Jump to content

Menu

Blog -- "Why I left TOG and Sonlight" though this was good and worth sharing


Recommended Posts

I think her point about most of the curric going unused was worth noting.

 

Other than that since I dont want my kids to think of stuff as God's plan, but rather as human's plans in God's world I can not relate.

 

In general I think long time homeschoolers eventually leave behind the hand holding of a box plan and instead embrace their own preferred resources from the buffet, so to speak.

 

 

I agree. TOG is so expensive, it is a shame to only use some of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Other than that since I dont want my kids to think of stuff as God's plan, but rather as human's plans in God's world I can not relate.

 

 

A bit OT (or maybe not) but I love this line. I keep hunting for the words to express certain of my beliefs in a concise way, and this nails it. Thank you.

 

Tonight a friend asked why I hadn't considered a particular Christian school, and my best answer was that I want my kids to learn the Bible, but I don't want it to be their history or science textbook.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a really hard time with this blog post. I can understand where you might move from SL to TOG, I've done that myself. I can also see where some might be overwhelmed by the content of TOG in R if that is not what you have planned for your DC. That is why there are trimming instructions so the blogger is not the only one to encounter this.

 

I do not understand the comparison as outlined in this post. The blogger bought a portion of the curriculum, based on what I am reading on the BiblioPlan site, and is comparing that primarily to TOG, which offers a complete program for all the age levels. BiblioPlan does a three day a week schedule in high school, uses MoH as a spine for that level, and considers it credit for World History, World Geography, and English Lit. I have no experience with the recommended literature guide so I won't comment there. I guess I could go on here in comparisons but I think it comes down to what each individual family wants for their education plan. I'm glad the blogger found what works for her family, but that would never fly as high school in my house.

 

This comparison is like comparing apples and oranges in my book.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I won't be ditching TOG any time soon...I can't sell or return any of it. I might as well use as little or as much of it as I can! :bored: It is not all meant to be used at once. I have considered switching for next year when we do the ancients, but I really cannot see another curriculum that is as thorough without being text-booky. It seems a waste to spend all that money on something that is designed for all levels and then not use it for as long as possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with her assessment, and I read her other more detailed posts leading up to this. I hit a similar crossroads when my oldest hit 7th grade and almost went with Biblioplan. To me Biblioplan seemed to bring in the advantages of TOG with a more reasonable approach. For various reasons, I actually ended up splitting mine into different paths at that point, and that has been our approach ever since.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

There is a lot more to the high school credit scheduled in Biblioplan.

 

I can appreciate that I don't fully comprehend a program that I don't own. I am limited to the three week samples and book lists that BiblioPlan presents on their website for those considering their curriculum and what this blogger has portrayed on her blog. In that regard I stand by my statement. TOG certainly isn't the answer for everyone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use SL and plan to stick with it. Of course you cannot use one core for a six-year age span, they do not advertise that. There are, however, a wealth of information and resources on how to combine 2 or 3 kids in a core, depending on age/grade/maturity and how to line up higher cores with lower ones so the family is studying the same time period. I used SL begininng in middle school with the older dc, and went through high school. It was easy to combine them on everything. They even graduated the same year. I am sure my younger dc will be more of a challenge to combine and I will end up running at least two cores. I don't see that as a big deal. I know SL isn't for everyone, and neither is anything else. I simply think that her summary of SL indicates that it is impossible to work within a large family which is find completely silly. I personally know two families with five children each that use and love SL.

 

We all choose what is best for our family and SL is best for ours. I have looked over TOG, I have read many reviews and posts on WTM about why people left SL for TOG or left TOG for SL. I don't want to have to choose all of the books. I don't want a "buffet". I am content with my choices, dh and I decided with much prayer and discussion what would work for our family, and this is it.

 

All of that being said, she has the right to voice her experiences and opinions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know, I think like others the whole thing about not using all of a program that you've already bought 3 out of 4 years of is weird.

 

I also can say that my oldest is doing almost all of R level materials. I admit we don't really do the geography component formally (in year one we do discuss some of how geography influences culture but after that no super formal). But we do the philosophy church history, art, etc. Love it!

 

I also don't get why she couldn't use the SAPs with substituted books. Yes, that is a problem for lit, but if she is going to substitute old Sonlight books why not just use her old Sonlight guides? But for history, the SAPs should still work because Tapestry is history driven not literature and book driven. Sure there might be a few details different but if you have substituted wisely it won't be a big deal.

 

Which brings me to my other point of departure. I don't make a lot of ongoing decisions about books. I have a plan in action and I buy what doesn't exist for me in my home. I try to get it used but new if not, and I make clear notes of what is going to substitute for what. I have all that done over the summer and in the school year all I have to do is hand out books, by following the plan. Sure you don't have to hunt for books if you buy one textbook to use for the year, but then you only have one textbook. Not what I want, at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know, I think like others the whole thing about not using all of a program that you've already bought 3 out of 4 years of is weird.

