I just started reading your blog a few weeks ago. This year I've been praying about how to keep all my kids studying the same thing. I looked at Sonlight and decided against it. Still praying and wondering what to do, I heard about Tapestry of Grace. One of my friends just purchased it this past week and said that it is what they were looking for and we should look into it. Easy for her to say with only two kids, both advanced readers and close to the same age. Still, I did the research and handed a stack of printouts to my husband and said we need to pray because I can't do this alone. I write well, but proofing and punctuation have never been my strong points. I also said I'm not jumping into this: prayer and research needs to be done but I don't know anyone who has used it. I have five wonderful and unique children. The oldest just turned 12 years old and she always has a few books going at a time and reads over breakfast. Our 9 1/2 year old son is extremely dyslexic and dysgraphic. A just turned 6 year old who has a hard time sitting still. A three year old that helps her 22-month-old brother get into trouble when out of sight longer than 10 seconds. Is this a curriculum that could work for us? I'm most concerned to keep my 12-year-old going and my 9 1/2 year old from not getting so frustrated that he hates learning. Sorry this is so long but I would love feed back.
In Christ,
Johnna
Spunky,
Would you have switched from Sonlight if raising an only child? My daughter is an avid reader and sonlight comes very easily for us. I do have to hide the books to come so she won't read them all in a week! I've looked at TOG but all the praise seems to revolve around multiple age groups.
Thanks, Dana
This looks like something that might work for us. But I have a few questions. How many books did you need to buy? How much time do *you* take to homeschool all of your children on average each day? We both have 6 kids, so it should be similar. I work part time so time is valuable--I need to be done around 12-1 at this point. It looks like a great curriculum, but it looks like so much to do right now. And money is always an issue. TIA
Would you have switched when all your kids were still young? Starting next fall I'll have one in 3rd, one in 2nd, one in K, and a preschooler. We've liked Sonlight, but I was intrigued by ToG at a conference I went to. I was a bit scared of it, though, because from the little I was able to see it looked like a lot of piecing together I'd have to do on my own (I'm addicted to Sonlight's Instructor Guides!)
Anyway, I've got Sonlight curriculum that should take us until about December next year, but then I'll have to make another decision. What do you think?
Timely post! I was just thinking/praying/mulling over the possibility of TOG for us in the near-ish future. I'm finding my kids splitting apart "just enough" that it's frustrating, especially considering how close in age they are (three kids in 30 months).
TOG is basically (very basically) "just history" though, right? It doesn't cover science or math? I tried looking at it at the homeschool convention last year, but I kept getting sidetracked to the HSLDA table...LOL
I saw ToG at the NCHE conference and was very impressed. It is something we'll really look at doing in a few years when all mine are school age and a little older. Sonlight has always looked great to me too but oy vey the cost! How do you Sonlight moms do it???
Now, what do we have to do to win the unit? Stand on our heads???? I'm so there!
Hello Spunky!
If you have time, I, like Dana, would like to know if you would chose to use this with basically an only child. We have a special needs dd who would be listening in with us and doing what she could.
Is it a lot of work for basically teaching one?
Thanks in advance!
Lisa
Thank you for giving a mom's point of view about this curriculum. I found it very helpful.
Great information!!
Spunky, if you have knowledge or experience with Story of the World and/or Mystery of History -- how does ToG compare?
Thank you.
I have looked over the TOG website many times and find it very appealing since I love the way it looks at history and its correlation with the Bible. Something that text books we have used just don't do. Not only that, but the text books I have found that are good are geared to older kids so I have found it hard to really do much with them other than discussions. The activities look like they would be just the ticket for building foundation and intrest. Did I mention I want to learn too?
Staying tuned...
Thank you so much for writing this review. If we continue with homeschooling (after our 7 month experiment), I was considering Sonlight. It sounds like TOG would be an excellent choice as well.
This is a very helpful post - I appreciate it!
I'm at the library right now. I won't be able to get to your questions right now. I hope to get to them later today.
As a side note, I should have noted in the original post that Scott Somerville is no longer with HSLDA. He is working full time encouraging families, especially fathers, and promoting Tapestry of Grace.
I think I need this curriculum. As of now, I'm using Lifepacs and SOS for my 8th, 6th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st and K. As you can imagine I feel like I'm running myself ragged.
Question: Is this program similar to Konos where it requires a lot prep time?
