TOG Users, can I get your opinion

[johnandtinagilbert]

Which do you think would be best?

 

a) read more, answer many questions fairly.

 

 

b) read less, answer fewer questions with more depth.

 

 

c) read more, answer a few questions with depth.

 

I feel like we're doing too much (for 2 of my dc, the other is doing fine), but I can't decided where to cut. I find the books wonderful, but also find being able to understand the ??? and discuss them well vital. I know I need to let up a little, but am also struggling with getting through an entire rotation before the eldest begins dual enrollment....can you tell I'm ripping my hair out!?!?

 

Thoughts, please. I need some encouragement.

Edited November 12, 2009 by johnandtinagilbert

[Blueridge]

Hi Tina. I voted read less, answer less questions in more depth. This is probably the lazy gal's way of doing things ;) but this is what we do. We read only the history core assignments, and dropped the history in-depth readings unless they looked amazing. We discuss a few questions as we go along with the reading, but in a more relaxed CM way through narration a few times a week. We read all literature assignments, but do not do any analyzing or lit worksheets for the youngers and just let them enjoy the stories. My 16dd and I have discussion time each Friday for her TOG literature. We do not do vocabulary or geography in TOG (I use the SCM way which is way easier) for me. We do an occasional craft. That's all. My older also reads literature from TWTM lists. Does that help?

 

ETA. My older spent 2 years in ancients because of her brilliant mother's messed-up plan, so she needed to complete 3 years of history in 2. She is reading 2 weeks worth of TOG history core and literature (rhetoric) weekly, and loving it, so it can be done. She should complete year 2 by Christmas and start year 3 in the new year.

Edited November 12, 2009 by Blueridge
clarification

[siloam]

Well here the answer is none of the above. My answer would be just take longer, do all the reading all and all the questions in depth.

 

Now you see why we are on the 6th year of our first history cycle. :D

 

Heather

[happygrrl]

I like more of an LCC bent, so I am all about reading less but doing it in depth. I like to choose a few good books and questions, the rest of the books listed go into a book basket for personal reading (i.e. no formal discussion about them).

[HSMom2One]

Well here the answer is none of the above. My answer would be just take longer, do all the reading all and all the questions in depth.

 

Now you see why we are on the 6th year of our first history cycle. :D

 

Heather

 

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

 

I couldn't have said it better myself. It is all so rich that I'd rather take longer to do it than to miss anything. We are in our first TOG year and are studying the Ancients. So far, we are keeping up a good pace, but when we need to, we take two weeks for a TOG "week" so we can catch up. This will not hold your children back at grade level either. It will rather give them a better understanding of the periods of history they are studying, which in the big picture will make them miles ahead of grade level.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[johnandtinagilbert]

Well here the answer is none of the above. My answer would be just take longer, do all the reading all and all the questions in depth.

 

Now you see why we are on the 6th year of our first history cycle. :D

 

Heather

Yeah! BTDT! We spent 5 years of school from Creation to the fall of Rome! I working to get the oldest through the entire cycle one full time before college! Poor thing. It seems unfair to be the first born, and thus guinea pig for my methods! He sure is a master of ancient history and the old testament!

 

I hate feeling like I need to step back on electives all the time so we can just get the basics done. I WANT art, music, art history in depth too. I'm so dang greedy :tongue_smilie:

[Rhonda in TX]

I would choose to read all the books, but answer fewer questions. In fact, we're going to the Dialectic level after Christmas and this is what we're going to do. I'm going to give them all the questions, but let them choose 2-3 to answer. Since they probably won't choose the same questions, we should get to talk about more that way. If I find they do well with 2-3 questions, I may increase it.

[Renaissance Mom]

My answer would be just take longer, do all the reading all and all the questions in depth.

 

 

 

:iagree:Another vote for this answer. Building the skill required to read in depth, identify the main points and then process what you read is so vital! If you cut the reading, you limit the amount of material from which they can make connections. If you limit the depth of the questions, you set a "shallow" standard.

 

Another idea is to cut out whole topics but continue to read deeply and think about the others in depth. Because of various circumstances here, we did that a few years ago with year 4. I had to compress it significantly. Rather than going a mile wide and an inch deep, I was very selective in the topics we did. I cut out whole weeks here and there and focused other weeks only on the topics or threads that I felt were most important. For the topics and weeks we did do, we did every bit of relevant reading, questions, associated geography, writing, etc. But my hacking out secondary topics, we could manage it. But, I also knew we'd be going through the entire cycle at least once more.

[dsmith]

This is our first year with TOG and we are doing UG with my ds. We are doing all of the reading and also using SOTW. I feel that my son is answering questions at an appropriate level for UG. As we move up levels I expect him to get into topics at a deeper level. I don't anticipate cutting back on reading, skipping questions, etc. but I guess we will see how it goes. When we reach rhetoric level, hopefully he will be able to handle the workload, and I think the idea of TOG is to gradually draw your student deeper and deeper. By working through the levels, my hope is that when we do reach rhetoric, he will be fully prepared to handle the level of work required. After that I think he will be well prepared for college.

[johnandtinagilbert]

I've come to a great realization this week. It's really been creeping up since summer. Individualized education. Yes, we preach it. Yes, we love home schooling for it. No, I haven't been using enough of it. The bottom line is, I signed up for this and I had better deliver. I have three dc in D this year. Each of them is honestly in a different place in the learning process. I simply need to spend the time assigning them differently and working on each of their weak points.

 

To do this, I need to slow down the pace of TOG a little bit (I really have 2.5 years to complete TOG3&4); cut back on reading until we are certain on How to make the connections; add to the reading of the Hungry Bard (he's asking for Rhetoric, while his ds is begging for UG); drop music for the time being; and work a bit more on writing with 2 of the 3, as I think part of our problem is articulation.

 

The sad truth, only sad for me though, is I need to stop watching Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and Fringe, spend less time on Facebook and TWTM Forum, and dig in deeper. I really want to whine a bit about this, but I know it's the key to control my spinning mind. I am overall happier with I read TOG before bed b/c I sleep more and am better prepared.

 

I appreciate you all talking through this with me. It took me a minute to get to: I need to do a little bit of several things. Spending more time with those I wish were much more independent is crucial, as well as, correcting a few spots to make sure they can work independently.

 

They need more skills :) I need about 4 extra years before they begin college :)

 

Thanks again, all.

[Melissa in CA]

This year I have my son reading all of the priority reading, but am picking through what *I* feel are the most important questions. Sometimes I make up questions of my own from the pop quiz CDs. Needless to say, I am not making history such the HUGE priority I have in the past, and this is actually working out well for us.