 

I also can say that my oldest is doing almost all of R level materials. I admit we don't really do the geography component formally (in year one we do discuss some of how geography influences culture but after that no super formal). But we do the philosophy church history, art, etc. Love it!

 

I also don't get why she couldn't use the SAPs with substituted books. Yes, that is a problem for lit, but if she is going to substitute old Sonlight books why not just use her old Sonlight guides? But for history, the SAPs should still work because Tapestry is history driven not literature and book driven. Sure there might be a few details different but if you have substituted wisely it won't be a big deal.

 

Which brings me to my other point of departure. I don't make a lot of ongoing decisions about books. I have a plan in action and I buy what doesn't exist for me in my home. I try to get it used but new if not, and I make clear notes of what is going to substitute for what. I have all that done over the summer and in the school year all I have to do is hand out books, by following the plan. Sure you don't have to hunt for books if you buy one textbook to use for the year, but then you only have one textbook. Not what I want, at all.

 

Good points. Another thing that didn't make sense to me was to complain about the expense of buying books and then say that you'd have to update for new books. That's not how it works. If you have the books or have access to them, you don't update. The updates are only for ease of purchasing in print books.

 

And I'm still baffled about buying three out of four year plans that will be able to be used over and over and saying you quit because of the expense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah...I'm 2 years in TOG and committed for the long haul. Can't imagine throwing away the money and time I have spent. I own TOG1, TOG2, and TOG3. (Haven't used year 1 yet)

 

I use tons of SL books and haven't had an issue. Also have purchased used on ebay and new from the Bookshelf Central.

 

No way am I giving up now. Lol Now for each child I can leave out as much as I want and still feel like I have gotten a great deal. I will be using TOG until 2034 as of now. :0 :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah...I'm 2 years in TOG and committed for the long haul. Can't imagine throwing away the money and time I have spent. I own TOG1, TOG2, and TOG3. (Haven't used year 1 yet)

 

I use tons of SL books and haven't had an issue. Also have purchased used on ebay and new from the Bookshelf Central.

 

No way am I giving up now. Lol Now for each child I can leave out as much as I want and still feel like I have gotten a great deal. I will be using TOG until 2034 as of now. :0 :lol:

 

Maybe by then you can actually use all :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe it's because my sons are 5 and 1/2 years apart in age but I don't grasp the goal of combining kids 6 years apart into the same core. How is that even possible? All I am saying is that my 9 year old had better be working at a significantly higher level than my FOUR year old. Ditto for 15 and 9. I really don't get it. What am I missing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a quote from the blog post...

 

Lastly, I became frustrated having to find replacement books for those no longer in print. That need would only grow the longer I used TOG and cycled through, adding a level each year.

 

TOG finds replacements for any book that goes out of print as soon as it goes out of print...They even have access to the old plans that involve out of print books...So basically, you can use the current book or an older one and still print out the lesson plans that go along with it, so I don't understand this comment...If you buy TOG used, you may not have access to what I am mentioning, but you can't list that as a con of the curriculum...It is simply a con of buying it used...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe it's because my sons are 5 and 1/2 years apart in age but I don't grasp the goal of combining kids 6 years apart into the same core. How is that even possible? All I am saying is that my 9 year old had better be working at a significantly higher level than my FOUR year old. Ditto for 15 and 9. I really don't get it. What am I missing?

 

Which program are you asking about? SL, TOG, or BiblioPlan?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Which program are you asking about? SL, TOG, or BiblioPlan?

 

 

No program, just that just wondering why not being able to do this with ease was considered a bad thing by the blog poster. Perhaps on total electives with vastly different expected output levels but for academics? Why would anyone ever expect this or want this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah...I'm 2 years in TOG and committed for the long haul. Can't imagine throwing away the money and time I have spent. I own TOG1, TOG2, and TOG3. (Haven't used year 1 yet)

 

I use tons of SL books and haven't had an issue. Also have purchased used on ebay and new from the Bookshelf Central.

 

No way am I giving up now. Lol Now for each child I can leave out as much as I want and still feel like I have gotten a great deal. I will be using TOG until 2034 as of now. :0 :lol:

 

I agree with the SL books. That has saved me tons of money, and yes I do use my IG's if I substitute in a book like someone mentioned further up the thread.

 

Ugh AngelBee, you just had to make me do the math didn't you? ;) I think I come out around 2027. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe it's because my sons are 5 and 1/2 years apart in age but I don't grasp the goal of combining kids 6 years apart into the same core. How is that even possible? All I am saying is that my 9 year old had better be working at a significantly higher level than my FOUR year old. Ditto for 15 and 9. I really don't get it. What am I missing?

 

 

 

It isn't the same core in the sense of Sonlight Cores, it is working in the same time period in History. Biblioplan allows you to do the same time period of history with every age/grade that you having using different spines for elementary, middle and highschool. You'd use different literature books for each and have one family read aloud going that covers the time period. If the whole family is studying early modern times, it sure makes field trips, videos etc. much, much easier. Some families don't mind studying two time periods. I personally find it nearly impossible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, TOG sounds like hell to me. It's the worst possible fit for my personality and for our priorities (more math, less history). But it looks like a great program for what it does.

