beymasrock Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I have been drooling over the TOG primer but I know that how something looks on ppr is different than it will be in "real life" if you will. Does anyone have experience with this curriculum? I joined the TOG group but no one has posted there in years... Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aiden Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I haven't used TOG yet, but I know there was a thread here somewhere in which people were saying they liked it. I am on the TOG forums, and they aren't very active. However, if you post something, you will get a response. You may get one or two "real" responses, you'll definitely get a response from a CSR, and you won't hear anything negative about the curriculum from anyone, at least not that I've seen. So WTM definitely is your best bet for real reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beymasrock Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 Where can I find the TOG forum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aiden Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 The direct link is: http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/forum/ You can find it also by going to their website and looking under the Community menu in the top right. It is not very active at all, but as I said, if you post a question, you'll get a response from a customer service rep if nothing else. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beymasrock Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 Thanks :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsbrack Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 You can also join the yahoo group and Facebook groups which are very active and encouraging. They are mostly people who are using the curriculum so not really a source for reviews but lots of ideas, talk about how to best implement parts of the curriculum, and overall support. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aiden Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 You can also join the yahoo group and Facebook groups which are very active and encouraging. They are mostly people who are using the curriculum so not really a source for reviews but lots of ideas, talk about how to best implement parts of the curriculum, and overall support. I found the Yahoo group (Loose Threads) from TOG's website and requested to join. I couldn't find any Facebook groups--I'm a follower of the official TOG page, but I didn't see a user group. Could you share a link or the name of the group (or groups) so I can search? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsbrack Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 There is a general page just called Tapestry of Grace and then individual pages for each year called Tapestry of Grace Year 1 and so forth. Once you join a year, you can also request to join a secret group called TOG grammar level accountability. It's for those with little ones to support each other. I can't link on my phone but I'll check back later and try to link when my hubby gets home with the laptop. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aiden Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Thanks! I just requested to join the Year One group. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacbeaumont Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Hi! We are using TOG Primer. So far I really like it. Granted I am only on 'week 2' (We started January). We are doing the two year, half-paced schedule, since my DS is only 4 1/2. This is my son's first foray into listening to a non-picture book stories, so we are still in training mode for that. But I don't let that affect my view of the curriculum. We did our first hands on activity yesterday from the activity books they recommend (Old Testament Days) and it was a big hit! It is also super easy to incorporate Well Trained Mind techniques, like narration, so we have been doing that after every story. I may be sort of biased since I have been waiting to use TOG since before my DS could walk. :P I like that they don't have too much too much planned for the first mini unit, so you can't get bogged down with everything you need to accomplish. It looks like they sort of add on each week as you go. I had originally planned to use Five in a Row for his K4 year, but I just felt like I could read good books on my own. I wanted to DO something that felt more substantial and at least this prepares us for our TOG years ahead. As the Primer is as much for the parent as it is for the child. I am learning so much :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beymasrock Posted February 4, 2015 Author Share Posted February 4, 2015 Hi! We are using TOG Primer. So far I really like it. Granted I am only on 'week 2' (We started January). We are doing the two year, half-paced schedule, since my DS is only 4 1/2. This is my son's first foray into listening to a non-picture book stories, so we are still in training mode for that. But I don't let that affect my view of the curriculum. We did our first hands on activity yesterday from the activity books they recommend (Old Testament Days) and it was a big hit! It is also super easy to incorporate Well Trained Mind techniques, like narration, so we have been doing that after every story. I may be sort of biased since I have been waiting to use TOG since before my DS could walk. :p I like that they don't have too much too much planned for the first mini unit, so you can't get bogged down with everything you need to accomplish. It looks like they sort of add on each week as you go. I had originally planned to use Five in a Row for his K4 year, but I just felt like I could read good books on my own. I wanted to DO something that felt more substantial and at least this prepares us for our TOG years ahead. As the Primer is as much for the parent as it is for the child. I am learning so much :) Thanks so much