3Rivers Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I'm trying to pull stuff together, feeling completely insane as I keep going around and around our options. Planning makes me CRAZY sometimes! Okay. :chillpill: Does TOG use a spine for history? I *think* if I can just answer that one I might just order TOG quick! Before I change my mind again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisharog Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I am so new to TOG that I have no business answering . For year 2 unit 3 and 4 which is what we will be doing our spine is This Country of Ours and Our Island story. That is for Dialectic. So the answer is yes in my case but I cant answer for all HTH Trisha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renaissance Mom Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Hi! TOG doesn't always use a spine resource for every level or for every unit. For example, year 1 UG makes very frequent use of the Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World so it would qualify as a spine. But LG uses a wide variety of books. The D level has a spine book for unit 3 and another for unit 4 but selection of books used from 1-3 weeks each for the other units. (I've used TOG for years 3, 4, and 1 and have had very good results with borrowing history books or alternates from the library.) However, there are alternates suggested that you substitute as a spine. SOTW is almost always listed as an alternate so it could easily be used as a spine. There are also alternate readings listed for Stream of Civ and/or from a BJU history text. So, the answer to your question is -- both yes and no. Peace, Monica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Many people with children the age of your children use SOTW which is listed as a spine/textbook on the alternate readings page of Redesign only. If you choose Classic TOG there are web sites with the schedule or you could use Streams, Picturesque Tale of Progress, or whatever else is scheduled, I forget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Yes, but maybe not in the traditional sense. It is, in our experience, more that there are a handful of books at each level that provide the core information and then the other books go into more detail on a given topic. Also, even if you have a "spine" you might not read it from page 1 to page 100. They divide up the chapters and sections as they relate to the topics being covered by TOG that week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I'm trying to pull stuff together, feeling completely insane as I keep going around and around our options. Planning makes me CRAZY sometimes! Okay. :chillpill: Does TOG use a spine for history? I *think* if I can just answer that one I might just order TOG quick! Before I change my mind again. Jamie, Generally they do use some sort of spine, but not always. Some weeks the topic will not be found in the spine so they use a separate book. My guess is that because the biggest focus is on R level work, you would find less of those problems at the R level, then as you move down you would probably find more individual texts used at the LG level as the spines you might buy for that level are so light. For example in year 4 the R level is covering a lot of wars, while the LG level generally will focus on the culture of that time and maybe a little bit about the war. An encyclopedia spine might have the information you need to cover the war topic, but for the culture aspect you will probably just buy a separate text on China, Russia, Pakistan, or whatever culture is being covered. Make sense? If post what year and levels you are looking at specifically people could probably give you more detailed information. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Rivers Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 Thanks for all the replies so far! I'm not sure which I would buy yet. So am I right in saying that in TOG, the guide IS the spine? I can see how that could work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Thanks for all the replies so far! I'm not sure which I would buy yet. So am I right in saying that in TOG, the guide IS the spine? I can see how that could work. Jamie, Yes that is correct. TOG gives you the weekly topics and all the books, mapping, activities, discussion and lit to wrap around that topic. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Rivers Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 Okay then. I think...after many weeks of obsessing.....I am ready....to surrender to the lordship of Tapestry of Grace.....and all my earthly goods, my obsessing, my tweaking, mulling and brooding.....to walk in the newness of organized life....so help me TOG. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCoffeeChick Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Okay then.I think...after many weeks of obsessing.....I am ready....to surrender to the lordship of Tapestry of Grace.....and all my earthly goods, my obsessing, my tweaking, mulling and brooding.....to walk in the newness of organized life....so help me TOG. :lol: :hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray: !!!!!!!CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 (edited) Okay then.I think...after many weeks of obsessing.....I am ready....to surrender to the lordship of Tapestry of Grace.....and all my earthly goods, my obsessing, my tweaking, mulling and brooding.....to walk in the newness of organized life....so help me TOG. :lol: :lol::lol: Just remember that when you get your TOG in-hand, we are here if you need any help through the much talked about TOG Fog. Some don't experience it (I didn't) but many do, so don't hesitate to ask if you're feeling lost in a TOG mist. ;):D Edited July 6, 2009 by Melissa in CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Rivers Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 *Gulp* Thanks. :) I downloaded the unit last night and skimmed it. I'm very impressed, and soooooo relieved to have one major resource to branch off from. I feel like for the first time in 4 years I can relax and know that my kids will get an excellent education, even if I never tweaked again! THAT is priceless. Ahhhhhhh *big sigh*. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Congratulations on a much more efficient decision than I made. :D I decided last January I was going to switch to TOG. Then no. Then yes. Then maybe. Then no. Then yes. Then I just finally bought Classic from someone to see it. All that to say I LOVE IT! It's just what my tweaking, eclectic, over-scheduled, insane, level combining, nutjob self needed. I'm in the planning stages now and I'm wiped out, but it's so what I've been looking for. I followed most of TWTM suggestions for a very long time, tweaking, adding, subtracting, but as we added more children I found it really hard to pour that much time and energy just into scheduling and planning. So I jumped to a "real" curriculum to try to cut out that time investment only to find I really WANTED a lit. heavy curriculum. I just didn't want to plan it. If this describes you, don't hesitate. Tapestry was JUST what I was looking for. I know that in my Classic version, Year 3, it uses a couple main books to give the main idea and then fills it in with more books to give a much more fine tuned picture. It's similar to the way you'd use the Kingfisher book in TWTM and then fill out subjects with real books, kwim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Rivers Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 I totally know what you mean! I've been waffling back and forth on TOG for the past year! So I finally just jumped in and bought it! LOL I *think* I'm going to love it. So far, it seems to be just what I was looking for. I don't know which I feel more: elated or relieved! The only thing I don't think I love about it is the writing. I'm working on that and looking at WWE and Classical Writing. I'm open to other Classical suggestions...and wondering what the Charlotte Mason crowd would say about the learning process of writing. (Anyone, feel free to jump in here!) :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Okay then.I think...after many weeks of obsessing.....I am ready....to surrender to the lordship of Tapestry of Grace.....and all my earthly goods, my obsessing, my tweaking, mulling and brooding.....to walk in the newness of organized life....so help me TOG. :lol: Amen :lol: The peace you will find in the beautiful organization ~ bliss. Really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 *Gulp*Thanks. :) I downloaded the unit last night and skimmed it. I'm very impressed, and soooooo relieved to have one major resource to branch off from. I feel like for the first time in 4 years I can relax and know that my kids will get an excellent education, even if I never tweaked again! THAT is priceless. Ahhhhhhh *big sigh*. :001_smile: Yes, but you know you will tweak. ;) Hope you love TOG as much as I do! Heather (compulsive tweaker) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Rivers Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 Ah, yes. You're probably right. It wouldn't be a school year without tweaking. LOL But I get the feeling that at least I will just have to either trim the tree or graft onto it rather than creating a whole new species of tree. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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