DS not engaged in TOG

[Sue in Texas]

Hello, This is my 5th year with TOG and I love it. My oldest child is in 9th grade. He is not now, nor has he really ever been, engaged in the curriculum. My other kids are doing well. My oldest just isn't interested and he isn't engaged during discussions. He writes down so little if anything when answering questions. I really don't think it's that he can't do it. It's that he doesn't want to. He's not interested in the literature or the history. I want to keep using TOG but I'm not sure what he's learning at this point. I think he will do the work for a classroom teacher (he's taking an online science course and does the work for that class). I am thinking of using "Scholarsonline" for high school history and literature. It is a classical Christian program. I just keep pulling/pushing him. I lament that I would end TOG with him because I love the program and love having all my children studying the same thing.

Any comments? Anybody have this sort of experience?
Sue

[Marcia]

Hi Sue,

I have a couple of different thoughts to offer.

1. On the heart-issue side of things, a lackadaisical approach to the content of the week's reading and answering of questions preparatory to discussions generally yields colorless, tasteless discussions. When kids don't prepare thoroughly, one generally spends most of the discussion bringing them up to speed on their facts, and this is tedious to both students and teachers. If you feel that he CAN but WON'T prepare, then switching curricula to accommodate his resistance to digging in and doing hard work may not be the best answer. Teaching on diligence, and requiring it of him at the cost of other privileges (for instance) is NO fun, and a difficult tightrope to tread (requiring prayer and God's sustaining grace), but it may be the tough love he needs. Only you and your husband can determine this, however. Tapestry's approach is NOT a universally satisfying one, and there are families for which it is not a good fit.

2. On a more practical, hopeful side, within TOG there are (on Alternate Reading Chart, p. 5 of each Redesigned week-plan) textbook readings offered. An option, therefore, would be to use TOG with all of your other children while only requiring a textbook approach to your son's high school course. He could read the assignments in the textbook and answer only the questions offered at the end of chapters/sections of the book. You could AUGMENT from the Teacher's Notes, perhaps filling in his more surface understanding with meaty and interesting worldview questions/answers/insights gleaned from the Teacher's Notes. This would be a way of you keeping everyone on the same topics, but releasing him from the read-think-write approach for at least a season. Perhaps he is one of those high-school-aged-but-dialectic-level students, who needs time to develop an interest in analysis of worldview issues? If so, this approach might work.

Hope these thoughts are helpful!

[bspanier]

Sue,

One option if he does well with a classroom teacher and you want to keep him with Tapestry is our online courses. Here at the Lampstand Learning Center (http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/llc/index.php) we have online classes (http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/llc/classes/courses.php) for each year plan in history and literature. For some students it has really been the motivation they needed to apply themselves to their studies. Please check out our website for more information and class demos.

I would be happy to answer any qustions you might have.