MaeFlowers Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 After getting the free unit from TOG in October, I decided I would really like to use their program next year. I am hoping some seasoned TOG users can help me figure out a few things... 1. I am trying to decide if I should start with Y1 or Y4. For ds, Y4 would keep him on the recommended cycle (he will be grade 4 next year). However, if I want to bring dd into the same rotation, she would begin with Y4 in first grade. I think modern history might be too much for a first grader so for her to start with Y1, ds would have to do Y1 next year. I am thinking that doing Y1 next year would be best. What do you think? Y1 or Y4? Would it be too much to have them on different history cycles? (DS is reading through all four of the SOTW books this year for history. It was not my original plan but he prefers to read it alone and does not like activities. Basically, he reads, we discuss.) 2. Book choices. In looking at the samples for upper grammar, I find that most would be below ds' current reading level. According to Amazon, some of the books are geared toward a 1-3 grade audience. He currently reads at a 6th grade level according to reading and vocabulary assessments. I would like to pull from both upper grammar and dialectic depending on the week's assignments. However, I do think the accountability and thinking questions are too much for him right now. I thought I would still follow the upper grammar lessons only with the dialectic level books...Would this work? (As for 8th grade, I thought I could use some of the alternative selections but I just would not have literature activities for them.) 3. Last, can you skip weeks? For year one, I would like to skip some of the material and stretch some of the other weeks out. Would it mess with the 'flow' of the program? I would really appreciate the advice. This is only my first year homeschooling and I realized very quickly that I only thought I knew what I was doing when we started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 1. I don't think you can go wrong here. We started when my oldest was in K, so she is doing Year 1 in 4th grade. She is not on the "ideal" year for the 4 year cycle, but it doesn't matter. I would choose by doing the year that you think your ds will enjoy the most. Seriously, don't stress about this too much. 2. My oldest (4th grader) reads from both the dialectic and upper grammar selections. I choose on a week by week basis for history and lit is all dialectic (although she will read the ug books just for fun). My 2nd grader reads from both lower grammar and upper grammar in a similar way. This may be my favorite part of TOG: the ability to move between levels. I assume that if my 4th grader can handle the dialectic reading, she will not have a problem handling rhetoric level in 8th grade. The author of TOG suggests that some students as young as 12 will be ready to move to rhetoric stage. 3. I stretch some weeks out and cut others all over the place. We use TOG in a somewhat interest led way. I have been doing this for over 4 years. No problem. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaeFlowers Posted December 1, 2013 Author Share Posted December 1, 2013 Thank you for the input, it makes me feel better. I honestly think ds would enjoy Y4 more. He has always shown more interest in modern history. Also, it is kind of hard to plan for dd because she is still so young. She may ready and want to start in k. In that case, if I started with Y1 next year, then she would start with Y4 anyway. It looks like TOG is pretty flexible from the samples but I think I just needed to hear it from someone else. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 1) I'm using Y4 with 4th and 1st graders (and a 4 year old sits in sometimes). The LG level focuses more on inventors and such, like Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers, etc. The literature is good literature that isn't war related (like The Velveteen Rabbit). There is some history read that involves the war, but it's not dwelt on as much as the UG level, by any means. In fact, you could safely skip those books if you wanted to and just hit that topic again the next time. I really would not worry about doing TOG Y4 with a 1st grader (we just finished up WW1). 2) My 4th grader reads at a very high level (basically, I can hand him anything). He has been happy with the UG level books in Y4. The literature has been a little on the easy side, but I'm ok with that. I could bump him up to Dialectic, but I figure we'll be doing Dialectic next time around, most likely. He's definitely in no way ready for Dialectic level questions. But yes, he could read the material easily. In Y4, it has been books like Hakim's History of US series, a DK book about World War 1, etc. These books did not bore my advanced reader. I gave him the option of doing the Dialectic World Wars book, because we have it, but he didn't end up doing that. 3) I haven't used it enough to comment really, but I imagine it would be easy to do. :) I would absolutely recommend AGAINST trying to have your children in different years. That kind of defeats the whole purpose of using TOG! :lol: Pick one year or the other. If your oldest is ready for Y4, go ahead with Y4. It's a great year. My 1st grader has had zero history prior to this (well, except Bible history), and he's really enjoyed it and learned a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaeFlowers Posted December 2, 2013 Author Share Posted December 2, 2013 Thank you boscopup. I think you guys have convinced me to stick with year 4 for next year. I think I will probably pick and choose the books by what ds would be most interested in. That is going to be the hardest part... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 I see that you have been using SOTW. Let me just assure you that TOG Y4 is much more gentle than SOTW4. I have an 8yo who I wanted to keep in LG for one more year, but the reading is just way below her level. Most of the literature, we read in FIAR when she was 4yo. It is completely appropriate for my 5yo, and he has been tagging along quite nicely. We have been doing the invention project, and that has been a big hit with my 8yo. I love that we will have a new game to play when we are all done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Thank you boscopup. I think you guys have convinced me to stick with year 4 for next year. I think I will probably pick and choose the books by what ds would be most interested in. That is going to be the hardest part... We are currently doing year 4 with ds2 (tag along), dd4 (K4), dd 1st, ds3rd, dd6th, and ds8th. We are loving it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I see that you have been using SOTW. Let me just assure you that TOG Y4 is much more gentle than SOTW4. I have an 8yo who I wanted to keep in LG for one more year, but the reading is just way below her level. Most of the literature, we read in FIAR when she was 4yo. It is completely appropriate for my 5yo, and he has been tagging along quite nicely. We have been doing the invention project, and that has been a big hit with my 8yo. I love that we will have a new game to play when we are all done. We have been doing the invention timeline as well. It has been very interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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