Switching from Sonlight to TOG?

[littlemommy]

Next year I will have a 6th grader and an advanced 3rd grader. We have been using Sonlight since Core K, now using Core 4. I feel that if we use Core 5 next year, my 3rd grader will not enjoy it too well. This year with Core 4, it was a stretch for him, although he reads well (above grade level). I have been looking and reading about TOG. It seems enticing because both my boys will be reading/using books at their own level. If I were to change to TOG, what year would I start? Also, is it really true that it takes a lot of prep time on the parent? Would it be more expensive than Sonlight, since I would have to buy two sets of books for two kids? Thanks.

[Melissa in CA]

If you're finishing up Core 4 then you'll probably want to start with TOG y1...which will start your history cycle again with the ancients. You are going to find a TON of bible history in TOG compared to what you had SL's Core 1. Of course, that may depend on what levels you use. I am using TOG's Dialectic bible for my 6th grader.

 

As for price...It's not going to be cheap by any means. TOG uses a large variety of history books. They are WONDERFUL illustrated, interesting history books...but it can get expensive if you have to purchase them all. I use the library A LOT. Some books you will have to purchase, but a good portion of them can be found at most libraries and/or ordered through interlibrary loan. So, unless you have unlimited funds and can purchase all the books, TOG will be more time consuming for you in acquiring books.

 

Also, year 1 does not really schedule any read alouds like I hear y2-4 does. This has not been a problem for us. We have been picking some great books to read that have nothing to do with history. After many years of SL historical fiction RA's...My son has loved that. ;) I have my Y2 booklist onhand and they do schedule several RA's.

 

Here is a way for you to get a book list. http://www.bookshelfcentral.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=eb0a98bcef4f75cd67f013ce7f7263e3&Screen=SFNT Just click on the year and the levels you are interested in. You can then print out your list and do some book investigating. :D

 

I have to run...HTHs

 

[ETA: Depending on your oldest childs reading level, they could probably both use UG for most of their Lit, History and bible. My 6th grader who is a great reader, has just now begun reading the D Lit books. Not because he couldn't read them before, but because he could not read them in the time scheduled in the year plan]

Edited March 22, 2009 by Melissa in CA

[Annabel Lee]

Melissa, looking at your sig. line, I have to ask if you use TOG for just History & Bible? I've been wondering if that's possible to do. Does TOG let you pick and choose which TOG subjects to use and which to substitute other things for, like SL does now when ordering?

[Melissa in CA]

Melissa, looking at your sig. line, I have to ask if you use TOG for just History & Bible? I've been wondering if that's possible to do. Does TOG let you pick and choose which TOG subjects to use and which to substitute other things for, like SL does now when ordering?

 

I use TOG for History and Literature mostly. I add in extra bible when our TOG weeks do not focus on bible. Y1 focuses on the bible a lot, so extra bible has not been needed often. That will probably change for Y2. I also use TOG's mapping and occasionally will use a writing assignment. I don't use TOG's vocab, I prefer VocabuLit. All that to say, yes, you can use whatever components of TOG you want. To use the Student Activity Pages each week, you will want to at least use TOG's History, Worldview/Bible, and Literature as these pages list questions/activities for these subjects.