Hi, all! Let me jump in here while Spunky is at the library and recommend that you visit our online forum. There, many of these questions are addressed already, and also veteran TOG users (over 1000) can respond VERY quickly. Also, Spunky can then concentrate on answering questions that she feels most qualified to answer~
The link is: http://tapestryofgrace.groupee.n.../groupee/
forums
Thanks for this info about Tapestry of Grace. We used the Sonlight curriculum while we homeschooled -- and I enjoyed the literature selections immensely. It's great to know other alternatives that are out there. I'm glad I can send people your way.
I know many people that use Taestry of Grace. Every parent I've talked to about it says it was a little confusing for the first few weeks, but afterwards really love this curriculum. Another thing I have observed is that most, if not all, of TOG students are super smart. The Somervilles have done a great job.
We are in our first year of Tapestry of Grace with a 13yod and 11yos. We love Tapestry because it is fun and interesting. It allows my son, who is a brilliantly quick thinker, to be challenged. My daughter, who has struggled with school, is equally challenged in her own ways. She was diagnosed with Sensory Integration Disorder and needs me to motor plan each new step. The higher level thinking skills in Tapestry has helped her brain to grow in new ways. She is becoming more independent than ever before. Everything makes more sense because literature and history have common themes and we match that to our Bible devotions in the mornings. Although other subjects like Latin, math and science are not a part of the Tapestry curriculum, it is amazing how even those can tie in on occasion. This has been a worthwhile investment for us.
We have used all four years of the TOG curriculum. This will be my first year with just one student, and she is loving it (she's on her second pass through TOG year 1--3rd pass through the time period)!!! I have used Sonlight in the past, and while I love the books Sonlight uses (many can be incorporated into TOG), as a former history teacher I much prefer the chronological approach that TOG utilizes. My 14yo has another pass through years 2-4, and then she'll be out of TOG and onto college. I'll be using TOG with an only student again when my 4 yo is old enough. If you want the input of other kids covering the same material, look for hsers in your area using TOG. We have quite a few in our area with whom we could meet and do hands-on stuff or discussion, but we find we are fine on our own--just the two of us. You can also check out the TOG forum that Marcia posted about above. Tons of information and people to help with questions. TOG is an excellent curriculum! I'm sold.
Thank you for this review. I've been feeling like taffy candy this year with being pulled in several directions. I have four children, two in high school, one in jr high, and the youngest in second grade. It would be wonderful to bring the family back together again in our educational journey. I'll seriously consider TOG as is seems like a wonderful program with a lot of support as well.
We are currently using TOG. We started at the beginning with the Redesgin. I have a 6yr old and a 3yr old. I love it. The kids love it and are learning so much. Just today we started studying the Indus Valley people and my 6yr old began comparing them to the Ancient Egyptians on his own (we just finished studying the Egyptians).
My 3yr old was sitting with us when were were reviewing the Egyptians and proceeded to tell me the steps of making a mummy. Now I know that at this age they are sponges, but TOG has laid out for me a clear and orderly system of studying. It also has divided all that information into levels so I know what to cover with my 6yr old now and what to wait to cover. I'm already seeing the benefit of this because I can easlily pull out a few tidbits for my 3yr old on the same subject.
The benefit of both of the children being on the same subject is most clear at dinner in the evening. When Dh comes home and asks what happened in school they both jump in with the things they have learned and begin to help each other remember what they learned. I know that they are only 6 and 3, but I also know that when they are older it will just get better. Now if I could just get in a word at the table about what I have learned! 
I find the teacher notes to be the most valuable. They give me food for thought and introduce me to thinking about things that maybe on my own I wouldn't have. I find that the notes give me the opportunity to get a firm hold of the subject and give me the confidence to present it to the kids.
Thank you. I kept going back to TOG's web-site last summer when I was searching for curriculum. I felt a peace that the various programs I had already ordered were going to be okay, but I think TOG will be a part of our homeschooling in the future. I think I'll go back to their web-site and re-read it now.
Thanks Marcia for stopping by and directing readers to the forum. The forums (and the website) are excellent resources to answer many questions.
In answer to Johanna's question. What I enjoy most about TOG is that I have options to choose from right on one page. If I think that a book or an assignemnt is too intense for one of my children, I can drop down to the level below and look for something there. The converse is also true. Some of my children have read assignments or done things that were for a higher level. This has happened when they wanted to go into a little more depth on a certain subject.
