s/o Biblioplan over TOG

[Guest aquiverfull]

For me its not the guide that I find expensive with TOG. For me, as a person without access to a library, it's the books that are more expensive.

 

:iagree:

[Guest aquiverfull]

I have read of many that use a spine like SOTW or MOH when they don't have access to a good library. There are also cheaper ways than Amazon to get the books. Many people use www.paperbackswap.com and other similar resources. They buy all of the books for the first unit. They keep the ones they love and then sell the others so that they can afford the books for the next unit.

 

Tracy

 

So can someone really just use MOH with TOG? For the people who do it, what else do they add in? Can you really still get the benefits of TOG and do this?

[Tracy]

So can someone really just use MOH with TOG? For the people who do it, what else do they add in? Can you really still get the benefits of TOG and do this?

 

I haven't started TOG yet, but FWIW, I would speculate that you could do this more with the LG/UG levels. They do not have discussion questions, but the D/R levels have discussion questions that are tied to specific books. And I could see doing this with the LG/UG levels, because there are sooooo many books at that level. The D/R levels use fewer books for longer periods of time, making their purchase less prohibitive.

 

Clearly, there are people out there that do it, as I have run into a few. Whether you get the same benefits, I will leave to the pros.

 

Tracy

[Guest aquiverfull]

I haven't started TOG yet, but FWIW, I would speculate that you could do this more with the LG/UG levels. They do not have discussion questions, but the D/R levels have discussion questions that are tied to specific books. And I could see doing this with the LG/UG levels, because there are sooooo many books at that level. The D/R levels use fewer books for longer periods of time, making their purchase less prohibitive.

 

Clearly, there are people out there that do it, as I have run into a few. Whether you get the same benefits, I will leave to the pros.

 

Tracy

 

Thank you Tracy!

[lovinmomma]

So can someone really just use MOH with TOG? For the people who do it, what else do they add in? Can you really still get the benefits of TOG and do this?

 

I'd love to hear thoughts on this, PLEASE.

[TracyP]

I'd love to hear thoughts on this, PLEASE.

 

It seems there are a lot more who are looking at TOG than using TOG checking in here. Maybe you'd have better luck starting a new thread?

[shanvan]

So can someone really just use MOH with TOG? For the people who do it, what else do they add in? Can you really still get the benefits of TOG and do this?

 

 

I would say you could do this with LG, possibly UG (though I would not be comfortable doing so, but it depends on your children and what they are ready for at the UG stage), but not with Dialectic or Rhetoric levels. MOH 1 does not have enough information for the higher levels. I can't speak to SOTW having never used it. My dialectic level DS is using Streams of Civilization as a sort of spine. It is an alternate resource. We are also using Story of the Greeks and Story of the Romans as in depth reading (also alternates).

 

It was not expensive for me to purchase these 3 titles as they are readily available used. We are also able to use quite a few library books which helps keep costs down. I look ahead to see what books I might want to use and space out my purchases so I never have to spend a lot at one time.

 

Shannon

[momee]

Not to be disrespectful but Susan's book and TOG are very different and I think Cadam saying if a mom wanted to self educate made a good point. You could do an excellent job at self education using her book.

 

I do however think there is an awful lot more of the WHY's and the spiritual implications of historical events and literature in TOG. A whollllleeee lot more. Philosophy, liteature analysis and worldview of those literary works, fine arts, geography, thinking questions, etc are included. Moms wouldn't get the spiritual stuff with Susan's.

[Guest]

I won't be getting TOG anytime soon myself, but I thought this review was interesting and that some of you other ladies might want to read it. I was actually googling Well Trained Mind 4-year cycle and found this review of TOG. It definitely gives another side as you do Brenda.

 

http://homeschoolheartandmind.blogspot.com/2009/04/tapestry-of-grace.html

 

Thank you Jennifer for adding this review. It is very interesting and as someone else pointed out sounds very unbiased. These are the type of reviews that are a pleasure to read. One thing to point out however, it is a review since April of 2009 and the DE format had only been out about 4 months. Many things have changed and improved since and buying DE we get the option of enjoying all updates as they occur.

 

We have purchased three Year Plans from TOG and all the Year 1 supplements (except Government which we do not need right now) and will be starting in the fall. I have no regrets for our purchases and we will put the materials to good use, but as mentioned several times on this thread TOG (just like very other curriculum) is not for everyone. It is good to see how many here in this thread and many others are considering and looking at TOG and asking questions to be sure of their decision before hitting the order button.

 

One thing I did want to point out. I believe it was someone in this thread that mentioned about TOG offering the opportunity to purchase a unit at a time, which is not offered by other curricula providers like WP and SL. Now, I cannot speak for WP because I have never used them but speaking for SL which we have been using up to now, while they do not offer something like this they do offer their 18-week Love to Learn money back guarantee which means that you can use the materials for 18 weeks (you do need to keep the books in pristine condition of course but you can fully use and mark up the IG if you want for those 18 weeks) and then return them for a full refund if it does not fit your family. I am not trying to compare companies here. Just trying to say that each company chooses their own way of marketing their curricula and then it all depends on what works for each of us and our families.

 

Good luck to everyone with your curriculum choices.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Guest