Can someone compare TOG and HOD (Heart of Dakota)? Why would you choose one over...

[MommyInTraining]

the other?:001_huh:

Thanks!

[MommyInTraining]

HOD seems so well laid out, but I am afraid I will become bored with it.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[Once]

This is really the answer from someone who does not know....so I will be watching replies. I really just wanted to subscribe to this tread.

My understanding of HOD is that it is very Charlotte Mason style. Meaning living books savored slowly. Short lessons expecting high quality. Copywork to help with spelling but there are spelling lists too. It is a clearly Christain curr. that uses biblical passages through out several subjects. You open the book and go. I have heard that Carrie does a wonderful job helping you "eat an elephant one bite at a time". To see - go to the website and poke around. http://www.heartofdakota.com/ It is very user friendly. Start by placing your child on the chart according to skills and look up the determined level. There is a week of lessons for each level given as an example.


TOG is very Classically minded. History, rigor and Latin. The TOG has several binders that are very large that give alot of information to the teacher. You buy TOG (one of four levels) and use it in a 4 year cycle until graduation. The teacher helps are smattered through out along with activites to do that are related to the history covered. Bible is covered through out. There is a book list for several ages and abilites and worksheets you are allowed to copy. Think rigor.....this is why people like it. It is a very full program meant to last for your family a full twelve years (provided you buy the four levels). http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/tog_fast/index.htm

Again, I have not used either so this is just an overview. All I know I have looked up on-line. Please, if there are any HOD and TOG users out there with more info than I know, I would appreciate it too.

Trina

[MommyInTraining]

Trina,

Thanks for the overview. I too am hoping to hear more input!

[Susie in MS]

Here is why I choose HOD over TOG:

TOG comes fully equipted with a fog period that was not lifting for me as I pored over the copy I had bought. Infact as I kept going through it I kept getting more and more discouraged. It would require way more teacher time of preparing and reading from the teacher's notes than I had just to prepare ME. And that was not counting the time I would have to spend teaching it to my kids. It was bulky and cumbersome.

What draws me to HOD (I am currently using the Pre-K level and want MORE!!! :lol:) is that I don't need to prepare myself. I can open it and I am ready for class. Every single book I need will be right there in my home and it won't cost me a fortune. I won't have to rely on shotty libraries that never have what I need. The Godly content is supurb! I too wondered that I may get board, but when I read excerpts of some of the books in the packages it only made me desire more. I also noticed that the time spent with the program is not excessive, so if we wanted to add a book here or there it wouldn't break our backs. And I can add a major craft project in addition to the more simple ones scheduled in HOD if we want. I love that Carrie is just the sweetest person and does what ever she can to help you if you need it. There is no fog. Did you know that on the forum at HOD there is a sub forum of weekly check ins where folks tell (and some show with pics) what they have enjoyed for the week. Really helps get a feel for the program. This program is about as close to CM as I have seen. There is hands on for the math and science. There is nature journaling. Narration, dictation, etc. I have to keep focus on Little Hands to Heaven just so I don't go out and buy Little Hearts for His Glory a year in advance!! It is that good!!

This week my 32 month old made a coat of many colors out of a coffee filter that was like the one that Joseph wore. She is constantly asking to read more of her Bible stories and listen to the Singing Bible songs. There is lots of movement to this program for wiggly children if your child needs it. They act out scenes of the stories they read. They jump to learn distances. They throw a ball (or bean bag or what ever) to the next person and then quote the Bible verses. The child is able to see God in every thing with HOD!

Make sure to check out those sample lessons and the weekly check in board.

[KayT]

I started this year off using TOG with both dd's with my then 6 yr old and 10 year old. TOG was a perfect fit for my 10 yr old but not for my 6 yr old whose eyes would glaze over during anything but art. We were using yr one and my 6 year old also started to think there were "LOTS" of gods. So I stopped TOG all together for her and started using HOD's Beyond. I don't really know how to compare them for you because they are not alike at all!!

