Tell me about TOG...please

[Katiebug_1976]

Ok, so is TOG similar to SL? I went to their website last night, but am still a little bit confused (I guess I need it to be spelled out for me). I am planning on using SL (core's P4/5, 3 & 100) this next year, but all of a sudden, I feel drawn to TOG. So please, TOG users, tell me about it. Is it easy to use? Open and go? Teacher intensive? What does you day look like using it? Are there scheduled readers/read alouds (like SL)? I really like that it looks like everyone would be studying the same topic, but on their own level. Thanks in advance for anything you can tell me.

[TracyP]

Ok, so is TOG similar to SL? No, not at all from what I have heard.

I went to their website last night, but am still a little bit confused (I guess I need it to be spelled out for me). I am planning on using SL (core's P4/5, 3 & 100) this next year, but all of a sudden, I feel drawn to TOG. So please, TOG users, tell me about it. Is it easy to use? Yes, once you get used to it - there is a learning curve.

Open and go? No, but you can pre-plan it during the summer to make it open and go.

Teacher intensive? No, for the ages of your kids they would be mostly independent. You would need to schedule 2 - 1 hour (roughly) discussion times for your two oldest. How much time you spent with the two younger students would be up to how hands on you want to be.

What does you day look like using it? Hmm...not like yours will.;)

Are there scheduled readers/read alouds (like SL)? Yes, but it seems like I have heard people say they prefer SL's choices. Looking through I would say about 1/2 of them enthuse me, the others not so much.

I really like that it looks like everyone would be studying the same topic, but on their own level. This is one of the best things about TOG. I am so excited to use TOG when my kids are the age of your kids. I have fun with it but it is designed for your kids' ages. Thanks in advance for anything you can tell me.

 

I'm sure Tina or someone else with older kids will come in and be far more helpful but I'll at least give you a bump.

[Kipling]

I'm sure you can search past threads on this forum to piece together the information, but I'll try to answer your questions. I am in my second year with TOG, and I really like it. I compared it to SL, but the main reason it won me over was that all the kids study the same topic. It would drive me crazy to have everyone have their own core like SL.

 

I think it is easy to use, but it is not open and go. The material is divided into weeks, and there is a reading assignment page for each week. It will tell you which books each level should be reading and if the book is continued (ex. read ch 1-5 this week, finish next week). It will also tell you what writing assignments the students should complete, what geography terms and locations they should study. It gives you recommendations for hands-on activities, vocabulary lists, time line dates, and people to study. However, it is up to you to determine which of those things you want to do each week and when you want your children to do them. So, I do have to sit down with my weekly plan each Sunday and plot out the week, but one thing that makes it easier is to have a rough schedule already in place. For example, maybe you do geography every Monday, spend 30 minutes doing a history read-aloud after dinner, complete a time line on Thursday morning. Whatever you create to work for your family, but then it just becomes a matter of plugging in each weekly assignment.

 

For the older kids (which I do not have), TOG recommends that they be a part of the scheduling and planning. You can show them the weekly assignments and say, this is what you need to do this week. Let's create a schedule for you to follow, and then they can check off as they do things. You can check comprehension with the discussions included in each week or by purchasing the evaluation CDs. In each week are the teacher's notes that provide you with the basic history information so that you know what the kids are studying if you're not reading it to/with them.

 

It does have recommended read-alouds that often transcend multiple levels so that all of your kids will be listening to the same read-aloud for the week while all the kids read age-appropriate history and literature books. However, TOG does not have any readers like SL. For my kids, I have supplemented with other grade-level reading material in addition to the TOG material. I don't feel like there is enough independent reading for the lower grammar kids in TOG to make it a reading program. For the older kids, especially high school, yes. They are reading classic novels and such. For the grammar level kids, TOG is mostly history/geography with some literature added to it, IMO

 

Our days vary a little, but here is what a typical day looks like for us:

Bible 10 min.

copy work & grammar 20 min. (K-er does phonics at this time)

oral reading/comprehension 20 min. (both)

science 20 min. (together)

writing 30min. (just 2nd grader, K-er has a break)

TOG (normally reading one of the assigned books) 30 min. (together)

spelling for 2nd/handwriting for K-er

lunch

break

math 30 min.

