TOG with several children?

[Susan in TN]

Do any of you with, say, 4 or more children in school use TOG? (Quiver?)

 

• How long do you spend with the TOG on a daily basis?
  
• Do you feel it really helps save time/organization/brain cells with children in different levels?
  
• What other subjects do you add in, and how do you coordinate all of it? (I feel strongly about teaching Bible, Latin and music lessons, and then obviously there's science, math, grammar, etc.)
  
• How teacher-intensive are the rhetoric/logic levels? Lower levels?
  
• Do your older students help the younger ones? And then how do they finish their own lessons?

In 3 years I'll have a rhetoric, logic, upper grammar, and 2 lower grammar. (and that doesn't take into account any other little ones that may be forthcoming). Makes my head spin. I envision us doing lessons from 8am to 2am every day. :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm starting Omnibus with my oldest this coming year - I love the Omnibus curriculum, but I wonder if it would be too much to have 2 different Omnibus years going, along with the younger ones using SOTW and whatever else needed for the 2 "gap years" between SOTW and Omnibus (5th & 6th grades). I know I can use Omnibus as a resource along with something else like TOG, but I hate to change gears so dramatically and then find it wasn't worth it in the end, KWIM?

 

Or, maybe I can just continue with Omnibus for my oldest and work the younger ones into TOG?

 

Thank you for your input - I know you've answered these questions a million times. (I did search the boards, really!)

[Lisawa]

I have only used TOG w/ 3 children. It does save time, energy, even money.... when we began I had 1 D, 1UG and 1LG. We added math, grammar, science for all and my younger 2 had spelling. My son was in debate at the time too.

 

I spent an a few hours reading teachers notes on Sunday and making a plan for the week... what books were to be used and any activities.... I would spend a little more time if I had to "find" stuff to complete an activity.

 

My son read on his own and I read to the girls, folding them in together.

 

Now I plan a unit at a time in advance. I keep all the books, resources etc close for to use during the week. I have a basic weekly procedure we now follow.... I still read my teachers notes, but I work on it through the week, and I try to read something the girls have read. I also take advantage of the resources on line at the TOG website, the girls have been taught how to find the site and use those as well for research.

 

You have so much flexibility w/ TOG, you can schedule and use it however it fits your family... getting ideas from others is a great start... then you can get ideas and wade through what works and doesn't as far as workable schedules or work load.

 

 

How long do you spend with the TOG on a daily basis?

 

It depends on the day. Monday through Wed tend to be more time spent for the older kids reading. Between History, literature on those days maybe 2 + hours. They can read the lit at any time during the day, but I do have them read for 1 hour scheduled reading.

 

Crafts and or maps can take time.... it just depends... but probably a few hours for the older, MUCH less for the younger... maybe an hour for LG and little more maybe for UG... depends if you decide to fold them in or not. Will your UG read alone? Will you read out loud to both LG and UG giving the UG a little extra to do on their own?

 

It really depends on what you want....

 

Do you feel it really helps save time/organization/brain cells with children in different levels?

 

Yes, I really do. I have used other curriculum's and other resources and it was far more work trying to keep them together.... or even more work having them do their own thing. The work is done with TOG, I just decide how to execute it all.

 

What other subjects do you add in, and how do you coordinate all of it? (I feel strongly about teaching Bible, Latin and music lessons, and then obviously there's science, math, grammar, etc.)

 

Those are all addable. I mentioned a little above what we did in school years past....Many folks add the things you want to.....

 

We add bible, right now we are completing Explorers bible studies, but next year I hope to have us all back in BSF. We added Latin last year for my then dialect student, she only did a semester.

 

This year we have Spanish, Apologia science, AG, and JAG, math, bible study. Hope Im not forgetting something.... oh we also lap book history and science. Science more, history we just add or maybe focus on an area for a bit.... but, that is something we add.

 

Next year we have logic, science for my new dialect student *Ü* Health for both girls, BSF, continue Spanish, continue lap books and notebooks and art along with Nature study and journaling here and there and a State History study.

 

How teacher-intensive are the rhetoric/logic levels? Lower levels?

 

You need to be willing to learn. The teachers notes really are sufficient for you. I have felt this way about both classic and now looking over redesign. Although, some weeks I just did not get "all" the answers ( I'm speaking about classic tapestry of grace) so I go to the TOG website and do a little research on my own. I give myself all week. We don't have history discussions on Wed. We have them on Fridays.

