child to child, but usually around UG level) he is encouraged to begin reading his work independently of you. TOG children are taught to schedule out their work on a week by week basis, do what is required of them, and then meet with mom 1x a week for history discussion. TOG also provides Literature worksheets for them to do alongside their lit book for the week, and history questions that you can assign to be completed before your discussion day. TOG also schedules in an Activity book so if your dc are crafty they have something they can make to go along with their history that week. It would be up to you to supply the materials though. I also enjoy TOG's history books far and away more than we did SL's! They are interesting and very visual. TOG uses a lot of books though. A lot. So the price can get high if you are wanting to purchase each and every book. I use the library. If a book is used for 3 weeks or less, and the library has it, I will get it from the library. If it is a multi-year or multi-unit book, a book my library does not have, or a book used for 4+ weeks, I will usually purchase it. (used, on sale, from paperbackswap, etc.)

 

So, all that to say...

SL is far more open and go. You buy your Core, open your T. Guide and go. SL may also be cheaper at first.

 

TOG has more planning involved. You get a weekly schedule that your dc separate into daily chunks, and you have to buy your books separately from your year plan, etc. But TOG is so much more than SL. You may be paying more, but you are also getting more.

[mamato4girls]

Thank you Melissa, that was VERY helpful!

[PollyOR]

This is a great thread if you want to compare Tapestry of Grace and Sonlight.

 

I am going to use TOG this year, and yes, for me it has been quite a chunk of change. That's because I bought many of the supplements and books for the rhetoric level (relying heavily on the library for the lower levels). I am using TOG mainly for my high school age dd, and I wanted to make sure that we had the books when we needed them. Since my younger girls will be along for the ride, I feel it's okay to substitute books if the library doesn't have the exact title listed in the TOG reading assignment.

 

This blogger compares TOG and Sonlight and also TOG and MFW.

 

Good luck with your decision. :)

[Kristen in NC]

Those are my blog comparisons :) Be sure and read the comments too, because people raised some good points.

[irizarry4]

This is a great thread if you want to compare Tapestry of Grace and Sonlight.

 

I am going to use TOG this year, and yes, for me it has been quite a chunk of change. That's because I bought many of the supplements and books for the rhetoric level (relying heavily on the library for the lower levels). I am using TOG mainly for my high school age dd, and I wanted to make sure that we had the books when we needed them. Since my younger girls will be along for the ride, I feel it's okay to substitute books if the library doesn't have the exact title listed in the TOG reading assignment.

 

This blogger compares TOG and Sonlight and also TOG and MFW.

 

Good luck with your decision. :)

 

:iagree: Which I think is exactly the way to go, because you are building a foundation during Grammar and Logic(Dialectic), but once the dc hit Rhetoric, you want them to have all the can so they can really blossom. In the end, your youngers will end up using the same books you just bought for your Rhetoric and the cost to you is really a third.

[redheadeddaughter]

resdesigned and my best friend LOVES Sonlight. Although I am a die hard TOG fan, there are some wonderful benefits that come with SONLIGHT. Primarily, for me, they are all related to scheduling. Sonlight plans everything! TOG requires the teacher and/or the student to do nearly ALL the day to day planning. I believe it is part of their philosophy that the student should in some way take responsibility for their work, and also b/c TOG can be used for so many different grades/stages, it would be difficult to provide daily lesson plans for every family. Still, it's a big drawback for me and I found myself spending way too much time trying to put together lesson plans every week into HST for my records. I also think that Sonlight might work better in the younger elementary grades, whereas TOG has so much meat and so many great discussion points for the teacher, that I think for middle school and high school it is unmatched. I still wish they provided daily lesson plans though.

[siloam]

Vicki,

 

SL is all planned out for you, think fully furnished apartment. Just move in and enjoy!

 

TOG is much more a framed in house. The builder then hands you a catalog of choices: paint color, tile, cabinets, carpet, siding, roofing....whew! That can be a lot of choices to make. TOG gives you a lot more pieces to work with but you have to make choices, you can not do it all.

 

The other big difference is the schedule in TOG is weekly vs. daily, though I break it down into daily pieces like SL. :D

 

Generally I tell SL users that if you can use SL as an open and go program without compulsively modifying it, then you probably wouldn't be happy with TOG. It will just overwhelm you. If like me you tweak anything you use...well you are already putting the time in that is required to make TOG work. TOG just has more options, which for someone like me is like having more presents under the tree at Christmas, how can that be bad? ;) For some people more is not better, it is just more time needed to manage it, make choices, ect....

 

Heather

 

[Melissa in CA]

 

Generally I tell SL users that if you can use SL as an open and go program without compulsively modifying it, then you probably wouldn't be happy with TOG. It will just overwhelm you. If like me you tweak anything you use...well you are already putting the time in that is required to make TOG work. TOG just has more options, which for someone like me is like having more presents under the tree at Christmas, how can that be bad? ;) For some people more is not better, it is just more time needed to manage it, make choices, ect....

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Yes, this was me! I enjoyed SL while using it, but I tweaked, tweaked, tweaked. To me it was one big daily chore (oops, I mean schedule! ;)) and many times I didn't like what was scheduled! It got to where I was mainly using SL's schedule as a starting off point for my own home-made schedule where I tweaked what books to read and when, etc. Basically, I did not like how SL scheduled things. :D Oh, the first couple of years I loved it...open and go (yadda, yadda, yadda)...and then as I got into the high school Cores, I just didn't. :001_huh: I wanted my boys to be more independent in hs, and THEY wanted to be more independent. I wanted to have great history discussion with them without doing the work with them, and THEY wanted the same. I wanted some worksheets, quizzes, SOMETHING in which to gather hs grades, but SL is not geared toward those more traditional school goals. I knew after using Cores 100, 300 and 400, that I did not want to use SL with my youngest. I wanted something more. Something independent. Which is how/why I found TOG. I love TOG's classical focus, and that it is created for independent workers. I love the worksheets, questions, mapping (always hated SL's goofy mapping) and I love TOG's schedule. I have yet to feel the need to "tweak" it. It just works for me. ;) And my son has not complained even once! He does what he is supposed to do each and every week all without my harping...um, I mean, helping. :lol: It's a great fit for my and mine and frees up time for me to teach Latin, Math, Writing...

 

BUT, SL is good too! It truly is! It really, really depends on your personality and needs. For some TOG is just too much for them, they NEED the open and go do-this-TODAY-and-that-tomorrow schedule that SL provides. Other's like me, like to know what is to be done that week, but want the luxury of scheduling it out as we see fit... Oh, and I shouldn't fail to mention TOG philosophy and worldview focus. Their classical composers and art focus. Their fantastic writing assignments. Etc. etc. etc. :D