for the info! I was looking into FIAR as well but didn't like how it was out of order and disjointed. However, I have a 2.5 yr old and I think the FIAR for 2-3 will be great for him next year. I have narrowed my choices down to SL, MFW or TOG. I LOVE LOVE LOVE what I have seen of TOG, primer and the actual program. I just hesitate bc it's so expensive ( Primer is well priced and something we can afford), and while it is a wonderful humanities program there is still other things that need to be added on. I like SL because everything is included but I really like integration of all the lib arts subjects into units that TOG does. And I don't even know why I'm hanging on to MFW. Probably bc it's affordable and scheduled well. They also do unit studies but not based on History, which is what I want. I think a rigorous education based on History throught a biblical world view is the type of education I want for my children and TOG has that. I might just need to cough up the change and deal with it!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacbeaumont Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 That is EXACTLY how I felt about FIAR! You could also do BFIAR for your younger OR just go to homeschool share. They have lots of Literature Unit studies. The cost. I know. Everything adds up pretty quick. We have a good library system here, so at least most of the Primer books I am not planning to purchase. There is one book that my library doesn't have, a book on Ancient Rome, and I know I can grab other books,but I am having a really hard time doing that lol. I have a problem when it comes to straying from things. What else were you planning on doing with your K4 (or will he be K5 then?)? I Just try to stick to math and phonics/reading/Sight Words, TOG and some good books. And isn't SL SUPER $$$ Expensive? I don't know a lot about it other than it is Charlotte Mason, I think? I remember MFW was my choice before I found FIAR. I switched around a lot. The day the released the news of TOG Primer I was SOLD! I bought it the day it was released. I had to wait to start it as we were moving around a lot. Yeah, I agree with you about preferring a chronological and integrated liberal arts program. TOG is top notch. I would suggest joining the Loose Threads on Yahoo. I enjoy reading all the questions and answers as I know one day I may benefit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beymasrock Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 He will be 5 by next fall, almost 5.5! I am also focusing on the 3Rs. We did/ are doing CC this year however at his age there are too many important things missing (3Rs) for the price of being part of a co-op, so we won't be joining a co-op next year but I still plan on doing the memory work at home with him. It's mostly music based so he doesn't even realize he's memorizing things that will strongly benefit him in the years to come. On days I'm feeling REALLY motivated I look at starting to integrate a second language, just like 15 min a day. I took German for years and years and was fluent in it so I think I could pick it up pretty easy again and work with him on it... we'll see!! SL is CM and I DO like their program bc it's so well laid out, they use living books and incorporate a lot of narration/dictation in their curric which is important at their age. I added up the cost and SL and TOG Primer would cost the same amount. And that's with ALL the SL books and only $100 worth of TOG books. I am thinking I may do SL for K and just start Y1 with him for 1st grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacbeaumont Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I'm working on adding a second language, too. Also just a few minutes a day. I took french through high school and two years of university. I'm just brainstorming unit ideas. I want to focus on themes that can be easily incorporated into our daily conversation. For example, beginning with meal times and food vocabulary. Should be fun! I've heard that the music for CC is great. Do you have to be a member before you can purchase the cd's? I suppose when people refer to the cost of SL, they by the whole package (math, etc) and then it's expensive? Or is their kindergarten program different? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beymasrock Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 The music for CC is great, you can just order the CD online or join CC Connected for $3/month and get it from there. It's TOTALLY worth it! Yeah SL becomes expensive bc it's lit based, so all the books add up if you buy them new and/ or buy them all. I am still on the fence. Praying that direction will be given soon so I can stop going crazy lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I'm finishing up year 3 of TOG with my oldest. I would totally do Primer with my next two except that I already have Sonlight A so can't justify the expense since I can tweak Sonlight (a lot) to get what I need/want from it. I just finished completely rearranging the Sonlight schedule and adding resources, actually. My second child will be using that next year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smarson Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 Hi there! I started researching homeschool curriculum when my oldest was probably 3 or early 4. Almost everyone I know uses MFW because it's cheap and because, well, everyone else uses it. I thought that was a dumb reason to choose curriculum so I started my research. That said, I kept coming back to TOG and really feeling led to use it. But I was SO scared because everything I read online discussed how difficult it was to use, how teacher-intensive it was and how much PLANNING you had to do with it. I bought Y1 planning to gently introduce the concepts to my oldest, as time allowed. THEN they released the Primer for families in my exact situation, with my oldest being a K'er. So I bought it too. We used it for a couple of weeks and