 

Do your older students help the younger ones? And then how do they finish their own lessons?

 

Good question! Yes, soemtimes.... especially if they are doing a map, or timeliness or projects.... I have caught them talking about books they read, and sometimes correcting eachother..... but they dont help as in teach or lead anything. Its all natural and informal.....

 

Mondays I explain everything that is expected of them. Give them books etc. The notebooks have the student activity pages in them and anything else they will need to complete their work.... so its all explained and laid out for them.....We follow a weekly procedure and they have a schedule. We try to stick to the times on the schedule because I want us to be done by a certain time... but ... if something is working and they want to finish, I let them.

 

Here is the schedule I used:

 

Weekly schedule

 

TOG weekly procedure

 

I hope this was helpful.... we have been using TOG for 5 years now and it works. We have not always completed a year plan in one year... but Im good with that. we have completed them in a year, but that is when I taught to my oldest who is now graduating.... my middle child likes the slower pace... because she is at Rhetoric level we go at her pace.

 

Its all good...

[Langhaven]

We are starting our 6th year with TOG. This past year I worked with 3 children on TOG. This coming year I will have 4 working on the curriculum and a tag along to do crafts and listen to read alouds.

 

I believe TOG is a better plan in contrast to doing many time periods with many levels of students. Especially if you are working on the Rhetoric level, you will be very equipped on all the lower levels to jump in with hardly any prep and speak knowledge into the minds and hearts of your children.

 

I have had years of being very involved with the Rhetoric level, and years like this one, where I've read the teachers notes and asked the questions during discussion. In the summers, I like to read some of the Rhetoric reading assignments/literature to get a feel for what is coming. I think you can pick and choose just how much you want to do. Some prefer to have history be very prominent in their homeschool. This year, our philosophy was to diminish history from what it has been in the past. My high schoolers were doing Biology, advanced math classes, advanced composition, second year Spanish and concentrating on music skills and other outside activities. So, we read the assignments, held our history discussions and quizzed on each lesson. Other years, I have done the literature, required research papers, and added on other elements like Church History and Government. You can make it what you want to.

 

I have never had a Rhetoric level student help a younger one. My children are so crazy busy with school and other things, they don't have the time to spare to tutor in these things. Because they are so independent on the high school level, I am left to work with my younger 4 and leave them to move through their assignments until we meet for discussion on Thursday afternoons.

 

My high schoolers read the assignments from M-W. On Wed and Thursday mornings, they work on the accountability and thinking questions. They also work on their historical atlases and timelines. Thursday afternoons, we meet for 2 hours to discuss what they have learned, according to the discussion notes in the teacher's notes. Friday, we quiz, using the Evaluations offered by TOG.

 

If you start with Year 1, you will go through most of the Bible, as it correlates to ancient history. It is fascinating and so enriching. This might be a great place to jump in, knowing that Bible will be very thoroughly covered in the context of history and God's sovereignty. Even purchasing one unit would give you a feel and you might be able to decide if it was for you to juggle TOG and the other subjects that you don't want to leave behind. You had mentioned that you wanted specifically to teach the Bible, and since it is so well included in that year, as well as lots of world-view discussions, this may be a good year or unit to pick up and experiment with, if you desire.

 

Blessings!

[Langhaven]

Just wanted to say, as I reread your questions and you mentioned *Quiver*, that TOG lends itself to the philosophy "the more the better." With everyone doing the same thing (on different levels) it is ideal for a quiverful family. We tend to bring our discussions to the table at mealtimes and in the car here and there. The upper level students spur on the lower level with all the conversation. Dad listens to "popquiz" which is a 10 minute session overviewing the weekly lesson. There is a myriad of discussion topics. Projects can be grouped together for a display. Grouping several children together for crafts, discussions, lap books, read alouds etc. will be worthwhile and keep the youngers from being idle. You'd have to think it through, but it will work well.

 

Lower grammar is very light unless your children are VERY motivated. It's meant to be dessert with the three Rs as prominent in their schedule.

 

Upper grammar can be busier, if you include the writing component. You can bring the LG level in for read alouds. Much of TOG can be done independently at this level. Answer keys for worksheets are provided. There are lapbooks that cement concepts learned in the reading. Crafts are optional. We do several a month - not crafts on a weekly basis.

 

Dialectic and Rhetoric can be combined, with less expected of the Dialectic student during discussions.

