Tapestry of Grace

For our first 5 years of homeschooling we were eclectic. We tried a bit of this and a bit of that. The following year we would stick with components we liked for individual subjects, and then try something new for the rest. And then we found Tapestry of Grace (T.O.G.) when my oldest was entering 5th grade.

TOG follows a "classical education" approach. Elementary years are spent giving them information and exposing them to the learning concepts and the world around them. Middle school years (6-8) are spent "connecting the dots" of the facts and events that they learned in elementary. High school brings on more evaluation and contemplation about their own worldview and not only understanding their own thoughts and ideas, but also expressing them to others.

Year 1 Ancients - covers ancient civilizations such as Rome, Greece, Israel, and Egypt.
Year 2 Renaissance - goes over the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and the Reformation
Year 3 Early Modern - begins with the colonization of America and ends with the Civil War (covering world history, not just American)
Year 4 Modern- from WWI up to modern day.

The lesson plans come in 4 separate year plans. Each Year Plan contains all of the instructions that you will need to teach that time period for grades 1 through 12. This is nice because you only buy each Year Plan one time and it tells you what reading and reference books to purchase for each level. If you have multiple kids or just one working their way through, you do not have to purchase new lesson plans each year. Once you complete the cycle of years 1-4, you go back to Year 1 and the student has moved up a level. This allows them to build on the basic knowledge that they got the first time around.

Negatives (in my opinion)

1. Seems totally overwhelming at first glance (took me 3 years of looking at it to think I could do it)
2. No "shopping list" of books. Many of the books can be sorted by level and subject on Bookshelf Central, but it is not an all inclusive list. If you want a complete list of books you need to buy, you need to go through the Year Plan week by week and make your own.
3. Cannot "cut and paste" from the Reading Assignment page on to a separate page in order to make a weekly assignment sheet. 
4. No way to search through all 36 weeks at the same time when you are looking for something like what weeks is a particular book used?

Positives

1. Multiple age children all cover the same topics at the same time. (different levels may focus on different aspects, but all are studying the same time period at their own level).
2. More books, projects, and activities than you need to do - each parent chooses what they want to cover and what they can skip over. TOG refers to it as a "buffet" where you can make choices.
3. Teacher Notes - I do not have to read everything each of my children is reading. The Teacher Notes summarizes everything for me and guides me through a discussion with the middle school and high school students.
4. I like not having to buy a whole new curriculum every year. Once I have purchased all 4 of the Year Plans, I only need to buy the next level of student books. (I put my money into buying middle school and high school books because I wouldn't use the elementary ones again. But my youngest used the books purchased for the older kids our first time through). 
5. ALL of the planning is covered for me. History, literature, writing, worldviews, fine arts, and even high school government and philosophy all revolve around the core history reading. When you study ancient civilizations you also learn about where the Bible came from, literature like the Odyssey, and you write about topics relating with the reading assignments. It all connects and reinforces the historical concepts.
6. Extras like Map Aids and Evaluations also reduce the amount of work I have to do on my own. Having written a preschool curriculum, I really appreciate the time that went in to creating these materials as well as the time and effort that it saves me as a teacher when I would be reinventing the wheel. 
7. Forum - online place to meet with others also using the curriculum and share ideas, ask questions, and get answers.

 Overall, I LOVE Tapestry of Grace and will use it until my youngest graduates from high school. If you would like to see more, you can check them out at Tapestry of Grace

Outsourcing Classes

As my children approached high school years I began to think about things like higher math, fine arts, and science. Could I continue to teach all subjects to all children? Just short of a nervous breakdown, my answer was loud and clear. "No, I could not."

So I began to look at what we could outsource (classes away from home). Not having a large budget, we needed to get creative.

Here are some of the things we discovered:

Math
1. Teach what you can at home using parents or other family members as the teacher.
2. Consider programs taught by video or online
3. If you cannot find someone within the family to teach, consider bartering (trade them weekly cookies or meals, cleaning, babysitting, etc.).
4. If free classes are not possible, search around your area for existing classes. This might be through a co-op, a homeschool store, or even another homeschooling family willing to teach classes for a reduced fee.

Science
1.  We personally did not do formal science classes until middle school (6th grade). Elementary years were spent in nature studies and science experiments. (Did you know that you can grow vegetables that you can eat? Did you know that cooking is a "food science" or that you can explode a zipper baggie with vinegar and baking soda? I wonder why...??? Science).
2. If you live in a well populated area, chances are that there are other homeschoolers looking for the same class. See if you can co-teach or trade classes. I have known people who traded teaching with other families to save them both some money. If you need science, what can you teach? Do you know a second language? Do you enjoy the messy craft projects that other moms might not want to do?
3. Search around to see if there is a co-op or class taught locally. Many co-ops offer classes with qualified teachers in higher math and science.

Fine Arts
1. You can do online learning with programs like Meet the Masters. http://www.meetthemasters.com/
2. Co-op with friends to do art and/or music classes together. It is always more fun with friends.
3. Check around for a local children's theater. My kids earn 1/2 credit in Fine Arts on their transcripts for each production they are in. 2 productions a year and they have a full credit. Whether actor/actress or working in the technical area of lights or sound, they get the full experience of what it takes to put on a live production.