I got scared. It seemed too easy to follow. I know that's a crazy way to stop using something but I just wasn't feeling very confident in my homeschooling yet. I had a girlfriend starting Sonlight so I bailed and purchased Sonlight. We used it until last week when I finally decided to embrace Primer and just do it. Doing Sonlight for 1/2 a year really helped me see how I could schedule Primer out across the week. So we're only just restarting it, but I like it - a lot. SL was good for me to gain confidence in how to schedule out the week but I just didn't love it. I liked it well enough but didn't feel like Missy was actually learning anything. She loved the stories and all the reading but bringing it all together and retaining any of it... not so much. The TOG Forums on their website aren't very active and when you ask questions, it's usually someone at TOG who replies. So if you have a question or issue with the specific curriculum, they're very responsive and helpful, but if you're just looking for advice from a handful of moms who use it, it's not always the best place. There are a number of FB pages (yes, the secret ones too) that are of GREAT help! I'm not on FB anymore so I've kind of felt a bit out of the loop and on my own. There seem to be a handful of TOG'ers here too, so often, if you include TOG in the subject, you're pretty guaranteed to get some responses. Cost is always a factor, that's for sure! I do like that Primer isn't as spendy as the full year plans. I am a paper person so I added hard copies of the Guidebook and I added the printed Handbook Pack. The pricing of TOG is a bit high but if you stick with it, you only need to buy Y1-4 once... then you can decide which books to buy or borrow. It does still seem pricey but I only purchased books we were going to use for >3 weeks or that weren't available at the library. Just a note on FIAR. I purchased BFIAR to use with Missy for Pre-K and I just had a really time planning it. It really didn't work for me. I felt like there was quite a bit of planning to do to make it work and I just wasn't ready to do all that yet. So, while I keep hearing great things about it and I've even considered trying again with Buddy, but I think he'll love the Primer activities. You don't have to be a member of CC to purchase the CDs (from the CC website). We have one of the cycles and we listen to it in the car. My kids LOVE it!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacbeaumont Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Duplicate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacbeaumont Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 You should join the loose threads group on yahoo. I don't have Facebook either and I feel like I'm missing out! :( 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smarson Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 I am part of the Loose Threads group but have a hard time navigating it. Maybe I'm missing something. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beymasrock Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 I am part of the Loose Threads group but have a hard time navigating it. Maybe I'm missing something. ;) me too, I think it has to do with Yahoo and the way they have it set up... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacbeaumont Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Oh... Yes, you definitely need to sign up for the daily digest email. They send you an email of all the conversations. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineFarmMom Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 We have never used primer so I can't speak for it. I have looked at samples, and I do believe tog is solid and a fantastic curriculum, so I believe primer would be as well. We do use tog, have for a few years, so I can speak to it. We really love it. I have learned to make it mine and I don't think it is expensive anymore. To me, what I see is that I have spent somewhere around $700 for all four years, buying digital. I never ever thought I would be anything but a paper person but now I prefer it digitally. I absolutely see it as easier to navigate for a mom of lg kids than buying paper. If you are starting with a young child, there is a lot in the tm that you don't really need. The de lets you avoid the bulk of all of that. I realized later that $700 for 4 TMs is cheaper than all of the TMs you will purchase using another curriculum, plus there is more meat in the tog TMs. If I was a brand-new homeschoolers, I'd start reading the discussions while I didn't need them and prepare for when I did. That doesn't answer the question of this post but I wanted to chime in. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VorLady Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I use Primer with my nearly 6 year old daughter. It's been a lot of fun. Recently (we're up to the Revolutionary War) it's gotten a bit too easy for her but I think that's just because she's gained skills. I'm looking forward to starting Year 1 pretty soon. It's been a very gentle introduction to a classical style. I especially liked the ancient history section. Some of the American history texts are... well, I'm still teaching her how awesome our country is, so books with multiple pages on slavery and Europeans exploiting the native Americans get a little old. When she's older, definitely, but right now she's such a black and white thinker. That said I do love their approach and I'm glad I went with Primer and not straight into Year 1. