Help with Tapestry of Grace

[redquilthorse]

We just started TOG. I have one UG and two LG. My UG is 10. The UG readings, especially in the first two weeks, seem like too much. We are only doing the History Core and Worldview, but it is still more reading than we have ever done for history. I am wondering whether other moms have felt the same way, or maybe I just need to raise the bar. One other consideration for me is that my kids would rather read literature (non-historical) or science books. I am looking for help gauging what is typical for other kids since I don't have a great frame of reference. Is the amount of reading in TOG for UG an average amount of reading for one subject for a child in 4th grade?

[Hedgehogs4]

The reading can be daunting. If you are feeling overwhelmed, I would just go with the core reading and do none of the in-depth reading. I also slowed us down a little this year and am not as concerned with whether or not we cover every single week of the material. After doing TOG for a year I am figuring out how to tweak it to suit our pace of life, but there is a bit of a learning curve.

[woolybear]

I am using the occasional audio book. We are doing year 4. Ds has been listening to Call of the Wild on audio. He has been doing the reading for history. Just an idea.

[coffeegal]

We just started TOG. I have one UG and two LG. My UG is 10. The UG readings, especially in the first two weeks, seem like too much. We are only doing the History Core and Worldview, but it is still more reading than we have ever done for history. I am wondering whether other moms have felt the same way, or maybe I just need to raise the bar. One other consideration for me is that my kids would rather read literature (non-historical) or science books. I am looking for help gauging what is typical for other kids since I don't have a great frame of reference. Is the amount of reading in TOG for UG an average amount of reading for one subject for a child in 4th grade?

 

The TOG reading take some time to adjust to. My suggestion would be to drop your 4th grader down to LG for a unit or so until the family adjusts to TOG. Then try moving back up to the UG level for your 10 year old. I let my kids drop to a lower level for the first few units while we adjusted to TOG before moving them up for the second semester. They still struggled at the beginning of second semester, but were easily finishing the readings by the end of the school year. This year has been going really well. :001_smile: So I repeat, let your 10 yo drop back to LG for the next few units or even the year. It won't hurt your 4th grader to do LG history this year. Next year you can raise the bar after everyone has adjusted to TOG. :D

[Random]

We just started TOG. I have one UG and two LG. My UG is 10. The UG readings, especially in the first two weeks, seem like too much. We are only doing the History Core and Worldview, but it is still more reading than we have ever done for history. I am wondering whether other moms have felt the same way, or maybe I just need to raise the bar. One other consideration for me is that my kids would rather read literature (non-historical) or science books. I am looking for help gauging what is typical for other kids since I don't have a great frame of reference. Is the amount of reading in TOG for UG an average amount of reading for one subject for a child in 4th grade?

 

 

I think the reading in TOG can be daunting. I would just do history core for now, if I were you. It's just my opinion but, I think the basics (reading/writing/math) should take the center stage until the R level. We are taking TOG light until high school. We are on our second rotation of Year 1.

 

Here are some things I do to lighten TOG for my 10, 9, and 6 yo boys:

Audio Books

Gradually 'raise the bar' throughout the year

Read Aloud, instead of independently

Skip weeks

Spread a week's worth out for longer than a week

Bedtime reading and weekend reading times

 

 

You can make many substitutions at the UG level to suit your son's reading style preferences.

[cjgrubbs]

I love the idea of TOG but after 1 quarter (Y2 U3) we are taking a break from it. I had my 9 yo 4th grader doing SOTW which is the alternate core history for UG but the LG in depth along with his 6 yo brother. I was having him read some of the lit selections for UG but they were hard for him.

 

However, my 12 yo 7th grader was struggling to get all the D history reading done and be able to work through all those questions. He loves to read but that much reading along with all those questions were sucking the joy out of history for him.

 

You definetly need to use TOG as a buffet and pick and choose what you want to do. That is REALLY hard for me bc it is so expensive and I want to use every little piece of it. Hence, the break. Maybe we'll try again later or for highschool.

[woolybear]

The TOG reading take some time to adjust to. My suggestion would be to drop your 4th grader down to LG for a unit or so until the family adjusts to TOG. Then try moving back up to the UG level for your 10 year old. I let my kids drop to a lower level for the first few units while we adjusted to TOG before moving them up for the second semester. They still struggled at the beginning of second semester, but were easily finishing the readings by the end of the school year. This year has been going really well. :001_smile: So I repeat, let your 10 yo drop back to LG for the next few units or even the year. It won't hurt your 4th grader to do LG history this year. Next year you can raise the bar after everyone has adjusted to TOG. :D

I forgot to mention, although ds is dialectic, I choose books from UG and D. Occasionally I'll throw a LG in too. I like having the option of the different levels.