If TOG was free, would you use it in the younger years? Why Not?

[jewel7123]

My library system has most of the year 2 books (definitely not many of the year 1 books). I already looked them all up. :D The books I will need to buy is VERY little, and they're books that would be used by any history curriculum I would choose. I already have the Usborne World History book, so that takes care of the Usborne book recommendations in all 4 years as well.

 

I would be doing that no matter what history I use. I reserve books every week and use my library extensively. My son reads pretty quick, so I have to get new books all the time, just to keep up with "reading" time. The branch I go to is VERY small, so I use the hold system to get books from the main branch and the other smaller branches.

 

I just want to recommend that you check with your library to see if they allow book suggestions for purchase. Mine does, and they have already bought 10 of the books I requested (most of them are TOG books!) Awesome, huh. :D

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Yes, I would, did and will.

[boscopup]

I just want to recommend that you check with your library to see if they allow book suggestions for purchase. Mine does, and they have already bought 10 of the books I requested (most of them are TOG books!) Awesome, huh. :D

 

Yes, I need to do that. Thanks for the reminder! :D

[angela in ohio]

...but I don't feel comfortable doing interest-led history. I need serious hand holding there, just to keep things straight in MY mind. If we don't go chronological, and my son asks where something fits into the history timeline (and he has done this before), I need to know where things fit, and I don't remember much history. I have an easier time with science, where it doesn't matter too much what order we do things.

 

There is a great book recommended in WTM for high school students: The Timetables of History. When youcome to something and you don't know how it fits, you can look it up and see what else was going on at the same time. I didn't buy it until I had HS students, but I wish I had bought it years ago.

[boscopup]

There is a great book recommended in WTM for high school students: The Timetables of History. When youcome to something and you don't know how it fits, you can look it up and see what else was going on at the same time. I didn't buy it until I had HS students, but I wish I had bought it years ago.

 

Thanks! I'll check that out! :)

[Honey Bee]

As a matter of fact, I did win a fully loaded DE and do plan on using it this fall with fifth and third grade girls. I will purchase some books and use others from the library. Also I had just bought SOtW with AG so I plan on using that along with TOG 1. I will figure it all out this summer, but I want my older one to start doing some independent work. I am still closely working with her on skill subjects like PR and MM.

 

I'm sure SOTW 1 would have been fine for 5th grade, but I am really looking forward to adding in some of the TOG offerings that can go along with it.

 

Paula

 

Congratulations! :party:

[Honey Bee]

:iagree:I had no problems figuring it out or getting lost in the "fog." I just much prefer to have all my books on hand and not depend on the library (not that my library had any of the TOG books anyway). Ultimately though, I really prefer narrative-type living books and read-alouds for our history time, and to save the TOG-type books (use for 1-2 weeks, short, often non-fiction) for the kiddos to browse at and read on their own time. I didn't find the reading to be too much at all for grammar level (even with adding in SOTW and other alternative resources), but just not the TYPE of reading I like. *shrug*

 

Thanks for this insight, its really helpful to know the types of books. I really lean towards AO and I find many of them to be on TOG's list, but a lot of non-fiction could be a game changer for me. I'll have to go back and look at their lists again.

 

I could go into other reasons why I wouldn't use it again with only littles, but I think I did that on the "other" thread from a few weeks ago.

 

FWIW, I don't really like using SOTW as a stand-alone either. Too much planning and library usage again.

 

I need some type of reading schedule, though, and I want all our history focused around GOOD BOOKS. (In my dd's words, "I just want to read, read, read history." She loves it, and reads prodigiously from our home library.) We've found a good combination for my dd's and my personalities with AO/LBC/Yesterday's Classics books and Time Traveler's CDs for added hands-on fun projects.

Agreed. I want to read, read, read, like your daughter said. I think that's why TOG seems so tempting to me. It would definitely gives us more consistency and flow. (I do realize TOG is not the only thing that could give us that. :001_smile:)

[BlsdMama]

Yes and no?

 

Technically I have it and technically we use it for Rebecca, age 7. (Christian is the one we actively use TOG with and he's 12 - Dialectic.) But we essentially use it only as a reading list and not as it was intended. I'm not sure if that counts or not? ;)

[give_me_a_latte]

YES! But I plan to anyway :tongue_smilie:

 

I discovered TOG a few years ago and FELL IN LOVE. I still get all giggly and excited when I pull up the site and click through samples. I think it looks AMAZING and can NOT wait to get started when my son starts 1st grade.

 

I don't plan on being a slave to it for the first few years though....but if I'm going to buy it anyway, why wait? I figure I might as well buy it and get familiar with it in the early years, so I'll have my TOG-stride by the time History studies are more important. I also plan to use SOTW along with TOG in LG/UG (because SOTW is supposed to be so awesome :thumbup: and because I won't have to worry so much about library trips to pick up books all the time!)

[johnandtinagilbert]

well, since I consider it an expense for the Elders, I kind of do get it for free :) b/c I also use books from the library and don't buy any books beyond activity books. So, for me, OH YES!

[johnandtinagilbert]

I wasn't at all meaning that anyone was dumb. ;) I was just pointing out a common complaint about TOG - that people can't understand it.