Another advantage, if your daughter is advanced there is no reason she couldn't read some of the lower grammar books to the younger ones. This reinforces her learning and creates a bond between the children as well. There is no better way to master a subject than to teach it.
Dana: I think with one child Sonlight or TOG would work well. Although having gone through a bit of both, I do like the chronological approach to history much better in TOG. Also, as someone pointed out TOG does an excellent job of educating the "teacher/mom" in the subject. Each week has background information that allows me to get up to speed on what is going to be talked about. I have found that very helpful.
Amy, we are on a tight budget. I have been able to find most of the books at the library. I am diligent to work a couple weeks ahead to have the books brought to our library if they are not in our local collection of books.
As far as spending time, that varies. There is some prep on the weekend to see what is going to be covered during the week. Then I spend some time on Monday going over the assignments and the books they will each read. Then they are on their own to read the material and do the assigned questions and projects. However, I will often select a book from their reading to read aloud or use in a dictation or narration. Later in the week, usually on Thursday we will meet to discuss the questions and go over the material together. But during the week we have many discussions as we read some books aloud.
I am currently reading a book about the life of Abraham. In covers not only what they are learning in their Bible reading but also their history. I usually read that during lunch time.
I would say the children spend about an hour to hour and a half a day on reading and assignments. But remember, that covers their history, Bible, geography, and English.
Megan, I had thought about switching a few years back when my children were younger. But TOG was new and all the years were not available. I was hesitant to begin something that was not yet finished. So I held off. Using Sonlight in the younger years didn't seem difficult because the work was easily adaptable. But for me, if they were both available back when my children were little I would have switched. TOG does not seem to use as much historical fiction as Sonlight does. But overall I have liked the "meatier" selections a lot better in TOG. And that has made a big difference in the children's understanding of the time period.
Jodi, no there is no science or math. You are on your own for those subjects. We use Saxon and Apologia.
It doesn't surprise me that you were sidetracked at HSDLA.
I have been greatly blessed by the Tapestry of Grace curriculum. I began it in 8th grade with and finished it in 11th.
I can't tell you how boring this curriculum made my summers. Every summer I would lament the fact that I wasn't learning anything about history at the time and I would eagerly look forward to the next school year. (I am not joking.) This curriculum, in the hand of my much-loved teachers, taught me the joy of using my brain.
The workload was never overwhelming: about 1-3 hours per day, depending on how much research my mom decided that I'd do. Neither was the workload too easy. The thinking questions always gave me something for my brain to chew on and they helped me to solidify my thoughts and my faith.
I also had the distinct privelege of being in the history co-op taught by none other than Mrs. Somerville (I just can't call her Marcia after all that she's taught me.)
As I look back from my senior year of high school, I am so grateful that I took all four years of this curriculum. They were instrumental in the constructing of my mind and my faith.
(Cross posted at HSB.)
Thanks for posting this. I just had my "Sonlight's too overwhelming with multiple kids" meltdown two weeks ago. I posted what we chose to use on my newest entry today if anyone wants another history option.
As for doing Sonlight with one child, I say it's great. Especially if it's already working for you. One nice thing about Biblioplan, which is what I chose, is that your rotate the four lesson plans, so you will reuse the books. It sounds like TOG is the same way. I like to save money, so that was one deciding factor for me.
I appreciate how you respond to questions and so quickly--Thank You! Since I posted my other questions, I have been studying the TOG website. I can see now how inexpensive this curriculum can be. There are so many options of different books that can be chosen. We always use the library as much as possible. And it seems to cover History, Geography, and Language Arts very well.
My question about the time it took was not about how much time it took the kids to do, but how much time does it take you each day all kids combined (not including time on the weekend preparing--just during the week with the kids)?
On a side note--I have been having to stop helping with school work by noon because I have an afternoon motor paper route. We decided tonight that December will be my last month!!! Yeah!
I have heard very good things about this and know several people that use it.
Thanks for the review.
Amy,
I purchase very few books. I can find most books within my library system.
Jennifer
Jodi,
TOG is history, biblical worldview, church history, geography, literature, philosophy for older kids, and writing combined into a cohesive curriculum with the emphasis on the entire family studying the same material at the same time. Scott Somerville is even beginning a special program for dads. This will help them be involved in homeschooling. You should really check out their website.
