How do you "teach" TOG?

[FilsellFamily]

Hi everyone,

This is our first year with TOG. We are starting Y1U1 with my LG (Age6) in two weeks.

My questions is basically...Is all the material referenced by TOG in the student activities, geography, etc. covered in the books assigned?

Are there topics (ie vocab, map references, etc) which I will need to prepare for outside of the reading?

Thanks for your help!
Lisa

[Kyles978]

It depends a bit on what you have purchased. If you purchased map aids you will have all you need for the mapwork worksheet but if you haven't you will have to find your own maps. It is suggested your students look up the answers in an historical atlas but I have just used the teachers maps for my LG student and will use atlases from UG.

I haven't used Vocab words for K.

If you join the Year1TOG group at yahoo groups you will find some good printables for mapwork and geography terms that you can print out and use.

[FilsellFamily]

Thanks Kylie.

How are you teaching content? Read-alouds from the reading assignments page?

[Pat]

I think it is possible that not every location and every vocab word is not found in the readings for the week.

With vocab, I'd approach it from the define if needed point of view. I certainly wouldn't expect to drill an LG on vocab from the readings.

Same with maps, in our first pass through my oldest at D level worked mostly alone on his maps, but he had permission to use my teacher's map to find locations not on the maps in his books. With younger children, I think I'd just work with the child to put the locations on a map using the teacher's map to show them where.

[Kyles978]

I purchase or borrow all the primary resources each week and read them to my son unless it is a very simple book he can read to me. I borrow any of the alternate books that our library has and then use them or not depending on how the week pans out. For Bible survey we go through the questions in the Student Activity Pages (SAP). I generally assign one art project a week and then my son can do others if time/interest permits.

I think the main thing with stating out is to get your feet wet. Make a plan, jump in and then be flexible enough to add or subtract things until you find your rhythm. Remember it's a smorgasbord and you don't have to do everything.

You will also need to add math, learning to read, spelling etc and these are the most important subject in grade K so don't overload with TOG, just doing the reading would be sufficient if that's all you want to do.

Remember each homeschooling family is different. Don't try to be like someone else, find the best way for your family.