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"I will tell you that my biggest fear with ANY packaged curriculum is that I burn out...I don't like being bossed (Sonlight was a FAILURE for me) ... if something doesn't seem to be working I follow wild goose chases...and I HATE IT ABOUT ME. But, on the other hand...I have really needed help with history for 2 years...and writing for this year...so the excitement of TOG comes back. I'm just afraid that my inconsistency is going to rear it's head and there I'll be, a bunch of books and a whole curriculum that I'm not using at all let alone to it's potential."
For some reason I don't feel bossed by Tapestry of Grace. I think the most important thing to remember is that it is a buffet and YOU are the teacher. I just read in the Simple Start Guide and Marcia often says, you are not supposed to do it all YOU pick what YOUR unique family and children need. I actually think wild goose chases are good.  You can think of TOG as a "freeway" and you may want to get off the freeway and explore some side streets then you can get back on the "freeway". Going exploring is fine! Also as far as using it to its potential. When I start thinking I need to do more, more, more and at higher levels I try to remember that this curriculum was written by a wonderful woman but she went to a prep-school, then in college she majored in History! My standards are a bit lower than that and it is okay. You take your children where they are and stretch them, but don't stress about others standards. OTOH, TOG really does get them thinking and prepare them for the higher levels. I think the #1 reason people get overwhelmed with TOG is because there is SO MUCH there but that is so there is something for everyone. The Simple Start Guide even says NO child will do all the reading and all the assignments, not possible. With your children's ages it is also well to remember the pace. The pace is set for the high school age student and the amount of work is honor's level. If you don't have high school students you don't have to keep that pace and probably won't want to, especially with Year Two. Year Two is the most packed year. It is okay to take more than a year to do a "Year Plan". Are you relaxed yet?  "What's been your favorite lesson or unit so far...and why???"
We started with Year 2 Unit 3 because we were ready for Colonial America and it has been my favorite. That is when we did projects. Tin punched lanterns, a Colonial newspaper, dd made costumes. We did "Colonial Night", put up our maps ate by the light of our lanterns. It was a blast! Didn't really get into that type thing yet with Year 3. I also enjoyed reading about the Industrial Revolution, Sacajawea, and for some reason I found South American geography fascinating. Some of their favorite books have been - Daily Life on a Southern Plantation, The Erie Canal, Diary of an Early American Boy, Johnny Tremain, Calico Captive, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Around the World in 80 Days.(most of their favorites are the literature books I see  ) We are studying Australia next week and that is exciting! "I did get to read the Simple Start Guide last night...and I hadn't realized that the "full potential" was high school honors level. That makes me even happier...because then it really IS okay to slow down with my little ole 8 year old. I kind of feel selfish because I may be buying this curriculum to increase MY knowledge at this point...but then again, increasing my knowledge will only increase theirs as they grow up." Another point this made me think of was the reason for the four year rotation is so a high school student can cover all of World History in the high school years. So just another reason to relax with younger children about getting through a "Year Plan" in a year. They call TOG K through Mom. Marcia recommends reading the Rhetoric level, especially the Literature, while your kids are younger so you can be better prepared to discuss it with your high school students. If you start at your children's age you can read 1/3 of the Rhetoric assignments a year and be throughly prepared to lead your children through the Rhetoric years. OTOH there are lots of teachers helps so if you can't prepare in that way or if you start later like me you can still adequately use the curriculum with your high school aged students. I love TOG! |
         
I was asked some questions about the curriculum I use and love, Tapestry of Grace. I thought I would share here.