TOG (perhaps reading or doing a project or activity or writing assignment)

 

On Mondays, I often do geography in place of science, and we try to make Fridays more fun with less school work and more activities.

 

HTH

[Katiebug_1976]

Thank you for the replies, they are very helpful. I was all set to use SL, but after doing some more research, I'm on the fence again. One of my concerns is about the planning time needed in TOG. I could handle some, but I don't have a lot of extra time to spend planning, which is one HUGE reason I like SL. How far ahead would you need to plan TOG? After planning, would there be books/activities that I would need time to track down?

 

I have also heard several say that SL is based more on historical fiction so sometimes it is hard for some kids to seperate the difference between fiction/non fiction, whereas, TOG is based more on non fiction.

 

I'm really liking that TOG has more "teacher hand holding" so to speak. I know that I am doing fine w/ my kids, but I struggle with confidence in certain areas. I did fine in school, have read a lot of books etc., but good grief! My dc seem to want to dig to the bottom of the bucket all the time and ask questions that I can't answer a lot! So to know that there are resources in the manual that can help me out a little would make me feel a lot better. Can someone tell me the extent of the hand holding in TOG?

[SSchwab]

We are in our third year of TOG and are loving it. I would say I spend 1/2 an hour planning my week out each Sunday. That includes all my topics.

Then every two or three weeks I request books from the library and have them put them on hold so I can just run in and pick them up. You can purchase all the books from Tapestry but it's literally in the thousands of dollars (I added it up once). So, if you don't mind having to get books all year it works out well. I write down my book list in the summer, week by week, so I can just open to that in my binder and request books as I need them. I also do a search on each book before the year begins because some are not carried by our library system and I need to buy those. I usually spend about $100 on books I can't find. The Church history books are especially hard to find.

Before switching to TOG, I used SL for two years. While I liked it, I was not looking forward to having multiple cores to figure out. We have six kids so it would have been a nightmare. I LOVE that all my kids will be at the same place in history once they are all doing school. As they get older you can have them schedule their week and read their books on their own.

I have loved the books TOG has more than SL. I feel like TOG does a better job picking books for the appropriate age range and always felt like SL's books were ahead of the age range they were allotted for.

It definitely took a bit of pouring over the Teacher's Manuals to figure out how TOG works and what to really pay attention to. At first it's not open and go, but now I can say I usually just open my TM once a week, write in the books we'll read on my weekly schedule sheet and go. My kids are young at this point so I don't do a whole lot of the extras TOG offers. I don't use their writing program and haven't done a lot of the geography yet. I'm excited to get to the upper levels because I truly believe that's where TOG really shines.

We also do a co-op once every two weeks with other TOG users in our area and that's where we get in the lapbooking and crafts that would not be done at home. We've really enjoyed that and will continue to meet with others next year.

Hope this helps. I can honestly say, I don't forsee us switching to another curriculum for history. We absolutely love doing TOG.

 

Sarah

[PeterPan]

Katie, I don't use TOG (yet), but could I suggest you do a search with TOG dialectic or TOG rhetoric as the keywords on the boards and see what threads you find? Your dc are old enough that you're coming into being able to take advantage of the dialectic and rhetoric level discussions, the lit pages, the writing assignments. There's quite a bit TOG would do for you that SL wasn't. I think adding those terms and focusing on the older kids will make that clear. Marcia S. made the comment the with the younger ones we should "trust much to the reading of good books," and in that sense I don't think it matters so much if you do TOG or SL or whatever. It's when the kids get older and you're wanting to bring in those other skills and take things deeper that you need more help. Both SL and TOG have extensive samples, so you can get a feel for how they would help you teach those olders. Compare the writing assignments, the discussion questions, the worksheets, the teacher notes, and see what you think.

