We have started using TOG Year 2 with our four kids and we are enjoying it very much. However, my 9 ds (in fourth grade) is having trouble with the reading for Core and In-Depth history. He's a good reader, he is just finding it, well, a bit less exciting than reading he's used to ("boring"). I'm also using Level 3 writing with him.

My question is that I wonder if I should have him do the UG level readings on his own or if I should read-aloud the core and/or in-depth books. The good thing about that would be he'd be enjoying learning more, and perhaps developing enough confidence to do more on his own (rather than fighting me when I tell him he has to do it when he doesn't want to). The negative thing would be he might not gain more independent skills and he might not be living up to what he could do. I guess he would also be "behind" in terms of finishing the various levels of UG/D/R.

Does anyone have any suggestions, both for the short-term in what assignments to give him, and also for the long-term in what the consequences of having him at a lower level now would be later on?

Thanks,
Hilary

Hilary,

I have a 4th grade son doing Tapestry this year. It is our 4th year doing Tapestry. I would consider having him do some of the reading from LG and/or do UG as a read aloud. In my opinion, some of the UG material is a little hard for a 4th grader and some of the LG material is plenty. It varies from week to week. I have a LG son so I have those materials on hand and evaluate it on a book by book basis.

HTH.
Patti

Thanks, Patti.

I appreciate your feedback. That sounds like a good idea to go week by week and book by book and see how it goes.

The book he seems to have most trouble with now is The Story of the Middle Ages. I'm not sure if the problem is how the book is written, or the amount of material covered in it.

Any suggestions if I should try to find another book, or if we should do it as a me-read-aloud/him-read-aloud to cover it?

Thanks,
Hilary

Hilary,

We just finished our second year with TOG Y2 with a 5th grader (dd). She has always been a pretty strong reader but we ended up using The Story of the Middle Ages as a read-aloud. My daughter found it difficult sometimes also. We did alot of the History Core and in-depth as read alouds. Since there isn't really a discussion time with UG students I found reading together often times brought up topics we were able to touch on and go a little more in-depth on.

HTH,

Lisa W.

I also find that if the books are treated as read alouds, it's easier to know how they are doing with grasping the concepts. I have found that Librivox.org has quite a few of the older books offered in UG as audio books. I download them onto my computer through itunes and we listen at meals. This is a great way to sneak a read aloud in, without it seeming like work for anyone - mom or kid. We are on Year Three and found Our Island Story on there and listened to it at breakfast time. Everyone loved the British accent.

Just a thought... Pam