Tapestry of Grace Year 2

[kaymom]

If you've completed TOG Year 2, would you mind sharing what you thought about the year; were you able to make it all the way through? We've done Year 1, but I have heard that Year 2 is a hefty year and that some people split it into two years--which I don't really want to do. After seeing their sample week online, it does look like more than we could really cover in a week--even if we just do the main history, geography and literature. Maybe the sample week isn't a good feel for the whole year? Trying to make some decisions about what to do next year.

[Georgiana Daniels]

I'm interested to hear what others have to say. We're nearing completion of Unit 1, and hefty is a great word to describe what we've done so far. This was a transition year for us, though, with moving and whatnot. I was thinking maybe our slowness had more to do with that, but perhaps it really is the year itself. That said, I keep having to remind myself that education isn't a race, especially with quality material like ToG.

[Tracy]

Yes, Year 2 is a hefty year. We are only doing LG right now, and even that was hard. We also use the SOTW audio CD's, so I have had the opportunity to compare.

 

Having also gotten through Year 3, I have come to understand a bit more about why Year 2 is the way it is. The TOG philosophy is that the last 200 years (1800's and 1900's) are so much more important. They have stuffed a lot into Year 2 in order to do justice to the last 200 years. There is also a heavy emphasis on the American Revolution. It is studied in the last Unit of Year 2 and then reviewed again in the first Unit of Year 3.

 

As I listen to SOTW Vol. 2, there is so much in it that just is not that important in the grand scheme of things, at least compared to what we need to know in modern history. I have certainly enjoyed listening to it, so I am glad that we have SOTW. But if I want to focus in on the things that I really want my kids to remember, I would not choose Medieval India or Medieval Japan, for example. I wouldn't even really care so much about the Kings and Queens of England in that era. I would rather skip some of that in favor of modern history.

 

I already knew this going into Year 2, and it did help me to just let go of some of it. However, I think that after Year 3, I have a better grasp of the wisdom of that, and I am hoping that next time around, that will make it easier to pick and choose.

[Georgiana Daniels]

Yes, Year 2 is a hefty year. We are only doing LG right now, and even that was hard. We also use the SOTW audio CD's, so I have had the opportunity to compare.

 

Having also gotten through Year 3, I have come to understand a bit more about why Year 2 is the way it is. The TOG philosophy is that the last 200 years (1800's and 1900's) are so much more important. They have stuffed a lot into Year 2 in order to do justice to the last 200 years. There is also a heavy emphasis on the American Revolution. It is studied in the last Unit of Year 2 and then reviewed again in the first Unit of Year 3.

 

As I listen to SOTW Vol. 2, there is so much in it that just is not that important in the grand scheme of things, at least compared to what we need to know in modern history. I have certainly enjoyed listening to it, so I am glad that we have SOTW. But if I want to focus in on the things that I really want my kids to remember, I would not choose Medieval India or Medieval Japan, for example. I wouldn't even really care so much about the Kings and Queens of England in that era. I would rather skip some of that in favor of modern history.

 

I already knew this going into Year 2, and it did help me to just let go of some of it. However, I think that after Year 3, I have a better grasp of the wisdom of that, and I am hoping that next time around, that will make it easier to pick and choose.

 

Good to know! The first time through the four years seems to be a huge learning curve. I agree about the Medieval India/Japan/etc. For those I think we covered just enough so they could do the lapbook pages.

[TXMary2]

We took a year to do Units 3 and 4 from Yr. 2.

[kaymom]

I think part of me wants to use TOG Year 2 because I may put my son in PS starting in 6th grade (he'll be in 5th next year) and that way we'd make it up to the American Revolution before he goes back. Part of me thinks it would be more fun to linger in Medieval history because it will be one of the only times he'll get it if he goes back to PS. Decisions Decisions :-) Thanks for all of the great advice. I think TOG Year 2 must be a handful!

[melmichigan]

We did Y2 U1-3, then Y2 U4-Y3U3, then Y3U4-Y4 this last rotation. I shortened up Y4, ending at week 32, combining where convenient in Y4 U3-U4. It worked fine. We will cover Ancients in one year, I'm just not sure yet how much of that will be with TOG.

[Tracy]

I think part of me wants to use TOG Year 2 because I may put my son in PS starting in 6th grade (he'll be in 5th next year) and that way we'd make it up to the American Revolution before he goes back. Part of me thinks it would be more fun to linger in Medieval history because it will be one of the only times he'll get it if he goes back to PS. Decisions Decisions :-) Thanks for all of the great advice. I think TOG Year 2 must be a handful!

 

I love TOG, but I am not sure I would make that investment (both time and financial) if I knew my dc were going to return to public school.

[kaymom]

 

I love TOG, but I am not sure I would make that investment (both time and financial) if I knew my dc were going to return to public school.

 

The nice thing is that I can borrow it for free from a friend but I haven't gotten my hands on it yet. I just am not sure if I want to spend hours and hours trying to tweak it if it is way too much to fit into 3 days, because that's all the time we devote to history. I am considering something more laid out that seems doable vs. TOG Year 2. I am just going year to year and am not 100% sure my son is going back, so I don't want to make decisions based on that yet except for content, not sure if that makes sense?

[Tracy]

 

The nice thing is that I can borrow it for free from a friend but I haven't gotten my hands on it yet. I just am not sure if I want to spend hours and hours trying to tweak it if it is way too much to fit into 3 days, because that's all the time we devote to history. I am considering something more laid out that seems doable vs. TOG Year 2. I am just going year to year and am not 100% sure my son is going back, so I don't want to make decisions based on that yet except for content, not sure if that makes sense?

 

Being able to borrow it would certainly be tempting. At the UG level, you probably could do it in 3 days per week, but if you are doing Year 2, you are going to have to feel comfortable leaving a lot out.

[kaymom]

We did Y2 U1-3, then Y2 U4-Y3U3, then Y3U4-Y4 this last rotation. I shortened up Y4, ending at week 32, combining where convenient in Y4 U3-U4. It worked fine. We will cover Ancients in one year, I'm just not sure yet how much of that will be with TOG.

 

 

That's very helpful. We are going to end Year 1 somewhere between week 32-34 and I feel good about that. We will have at least made it through all 3 times during the Roman Empire and being that he's in 4th grade, it is just an overview of history for now anyway!

[kaymom]

 

 

Being able to borrow it would certainly be tempting. At the UG level, you probably could do it in 3 days per week, but if you are doing Year 2, you are going to have to feel comfortable leaving a lot out.

 

 

I think that may be why I may choose something different. I don't want to do history every day and don't want to have to spend hours figuring out what to leave out.