Getting Prepared for Preparing

[psreit]

As I have mentioned on a few threads, we are not currently using an HOD guide, so that we can focus on reading and math difficulties. We are currently using the Barton System for dyslexia, and I am excited that there is progress being made in reading. Also, through the instruction of our educational consultant, we have finally crossed the chasm in math, and feel that we will move forward in that area as well. So, I am anticipating after a full year of Barton, my dd will be reading well enough to begin DITHOR. We had been working on the ERs when we previously used HOD. We came to a halt in those because of her reading difficulties. I was thinking about starting those again this year, so that I know if she is really ready for DITHOR next year.

I know I am talking a few years down the road, but I have a question about Res to Ref. I look ahead just to see what books are coming up in future guides. In Res to Ref there are two science options. If I was choosing now, I would choose option 2: God's Design: Our Weather and Water. It says that option 2 if for those who read "Exploring Planet Earth" as an extension in Bigger. Is there a benefit from reading Exploring Planet Earth before doing God's Design? When we get to Res to Ref, my choice would be option 2. Just wanting some thoughts or other suggestions on this or the reading. It feels so good to have the confidence that Angie will be ready next fall to get back into HOD full swing.

[LynnH]

I don't think that you need to read Exploring Planet Earth before doing God's design. I think it is just that Exploring Planet Earth is in Option 1. My ds loved the Galileo and Isaac Newton books, so if you don't do option 1 then you might think about just doing those as a read aloud at bedtime or something.

[Tidbits of Learning]

My ds10 has dysgraphia/dyslexia and after we finished working through his main reading difficulties, we did go back and do the ERS. We just started after the Bible readings and went through. He enjoyed them and now I am going through them again with my youngest. I just kind of had ds go through at his pace when we picked back up the ERS. I think he started back at Wagon Wheels and moved forward from there.

[psreit]

Thanks Lynn. I will keep that in mind when we get to Res to Ref. The way the years fly, it will come sooner than I think.

Tidbits - We stopped the ERs when we got to CL Nature Reader. I knew that would not be within dd's reading level. I looked at it again today, and I still think she may still need too many helps in that one. So, I thought about having her reread the ones before that. But, when we were at the library today, we picked some other early readers, some Frog and Toad books, and some Amelia Bedelia books. I may have her go back and read those ER books again, but I wanted to let her read some different ones for now. I see your ds is 10 as well. When did he start DITHOR? Did he have any struggles with that? My dd's main struggle with writing is her spelling. The reading level is what concerns me the most. Our dyslexia program calls for controlled reading, but I don't want to hold her back from reading, and I can't afford to buy the books that have been written specifically for that program. At the same time, I don't want to give her books that frustrate her because I have to help her with a lot of words.

[Tidbits of Learning]

My ds is going through DITHOR this year for the first time for the whole year. He is 5th grade but we are doing the 2/3 DITHOR book with him for the writing/analyzing portions. I find that he does better even though he can actually read higher level books if we do the lower books for him for comprehension and analyzing. He works so hard at reading that i find if we do his novel studies at a lower level than his reading level that we have more success. His spelling is awful due to dyslexia plus the dysgraphia (dyslexia of writing where you can't take your thoughts to paper). He can spell orally but can not transfer that to paper. We make adaptions for him. Often he dictates to me for writing or reading comprehension answers and I write it on a dry erase board for him to copy to his paper. I found a dry erase board that looks exactly like a sheet of notebook paper. It has been a God-send for him writing papers and for me to help him to visualize what his writing should look like. Graphic organizers work well for him so DITHOR works well for him. He also likes the book projects books.
I would definitely go back through the ERS readers even if they are a bit easy for your child. I do not regret going back through them and going over the questions b/c I found that ds could really comprehend what was happening b/c he wasn't straining so hard to just read the books. It definitely helped him to read books that were maybe a little lower than what he could read to gain the comprehension skills needed to read higher level books.

[psreit]

Tidbits, thanks again for your insight. My daughter doesn't have dysgraphia, but her spelling is really bad (getting better since we started Barton). She spells everything phonetically, unless it is a word she has seen so many times, she finally has it memorized. She will be in 5th next year, and I will start her out in DITHOR 2/3 as well. Just your stating how it is helping your son makes me feel better about starting it then. I am going to work on the ERs this year and see how it goes, but I am confident, because of the improvement I am already seeing, that she will be ready for it.