I am a new user of TOG. I will be borrowing year 4 from a very sweet lady, this will be our first year and I plan to continue with all the children through highschool. I would love help in getting started. For instance, what can I do before school starts to get off to a great start this year? What all preparations would you do in advance? How do I plan the school year? Basically any planning information, any helpful forms, anything to help me get started would be beneficial. I would love to hear from you all.
Blessings,
Traci

Hi Traci,
Welcome!
I'll dive right in with response to your inquiry... Although it wouldn't probably make a big difference in planning, I use the Classical TOG.

Here's what I did/ do each year to prepare:
1.Copy the book list then began checking off the books I have, need to buy, or will try to get from the library. I write in any substitute titles I have access to, and look to see what I can get inter-library loan. I take it with me shopping, to used book fairs, or the library.
2.I look ahead at all the projects for each week and make a list of materials that we either will need to buy or collect (like small boxes, beads, cloth, etc.) I write this list according to week so I can see at a glance what will be needed in a few weeks ahead of time.
3.As I look at the week plans (yellow) I tag ones that we may consider skipping or expanding with a post-it-note. This helps us to be flexible and stay focused.
4.For each child, I also photocopy the purple writing assignment sheets both for reference and so they can be checked off.(I'll tell you a little about their notebooks in a minute :-)
5.If I am not sure about book purchases I try to take the "selection-in-question" out from the library and evaluate how much we may use it. Although Marcia's book recommendations are excellent, we have used our own substitutes that are on hand right here at home. I seem to always purchase a few spine books, and likewise skip a few that just didn't look like they were a good match for the kids styles.
6.Schedule. We are homeschooling eclectics with a very relaxed, independent learning flavor. Our family created a master schedule! This has been so very, very helpful to have the visual cues necessary to work together and independently. For our family, it works well to scheduled bigger chunks of time to work on TOG, read, do some projects, and write. Transitioning from one subject to another seems to waste a lot of time and to counter learning enjoyment and effectiveness. Some weeks it all gets done, some weeks it doesn't. But I found having a schedule we very helpful in staying in a relatively evenly paced rhythm.
7. I paruse the website, especially history, geography, and art. I download and pring anything that I think we need ahead of time. With the help of a three hole punch I simply slip it into my master TOG for whichever week it is appropriate. Then it is right there for me to refer to while we read or discuss- a map, a biography, an picture of a portrait or sculpture, etc. If there is a specific website link I don't want them to miss, I jot it dowm it in the white "Teacher's notes".
8. Then, as time allows, I read the TOG philosophies (once as an FYI), writing helps, etc. over the summer.

Not surprisingly, we tried a few different notebook approaches until one seemed to click. After ditching seperate notebooks for each seperate thing, we settled on each child managing his/her single BIG notebook.

It was set up with TOG sheets in weekly dividers. Each week had their yellow check off sheets, a clear-covered copy of writing assignments that they move along from week to week, and any blue sheets (and/or other info I downloaded)that applied.

In the back of the notebook they have extra paper, math solutions, science papers, and spelling. Tabbed. All in one place.

I hope this gives you a little idea of what we have found to set us up for success. This is our second full year, and the process is getting pretty streamlined. To be frank, however, we do not live and die by curricula.

TOG serves us as a wonderful framework, but alongside it we are also enjoying advanced sciences, sports, working/volunteering, ministries, Bible study time, art, sewing, playing, pursuing individual interests and travel. If we did everything, every week, we would go NUTS! Learning around here is genuinely fun, interesting and challenging because academics are balanced with life.

For some families, a more rigorous plan might be better. For us, the reading, history, teachers notes (I read a lot of them outloud and we discuss together), vocabulary and timeline (as a references) are very helpful.

The kids aso enjoy the projects and have incorporated them into 4-H. We find that bigger projects like dioramas take a lot of time to do well. Consequently, they may select one project every month or so. But, the application of knowledge that goes into it is amazing!

I'll close for now. I'd be happy to share more if there is a need :-) I wish you well. Homeschooling is such a joy!

Finishing our first decade of homeschooing,
/Kristen

Kristen,
I like the plans you offer. What size is the BIG notebook that your children use?

Is it a notebook for 36 weeks (of TOG plus Math, Grammar and Science) or one for each unit.

Ali