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Have you ever ditched it all?


delaney
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And started over during the year with new curriculum? I have TOG 2 coming and I am really thinking fo ditching a bunch of what I have...then I saw Oak Meadow and fell in love! Do I try TOG and then not continue on with it next year for OM? I will be doing 3 next year instead of 2. Ugh too many choices!

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Why not? Although we've never ditched everything in one year, we have ended up ditching everything we started with our first year. However, I don't use everything from one place. With our budget, though, I'd probably use what I had for my youngest if it had worked fro my older ones rather than buy three grades worth of new material if it's graded.

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Guest TheBugsMom

Yes! In the 16 yrs of schooling I have done this twice. The first time I lost lots of money because I could not return the material. The second time was this year. I have been able to sell all I had originally purchased with just a small amount of $ lost, but what I purchased instead cost so much less I am happy with the outcome. My children seem to be thriving with the change also.

 

Both times we did this was not necessarily curriculum problems but a big change in how I was going to carry out our homeschool. Over the years I have started with something and found things I would have liked better, but we started so I would try to make it work knowing the next year I would go with the other curriculum. There were a few time what I originally purchased just was not going to work so I had to get something else. The problem is, there are so many good looking curriculums out there that beckon you to try them. I have finally realized that I need to NOT look at any more curriculum once I make my purchases.

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I try not to ditch anything after we have started (though we let go of RS math years ago) because it wastes dh's money, and it isn't good for dc. They like to finish what they have started, and I lose credibility with them. However, I don't hesitate to tweak the curriculum or adjust the schedule. For example, after listening to SWB's writing lectures, I realized that dd has significant gaps in foundational skills, so I am using her history for daily narrations. Since she will be starting high school next year, I am using her science to teach Cornell notetaking. Also, I added WWE to her English line up. We're working with the MP workbook for the ancient world, and she is doing a first level outline for the reading passage. Work on these skills doesn't add much time, and I have adjusted her English work to compensate.

 

As mentioned in another post, enticing curriculum abounds, but you need to evaluate why you are changing. Does it really bring anything new to the table? Joyce Swann's children graduated from high school in their early teens, and she wrote that is was possible because she picked her curriculum and stuck with it. She wrote that education is from Point A to Point B. The constant search for something better can make the journey longer than necessary.

Edited by 1Togo
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Actually, a few years ago when we tried out TOG 2, we got so burned out that I dumped it all and went straight Waldorf even down to doing lesson blocks. After a few months we were able to add in more things and have a balanced schedule but it was 6 months before we were able to do history again.

 

We have been using Oak Meadow now for 9 months and this is the happiest I have ever been with a curriculum. It is a wonderful balance between textbook, hands-on activities and there is so much to do or not to do. It is very flexible and you don't feel like you have to do everything and it is easy to add extras to.

 

I have plenty of posts on my blog on how we use Oak Meadow.

 

Best advice--don't make yourself and your family miserable with a bad curriculum fit. Find somethings that works well even if you just drop everything and check out books from the library on topics you are interested in for the rest of the year.:001_smile:

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I haven't dropped everything, but-

 

When my oldest was a freshman in high school, we totally revamped school the week of Thanksgiving. He was having a rough time and also wanted more time with kids his age. We didn't drop his subjects and start over, but we did switch to a history textbook instead of the history curriculum (TRISMS EOC) that he had been using. We dropped Alg2 and continued with geometry. We had been doing both. We also began looking at tutorials and he started in January taking some fun classes (art, child care, etc).

 

Last year I was excited to use WP Middle Ages, because WP had been a huge success the year before with S&S and ATW. However, WP Middle Ages was a flop. The little guy ended up using SOTW2 as his spine and the middle guy ended up using the TRISMS EOC that I still had on my shelf!

 

These were both pretty big changes and I felt really relieved both times. I wouldn't switch curriculum on a whim. However, if you are in a situation where you can totally revamp and know that it will bring a sense of relief to your homeschool, then I say go for it.

 

HTH-

Mandy

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I'm seriously considering dropping the patchwork, hodgepodge approach in favor of school-in-a-box. And I don't care if anyone thinks it's a bad idea!

