help me think this through...my own way or TOG?

[ktgrok]

I bought the first unit of year one TOG. So far we are in week 4 and a bit behind. Partly that was because I put my 5th grader in D level instead of UG. We backed down to UG for history and a blend for reading. I do LOVE the maps. That is my favorite part. I'm a bit annoyed at the start in Egypt then flash back idea, although I understand their thinking. What I'm finding is that I am using less and less of the worksheet/discussion questions. Which makes it just an expensive reading list.

 

So, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Encylopedia of the Ancient World Usborne book. More accurately, my son loves it. He doesn't complain about reading it at all. He is VERY VERY visual and all the pictures help. We are supplementing with at least one documentary a week, usually more, on the topic we are studying. He learns better from the documentaries than anything I think.

 

So....I'm tentatively thinking of just making our way through the Ancient World book, adding in books from the library on the same topic, and adding in fiction using the TOG lists and Sonlight lists. That covers history, but leaves me in a bit of a lurch with writing and bible. I have art and music covered already. So...I just bought a copy of writing aids, can I use that without the TOG assignments? And I have map aids, so I can just use that for the maps, or will it be a pain in the butt to find the right maps....hmm...thinking out loud here.

 

My main concern is that I think I want to be more relaxed than

TOG...we want to spend time on those documentaries, and field trips, and unit studies on Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas, and he goes to Gifted at the Public School one day a week, so we are already trying to squeeze things into a 4 day week.

 

Any thoughts?

[shanvan]

with my LG/UG daughter. However, for my D level son I find the teacher's notes and discussions very helpful. Also, the dialectic assignment sheets are much more worthwhile (IMO). When you have more than one to teach, knowing that you can assign the reading and then just spend one part of a day on discussion is very freeing. This gives me more time to work with my younger DD.

 

So, I guess what I would say is think down the road if you may utilize the D & R level with your DS. As they move up to d & R levels it becomes harder and harder to read everything they read. This is where I find that TOG is invaluable. It allows me to still share history with my DS even though I can't do all the reading. And, since I'm not going crazy trying to keep up with him in his books, I have the time I need to direct my DD's education.

 

Shannon

[BlsdMama]

Do what works for your family. We planned our own schedule for a long while until it became too overwhelming for us. Then we tried Sonlight and ended up at TOG. I had a brain lapse this year and sold off my TOG to strike out on my own, thinking the same thing you are - I'll just put it together like the "good old days" but I've since re-bought Year 2 Unit 2, lol. I don't know what I was thinking.

 

Try to think back to why you bought Tapestry in the first place. Were you initially doing the planning and finding out it just wasn't getting done? Because if that's the case, I'd say stick with Tapestry, it will keep you moving forward. If this was never an issue for you, then sure, go out on your own!

[shanvan]

Try to think back to why you bought Tapestry in the first place. Were you initially doing the planning and finding out it just wasn't getting done?

 

Yes! This was happening to us, too. Or, sometimes we got bogged down in one topic for too long. Just ask my kids if they ever want to study Egypt again!

[specialmama]

I can only say why we are doing TOG. It wasn't getting done my way. I can only imagine highschool, where the books are harder and I am highly unlikely to move through them and understand them myself. I need hand-holding. I need those Teacher Notes! I need direction, a road map that I can use to jump off when I want and get back on when I want. I figured that if I love TOG this much, may as well purchase it and get the most bang for my buck. IOW, the longer you use it, the more cost effective it becomes.

I still have the freedom you describe, I still have the ability to chuck the books and do field trips, etc. I sub-in SO much history (Canadian instead of the US) that you'd think I would just do my own thing. Nope. TOG is still the best laid plan I've seen that is classical with a firm foundation. Priceless to me.

[ktgrok]

 

Try to think back to why you bought Tapestry in the first place. Were you initially doing the planning and finding out it just wasn't getting done? Because if that's the case, I'd say stick with Tapestry, it will keep you moving forward. If this was never an issue for you, then sure, go out on your own!

 

Well, I chose TOG because this is my first year homeschooling and I figured I should use something to guide me. This summer I did my own unit study on prehistory, and it went pretty well. We did some read alouds, some timeline work, some fiction, and lots of documentaries.

 

I think I'll stick with TOG for a while longer, and see how I feel about it. If I love it i will buy the next unit, if not I feel fine dropping it I think.

 

I am realizing that this is his last year of elementary school and I want to make it fun!