 

HTH

[Susan in TN]

Thank you - I hadn't thought of buying just one unit to see how it all works. I feel so much better if I can look through something and mull over it for a period of time - a year of mulling is not too long for me :).

[Hen]

Lisa,

 

I am interested in the downloads you linked- I've resisted clicking before, because I get nervous about downloads, but I finally HAD to see your docs, so I clicked over and downloaded, but then I was taken to a commercial page and then on through to the original download page...how do I 'see' your docs?

[Lisawa]

Lisa,

 

I am interested in the downloads you linked- I've resisted clicking before, because I get nervous about downloads, but I finally HAD to see your docs, so I clicked over and downloaded, but then I was taken to a commercial page and then on through to the original download page...how do I 'see' your docs?

 

 

Ugh! Im sorry.. I will check the link... but here is one thats more direct.

 

Weekly Schedule (not being used right now due to summer schedule)

 

Weekly procedure

 

Look for this right around the middle of the page... it will say...

 

"Your download should begin shortly. If it does not, try Download file now "

 

if it gives you trouble, shoot me a PM and I will send it to you personaly.... :)

[Hen]

Thanks Lisa,

 

the 'click here if download does not start' link on the page did the trick!

 

I really liked your planning sheet, thanks.

 

:)

[Quiver0f10]

Hi!

 

Sorry I missed this earlier. We haven't started using TOG yet and will jump in come August, so I am not sure how it's going to unfold for us. I have a schedule made up but no clue how practicle it's going to be LOL.

 

I am enjoying the other responses !

[choirfarm]

I used Tog Redesigned year 1 with my 7th, 5th and K children. Next year we will do Tog Redesigned year 2 with my 8th, 6th and 1st. I REALLY like it. I really like how flexible it is. I took a lot of time over the summer to get organized and it really helped so that I spent maybe an hour a week and that was just relooking over the teacher's notes. I had everything printed off ahead of time in their individual notebooks. Now I really just did phonics, math and handwriting with my youngest and tried to read one lower grammar book to her and she did a few coloring pages or projects. My middle child loves reading to my younger one and I had him do that a few times. An upper grammar child, to me, is the perfect age to work with the lower grammar children. They normally read well and don't have the amount of work the older ones do. I don't have one in rhetoric, but I have looked it over and WOW...it is a TON of work and I wouldn't have them work with the younger children. I also like this program because they learn to plan out their own work. So I just hand the materials to my older one and he plans everything on his own. I just tell him when our discussions will take place and/or when something is due. I did not add any Bible last year because with TOG they read through almost the entire Bible as part of the program and the questions were deep and thought-provoking and even the non-Bible weeks linked back to the Bible with the thinking questions. This year the older two will have a devotion time and I will work on AWANA verses with my youngest. Here is my schedule for my older two:

 

Brian 8th grade

 

8-8:15 devotion

8:15-8:45 Piano

8:45-9:45 Geometry

9:45- history readaloud

10-10:30 Latin Road to English Grammar

10:30-11:30 TOG work

11:30-12 Writing (part of TOG.. early in the week reading may take the place here)

12-12:30 Lunch Break

12:30-1:30 Apologia Biology

1:30-2 Rosetta Stone

2-2:30 Computer Course

2:30-3:00 Piano

3- 3:30 Break

3:30-4 30 minute clean up

 

Homework : To finish math, TOG or whatever else would not finish in the block.

 

Jonathan 6th grade

8-8:15 devotion

8:15-9 Math

9-9:30 Piano

9:45-10 Readaloud

10-10:30 Latin Road to English Grammar

10:30-12 TOG and writing

12-12:30 lunch break

12:30-1 Science – lifepacks or Zoo 1 co-op work

1-1:30 Rosetta Stone

1:30-2 Piano Practice

2-2:30 Typing

2:30-3:00 Hands on TOG stuff with Megan??

3-3:30 BREAK

3:30-4 30 minute clean-up

 

 

I hope that helps.

 

Christine

[Langhaven]

Hi Christine!

 

I think your idea of printing assignments off beforehand is such a smart idea. I've been thinking long and hard about how not to scramble the weekend before with copying assignments and planning for the week.

 

Recently, I found Karen Ciavo's blog and here is her idea: (thank you, Karen!) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/karenciavo/ It's worth it to take a look and see her work in advance of the school year. I think it would make my life more streamlined to make an assignment workbook for each child and then just work through it each week, making sure the books and materials are available right beforehand.

 

Pam