"So tell me ALL about it...everything..." Okay, I'll give it a shot. "I want to know EXACTLY how long it took from the time you got it until you could implement it???" Just a FYI, because of where we were at in History I am doing the Classic version until next go-round, then I will do Redesign. I don't know exactly, but it didn't take long to get started, but I did start slow. It was about this time last year when I made the switch. When I got the curriculum I read the introduction for the year and the unit I was starting with. Then figured out what books I wanted and if I wanted to buy them (multi-week books) or borrow them from the library and if they were available at my library or though ILL. My library only borrows from three others so I check their online databases. This was by far for me the most time consuming step. If my budget ever allows I will buy as many books as possible because the idea of just walking over to the shelf and pulling off the books I need is dreamy, lol. As soon as I got the books for the first week we were off. We started with just the basic History reading and discussion. Then lighter literature followed close behind. I started my daughter at Dialectic level and I still go back and forth depending on what I think is a good fit for her with the book choices. Mapping was also added in pretty quickly. We did a couple hands on activities but not many, I do anticipate doing more as the little ones get older. This year I have had my 16 year old daughter do harder literature and also some of the government and philosophy work. Just this last semester I have started with the writing assignments. I have also started getting some of the Lower Grammar books, usually the literature selections, to read aloud to my 5 year old daughter. "I want to know if you found that you HAD to buy the books or if you found most of them at the library or if you ended up having to sub stuff out?"
Very few books I HAD to buy. The multi-week books I do prefer to have on hand. Although like I said above I think the more you buy the easier it is. Truly, I spend more time looking for books than planning how we are going to use them each week. I have not done any subbing. I do recommend the Map Aids. "I want to know what you were using before..."
This is a long story. I have to go back a couple years. Toward the end of my daughter's eighth grade year I panicked about high school and to "do it right" I ordered a pre-packaged textbook curriculum and I was to send in the work, get grades and even a diploma. This is not the way I had taught up until that point. I know textbooks work for some but it wasn't for us. (If anyone reading this gets any advice I hope you get this. Don't change what is working for you and your kids because of high school fears and panic.)So by January it was a disaster and my daughter and I were both feeling like failures. In God's great way of working I decided to go to a home school conference. It still hadn't really clicked with me that I needed to make a change, but I sure got my perspective readjusted in a major way and by the end of the weekend I knew things were going to change. I wasn't sure how yet but they were going to start working together again (in content areas)I am not sure how or why but I ordered a Sonlight IG and bought the books used. While I was reading their forums I found a couple of threads discussing TOG and it really appealed to me. I loved the concept of everyone on the same history topic and also the unit study approach. As a side note,I now feel very passionate about it, I believe that studying as much together as possible is helpful to family unity and helping build the relationships between siblings. We did Sonlight about 3-4 weeks before the switch. "I want to know if it was a hard transition for your kids..."
No but they didn't know what I was going to pull next. I used to be a relaxed, delight directed type homeschooler. Then I panicked and tried to do "school at home", then right after getting Sonlight I wanted to change again. Also, like I said above I started slow and added as we went. We still don't do it all as it is very rigorous and they say completing 100% is an honors credit and 80% is a regular credit. A regular credit is fine with me. Also, after being all over the map with the my homeschooling philosophies I must say I am most comfortable here. Now I have my relaxed attitude (especially for the grammar levels) and TOG for a plan and guide for direction for every level. I LOVE TOG!!! |
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In no particular order. 1. Having your 15 year old beg you to read, "just one more chapter". 2. Watching you teens being best buddies and helping the younger siblings too. 3. Not having to plan trips around a school schedule. 4. Being able to find what works for the individual child. 5. Allowing children to work at their own levels. 6. Seeing your 5 year old start to sound out words! 7. Family unity. 8. Teaching you teens to cook and being sure they get practice.  9. Buying and swapping curriculum! 10. Reading and learning awesome stuff that I didn't when I was in school. In other news my daughter drives and my son shaved for the first time today. Yikes!  |