 

Another thing that will come up when you read on the boards with the terms rhetoric TOG is that it turns out the SL authors never taught their kids for hs but sent them to the ps. Up through about 100 things are pretty happy with SL, and after that the happiness of people gets mushy. If you're looking for a long-term solution, it might not be it. Your plan for next year (100 with 3+4, etc.) would work, but then what will you do after that? Just some things to think about.

 

Mercifully, we're looking at all GOOD options. I know I've been sweating these things a lot myself, lol, and I keep telling myself that no matter WHAT I decide, it will be good. Just to add a twist to your life, the BJU 8 American Republic text is particularly good and read-able. I think you could easily use it as a spine with your whole clan and add in books, videos, crafts, etc. for each child at their level. We've been having a discussion on the logic/middle grades board about that as a streamlined alternative to TOG. :)

[RobinF]

This is our first year using TOG and I will say that I love it. I considered using MFW next year (again) only because of cost but then with some discussion on here and soul searching I came to the conclusion that TOG is what I want to use.

 

This year for planning I made a spreadsheet of weeks for TOG and then listed the categories across the top (history, lit, church history, geography, activity). For each week I went through the IG and picked out which book we would use or if we would use a substitute and I filled in my grid. So at the beginning of the week I could look and see I need to pull these books to read this week (with my UG). I also have one that is LG/D border this year. Next year he will be firmly in D. For him at the beginning of the week I would put the books and pages he needed to read on a sticky note and then he would schedule his reading out through the week. He knows that he needs to finish his reading by Thursday because we discuss or he does student activity pages on Friday.

 

I haven't done as through a job using the writing and vocabulary this year with TOG and I am hoping that next year will be even smoother and we can add that aspect into our studies.

 

So for us even though it isn't open and go, it is very doable. I do most of my planning (spreadsheet work and printing SAP's and maps) during the summer and then on a weekly basis just pull out the file folder for the week and check to see if there is anything else we need and I can read the teacher's notes so I have a clue what dc are reading and learning.

 

There are read alouds scheduled and we have really enjoyed the ones we have gone through. Even the books the younger boys have been reading have been enjoyed by the my oldest son.

 

I love all the options in TOG and love the framework that it lays for a Biblical worldview. I also love how it gently introduces students into independent work and being responsible for their own schedule.

[Katiebug_1976]

Katie, I don't use TOG (yet), but could I suggest you do a search with TOG dialectic or TOG rhetoric as the keywords on the boards and see what threads you find? Your dc are old enough that you're coming into being able to take advantage of the dialectic and rhetoric level discussions, the lit pages, the writing assignments. There's quite a bit TOG would do for you that SL wasn't. I think adding those terms and focusing on the older kids will make that clear. Marcia S. made the comment the with the younger ones we should "trust much to the reading of good books," and in that sense I don't think it matters so much if you do TOG or SL or whatever. It's when the kids get older and you're wanting to bring in those other skills and take things deeper that you need more help. Both SL and TOG have extensive samples, so you can get a feel for how they would help you teach those olders. Compare the writing assignments, the discussion questions, the worksheets, the teacher notes, and see what you think.

 

Another thing that will come up when you read on the boards with the terms rhetoric TOG is that it turns out the SL authors never taught their kids for hs but sent them to the ps. Up through about 100 things are pretty happy with SL, and after that the happiness of people gets mushy. If you're looking for a long-term solution, it might not be it. Your plan for next year (100 with 3+4, etc.) would work, but then what will you do after that? Just some things to think about.