 

Ok, that makes sense. But if TOG were free, it ends up being similar in cost to, say, SOTW. Most people suggest using SOTW+AG for the elementary years, and I have SOTW+AG and go "How is this easier to plan?" I have to go through and select all the books and projects still, AND I have to decide what week I'll do things, which TOG has laid out already (I'm actually using BP now, so I don't have to select what weeks I'll do things :D). Time and energy... again, I'm not seeing the difference between this and SOTW+AG. So what do you end up doing in TOG that takes so much more time and energy than SOTW+AG? I'm honestly curious. This discussion is helpful to many of us. :)

 

(I'm trying ONE unit next year, and if we like it, we'll continue, and if we don't, we'll just do SOTW2 and maybe do American history the next couple years as my little ones join into history... I prefer to do modern history the way TOG does it, but TOG Y2/3 don't line up with SOTW 2/3, so I figure it will be easier to jump in at the beginning of Y2... cost is minimal, as my library has most of the books, and I use the hold system regularly... I don't *think* time, energy, or money will be any more than what I'm doing this year, but we'll find out when I start ;))

ahhhh I find the same things :) So glad to hear someone else say so

[ocelotmom]

I draw inspiration from half a dozen different curriculums already, so I imagine I'd toss elements of it into the mix.

[Pastor's Wife]

I'm a mother of preschoolers and investigating homeschool options. I love what I've seen in samples of TOG and am thinking about using it for grades 1-12. So yes I would definitely order it if it was free! Curious about more moms' thoughts on this topic!

[Clover11]

We use TOG Year 4 with my ds12. We plan on using it for the littles as well, and since it's already paid for it's like we're getting it for free! I've looked at the LG/UG levels and think it will be fun to do! We can always skip certain books/activities if it becomes too much for them.

 

It hasn't been hard to use as a secular program (so far); I'll just skip a few things during discussions. We have totally skipped the Church History part so far, but plan on using it in the future sometimes. We enjoy learning about different religions and this is a good way.

 

 

I think people look at TOG once and freak out. I did the same thing, but then I went back and played with it for a bit, downloading the DE sample, reading through it multiple times. I understand where everything is, what I would need to do, etc. It really doesn't look that difficult now. It totally freaked me out the first time I looked though. I quickly closed it up and didn't look again until a later discussion got me intrigued again. :lol:

 

I did the same thing :)

[Guest momk2000]

No. I purchased TOG a couple of years ago and ended up sending it back. Way too overwhelming for me. Just flipping through the guide made me hyperventilate - lol. I know many love TOG, but it's just not for me.

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

No. We had way more fun using SOTW for grades 1 and 2. As a matter of fact, even though I now have a D level student, I tend to use SOTW (an alternative source) instead of some of the other primary history resources for my LG student.

[HSMom2One]

Well if it were free then, YES!! I believe TOG is a stellar program of study for K-12. I do believe, however, that it would be more practical for a family with two or more children to begin when the oldest is in 5th grade at UG level, then bringing in the youngers at LG level so everyone is studying the same time period at their own level. Starting at UG would be a great way for mom to learn how to use TOG and for the oldest too, also for the oldest to start gearing up to the D and R stages, and for the family to start working together in the TOG style. Until the oldest is UG, I would not buy TOG unless, that is, you as the parent want to self-educate in preparation for your dc up ahead.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[SorrelZG]

If it were free, I'd use it for myself (or would try to .. or at the very least I would want to - it would totally be on my "to do" list). The combination of my own ways, preferences, and priorities eliminated it as a possibility for use with my little ones, though.

[Soror]

No interest.

[Melora in NC]

I would use it for the Lower Grammar level only if I also had another child working at a higher level. I really like SOTW for the younger years.

[EgoElfWife]

Most likely not even if it was free.

[raceNzanesmom]

No, it's never interested me.

[Meriwether]

I've thought about buying it just to look it over. I use VP but add in things all the time. My poor kids. If I had TOG in addition to everything they do now....

[kamom]

I've wanted to try it. Yes, I would.

[Aquinas Academy]

As much as I like the idea, I doubt I could ever use a boxed history curriculum. If TOG were free I'd probably use parts of it but not the whole thing.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

If only it were free...

 

I paid good money to use it in the younger years.

 

There are lots of great book selections that I would want to use anyway and I'll tailor the amount of extra activities to suit the child.

 

I plan on doing read alouds in pre K for Egypt so that my K student will be able to be on the same schedule as the older kids. But we are a family of history nuts. Said pre-K student is playing "Romans" as I type.

[Plaid Dad]

No. I prefer secular curricula and a much simpler approach with younger kids.

[Penelope]

A year or two ago, yes.

Now, though, I am happy with SOTW and a more eclectic approach. TOG has too many different threads and schedules for me to worry about for elementary.

 

I also am not a providential history person, and I'm not sure how much that would be an issue for me.

[WeeBeaks]

I would if it were free, or even just significantly cheaper than it is. I did but a unit to try, and there is a ton of info in there. But it is just too costly for my family for one subject.

 

We have been using Sonlight with lots of library resources, two cores at once right now. Next year I'm trying out straight recommendations from TWTM and combining kids in one history cycle. We'll see how that goes. I love TOG for combining, but it was just too pricey for us to maybe like and maybe not in the long run.