Jennifer
Lisa and Dana,
I only have two sons and it works great for me. My husband has never been excited about a curriculum, but he is excited about TOG. The curriculum keeps me focused and helps me incorporate the bible into our studies.
Gina,
I think the best thing about TOG is that it is K-Mom. I am learning so very much that I never learned in school and we all find it very interesting. I have to reign in my enthusiasm sometimes, I want to do too much.
Necole and all -
I can thoroughly understand how you would be stretched out after all those LifePACs!!
I, too, was a dedicated Sonlight user - until combining the Cores just became too much for me. With 5 kiddos, 4 in school and one in "gimme the marker Mom so I can decorate the walls!" mode, I really need for us all to be on the same page.
Just an anecdote: the first 4 weeks, I think I was on make-it-work-like-Sonlight mode! I ordered way too many books, and spent much too much time planning. Now, I can plan in about an hour or less per week, and I get ALL my books from the library. We're in our 13th week - here's an example of how it is working in my house.
My 6 yo and 8yo get to read with Mom. Read, read, read! Andrew Jackson, Cherokees, Davy Crockett - then they're off in the backyard building Cherokee houses! We'll look at maps this week and maybe do a small project.
My 10 yo, while not building houses with his sisters, is reading too - but more independently. He will make cards about new states added to the Union, put people on a timeline, and label some maps. We may discuss a bit as time allows.
My 14 year old spends the week reading and researching about Andrew Jackson, with questions to guide her. We will discuss his presidency and the "Trail of Tears" later this week.
My husband enjoys lively dinner discussions about why it was easier for the Cherokees to believe in God, was Andrew Jackson really a good president, and why his woodpile is now a log house.
My two-year old is still decorating the walls with markers. (Hey! Can't have everything!)
I am learning with my kids, and enjoying every minute of it
Sorry this is long- but we sure love TOG here!
Hi! I just have to chime in and say that in addition to all the wonderful comments above, don't overlook the very solid writing program included in the year plans.
I am a writer by trade (or at least, was before the first of three blessings was born). I have lamented how little most kids and adults seem to know about how to write. Of course, nearly everyone seems to dread writing, too. Marcia's writing component is so clearly laid out that it's a pleasure to teach and effective, too. I find my 8-yr-old suggesting improvements to her dad in his writing!
Many Blessings!
Thanks for adding that comment, there are so many things to mention about the curriculum. The writing is one, and the website is another. There are loads of additional resources there to supplement the units. And Marcia mentioned the forums. There are also users groups for the various years and online coops to share information.
Hello All,
This is my 6th year with TOG and it has been such a huge blessing to my family. My husband was quite excited to hear about Marcia's new plans of publishing a "DAD" track too. That way he can keep up with what we are studying as a family. My kids are 17,12,8 and 6 plus I'm helping my sil with her kids this year too! Its great that even my extended family is using TOG and we are all learning together about how the Lord's hand is in all of history. It has been wonderful how I can tweak TOG to work for the different learning styles in my family too.
Okay, I'm seriously thinking about purchasing TOG.
I downloaded the free mini unit, and I'm not sure if I need to purchase the Loom to make it all work?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Necole,
I happened to see this post. No, you don't HAVE to pay for the Loom! Until you're sure you are going to purchase, don't. There are things there that are important to making TOG completely useful, but just use the sample week-plans to get the feel of what TOG week-plans are all about. See if you can borrow the books listed from your library, read the Teacher's Notes and about the activities, and sort of walk around in it. See if it seems that you could follow this kind of a guide. Remember as you evaluate: TOG is written for all learners on all levels and constitutes a smorgasbord of educational delights. NO ONE FAMILY does it ALL. Honest. And, most kids do each Year-Plan two or three times (depending on ages when starting) so think in terms of "passes" over the suggested materials.
HTH!
Is this where I enter for the free unit of Tapestry?
How does Dad participate in our family's home school? In addition to "oversight" and encouragement on those days I feel overwhelmed, he has begun teaching one subject per year. Last year he taught our 9yo ds science. We used Sonlight 4 which was mostly Physical Science. They loved it. He is a mechanical engineer and he made it lots of fun for both of them. This year he is teaching our 13yo dd Algebra. It is going very well. He also attends the yearly conference (NCHE) with me and sometimes will go on field trips with us. This is our 5th year at home and his direct participation has increased each year. I can't wait for the "Pop Quiz" for dads from Tapestry to be available for Y4. Hopefully that will be another way for him to be involved in much of what we discuss during our school day.