 

Mercifully, we're looking at all GOOD options. I know I've been sweating these things a lot myself, lol, and I keep telling myself that no matter WHAT I decide, it will be good. Just to add a twist to your life, the BJU 8 American Republic text is particularly good and read-able. I think you could easily use it as a spine with your whole clan and add in books, videos, crafts, etc. for each child at their level. We've been having a discussion on the logic/middle grades board about that as a streamlined alternative to TOG. :)

 

 

Thank you for your suggestions and thoughts. I will definately do some more specific searching on the upper levels of TOG. I'm not sure I want to get into pulling together my own thing w/ the BJU text, though. Part of why I was looking at SL and now TOG is because I don't have a lot of time for planning. My days are stretched so thin, that I need something that has most everything layed out already. I can handle a little planning time every week or so, but I think it would be too stressful to have to track down my books for several different levels.

[Katiebug_1976]

This is our first year using TOG and I will say that I love it. I considered using MFW next year (again) only because of cost but then with some discussion on here and soul searching I came to the conclusion that TOG is what I want to use.

 

This year for planning I made a spreadsheet of weeks for TOG and then listed the categories across the top (history, lit, church history, geography, activity). For each week I went through the IG and picked out which book we would use or if we would use a substitute and I filled in my grid. So at the beginning of the week I could look and see I need to pull these books to read this week (with my UG). I also have one that is LG/D border this year. Next year he will be firmly in D. For him at the beginning of the week I would put the books and pages he needed to read on a sticky note and then he would schedule his reading out through the week. He knows that he needs to finish his reading by Thursday because we discuss or he does student activity pages on Friday.

 

I haven't done as through a job using the writing and vocabulary this year with TOG and I am hoping that next year will be even smoother and we can add that aspect into our studies.

 

So for us even though it isn't open and go, it is very doable. I do most of my planning (spreadsheet work and printing SAP's and maps) during the summer and then on a weekly basis just pull out the file folder for the week and check to see if there is anything else we need and I can read the teacher's notes so I have a clue what dc are reading and learning.

 

There are read alouds scheduled and we have really enjoyed the ones we have gone through. Even the books the younger boys have been reading have been enjoyed by the my oldest son.

 

I love all the options in TOG and love the framework that it lays for a Biblical worldview. I also love how it gently introduces students into independent work and being responsible for their own schedule.

 

Price is going to be a big issue for me. I was already collecting used SL IG's and books for the cores for next year. So if we decide to go w/ TOG, I will definately have to buy used, use my library, and search all the thrift stores I have for books that we would need. I'm just thinking that the more I research, the more I'm leaning toward TOG. It just sounds like what might work for us. I like that it sounds like all the books/assignments are layed out for us, we just need to pick and choose which ones to tackle each week. Am I correct in that assumption? I also really like the thought of teaching all of my dc from 1 IG, and studying the same topic. My biggest hesitation w/ SL is that we will be doing multiple cores, and it will be impossible at times to be studying the same thing. But I know that in the end, God will provide what is best for my dc, and I will be content with that.

[SewLittleTime]

Part of why I was looking at SL and now TOG is because I don't have a lot of time for planning. My days are stretched so thin, that I need something that has most everything layed out already. I can handle a little planning time every week or so, but I think it would be too stressful to have to track down my books for several different levels.

We made the switch from SL to TOG and honestly, it has saved me time. It takes a bit more planning for me b/c I need to prepare more by reading the teacher's notes and come up with something to do with the vocabulary words, but our school time has cut down having us all on the same topic. I am no longer reading 2 cores which is saving me lots of time. I bought most the books we'd need for the 1st unit simply b/c I am so used to have all my SL books right there on the shelf when I need them. It was convient, but not necessary.

[melmichigan]

I would have been doing 3 cores this year with SL. I had it all planned out and books purchased before I made the move to TOG. You can read about it in this thread.

[sandra in va]

Ok, so is TOG similar to SL? I went to their website last night, but am still a little bit confused (I guess I need it to be spelled out for me). I am planning on using SL (core's P4/5, 3 & 100) this next year, but all of a sudden, I feel drawn to TOG. So please, TOG users, tell me about it. Is it easy to use? Open and go? Teacher intensive? What does you day look like using it? Are there scheduled readers/read alouds (like SL)? I really like that it looks like everyone would be studying the same topic, but on their own level. Thanks in advance for anything you can tell me.

