CC vs. TOG - Round One

[Lady Lulu]

Here's my situation: I am trying to figure out which direction to take for my bright 1st grader next year. I have 3 friends (families) currently enrolled in CC and another one seriously considering it. Although there is so much that appeals to me about CC, I am not completely sold on it just yet.

 

After coming across a few posts on this forum, and reading posts by the Accidental Homeschooler, I am incredibly curious about the TOG curriculum. I would LOVE to get together my own little co-op of 5 or so super cool, interesting families with similar world views and a passion for Christian Classical Education, but I don't currently have a group of homeschooling friends like that. We are close to about 5 other homeschooling families and, as I mentioned before, they are mostly committed to CC. Other than those few families, we are pretty isolated as homeschoolers.

 

What would you do in my situation?

 

I am definitely a leader type and have no problem organizing a group. However, I do not have a lot of experience homeschooling and don't have the vast wisdom many of you veterans have. I am also a bit of a control freak when it comes to my children's' education (OK, and pretty much every other aspect of my life as well). Art and creativity are vitally important to me, though my son seems very drawn so far to math and science (where does he get that?!?). We have visited 2 separate CC campuses and he has loved the experience.

 

Oh. Also, I should mention: I have 2 year old twins that I fear will be have a hard time spending 4 hours every week in the nursery (as there isn't much structure - the children pretty much play with toys the entire 4 hours).

 

Thanks for any and all input. I am open to all thoughts and would love to hear your honest opinions about each program.

 

Thanks!

Leslie

 

PS- Why does CC only have 3 cycles as opposed to the 4 described in WTM?

[MeganW]

I went through the same debate, and ended up deciding to do CC for a few years, then possibly switch to TOG. I have read on this forum numerous times people comment that they wouldn't start TOG before their oldest was entering the logic stage.

 

Be warned as well that 2 year old twins will be a lot harder as 3 to 4 year old twins. Multiples feed off each other in a way that singletons just don't. I would NOT take on leadership of anything if I were you before the twins were maybe 4 1/2. After that, they start becoming somewhat reason-with-able! :)

 

If you do CC in the meantime, that gives you 2 years to really get your feet wet and get your OWN homeschool grounded, as well as gives the twins a little maturity. It also gives you a chance to see what you do and don't like about the CC model and would help you design your own. You hear of so many people talking about co-ops that are great for a few months and then go south. Watching and learning at CC first might be beneficial. Maybe join one year, then tutor the second (to go through their training), and then start your own group after that?

[G5052]

I don't think you're at the stage of life where organizing a co-op is a priority for you or your children. You have a lot going on, and I still remember going to a TOG seminar years ago where Marsha stressed that the job of a mother of littles is to be a mother to them, not be running them around to a lot of activities. The habits you set now are critical. We actually waited on CC until my younger one was ready for class because of that, and focused on local craft classes, Cloverbuds (4-H), etc. that worked better with their personalities and schedule.

 

We know a number of families who use CC and TOG together, so you aren't necessarily eliminating one or the other if you go that way. At one point I longed for a TOG co-op, but I didn't want to organize it and we've never been invited to join one, so we've done CC most of the way.

[Rbsmrter]

We tried CC for a semester, and while I did think the program had a lot to offer, I was not at all impressed with the organization (or lack thereof) and teaching style of my daughter's tutor. Luckily, it sounds like your local CC locations are much better. Even with all of the issues we would have stuck with it for the entire year, but my 2 year old son hated the nursery. It made me so sad to leave him there, even if it was only for four hours. I just couldn't justify making him do something he disliked so much, just so my daughter could be taught something we could easily do at home. I think one of the biggest problems was the fact that there was no organization in the nursery. The woman who watched the kids just sat there as the kids played. The only planned activities were snack and recess. I have a friend at a different location and their nursery has a letter of the week program they use. It's nothing too intense, but she says her 2 year old loves it. Maybe you could suggest something a bit more structured for the nursery? That might give the twins something to look forward to and provide more structure. There are lots of free LOW programs out there and the families could all pitch it to buy the minimal supplies needed.

 

I guess that was my long winded way of saying CC does have a lot of potential, but finding out that your younger kids are miserable is a costly mistake since you have to pay upfront. :001_smile:

[G5052]

I guess that was my long winded way of saying CC does have a lot of potential, but finding out that your younger kids are miserable is a costly mistake since you have to pay upfront. :001_smile:

 

We were involved with Community Bible Study before CC, and loved their preschool program. So when I looked into CC and was told that the parents rotated through and it was whatever the parent that week brought, I said no. Mine would hate that. So we waited.

 

Our current campus has a person running the nursery who brings books and crafts to make it fun and different each week. They also found an art teacher to do the afternoon program during Essentials that is superb. That's the ideal IMHO. Makes it worthwhile for the parents and children.