Tog & Sotw?

[gardenschooler]

I've decided to go with TOG next year, but the decision was based on my upcoming 9th grader.

I'll have my upcoming 4th grader join in, too, in the UG level. But she's crazy for SOTW, and I really feel like I didn't do SOTW 1 justice for her the first time around. I'd sort of like for her to do a good bit of SOTW, and we'll just have to see how much of the TOG I'll use for her. I don't have TOG yet, so it's kind of hard to project. Either way, though, I would like to let her use SOTW.

Would there be a way to line these up? Does TOG 1 use SOTW 1? Or could I just rearrange SOTW to fit the TOG, and add a bit here and there from TOG for her?

And why is the prospect of doing TOG with a 9th grader seeming so much simpler to me than doing it with a 4th grader? :)

[Jackie in AR]

I've decided to go with TOG next year, but the decision was based on my upcoming 9th grader.

I'll have my upcoming 4th grader join in, too, in the UG level. But she's crazy for SOTW, and I really feel like I didn't do SOTW 1 justice for her the first time around. I'd sort of like for her to do a good bit of SOTW, and we'll just have to see how much of the TOG I'll use for her. I don't have TOG yet, so it's kind of hard to project. Either way, though, I would like to let her use SOTW.

Would there be a way to line these up? Does TOG 1 use SOTW 1? Or could I just rearrange SOTW to fit the TOG, and add a bit here and there from TOG for her?

And why is the prospect of doing TOG with a 9th grader seeming so much simpler to me than doing it with a 4th grader? :)

Redesigned TOG schedules SOTW as Alternate reading selections, so all that work will already be done for you!

[gardenschooler]

Well, that's it then!!! Thanks, Jackie. I thought it was meant to be when I started making a planning list and found that almost all of the books I'd need for the first year are at the library, but this cinches the deal.

It's funny how long it's taken me to be able to commit to TOG. I had to spend about 3 years mulling it over first. The good thing is, I finally 'get it' by looking over the samples so much.

[Jackie in AR]

I actually bought two years of Classic about 5 years ago, kept them for a couple of years without using them, and finally sold them. I just wasn't up for TOG then, and Classic was very confusing for me.

Now that I have 7th graders and they've come out with Redesign, I'm sold. I think we'll use it all the way through the end of high school.

[Trivium Academy]

SOTW is already lined up in TOG, the suggestion I have is to get the Audio CDs for SOTW if you want to use it with TOG. You won't want to miss the other books in upper grammar listed as core books, they are fantastic.

[gardenschooler]

I'm just going to use the books I already have (1st ed. of SOTW). I'm way too cheap to buy audio CDs, but that's a great idea for someone with more kids to cut down on read aloud time. I only have this one little one left to read aloud to, though. http://www.emoticons4u.com/sad/239.gif

I've looked extensively at the lists of other books TOG uses for the lower levels, and it does look good. A lot of them are books we've already read, or from various lists I've combined over the years and used with my older two, but it looks like there are plenty of choices. It will be nice to have something guiding the choices along, simplifying my planning, and all the extra helps, questions, etc.

It's the high school/rhetoric level that I really need TOG for. I need some major hand-holding there, not only in help deciding what to read/discuss, but in actually doing it. The whole idea of Socratic questioning is new to me, and I'd have no earthly idea of how to go about learning about philosophy. I don't even know the questions, much less the answers! So I'm hoping TOG will help (and help me learn it all!).

[gardenschooler]

I forgot that I wanted to ask: why can't I see SOTW listed on *any* of the lists for TOG (the Bookshelf)? That's why I didn't know it was scheduled. I've looked everywhere, I think. Why would that not be listed? Or is it?

[WTMindy]

They don't carry the alternate books in the bookstore. If you look on the sample pages of the redesigned, those books are on the right hand page of the reading assignments. Not every week has a SOTW chapter lined up with it, but most do. We actually did all 4 volumes of SOTW and we are now using TOG, but I still read the SOTW chapter because it is such a great resource and a great review (and we listen to the audio books when we travel in the car). Can you tell I'm an SOTW fan?

[gardenschooler]

They don't carry the alternate books in the bookstore. If you look on the sample pages of the redesigned, those books are on the right hand page of the reading assignments. Not every week has a SOTW chapter lined up with it, but most do. We actually did all 4 volumes of SOTW and we are now using TOG, but I still read the SOTW chapter because it is such a great resource and a great review (and we listen to the audio books when we travel in the car). Can you tell I'm an SOTW fan?

Aha! Alternate books, I didn't know about that. I thought I was seeing everything offered, from the Bookshelf. Good to know.

We are definitely keeping SOTW! It's one on the very short list of favorites for my little dd.