 

Like the other posters - I made the switch from SL to TOG. We would have been doing at least 3 cores this year. I still have mixed feelings about the switch.

Loves: I love, love, love the discussions with my olders and that they are independent outside of those discussions. My UG student is mostly independent, as well, and I love it that he is starting to sit in on the olders' discussion times. I can do this b/c they are all studying the same topic. When I'm reading aloud the LG kids' history books - the other kids overhear and it reinforces what they are reading on their own. I also enjoy having hands-on ideas (missing from SL). We don't do a lot of them, but my kids enjoy them. Finally, there is also a lot of flexibility - I use SOTW with my LG kids - it is scheduled in TOG.

 

Difficulties: Planning is harder. It is more expensive - I have a lot of books, but I still need to get quite a few. I don't want to depend on our library, I would rather have everything on my shelves...but it does get expensive. Also, we miss the SL read alouds - some of our favorite memories are enjoying those books selections together. I am trying to keep up with read alouds from the younger cores for my little ones and the olders do enjoy hearing them again, but I miss reading to my olders more.

 

I know that I could incorporate SL RA from older cores into our day - but honestly, the kids' days are just too full with other subjects and I am too busy to add another thing to our day. I do try to do a few RA's for the olders throughout the year, but it's not the same as SL. Oh, and in answer to your questions there are scheduled RA's for the LG-D students - one to two books per 9 weeks. So far for us, they have been nonfiction selections - for ex. Famous Men of the Middle Ages.

 

All-in-all, TOG is a good fit for our family, but nothing is perfect. I think it is one of those things you just have to try. My suggestions is to print out one of their 3 week samples or buy one quarter of a year and try it.

Edited February 21, 2011 by sandra in va

[RobinF]

Price is going to be a big issue for me. I was already collecting used SL IG's and books for the cores for next year. So if we decide to go w/ TOG, I will definately have to buy used, use my library, and search all the thrift stores I have for books that we would need. I'm just thinking that the more I research, the more I'm leaning toward TOG. It just sounds like what might work for us. I like that it sounds like all the books/assignments are layed out for us, we just need to pick and choose which ones to tackle each week. Am I correct in that assumption? I also really like the thought of teaching all of my dc from 1 IG, and studying the same topic. My biggest hesitation w/ SL is that we will be doing multiple cores, and it will be impossible at times to be studying the same thing. But I know that in the end, God will provide what is best for my dc, and I will be content with that.

 

I know someone else suggested it but I would definitely print out the sample IG's to help get a feel for TOG. Also when I purchased, I bought one unit first (secondhand) and that helped me commit to using the program.

 

Each week they give reading assignments for each level and you can choose from the books and alternate books they list. There were some weeks that I substituted books that we already had that covered the topics even if they weren't the ones listed so keep that in mind. For example on the week we read about Noah's Ark, I have several different books so I didn't worry about getting the books they suggested.

 

If you look on the samples online of Year 1 week 2 you can see that they offer readings for History: Core, History: In Depth, Literature, Fine Arts and Activities, Worldview and General Enrichment and Reference. All of these subjects are broken down by age level.

 

They also layout writing assignments that correcspond with what you are studying and different activities. You just have to pick what works for you.

 

For me when I am purchasing books, I look at the big picture. I know that I want to have the spines (books used in many weeks) for each level I am teaching. Then I add in other books that interest us and for subjects that I think I will have a hard time find books on at the library to the extent that my budget will allow.

[melmichigan]

Give up SL Read Alouds, :eek: definately not in this house. TOG runs the show but we are not giving up SL Read Alouds. :) Although I will say it is liberating to be doing them on my own shedule.

[SewLittleTime]

Although I will say it is liberating to be doing them on my own shedule.