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About this time every year I start dreaming about next year, here are our plans. My oldest two mostly work together still. Tapestry of Grace: 16yo(11th) Rhetoric level, history(world, U.S., church, arts and music), literature, writing, government, and geography. 15yo(9th) a mix of Dialectic and Rhetoric levels of the above subjects. They will also both use: Teaching Textbooks Algebra, Apologia Biology, Bible Study Guide for All Ages Unit 3, and Learnables Spanish. They will both continue building their vocabulary word banks. 15yo will continue with Spelling Power 5yo (K): Pathway readers (she is alreading thanks to Sing, Spell, Read and Write) Liberty K Math Tapestry of Grace: Some Lower Grammar readings as read alouds Science: various activities, nothing formal Bible: Studying God's Word book A Handwriting: CLP's In the Beginning Anyone else dreaming about next year? |
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not that anyone would know me anyway from my frequent posting. We had a great summer... The kids had a great time at the fair with their goats and my 4 year old exhibited a goat for the first time, so cute. My 15 year old cooked stir-fry for a 4H cooking demonstration, my 14 year old entered some bookends he made out of horseshoes and got Best in Show for the that category. In August we had an Exchange Student for three weeks. This was the fourth time we have hosted a student. They become special friends and are always so good with the little ones. They just love small children. I had a bountiful garden and spent lots of time canning in August and September. We have lots of potatoes in the basement and carrots still in the garden.(oops the ground is frozen now) I canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, dill pickles, hamburger slices (pickles), all sorts of jam, plums, applesauce, and green beans. In the freezer I put some green beans (my pressure canner was down for a bit), corn, and peas. I even rendered lard from the pig we had butchered. Fall flew by, I started a work at home job, my oldest turned 16(!!!!!) and we threw two parties for her, and the baby turned one. Even the turkey leftovers are gone and my two oldest have the house decorated for Christmas. They always beg to do it the day after Thanksgiving. There is a dusting of snow and it is cold, feels like this fall is gone for good. The school work is ticking right along. I have 10th and 8th graders and a preK, a toddler and a baby that just started walking! My oldest two use Tapestry of Grace for History, Literature, & Geography and Apologia Physical Science. My 10th grader is also doing Occupational Math and Write Your Roots. 8th grader is also doing Easy Grammar, Understanding Writing, Spelling Power, Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra, and State History notebooking. PreK’er is doing Letter of the Week, various PreK workbooks, and Modern Curriculum Press Kindergarten math. I also have Sing, Spell, Read and Write to do with her down the road. It was given to me, yahoo, what a blessing! My toddler likes to think she is “doing school” and the baby is getting into everything. Whew! How’s that for an update. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, will have a blessed Christmas and a great New Year! |
I am much better at reading blogs than writing them, but I guess it takes all kinds.|
Out there in internet land someone asked about history for 2nd & 3rd grades. I said – I wouldn't worry about doing anything formal or covering x,y,z to much at their ages. It is perfectly fine to jump around and let them learn about things in the past that interest them. If you do want to cover something read to them about it. History is not about dates it is about people, places, and ideas. I don't think memorizing dates is important *at all*. If you did want to use a program I would try Sonlight or Tapestry of Grace done *lightly*(very lightly |
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What do I recommend for elementary education? Nothing, well, nothing in particular. I have a less is more theory for the little ones. It is not necessarily an unschooling or better late than early theory. I like to break education up into the two areas of learning, the skill areas (math, language arts) and content areas (everything else, history, science, etc.). So basically your skill areas are your three R’s. To me in the early years this is all your “school” needs to include. I think content areas are best left up to the child to fill in and I trust that they will. What are they interested in? Are they fascinated with bugs? frogs? The |
) for them to dive into those areas of interest and one thing always led to another.
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Someone asked on a message board about year round home schooling of high schoolers and this was my reply - I have always preferred year round home schooling and I school year round even though we have started high school. It works fine for requirements and credits because I still have a "school year", it starts August 1st and goes until July 31st. So yes, the courses must be completed before the end of the school year, we just utilize most of the weeks of the year. For the sake of helping my children's breaks mesh with others we have full (9ish-2ish) days 36 weeks and half days (9ish-10,11, (for some reason I couldn't change the font/color today?) |
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We are a family of seven. Our children are 15, 13, 4, 2, and 3 months. We live on six acres and have a mini-farm with goats, chickens and a large garden. My husband is a farm-hand on a wheat ranch. I believe in teaching your own. Meaning not only home schooling but teaching the individual child and thinking outside the box when it comes to education.
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The drink of supermoms everywhere.  |