Tapestry Workbooks

One of the things that makes Tapestry great is its flexibility. However that flexibility means that every homeschool family needs to decide how to organize the assignments they choose to give their students each week.

Workbooks are a great way to organize information for your older, independent students. I begin to teach independent work in the Upper Grammar level, checking work daily, and working up to Rhetoric level, where I have a weekly meeting to go over assignments and grade their work.

There are many, many types of workbooks and everyone has to find what works for them. Also, things change year to year and we all need to be flexible and adaptable. This system I am going to describe is what I use currently; this system has changed and probably will change again. Hopefully this will give you some ideas that will help you develop the system that works for you.

I've kicked around the idea of using a bound workbook, but I prefer the flexibility of a 3-ring binder. I like to work week to week when deciding what components to assign and which not to assign. I do have the assignment sheets already written before a unit begins, but I sometimes modify them so I don't print them until giving that week's assignments.

This is the current assignment sheet I use:

  Please note that I blocked out the assigned reading pages, which are copyrighted to the program.

I have also used the following assignment charts in the past:

My kids design their own binder covers.

We redo the binders every unit, removing the previous unit's work and adding in the next unit as we go.

Here is the list of what I generally give them each week to put in their binders:

• assignment sheet
• map
• timeline entries (to be cut and pasted into their books)
• history accountability and thinking questions (I create Word documents that include the following info that is copied and pasted from the TOG Workbook pages):
• General Information for All Grades
• Accountability Questions, with space to write the answers
• Thinking Questions, with space to write the answers
• any charts for that week
• literature accountability and thinking questions (again, I create a Word document that includes the following from the TOG Workbook pages):
• Literature Introduction
• vocabulary terms
• any Poetics assignments
• Accountability and Thinking Questions, with spaces to write the answers
• government questions (R students only, with space to write the answers)
• government reading (if it is on the Tapestry Government CD)
• any worksheets pertaining to their other subjects

This system works well for my students since they can take out pages and put them back, and I can look at them any time and grade them at the end of the week.

Teaching How to Read for Information in Tapestry of Grace

As a seasoned Tapestry of Grace user, I often field questions on how to teach children to answer the Accountability and Thinking questions in the curriculum. This is something I also struggled with when my oldest reached Dialectic level. I think most of us learned to read for information and find the main idea sometime in our school years, but we're really not sure how we learned it and therefore how to teach it to our children.

Tapestry of Grace also expects students to develop advanced skills of analysis in reading. This is not a curriculum where the questions given to you ask "What is A?" then the book tells you "A is this." The questions are worded in such a way as to assess how much the student understood what they read, then to start to analyze what they think about it. That is one of its greatest strengths - and for some of us, one of its greatest stumbling blocks.

As a teacher at Lampstand Learning Center, I also needed a way to show my students how to do this as well. Some students just pick this skill up easily, but many really struggle. I'm not there with them except in their weekly discussions, and I had to come up with a way to show them how to prepare well for the discussions, using their questions. I think these are some good pointers that will get a student well on their way to mastering these skills.

*** NOTE: Book page numbers, weeks used in Tapestry, and the Accountability and Thinking Questions are all copyrighted material. I am using this information from Year 2, Week 20, which is available on the website as part of a free sample that is accessible to anyone. ***

Week 20 is in Unit 3 of Year 2, which covers from the Fall of Rome to Colonial times. Here is the history reading assigned for dialectic students:

And here are the questions that the Dialectic level student should be expected to answer from this assigned reading:

And here are the books:

 

It seems that most students of Dialectic age are really resistant to the idea of doing prereading work - they tend to want to read first, then try to answer the questions. One of the first skills they need to learn is to prepare themselves for the reading. This is how they will become the most efficient at finding the information.

Their first step should always be to read the questions. I also recommend that they read the General Information for All Students section of the Student Activity Pages. This is a great summary of what will be learned this week and acts as a good introduction to the material.

Next, they should look at the first book assigned, This Country of Ours. In looking over this book, it should be obvious that this book covers the history of America from the time of the English colonies. In looking back over the list of questions, it is easy to see that the first two questions should definitely be answered in this resource, and possibly the next three, and questions 6-8 are NOT likely to be answered here. They can do the same with the Thinking Questions, and see that #5 is not likely to be answered by this resource. Then, they can mark these questions so that they are keeping track of what information they're trying to find in this book.

Next, they need to look over the pages assigned for chapter and section headings. This Country of Ours has short chapters with no subheadings, and the table of contents shows us the topics of the assigned chapters:

Now we can see that the first two chapters we'll be reading are about John Smith. It is probably likely (especially if you read Thinking Question 2) that Smith is the person asked about in question #1. So, before we read chapters 13 and 14, we reread Accountability Questions 1 and 2, and Thinking Questions 1 and 2. We can also look to see if information about King James is in these chapters.

With this prework, we are teaching our students to read with a focus. They now know exactly what they are looking for. This will also help them learn to skim through the paragraphs with an eye towards locating the specific information they will need to fully answer the questions given. If they continually refer back to their questions in this manner as they read, they will be learning how to find the information to answer the questions and be well prepared for their Socratic discussions.

