cseitter Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Just curious... I was looking at SL K (which I almost choked when I saw the price) and was wondering if anyone started TOG for K? Very lightly and spent 2 years on YR1? Or is it really to advanced for a K'er? I know alot of people say just focus on reading and math... but my kids can read already and math we have already started. We will continue to focus on those primarly though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewel7123 Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Just curious... I was looking at SL K (which I almost choked when I saw the price) and was wondering if anyone started TOG for K? Very lightly and spent 2 years on YR1? Or is it really to advanced for a K'er? I wouldn't say it's too advanced, just most people would say it's unnecessary. Have you looked at the books used in Year 1 LG to see if you think they would appeal to you and your child? I'm about to start year 1 in a couple of months and I will have a 6 year old, a 4 year old, oh, and ME. :D(I'm going to be reading some of the Rhetoric books as we go through this first history cycle.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMom2One Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I LOVE and use TOG with my own dd and we started in 5th grade while she was at UG level. I had read that the recommendation of Lampstand Press is to wait until the oldest child is about 5th grade, then bring the younger children in at LG level with picture books, etc. to get the family all used to studying together. I didn't have younger students, but felt that 5th grade was a good age for her to get started. Now there are a number of moms here in the Hive that start their dc sooner and say great things about doing it that way. Some are using the time their dc are in LG level to study the R level themselves to prepare for teaching up ahead. I think it depends on your budget and your goals. I think if it were me, I'd go with TWTM method using SOTW for the younger years, getting into the four year cycle of history, etc. and then add TOG when your dd is a bit older. I'm sure there are others that will share other opinions, but these are my thoughts fwiw. Blessings, Lucinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I am doing TOG with my almost 6yo dd this year. But she is accellerated, having done K last year. She is reading at least 2 years beyond her age. And she is almost fanatical about learning geography and history. She plays geography games on a daily basis, and she pretends to be historical figures all the time. In fact, she plans to be the goddess Artemis for the next Halloween. TOG does have very good activities for the littles, and I like the literature selections. But the history reading can be rather dry if there is not an inherent interest. Consequently, I would not recommend TOG for K, except where the child had a certain passion for history or where there were older kids in the family doing it, too. Even SOTW, I think, is a little advanced for K. (We use it as our spine in TOG.) I would look closely at SL if you are interested in that. I have heard a lot of good things about it. When my next child is in K, we are going to do FIAR. For my dd, I felt that it laid very good groundwork for starting TOG the next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeganW Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Have you considered doing a year of geography, or maybe world cultures, or something along those lines? Maybe a combo of Galloping the Globe and Five In A Row? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taffnus Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 We did SL P4/5 for K and Core K for 1G. We started Core 1 for 2G and then changed to TOG at the beginning of Y1 U2. I WISH I had started TOG Y1 at the beginning of the year and not at the beginning of U2. That said, it's perfectly fine for a 7 yo 2nd grader. It's actually quite easy and we do the hands-on and geography. Now, I have another dd (5 in March) who has not been interested in joining in so far. My plan has been to bring her in when we begin Y2 this coming fall. She'll be 5 1/2 and K. I'm thinking, at this point, I'll try to bring her in as much as possible but will probably use some of the SL Core K "cultures" books and probably some basic geography / map work if I find that she isn't interested in the actual progression of history through TOG Y2. My goal is to have her interest by the second half of Y2 (K) which is colonial America. I plan on using that as the real entry point for her. So, I don't think it's too early to start, especially with Y1. You could easily add more hands-on and rabbit-trails into the Bible stories as you find your child is interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 FWIW, I think TOG is too much for K. We have the digital Y1 U1, but have never used it - definitely better for older children. SL Core K is even possibly too much for Kindergarten. If you visit the SL forums it is often recommended for the higher end of the age range. We are doing it right now with dds 7 and 4 (just tagging along for fun), they will be 8 and 5 in April. It is good if maybe a tad easy for oldest DD, it is too much for DD 4, she leaves to do her own thing most times during history readings, but she loves the read alouds. For K, all you really need is some good read alouds :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleBears Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I'm wondering if you have ever looked into Heart of Dakota. Their website has a placement guide based on a child's abilities as well as age. FYI- less expensive than sonlight. Another good one is five in a row. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 We have the digital Y1 U1, but have never used it - definitely better for older children. SL Core K is even possibly too much for Kindergarten. If you visit the SL forums it is often recommended for the higher end of the age range. We are doing it right now with dds 7 and 4 (just tagging along for fun), they will be 8 and 5 in April. It is good if maybe a tad easy for oldest DD, it is too much for DD 4, she leaves to do her own thing most times during history readings, but she loves the read alouds. For K, all you really need is some good read alouds :). :iagree: especially with the bolded. We did SL P4/5 with my accelerated ds for Kindy and it was great. The read-alouds were fun and it gave us more time to work on The 3Rs. We did Core K for 1st and are just starting Core 1 (on week 4) for 2nd grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I'll be using TOG for K with my youngest. The two older kids are already doing TOG so adding one more isn't a huge investment for me. The LG has lots of picture books and fun activities. I think in K you could do as much or as little as you wanted. You wouldn't even have to complete a whole year. When I first taught K a friend suggested that I focus on Ancient Egypt for K and leave Greece and Rome for 1st. That was a great idea and the kids loved it. It also made for a more gentle introduction to history and homeschooling. You could also use SOTW and check the Activity Book for extra books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I'll be starting Year 1 with my 1st grader in the fall. She loves reading and read alouds and especially has enjoyed history. We plan to do the TOG projects and read many of the books. We'll also do geography. But I'm sure there are many things we'll skip over until she's older. But I decided to go ahead and get started so I can get used to TOG and the planning aspect of it. I'll also be able to read some of the Rhetoric resources myself so I can be more familiar with the topics myself. TOG is a lot but we plan to pick and choose and just take our time. I think my daughter will really enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I think it really depends on the child. My K-er enjoys history, but my 1st grader REALLY has fun with it. Because of that, ToG has been worth the investment. We read together, do maps, and projects. I love keeping their little hands busy. We've only been working on ToG for about a month, and so far it's been a hit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I have my K DS in LG, but that is primarily because my older kids use it. He listens in to some of my reading (I always read aloud before nap/quiet time) and he does some of the activites, but it isn't our focus. We have also taken some of the books from FIAR and SL K and done some of the lapbooks from homeschoolshare.com, which he also enjoyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I am using TOG YR2 for a K'er right now. I am NOT using it as written nor do I have him in the LG level. I am adapting it to fit where he is right now. I would only use TOG with a K'er if: 1. You are committed to use the program long term. 2. You are usng the program for yourself and are adding your K'er in. 3. You have older children you are already using the program for. If the above do not apply, I would go with HOD, SL, or MFW instead. :) I can give more details of how we are doing it with a K'er if you are interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyderiver Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 If you are able to make some weeks very light and skip a few if needed, go for it. If you are a box checker or like to see everything touched on.....RUN AWAY, at least for K. The Bible stories, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman studies can all be done with a K'er if you add coloring and picture books. Some of the other weeks could be tweaked or just skipped. I do not recommend making it last 2 years unless you can be REALLY laid back about it. I love TOG, but with a 1st and k'er, I had to quickly learn to let some stuff go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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