Time for Chocolate Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I'm trying to get the 'endless black hole' feeling out of my head when I think about hsing through high school. My oldest is going into 7th grade. If you think Tapestry is a good plan please tell me why. If you do something else that you think is solid and wonderful please tell me about it. Feel free to include all subjects not just the ones covered in Tapestry. Thank you all so much! Judy *By the way, I have five kiddos from 12 years old down to 4 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamajudy Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I don't know about TOG, but I just want to encourage you. Those years will fly by, and before you know it the kids will be all grown up. Enjoy your blessings! Home schooling through high school is a joy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time for Chocolate Posted July 6, 2011 Author Share Posted July 6, 2011 Thanks MamaJudy!! I just want to do a great job! I worry about all that I don't know... I read some of these threads and think how in the world do you pick from all of these seemingly great choices and pull off a cohesive, thorough education that will serve my children well! :confused: Thanks for your encouragement! Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigid in NC Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 By the way, I have five kiddos from 12 years old down to 4 years old. I think TOG is a great program for big families. It streamlines things for mom, with history as the spine. It is challenging, but flexible. I love the "real books" approach versus a textbook approach to history and literature. One of the strengths of TOG, IMO, is the discussions that a family can have -- with each level of student bringing his/her own facts and understanding to the mix (since each "level" is reading something different -- but in the same time period). It's great for a big family! ;) Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn in CA Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I get stressed thinking about trying to pull together all these books from the library and such, and staying on a schedule from week to week. Does it require a lot of week to week planning? Does it require a lot of library trips if I don't want to buy more than the most basic books? For jr. high age (dd is going into 7th) is it mostly independent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvaleri Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Swore I wouldn't use it again after the first year, but here we are in our 3rd year of TOG. :lol: "I get stressed thinking about trying to pull together all these books from the library and such, and staying on a schedule from week to week." I spend a good bit of time in the summer looking for the best deals on books. Depending on the year plan, however, your local library may have the bulk. For example, with Year 1 the Ancients, there is a plethora of material on ancient egypt, mesopotamia, greece, rome, etc. So, if I want, I can substitute books pretty easily. Paperbackswap and google books have come in handy. The best piece of advice I received our first year is when the week has ended, leave it in the past. Don't lament what you didn't cover. By the end of the year, you'll be amazed at just how much was covered and how much your students learned. Very true! "Does it require a lot of week to week planning?" Usually, I try to stay two-three weeks ahead for requesting books from the library. On Sunday afternoons (our shabbat is Saturday), I spend a couple of hours looking over all the schoolwork for the coming week, not just TOG, making copies, printing maps, etc. Does it require a lot of library trips if I don't want to buy more than the most basic books?" That will depend on how many other TOG Users live in your area :tongue_smilie: There is flexibility with TOG. There is a spine for each level. Your student does not have to complete every reading assignment in every category. Especially with your first year of Tapestry, only require Beginning History. You certainly can add to the readings as you and your student become more acclimated. One more thought, lots of Tapestry's books are available used. "For jr. high age (dd is going into 7th) is it mostly independent?" Definitely! I love the way Tapestry incorporates time management and planning. My sixth grader took care of writing all his assignments in a planner each Monday morning. Then he checked them off as he completed them. At lunch, we would peek at what needed to be completed and the priority of remaining assignments. HTH, Teresa in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigid in NC Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I get stressed thinking about trying to pull together all these books from the library and such, and staying on a schedule from week to week. Does it require a lot of week to week planning? Does it require a lot of library trips if I don't want to buy more than the most basic books? For jr. high age (dd is going into 7th) is it mostly independent? While TOG is set up in a way that dialectic and rhetoric-level students work independently, it definitely does require a lot of mom leg-work, pulling together the books and preparing for the discussion (from the teacher notes) week to week. I love the planning part of school -- so I thought sleuthing for resources was fun. It might not be for everybody. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGK Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 My daughter is a rising 10th grader. We have decided to stick with TOG for high school because of the book selections and awesome teacher's notes and discussion guides. Last year, I finally decided to do all my planning and book purchasing in the summer so that when life got busy, we would stay on track. I reformatted the SAP pages, printed the maps, and put everything in a binder organized by week. I put sticky notes in the reading assignment pages with reminders to request library books. This year we will not have as much time to devote to history, so to simplify things further, we will use the Spielvogel text as our primary reading resource, and will supplement with the other TOG suggestions. One of TOG's greatest assets is the flexibility built into the program. Of course, maybe I'm like Brigid in NC and just love the planning part, and that's why TOG works for me. :tongue_smilie: Best of luck planning the high school years! Melanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photo Ninja Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 TOG is great for high school. My dc used it and have found college history, western civ and literature courses to be very easy because of the strong background from TOG. We enjoyed the literature selections in TOG, as well as the discussions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianachoate Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Yes, we used it for highschool. Just remember you are not going to get all subject together. Diana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time for Chocolate Posted July 8, 2011 Author Share Posted July 8, 2011 Thanks for all of the help, ladies. I'm almost ready to buy. What Year do you recommend that I start with? We have just finished up the Revolutionary War. So, should I get Year 3 Unit 4 for the continuity, or Year 1 Unit 1? I appreciate you all! Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollyandab Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 What Year do you recommend that I start with? We have just finished up the Revolutionary War. So, should I get Year 3 Unit 4 for the continuity, or Year 1 Unit 1? I think I just responded to your post on the K-8 board, but I'll do it again here! If you just finished the Revolutionary War, then year 3 Unit 1 is where you would want to start--not unit 4. Year 3 starts with a review of President Washington and moves on to Adams and the French Revolution. I suppose there may be a bit missing between the Revolutionary War and Adams (since it just reviews Washington), but given your children's ages, I don't think that's a big deal. You can always do a quick overview if you think you missed anything. I certainly wouldn't want to go back and do unit 4 of year 2...there would be too much repeating. But that's just me! I would think it's a perfect time to start at the beginning of a TOG year as well as the school year! Blessing! Holly in KY Mama to 11 yo twin boys Good luck! Holly in KY Mama to 11yo twin boys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time for Chocolate Posted July 8, 2011 Author Share Posted July 8, 2011 Thanks Holly! That was me on the K-8 board.:001_smile: You are exactly right - Year 3 Unit 1 is a great place to start. Thanks so much! Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sojmom4 Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 I can't begin to say enough about TOG. We used the history and literature components throughout high school for our oldest son. Needless to say, he has completed his freshman year of college with academic honors both semesters. He says TOG thoroughly prepared him for his college courses. The only thing he says I could have done differently is hold his feet to the fire more his senior year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 As far as quality of material, YES it is plenty for high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSnow Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 We absolutely love it! I plan everything in the summer too. I buy the books that are used over multiple weeks (used) and if I can get some of the others used I get those too so I have them, but we do borrow some from the library as well. I have gotten so many books for $1-$2 that it made sense just to buy. I realize it can seem overwhelming, but if your children are independent then it can be easily done with a little preplanning on your part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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