HOD is short 15 minute lessons divided into blocks for each day on a two page spread, so 10 pages for a week. There is a block for History that contains the main idea from your reading for the day and scheduled reader pages. The Poetry box focuses on one poem a week that the child will use for copy work ( poem in back of book). Then there is a Bible study block that has a memory verse for the week and some suggested questions to expand your discussion about the verse with some days adding in hand or body movement to help with memorization. The Language Arts block contains spelling ( lists in the back of the book), copywork instruction, and some( very little) grammar instruction. I believe after this level ( Beyond ) she schedules in R&S 2 and 3 for grammar and only uses copywork for spelling.
The Storytime block has you reading through a biography, mystery, adventure, historical fiction, fantasy, humor, and realistic fiction for the year. There is a list of suggested questions to ask and a list of suggested books in the back to choose from or you can pick your own book as it is all very generic meaning there is not a particular book listed in the block for you.

We are not using her suggested math which is Singapore. The math block has a hands on activity scheduled each day.

The Reading Choice block is really just a reminder for you to choose where your child is at and spend time on that for the day...phonics, reading from emerging readers, or using Drawn Into the Heart of Reading. You have to choose and schedule this out yourself. Finally, there are two more blocks one is Corresponding Music which is usually a hymn and one that changes daily through out the week with a hands on project. The projects are all short and use things easily found around the house. It alternates from Science exploration, History Activity, Geography, and Artistic Expression.

HOD is very open and go, short and sweet, Charlotte Mason like, and perfect for my artsy-tartsey glazed over eyed child. She needed short and sweet. It takes us usually a little over an hour to do everything except math.

Now TOG is just huge compared to HOD. It is not open and go, it is classical. I spend time on Sunday reading my Teachers notes and planning out the week. The Teachers notes alone are at least 10-20 pages long. With TOG there is a 2 or 3 page spread called Teaching Objectives which points out the main ideas for the week. This is followed by the Reading Assignment page that has each book scheduled out for all levels on one page and alternate book choices or extra reading . The Reading Assignment pages cover the History Core, History In-Depth, Literature, Arts and Activities, and Worldview.

The Weekly Overview pages contain vocabulary words, people to know, a list of activities to choose from, geography, and student threads ( main ideas). This is followed by the Writing Assignments for all levels and the student activity pages. The student activity pages can be copied from the Loom ( CD) and used by the child as a list of weekly assignments for everything but reading. The occasional worksheet is included here. You need to add math, grammar, spelling, and science to TOG. I felt HOD was weak on Science so I added that in and we are also using BJU English 2

There is just so much to choose from you have to think of this as a buffet. My Upper Grammar child loves TOG and it is perfect for her. Some weeks we spend 1-2 hours a day and others less than an hour.


HOD and TOG have great samples up on their website. I suggest you go to each and copy off a weeks worth and compare them and see which is a good fit for you. I chose both! LOL ! I picked what was best for each child. If you decide on TOG I suggest buying the guides and then deciding on which books you want to use as there are great alternative's on the list as well. There are a lot of books to buy if you don't have a library, which we don't, so you will want to factor that in as well. TOG looks over whelming at first but it's really not, after a few weeks it becomes familiar and you know what you want to choose from the buffet so it becomes easier.

Sorry this was so long! I know I did not even touch the surface of TOG!!!!
Forgive all errors!!!

HTH

[jg_puppy]

I chose HOD now for several reasons. One is because my kids are younger and the goals of the programs are a better match with my goals. HOD is also a lot cheaper which is a big factor for me at the moment. I also thought that TOG might overwhelm me given my kids are younger. I know it has been mentioned here before the right curriculum is the one that gets done. I was afraid TOG might not get done since I would be overwhelmed with all of the books. I do hope to start TOG when my oldest is in 5th grade so that we can hopefully complete 2 rotations of TOG before she graduates.

One more thing to consider is where you would start your children. Preparing is supposed to be out this summer. The plan is for Carrie to write 4 more guides. How would you feel if those guides don't get published? I know Carrie will do everything she can to get those guides completed, but sometimes things happen that are out of our control. It is also hard to know how the other guides will look since they haven't been written yet. I think Carrie does a great job so I imagine they will be great.
Jan

[jg_puppy]

KayT
I like what you are doing by using both. HOD for a younger child and TOG for an older student. I think that may be a good plan for us as my kids get older. I am starting with younger kids so I have them both in HOD. I was planning on moving them both to TOG when my oldest was ready, but I think I like your plan better.

Jan

[MommyInTraining]

Thank you for your help!

I just don't have the time or the energy right now to do TOG. It would have to be later, if even then.

Thanks so much!