? for those who have used TOG and switched to SL

[mom22722]

I am a current SL user. My older two DS have used cores K- 5. I was not that excited by core 5 but loved the books. My younger children have used P3/4- core1. I did 3 cores this year. I deleted some books from my younger kids realouds that made this possible.

I have looked at TOG thinking maybe it would be better to combine the kids into the same time period.

Maybe I am thinking the grass is greener on the other side and it is not. I also worry that maybe SL is too easy. Others on here seem to think so then I start to think maybe it is. I know my kids already know way more history then I did when I graduated from college. Maybe I was taught more but just didn't learn it.

Why did you all switch to SL and what regrets if any do you have in doing so?

[SewLittleTime]

I want to follow your thread. I am also a currrent SLer, but will be teaching 3 cores eventually. I am seriously looking at TOG for the very idea of combining them and b/c I like the way I could bump my ds up or down a level depending on the books there.

 

We have loved SL and my kids also know way more history than I did as a high school or college graduate. I know its working for them. I'm just now sure how I can do 3 cores. :confused:

[abrightmom]

:lurk5: :bigear:

[Cynful]

I was avoiding answering this question but since no one else has... :) I guess I'll try.

 

I'm one who has actually gone from Sonlight to TOG and back to Sonlight. Let me start by saying this is my opinion only and what works for the goals for my family.

 

TOG is a great curriculum; Sonlight is a great curriculum. Both are going to teach your children WAY more than you probably learned in high school and probably even college. I try to keep that in mind when I'm worried about our direction or if I'm behind or when I feel we aren't rigorous enough.

 

TOG, however, was just more than we needed. My top priorities are reading, writing and math. Probably science should come next, but my love is history. It's easy with both of the curriculums to get lost in history, but for us, the whole day could easily be consumed with history when using TOG. I'm sorry but its just not that important to me if my kids remember all the details and be able to answer all the questions that Rhetoric and Dialectic students are asked. That's not to say its bad, but I felt the Rhetoric level was more like a college class.

 

I hear others say that Sonlight is too light in high school and for them, it may be. But for us, its going to be perfect because it allows me to spend more time/depth on our top priorities and even add others (like foreign language, outside classes, etc. and not "do school" ALL day long).

 

Now, I only have two children and they do the same core (I may break them up in high school). IF I had more though, I would still do Sonlight and keep them on the same cores (or two that are similar) and just add lower level readers for the youngers. I'd never try to do more than 1-2 cores; I'd just adjust my expectations.

 

Not sure if any of that helps or if its what you were even asking; I think I'm just rambling. ;) If you have any other specific questions, just let me know.

[SewLittleTime]

I was avoiding answering this question but since no one else has... :) I guess I'll try.

 

I'm one who has actually gone from Sonlight to TOG and back to Sonlight. Let me start by saying this is my opinion only and what works for the goals for my family.

 

TOG is a great curriculum; Sonlight is a great curriculum. Both are going to teach your children WAY more than you probably learned in high school and probably even college. I try to keep that in mind when I'm worried about our direction or if I'm behind or when I feel we aren't rigorous enough.

 

TOG, however, was just more than we needed. My top priorities are reading, writing and math. Probably science should come next, but my love is history. It's easy with both of the curriculums to get lost in history, but for us, the whole day could easily be consumed with history when using TOG. I'm sorry but its just not that important to me if my kids remember all the details and be able to answer all the questions that Rhetoric and Dialectic students are asked. That's not to say its bad, but I felt the Rhetoric level was more like a college class.

 

I hear others say that Sonlight is too light in high school and for them, it may be. But for us, its going to be perfect because it allows me to spend more time/depth on our top priorities and even add others (like foreign language, outside classes, etc. and not "do school" ALL day long).

 

Now, I only have two children and they do the same core (I may break them up in high school). IF I had more though, I would still do Sonlight and keep them on the same cores (or two that are similar) and just add lower level readers for the youngers. I'd never try to do more than 1-2 cores; I'd just adjust my expectations.

 

Not sure if any of that helps or if its what you were even asking; I think I'm just rambling. ;) If you have any other specific questions, just let me know.

I appreciate you offering your perspective. I am on the fence with both.

[siloam]

TOG is a great curriculum; Sonlight is a great curriculum. Both are going to teach your children WAY more than you probably learned in high school and probably even college. I try to keep that in mind when I'm worried about our direction or if I'm behind or when I feel we aren't rigorous enough.

 

TOG, however, was just more than we needed. My top priorities are reading, writing and math. Probably science should come next, but my love is history. It's easy with both of the curriculums to get lost in history, but for us, the whole day could easily be consumed with history when using TOG. I'm sorry but its just not that important to me if my kids remember all the details and be able to answer all the questions that Rhetoric and Dialectic students are asked. That's not to say its bad, but I felt the Rhetoric level was more like a college class.

 

I hear others say that Sonlight is too light in high school and for them, it may be. But for us, its going to be perfect because it allows me to spend more time/depth on our top priorities and even add others (like foreign language, outside classes, etc. and not "do school" ALL day long).

 

 

I agree 100% with Cynthia on pretty much all of it, even though I use TOG and didn't go back to SL.

 

The only people who might find the rigor in TOG of benefit is those shooting for Ivy League or some other high goal. For us there is just too much to do it as scheduled, and I agree that much of the R level work, especially at the pace it is scheduled is college level. It generally takes us a year and a half to do a year of TOG, so that our focus is more on math, writing, and things other than school.

 

Heather