We're returning to TOG (with my just-turned 15-year-old son). He is an excellent reader (although he isn't enthusiastic about it); a good writer (somewhat lazy--as in run-on sentences); and totally focused on hockey (hoping to play for a junior team in a few years; currently choosing which AAA team he will play for in Michigan). I'm debating whether to start him in Y2 D, rather than R, since we haven't done much literary analysis before...

perhaps I could move him up in the middle of the year, or I could just leave him in D this year...he has quite an extensive vocabulary, and is very funnny...

Advice from experienced users welcome!

Linda in NM (soon to be MI)

I have no experience at the R level with TOG so take this advice knowing that, but I've been reading the R lit as I go, Year 2 is a heavy year in terms of lit at that level. I think I might consider what you suggest but cherry pick some pieces to read from each unit. I'd go for the boy friendly pieces like The Song of Roland, Beowulf, etc. Or you could try the lightest of the cuts that TOG has done for Year 2 in the cutting chart.

I also have no experience yet with R, but when we transitioned from UG to D 2 yrs. ago, we sort of did it gradually. I picked resources here & there, till by end of year, my son was fully into the D material. I plan to do this in the next year or so when it's time to transition again.
As an aside, I would agree with Pat that much of the Y2 R stuff is pretty heavy, so consider integrating slowly.
I would also ask myself whether he has the maturity & thinking/reasoning ability to begin working toward the R level.

Linda,

I have two older boys (16 & 15). They are both competitive athlethes (soccer & gymnastics) and there is no question that at this point thier goal is college sport scholarships. Sports take up a lot of our time so we understand the sport thing. =))

There are so many different situations and students so it is hard to suggest what you should do but here is what we did.

My 16 year old LOVES literature....he reads quickly and on his own reads the classics and loves it. He is an athlete but says he is also a nerd cuz of his love for literature. He started RH lit in 9th grade and has done great. He would have started RH reading in 8th grade if we had not been on Y4 with content that was not for a 13 year old boy. He also breezes through assignments...he reads very quickly so the RH Lit does not take him long. This is a good thing because he spends so much time on soccer and other activities. He also plans to possibly major or minor in literature in college so this is a great fit for him.

MY 15 year old doesn't enjoy reading and spends 24 hours a week training in the gym. On top of that during season he is also traveling to meets. He will only take the required English courses in college. He does not have the time or desire at this point to put into RH Lit what it requires. And I don't think he would really enjoy it either. At this point I don't know if he will ever do RH Literature. Unfortunately the way the RH Literature is set up you can not jump back and forth. The RH Literature analysis builds as you go through the year. For Y2 he did the DI Literature with a twist Whenever he came to a book that was a retelling...I had him read the unabrided version. Some of the DI selections are really only lower middle school level books...example: Justin Morgan Had a Horse. You could take the DI SAP's for that book and just have him do them with a differnt book. Granted you would not have the answers but you could either read the book or check online to see if you could find the answers in an online study guide. It depends on how much time you have to put into this.

This year our co-op is actually creating a Bride Literature group for Year 3. This group is filled with high school students that probably won't do RH Literature or are not ready for it yet. They will read the Y3 DI books, any books that are assigned in the curriculum as abridged...they will read unabridged. We will also be weaving into the analysis some of the RH analysis as we have two RH Lit teachers that are going to work on this. We are able to do this because of our co-op. If was not in a co-op with my 15 year old I would probably do the same as last year...DI with a twist.

When it comes to history I think the same goes...do you want him to spend the time on the RH history or not. If not do the DI. We often have kids do RH history for a year or so and then add in the RH Lit.

One of the best ways I have found to figured this out is to check out the books from the library now and look through them. Also to look through the curriculum.

You know what your son needs/desires/loves/has time for. Pray and ask God to show you what is best for him.

Blessings,
Barb