TOG for 7th grader who hates hands-on?

[Kim in SouthGa]

Would it be worth the investment of TOG for a 7th grade boy who hates hands on and may be using a different writing program (I have pretty much decided on Meaningful Composition, but if the TOG writing looks good I'll use it)? I have a 4th and 2nd/3rd grader also, but this will be mainly for my oldest (I would just use SOTW if I only had the younger ones). My main interest in TOG is the summary for parents-love the idea of the cd for Dads!-and the questions. I had a horrible history education, but with schooling three kiddos and a one year old in the mix, I don't have time to read and discuss a lot with my oldest. I'm hoping TOG will "force" me to make this commitment. I'm also considering Sonlight and MFW, but I like the layout of TOG's questions much better. What do you think?
TIA
kim

[momofkhm]

We don't do much, if any hands on stuff, because I don't like doing too much of it. So don't let the hands-on scare you! I do like the discussion aspect but don't get to it every week.

I haven't done SL but I did leave TOG for MFW. For my 7th grader, MFW just wasn't enough. She didn't think she was doing history. I didn't feel like I was given enough information to go over stuff with them unless I was doing all the reading as well. Now there is a lot to read some weeks with TOG, but I'm the only one reading it. If I was reading the books, well I have three kids reading them as well so getting a chance to read them would be interesting.

[Karenciavo]

I would definitely recommend TOG in your situation. Lots of people don't do the hands-on; believe me, at the dialectic stage it begins to be a bit hard to squeeze them in. Although where we are right now in year two suggests a book called "Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Built Yourself" and my ds13 in making time. That book is free by the way at WOWIO (http://www.wowio.com/index.asp) in case anyone is interested. Very cool book.

[Zee]

I'll third the recommendation for TOG. We don't do the Hands-on (we're straddling dialectic and upper grammar this year). It is easy to skip and not a major part of the program, so you won't feel like you aren't using the program to it's fullest. They are there if you see something that your son will enjoy, but no guilt or worries if you skip them. I tend to be a bookish mom. We do a non-related co-op a couple times a month that is focused on hands-on learning. That eases my guilt about not being crafty with ds. :)

[Linda in NM]

My son is not much on hands-on, either...we used Trisms for 8th grade (HistoryMakers, an overview of world history). HM includes literature, writing (IEW), research (which he loves!), map work, timelines...like a "lean" TOG (we used TOG in 5th and 6th)...we fluctuated in 7th between WinterPromise and Biblioplan...and finally found Trisms. A fit for us...and my son, the right-brained one. (My husband insisted that the figure in the RB/LB dance was changing direction...my son and I could not see the counter-clockwise version at all!)

[Cinder]

This is our first year doing TOG and we haven't done any of the hands-on activities. Even my 4th grade ds doesn't care for activities. We're doing Yr4 but I've already purchased Yr1 redesign and am excited about all the updates. There are more teacher helps with the dialectic level than in classic (lit questions, history evaluations). And, at least in Yr1, SOTW is scheduled in the alternate resource section, so you could still use that with your youngers.

As for writing, we tried using the TOG assignments with Writing Aids but my ds needed more basic instruction. So we went back to IEW. It's working for us.

Cinder

[Lisawa]

Would it be worth the investment of TOG for a 7th grade boy who hates hands on and may be using a different writing program (I have pretty much decided on Meaningful Composition, but if the TOG writing looks good I'll use it)? I have a 4th and 2nd/3rd grader also, but this will be mainly for my oldest (I would just use SOTW if I only had the younger ones). My main interest in TOG is the summary for parents-love the idea of the cd for Dads!-and the questions. I had a horrible history education, but with schooling three kiddos and a one year old in the mix, I don't have time to read and discuss a lot with my oldest. I'm hoping TOG will "force" me to make this commitment. I'm also considering Sonlight and MFW, but I like the layout of TOG's questions much better. What do you think?
TIA
kim

Yes, I do think its worth it. Every penny. If you are using redesign, SOTW is in TOG as well. All scheduled out for you. *Ü* So your little ones can tag along just fine.