Entering again for the free unit of Tapestry:
Sharing my best homeschool organizational tip - Use Homeschool Tracker. For the last 4 years I have created my own forms, etc. for assignments and reporting. My dd began some HS classes this year and I wanted more flexibility in producing assignment plans and record keeping. HST is an excellent tool.
Answering another question for my 3rd entry for the free unit of Tapestry:
One way I have found to teach my children to love God with all their minds - Use curriculum that purposefully challenges them to think about what they are learning from a Biblical perspective. TOG has helped our whole family learn how to do this better. We also study God's Word in a formal way (with a specific study) in order to see and learn the incredible depth that is there.
I just realized I put my entry question responses in the wrong place!!! So sorry!
I have been homeschooling for about 20 years and continually looking for the 'perfect' curriculum. Mostly I used a history curriculum as a timeline and added books. This was very time consuming with little ones bouncing around and keeping up witht he schedule our teens had. It was also very frustrating in that I'd have to read all the books I had purchased to make sure they were acceptable and accurate. (Which many were not!). Enter TOG! A friend was so smitten with it that I asked her if I could see it. Pretty overwhelming at first but as I perused the pages I fell in love.
We are LOVING it this year. A couple thoughts that may help answer some of the questions for Spunky.
#1. If I had only one child I would definitely use TOG! You both will learn so much and, I believe, delight in the four year cycle, revisiting old friends so to speak.
#2. I don't have very good library access in the remote area I live in so I have purchased most of the books recommended. Currently I am teaching 2 different levels. I've probably spent approx. $1000 for both kiddos. This is more than I usually spend BUT these are also books that I intend on keeping for my library and using over and over again. My 15 year old was assigned a history biograpy that Ithought she'd dread. Upon completing it she said, "This is an awesome book. It is really informative and very interesting. It made me feel like I was living in his home." I hope to go through the study, reading all the books myself someday.
#3. I have found the necessity to work out one day a week ($16,000 hospital bill-no insurance)so we plan ahead and the kids do a majority of their reading on that day.
#4. Spunky mentioned the weekly reading assignment layout as a slight inconvenience. I actually LOVE this. I sat with the kids at the begining of the year and explained making goals considering our schedules. Teaching them that if they have 5 days to complete 22 chapters not just to divide it up evenly but think about their known' activities each day. If one of those days includes violin and piano lessons as well as a dentist appt. they should plan fewer chapters that day and more on a quieter day. They started out a bit slow but learned the value of making goals and seeing the need to change those as things came up. They now ask for their books on Friday night and start over the weekend!
#5. Spend time with this program over the summer to get familiar with it and I think you'd not be as overwhelmed. I spent time reading and re-reading to aquaint myself with it. Remember not to be an overachieving legalist by trying to do everything with it. It is still YOUR home, school, life and children! YOU choose how it works for you and your kids needs. I have one VERY artistic child and one that isn't quite as creative. They work together on their display boards, lapbooks etc... even though they are different levels. The one teaching the other. Sometimes the younger level books have facts
Thanks for the review. I'll keep it under my hat, when the time comes.
Boo hoo! I feel like the lamest homeschooler on the planet because I am the only person I know who just about had a nervous breakdown trying to wade through the enormous amount of materials that make up 1 year of TOG (I tried YR 3).
My husband nicknamed it Tapestry of Grief! lol! (That's more a reflection on me than Ms. Sommerville -- obviously, as testified to here by all these users.)
I found it hard to administrate and my daughter (an avid reader) found the reading list very dry.
We used Sonlight for 2 years. Great books!
Just finishing up Truthquest. Just my speed.
Next year, maybe Mystery of History.
Any thoughts?
A curriculum is a tool not a task master. I don't do ALL that is included in TOG. The reading has been challenging for my children but I would not call it dry. She doesn't use a lot of historical fiction the way Sonlight does but I found that my children enjoyed the reading none the less.
TOG will work for some but not others. This isn't due to your failure or their brilliance. That's just the way life is. What works for one won't necessarily work for another because of the uniqueness of each family. The goal is to find what works and keep tweaking as you go. That's the beauty of homeschooling.
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