:iagree:

[MyLittleBears]

I have been drooling for a while now over TOG. I have to say the top thing that makes me not take the plunge (besides expense) is the worry that the other subjects not covered in TOG like science, for example, will become neglected. How do you guys fit it all in? Do you find yourself forfeiting the science experiments or some other subject. Does history take over? What does your day look like?

Just off the top of my head we have bible,math, wwe, grammar, science, geography, spelling,read alouds- everyday plus coop once a week.

 

I would really love to try TOG especially since my oldest will be in fifth and I feel he needs something more substantial for history. I will also have a 2nd and K'er.

Edited February 22, 2011 by MyLittleBears

[johnandtinagilbert]

Thank you for the replies, they are very helpful. I was all set to use SL, but after doing some more research, I'm on the fence again. One of my concerns is about the planning time needed in TOG. I could handle some, but I don't have a lot of extra time to spend planning, which is one HUGE reason I like SL. How far ahead would you need to plan TOG? After planning, would there be books/activities that I would need time to track down?

 

I have also heard several say that SL is based more on historical fiction so sometimes it is hard for some kids to seperate the difference between fiction/non fiction, whereas, TOG is based more on non fiction.

 

I'm really liking that TOG has more "teacher hand holding" so to speak. I know that I am doing fine w/ my kids, but I struggle with confidence in certain areas. I did fine in school, have read a lot of books etc., but good grief! My dc seem to want to dig to the bottom of the bucket all the time and ask questions that I can't answer a lot! So to know that there are resources in the manual that can help me out a little would make me feel a lot better. Can someone tell me the extent of the hand holding in TOG?

Hi. Your family is a great fit so far as size and levels for TOG. The teaching hand holding is WONDERFUL! I save so much time planning. Really, for the lower levels, there is nothing to plan, besides book choosing and activity selection. That's no biggie, it's all on a list for you, you simply select...check mark here, check mark there.

 

There is time needed to read through the D and R Teacher's Notes, but you'll be pleased b/c that's where the hand holding comes in. I've blogged a good bit about TOG, so forgive all the "linking" I offer. I found myself answering the same questions over and again, so it just made sense to get to blogging. Let me know if my blog posts don't do justice to your questions. I'm happy to help. I L.O.V.E TOG. It made my life so much easier and has enriched our home schooling significantly.

 

This blog post, Getting Started with TOG, will help you get a real feel for TOG. So far as SL, they are quite different. Even so, we add some of the SL books b/c I was gifted them and find it is very easy to take selections we will love from SL and plug them into TOG. No problem at all.

 

Here are some hints for affording your library. If you have a nice library system, I have found the majority of the books at the library. I have already looked toward next year and I won't have to buy a single LG or UG book. Not one. There are only 4 (maybe 5) that the library didn't have, so we'll skip them or I'll sub something.

 

One post really shows the ease of planning for TOG. Many people like to give TOG a bad planning rap, but I can say with certainty, 5 years experience, and planning for 7 students, it just isn't the case. If planning TOG takes forever, someone is over complicating the process.

TOG and it's heavy planning rap

Ways We Use TOG Dialectic

Example of a schedule and Summer Planning

 

If you look under Week in Review on my blog, you'll also find a great deal of info. on TOG's application in our home school. You'll get a nice feel on how we get 'er done and how much fun we have doing it.

 

Happy to help, so just holla' if you have more questions.

[johnandtinagilbert]

I have been drooling for a while now over TOG. I have to say the top thing that makes me not take the plunge (besides expense) is the worry that the other subjects not covered in TOG like science, for example, will become neglected. How do you guys fit it all in? Do you find yourself forfeiting the science experiments or some other subject. Does history take over? What does your day look like?

Just off the top of my head we have math, wwe, grammar, science, geography, spelling,read alouds- everyday plus coop once a week.

 

I would really love to try TOG especially since my oldest will be in fifth and I feel he needs something more substantial for history. I will also have a 2nd and K'er.

Well, the same we you fit it in now, you'll fit it in then. TOG is all about Your Decisions. The wonder of it all is you have something to start with, so you don't have to do the legwork.