In my next blog post, I'll be covering how to teach students to answer questions fully, using several techniques such as mind mapping, outlining, and referencing.

A new season of life in homeschooling has begun. My oldest graduated in June so I'm beginning to lose students. I love homeschooling so much, I wonder where will I be when my youngest graduates. Then, something comes along that reminds me that God knows what I need and already has a plan in mind. I am working with some great people on a new program that is just getting off the ground. If this works out, I will continue to work with homeschoolers for many years.

Thank you, God, for knowing my desires and gently showing me that your plan for me is good.

I've been incredibly busy with teaching online classes, teaching my own children, and managing all the sports/classes/activities that three teenage homeschoolers can get into.

I do like to take time to help other homeschoolers when I can. I was recently contacted by a new Tapestry of Grace user, through our local homeschool email loop. I've been giving her a bit of advice here and there.

Today she emailed to ask me about a specific point of the curriculum. I answered, then asked how everything else was going. Here was her response.

Thank you! I am loving TOG!! My kids love the program and we are just having a blast! It has breathed life back into our homeschool. :-)

Great news on a soggy, cold, windy day.

An Encouragement

Wow, I've neglected this blog for a while. Sorry!

A new homeschooler moved to our neighborhood recently. She came to me for homeschooling advice, and we met several times. She was so impressed with Tapestry of Grace that she borrowed my copy, and decided to use it this year. She also came to our church, and loves it, as well!

I received this email from her yesterday:

I feel a little guilty enjoying the freedom of homeschooling. When you said I would enjoy homeschooling once I pulled away from Traditional schooling. I didn't realize just how much I would enjoy it. :) Though I catch myself wanting to compare and contrast with other families...the Lord softly whispers...don't do it! He assures me that we are on the right path for our family. I love hearing how so many families in cooperate so many subjects into one. I am still in such awe. The Lord getting me closer to his goal, Sheri. I am a slow learner. :) Thank the Lord he never gives up on me ( like we sang in praise and worship). :) If my hubby was here we would totally join yours and your hubby's small group. It sounds great. Maybe the next time. :) I am looking forward to joining the small group unglued. It's fitting for the season I am in. 

  Well, just a couple of praise I'd like to share since you homeschool and would understand me sharing these great news. I am seriously loving stepping out of the traditional schooling mindset. When a part of me feels the pressure that I may not be doing enough....I thinks  back to the lesson planning 101 from TOG that discussed making realistic goals, because each family and their situation is different. My children and I love TOG. They draw things they learn about Egypt to send to my husband. They enjoy sharing facts with friends and families that they have learned through reading or read alouds. They also reenact things they remember from reading. Our daughter wants to dress up as Cleopatra for harvest fest. :) The greatest thing is they are enjoying learning. Remember I told you..how my oldest lacked confidence in reading...well now she is requesting to do the read alouds. My son mastered tying shoe laces. He struggled and was discouraged regarding tying his shoes since last year. Well this morning...he did it. I know that sounds petty but that's huge in my mind as well as my son's. I know you know how that feels. It's such a blessing to watch them truly master things and not just memorize things. I am so thankful not to have the pressure of turning in grades to Abeka. Not only are my children happy learning but I am too. 

What a blessing to hear her successes! Even though I was the original encourager, this ended up encouraging me.

Here is the song she is referring to, that we sang at church this week. I hope it blesses you as well!

One Thing Remains - Jesus Culture

Favorite Verse

I've been battling some health issues that have been unresolved for several years now. I've been just barely hanging on to the basics in life, so this blog has been neglected. However I did want to post here something I saw today which is helping to bring new life and passion to my faith, which has been suffering along with my health.



I have been saying for years that Jeremiah 29:11 was my favorite verse. Years ago that verse used to be my comfort and my inspiration, but in recent years it has not given that same comfort. Then I saw this verse and it brought back those feelings of comfort, joy, and faith that I've been longing for. It actually excites me when I read it!

"The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”

- Zephaniah 3:17

Thank you, God. I needed that today!

Homeschoolers and Socialization

My 15-year-old had three varsity volleyball games this week. Last night's game was against another homeschool team, held at a church gym nearby.

So, how was it attending a game with a gym full of "weird, unsocialized homeschoolers" and their families?

I suppose many people would think it would be awkward, quiet - filled with conservative family members wearing headdresses and other ultra modest clothing, clapping politely for both teams.

But you would be oh, so wrong.

Both stands were filled with people of all ages, cheering, yelling, and stomping on the bleachers for their respective teams. The gym was filled with laughter and excitement. Older children and parents were watching over the younger children, entertaining them during breaks in the games and helping them to stay off the court during the games. Parents of the "home" team were walking the stands during the breaks, hawking pizza by the slice to benefit a senior trip. Parents and siblings were loudly cheering on the girls by name. Groups of parents sitting together were catching up on each others' lives, sometimes watching the games and sometimes not.

What topped the cake was two teenage boys who took it upon themselves during the breaks to "work the crowd." They ran up and down the bleacher sections, encouraging everyone to do "the wave" and to cheer - for both teams! They were a riot.

Oh, yes. What a completely unsocialized group we homeschoolers are.