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smarson Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 We have never used primer so I can't speak for it. I have looked at samples, and I do believe tog is solid and a fantastic curriculum, so I believe primer would be as well. We do use tog, have for a few years, so I can speak to it. We really love it. I have learned to make it mine and I don't think it is expensive anymore. To me, what I see is that I have spent somewhere around $700 for all four years, buying digital. I never ever thought I would be anything but a paper person but now I prefer it digitally. I absolutely see it as easier to navigate for a mom of lg kids than buying paper. If you are starting with a young child, there is a lot in the tm that you don't really need. The de lets you avoid the bulk of all of that. I realized later that $700 for 4 TMs is cheaper than all of the TMs you will purchase using another curriculum, plus there is more meat in the tog TMs. If I was a brand-new homeschoolers, I'd start reading the discussions while I didn't need them and prepare for when I did. That doesn't answer the question of this post but I wanted to chime in. :) Thanks for sharing your experience with us! It's so good to know. I'm still afraid of DE but once we get to Y2 maybe I'll try it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacbeaumont Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 me too, I think it has to do with Yahoo and the way they have it set up... Yeah, I rarely log into the group. I do love getting the emails though! Even though they are mostly unrelated to anything I am experiencing right now! I love hearing about other age levels to learn what to do, what not to, hear other peoples struggles, etc. Prepare for the years ahead! Also, it feeds my obsession with all things TOG. I am constantly on the website look at the Year plans. I have to keep myself on task and remember that I need to concentrate on Primer NOW. I am always looking ahead, but I am sure most Homeschooling moms are like that. Are Curriculum Obsessive Disorders. HAHA. If you log in, go to "manage my groups", and sign up for the 'daily digest', if there are any messages for that day it'll go straight to your email. I would really like to buy the WHO cards for the Big Story Game but at $25....GULP. I can't do it! DE.....I bought the DE Primer because I thought it was printable....I knew that one of the two (Guide book or Hand book) was not, but I thought it could still work. I can't stand it! I FINALLY got a second license for my iphone, that makes it easier, because I rarely have time to sit at the computer except after 8pm when the kiddos are sleeping. I'd rather be curled up on my couch! I will be purchasing the DE, but printing everything I need as we go. Well, at least the Teaching Guide. Although, I may start running out of room to store the hardcopies.... Who knows, maybe I'll get used to it... The only things I would need to print is all the assignments. What I hear most of the ladies doing (overheard on Loosethreads) is they somehow transfer only the assignments the have assigned into another document to print so they don't have to print the entire threads and assignments pages. It is really great to hear from you ladies that are using TOG! Thanks for sharing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineFarmMom Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 I bought the who cards for my guys for Christmas. They aren't extensive to the people lists in TOG but there are several. I know they were created for Primer but can be used with TOG as well. They are fun and I may like them better as time goes by, but we are on year 1, which is mostly Biblical characters, and my boys know those anyway. Time will tell. I think it will be a great purchase when combined with the other sets planned for the future. For DE, the way I utilize it is I copy and paste the core, in depth, history and bible readings, lit, on a weekly tog assignment sheet for each child. I accompany this with all of the threads listed for that week so we know what the focus is. I also have their people and vocabulary. At the bottom I put a study guide to show them what to Focus on for the weekly evaluation. I do the sheets for each week then put it in front of each week's student activity pages , map, note booking page, and a vocabulary page. I bind them in a workbook per unit. That way they have it all there and we don't have to look at the computer every 5 minutes. It really isn't copy and pasting because tog won't let you do that, but you can kind of lift the assignments out of the boxes and transfer. Also, this year I started using my iPhone to screen shot the pages I might need: teachers notes for geography, answers to lit, evaluations, discussion notes. Then I can just expand them on my phone to read them then delete them when I'm done and I don't have to waste ink. I'm sorry. This is way ahead of primer but I love Tog and have fun discussing it. Lol. I have a k child coming up and am making decisions about what I will do with him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto4inSoCal Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 I'm considering it also. I have a 5 year gap between my twins and next daughter then another 15months between her and my oldest. Tog is appealing since it can be used with multiple grades. I can't wrap my head around it by looking at the samples though. We are going to a convention in June and they will be there so I plan on looking at it and hopefully get a better picture of how you use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I am a 4 year user of TOG, but don't own Primer. The FB groups are pretty active and have been a great wealth of information. I am an admin on all 4 year groups, please feel free to message me if you have more questions. â˜ºï¸ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatWise Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 I just bought primer, I've been excited about ToG for a while! I'm seeing on this thread the Loose Threads group, do I have to join yahoo to participate? Not sure how the yahoo groups work. I'm on the facebook primer one-yay! Edited: I figured it out, I was looking in the wrong place! Just needed to email the "subscribe" address! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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