Using TOG to self educate

[Jewel7123]

I'd like to discuss the subject of using TOG for the purpose of self education. I will be starting TOG Year 1 in a few months with my then 1st grader and I'd like to take advantage of the time I have now to start self-educating. I do have a few questions though, that I hope you ladies can help me with.

First off, where do I start? Will I benefit from doing Dialectic first and then Rhetoric, or do most of you who self educate go ahead and start with Rhetoric? Should I start in the Dialectic level this history cycle and then move up to the Rhetoric level when we start our 2nd history cycle? Will Dialectic be too simple for me? The reason I hesitate to jump right into Rhetoric now is because I've heard that the Rhetoric level can be considered college level work. I'll admit that I got my history from textbooks in school, and I only completed a semester of college, so I am a bit hesitant to start the Rhetoric level right now. I'd love to get opinions, or hear what others have done. Should I start in Dialectic now, then do Rhetoric in 4 years? Should I do a combination of D/R level work and which subjects should I do D? Should I go ahead and start Rhetoric now, and repeat again in 4 years to ensure I really GOT it?

Thanks for your input!

[Jewel7123]

Let me add that my will be 1st grader is my OLDEST.....I have three girls, all roughly 2 years apart. (My youngest is 21 months) So I do have my hands full with managing three kids ages 5 and under as well as trying my best to keep the house clean. It's not like I have TONS of time now, but I figure it will only get worse as they get older, so I better start my education now, lol!

[Pat]

I suggest you do something a little different. This is based on what the notes suggest for mom's new to Tapestry.

First, read the mom's notes on the history each week. If looking over the complete year plan, you see a topic that interests you, then get a couple of the Rhetoric level books on the topic (or only one book). For instance I plan to read the Civil War as Theology book next time I pass through the Civil War material.

However, I would make my prime focus what Tapestry suggests: reading the R level literature. Year One is a great year to do that it because it is not too over whelming (Year Two you may wish to break in half and read some the first time you go through it and some the next time). Reading the time period's literature will drive you back to the history and give you more questions and desires to read and explore material which you can then read in other passes through the material.

[Jewel7123]

Thanks Pat. You've given me the same advice as Janice in NJ, which is to read the literature and not the history assignments, so I guess in the mouth of two witnesses, lol! That's where I'm going to start.

[Pat]

The one thing I did was occasionally read a book on the history that intrigued me. In my case I had a resource person who was very familiar with both the topic and the wide variety of books on it and helped me find a good adult read on the topic.

But the literature is the real draw for me. On the other hand, don't let yourself stop because you get bogged down. In Year One the big musts for me would be The Odyssey, the Greek plays, and the Words of Delight book. So if you find yourself bogged down in something else, put it aside and move on and then later you can always come back.