See this is me. I feel like piecing it together I am doing too much overlap. There is copywork everywhere, narrations, dictations...suggested books. Let's face it there is only so much of reading that I can get done. I thought if I tried to follow TOG this year supplemented with my current math and writing strands I might be happier? I keep going back to OM though because the former teacher in my recognizes that layout better and the preschool educator in my longs for less structure and more unit studies! I am so confused. I continue to plug along with what I have and maybe once I get some quiet time with TOG I will do that. Otherwise you will see a lot on here for sale as I try to fund OM!!:001_huh:

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This year actually! I got our curriculum. I was piecing together SL p3/4 and p4/5 for my 4yr ds, and SL 1 for my 6yr ds. I was using SL for everything. I used it two weeks, packed it up, sold it and sent it on it's way. My dc were very dissapointed, but the more I kept looking over things my instinct was, this was not the right thing for us. I replaced everything and am much happier now for it.... and so are my dc. They are loving what we are doing and learning and I love to see that!

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What draws you to TOG, and what draws you to OM? Is it going to be more work to do three levels of OM, or adapt three levels of TOG? Everyone is different, there is no right or wrong. :) I ditched everything after the first year when I realized how I wanted to teach, and more importantly, how each of my children learn best. OM wouldn't work for us in the lower grades just because my kids don't follow grade levels well, that doesn't mean I haven't drooled over their catalog though. ;)

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I did it once a few years ago - it was a great decision. It was around December... we started something brand new in January and it was excellent. It was the fresh start we needed!

 

But, I wouldn't start with one program, ditch it for a second, and plan to do a third next fall. Decide what you want to stick with long term (as best you can at this point) and go with that one. Can you try TOG and try OM and see which you like better? Most curricula have a 30 or 60 day trial period and if it doesn't work for you, you can send it back. I think OM gives you 80% or 90% back... not sure on TOG.

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I'm seriously considering dropping the patchwork, hodgepodge approach in favor of school-in-a-box. And I don't care if anyone thinks it's a bad idea!

 

:iagree: I would love to do this as well. I just can't decide which one I would actually use.

 

Right now I am considering either OM or HOD for my dd who will be in 6th grade next year.

 

Jan

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And started over during the year with new curriculum? I have TOG 2 coming and I am really thinking fo ditching a bunch of what I have...then I saw Oak Meadow and fell in love! Do I try TOG and then not continue on with it next year for OM? I will be doing 3 next year instead of 2. Ugh too many choices!

 

Do you have the money to do that? If so why not?

 

Generally I have had to always make what I had work for the year then move on the next.

 

Heather

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I sure have. I can't say those were my best years, but we did it. Year one, I bought two complete Calvert grades and dumped them after 8 weeks for a piecemeal approach.

 

Last year, I dropped Bigger Hearts from HOD for my older son due to bad guide placement (but we still wanted to do Am Hist) and changed to mostly R&S for the year. Now we are back with HOD in the correct guide this time! :)

 

This year, I have not done this - we are very please with were we are this year!

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:iagree: If OM is your choice, then I would send TOG back and do OM this year as well.

I can't return TOG since I only have units 2-4 of year 2 and I bought them on here. I really need to sit down with OM and look over it. I am hoping to borrow it from someone to really get a good look at it before I decide. If nothing else I would like to do OM for my DS next year for Kindegarten because he is NOT the sit down and do work type of guy. The girls really seem to enjoy what I am doing now and if I am able to do CC next year I have will continue on the classical thread with them.

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yes I have and it was the best thing we ever did. The whole mess of adding in this adding in that really messes me up. We tried the whole Unit studies, lapbooks, all that and still the same feeling like I was adding in way to much here and there or not enough or this went to that to much. It was a stressful time for me and my kids.

 

This is one of the reason I have went to McRuffy. For me that is math, science, reading, grammar, spelling, handwriting, phonics and such I don't have to worry about. It is all done for me. I open the books and go! I was able to do this with all subjects except for History, but one subject that has a little overlap really is not too bad. Also since it is history it overlaps anyways!

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Yes, I did it about 2 weeks ago. I purchased MP-K for my DD last spring and we worked through week 7 before breaking for the summer. I picked it back up in August and schooling her was miserable for both of us. 2 weeks ago I ditched the whole thing except the math because it just was not working. My DD is MUCH happier with using my DS's old stuff. I tried to press through and not ditch it because it was wasting our money, but it was either ditch it and deal with the money waste or turn DD off to school completely.

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