 

Compare having a tool box or a work shop. TOG is a work shop. You don't use all the tools for every job, but you have them available should you decide on a bigger project.

 

For my lower grammar students, we generally do 3 days of TOG, 2 days of science, but today, for example, we had light subject matter in both areas, so we did both. Geography is a part of our TOG week, so it goes in. Since they also have quiet reading time, I often assign reading in either history or science, so they are getting a full weeks worth of work. Check out my blog, you'll see how we fit it in and that it is amazing that there is honestly "easy" in our day. No joke :tongue_smilie:

 

The older the dc get, the longer the days become, but the opportunities to cross over subjects also grow. I.e. the writing assignments may become science or history oriented, so while you're working on writing, you're also concreting sci. or hist. Geography is less about learning vocab and more about making connections between wars and location of bodies of water. Literature becomes less about reading great books and more about reading great books that correspond to the history you're studying. TOG guides you on how to tie it all together. TOG connects the dots for me.

 

It's not like you do everything in one day, you do plan out different objectives for different days, just like if you're using SL, MOH, TQ, SOTW, etc. The difference is, TOG provides the opportunity for you to include more depth if you so choose. TOG even labels "History Core" and "History In-depth". If you're extra busy one week, stick to the core. If ds loves battle books, read the in-depth (or dd loves clothing and fashion). Someone said it perfectly yesterday (paraphrasing), "I got tired of programs saying to add reading to make the work acceptable for older dc, but not really guiding me on what to add or what to use." TOG gives you what you need for multiple levels, affording the opportunity to work on strengths and weaknesses b/c you can pick and choose from any level you want. If you have a reading buff, assign a higher level of literature and be confident that you can discuss it b/c of the Teacher's Notes. If you have a history buff, assign 3 history books, not just one and enjoy the discussions w/ confidence b/c you have the shortened version via Teacher's Notes or Pop Quizzes.

 

It works...well :)

[RobinF]

Hi. Your family is a great fit so far as size and levels for TOG. The teaching hand holding is WONDERFUL! I save so much time planning. Really, for the lower levels, there is nothing to plan, besides book choosing and activity selection. That's no biggie, it's all on a list for you, you simply select...check mark here, check mark there.

 

There is time needed to read through the D and R Teacher's Notes, but you'll be pleased b/c that's where the hand holding comes in. I've blogged a good bit about TOG, so forgive all the "linking" I offer. I found myself answering the same questions over and again, so it just made sense to get to blogging. Let me know if my blog posts don't do justice to your questions. I'm happy to help. I L.O.V.E TOG. It made my life so much easier and has enriched our home schooling significantly.

 

This blog post, Getting Started with TOG, will help you get a real feel for TOG. So far as SL, they are quite different. Even so, we add some of the SL books b/c I was gifted them and find it is very easy to take selections we will love from SL and plug them into TOG. No problem at all.

 

Here are some hints for affording your library. If you have a nice library system, I have found the majority of the books at the library. I have already looked toward next year and I won't have to buy a single LG or UG book. Not one. There are only 4 (maybe 5) that the library didn't have, so we'll skip them or I'll sub something.

 

One post really shows the ease of planning for TOG. Many people like to give TOG a bad planning rap, but I can say with certainty, 5 years experience, and planning for 7 students, it just isn't the case. If planning TOG takes forever, someone is over complicating the process.

TOG and it's heavy planning rap

Ways We Use TOG Dialectic

Example of a schedule and Summer Planning

 

If you look under Week in Review on my blog, you'll also find a great deal of info. on TOG's application in our home school. You'll get a nice feel on how we get 'er done and how much fun we have doing it.

 

Happy to help, so just holla' if you have more questions.

 

Thanks so much for sharing. Next year I will have a ug/d, ug, and 2 lg's and I was a little panicky at trying to figure out how to schedule it all. Your blog helped me get a little better idea of how to fit more into our day.