 

Some of her justifications seem odd. She felt that she was wasting money by not doing it all . . . but that money is a sunk cost. She's already spent it. It's like insisting on eating a muffin because I paid for it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

It isn't the same core in the sense of Sonlight Cores, it is working in the same time period in History. Biblioplan allows you to do the same time period of history with every age/grade that you having using different spines for elementary, middle and highschool. You'd use different literature books for each and have one family read aloud going that covers the time period. If the whole family is studying early modern times, it sure makes field trips, videos etc. much, much easier. Some families don't mind studying two time periods. I personally find it nearly impossible.

 

Ok. I get it a little bit. I am not much of a unit study/field trip sort of hs mom so maybe that is why I don't see the importance. :) I would likely see it differently if I didn't have kids so far apart. Things like videos appropriate for my young one at age 6 or 7 don't see like they would be compelling enough to my older one at 12 or 13. But maybe I will think differently down the road.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I kind of can see her point. But, I think that every family is different. My sister uses TOG and absolutely loves it. It is more than I want right now, but SOTW alone was not what we wanted either. I love SL books but not SL "history" so we went with BP as a spine adding in SL books. It has been a great fit for us. I know BP is not right for everyone, but it was a great fit for us for now. TOG and SL are great programs and one thing I have learned already in our short career of homeschooling is never rule something out! Just because it doesn't fit now doesn't mean it won't fit in a year or two. ;)

 

I would like to comment on all of the comments about her already having spent the money on TOG. This isn't exactly true. Because TOG is so book specific, when I figured out a long term plan for TOG because of the differences in my kids ages, they wouldn't hit the same years at the same time. So yes, I would have the the TOG curriculum with LG books but the next time around I might need UG or D or R. I would have to spend so much on books and buy new books each cycle for different ages it would get kind of crazy. If you use the library this is irrelevant. I avoid the library at all costs. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm confused on 2034. If you get pregnant right now, the child would graduate in 2032.

 

Could be I don't know how to do math? :p Its not included in TOG you know! lol

 

I think I figured I would hold the twins back a year (am pregnant and due July 28th).so maybe 2033???

 

PS...I haven't been sleeping much! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could be I don't know how to do math? :p Its not included in TOG you know! lol

 

I think I figured I would hold the twins back a year (am pregnant and due July 28th).so maybe 2033???

 

PS...I haven't been sleeping much! :D

 

2032. That's what I should have wrote. Been writing that all day! :D :lol:

 

Opps!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to defend TOG...it has saved my homeschooling life! I simply cannot imagine homeschooling my four without it. I just started using it this year with my oldest in eighth grade. It has been the most wonderful addition and has made this school year the best we've ever had (the kids have never been in away from home school). I can go on and on and on about how much I love it.

 

That said, it takes a LONG time to "get" it. I tried it several years ago and quit after a few weeks. I think around week 16 was when I went, "Wow, that's how I'm supposed to use this."

 

Anyway, if you have any questions about TOG, please feel free to ask me. I'd be happy to help.

 

Staci

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I word like to comment on all of the comments about her already having spent the money on TOG. This isn't exactly true. Because TOG is so book specific, when I figured out a long term plan for TOG because of the differences in my kids ages, they wouldn't hit the same years at the same time. So yes, I would have the the TOG curriculum with LG books but the next time around I might need UG or D or R. I would have to spend so much on books and buy new books each cycle for different ages it would get kind of crazy. If you use the library this is irrelevant. I avoid the library at all costs. ;)

 

 

In another blog post she mentions that she bought for all 4 levels (she has 6 kids from age 17 down). It might not be clear from reading just this post, but I think she has dished out all that $$ already.

 

I agree with some of what she says. I just dropped TOG and we will be using BP in the fall. I really love TOG but it was way more than I wanted for history and lit.

 

 

I agree with some of what she says, too. But I think what you wrote hits the nail on the head. I think TOG was too much for her and her family. No biggie! I wish she would have just come out and said that instead of wrapping it in a bunch of other reasons that don't make much sense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

In another blog post she mentions that she bought for all 4 levels (she has 6 kids from age 17 down). It might not be clear from reading just this post, but I think she has dished out all that $$ already.

 

 

Yeah, I am saying just buying the guides is not all the expense though. The books are a lot in themselves and TOG seems to require more levels along the way for multiple kids than other programs. Not a deal breaker, but a consideration.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

It's always interesting, isn't it, to see one family's take on a curriculum that you really love?

 

I don't agree with all the blogger has written, but I admire her honesty & completely understand the pain associated with letting go of a curriculum that holds not only amazing memories, but was a perfect fit for your family at one time. It's a hard thing to do, & for that alone I really applaude her courage for making the changes her family needed instead of trying to stick it out & ending up in a situation where she hated the curriculum instead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...