Drawn into the Heart of Reading/Storytime

[ekfleet]

Good morning -
I was hoping to get feedback about a question I have about Drawn into the Heart of Reading...

There is a "Storytime" box in Creation to Christ that gives instructions for read a loud. ( i.e. The Golden Bull)
Then there is also Drawn into the Heart of Reading directive in the "Language Arts" box.

Does anyone ever combine Storytime read aloud to also be used at the Drawn into the Heart of Reading book selection?
I know there is a separate book list for DHR, however since I am working with three guides this year I thought we could just kill two birds with one stone by using it as both story time and for DHR analysis....

does anyone else do this? is there a downside to doing this?

thank you!

[StephanieU]

DITHOR is meant to be read by the student, and in CtC, storytime is still meant to be read by the parent (I read storytime through MtMM). One thing I did do for a season was have my oldest read a Beyond or Bigger storytime book aloud. She would then do the DITHOR activities for that book, and my middle ones would do the storytime activities.

[Rice]

Storytime is intended for the student to hear aloud excellent literature at a level likely higher than they can comfortably read at that level and length each day. It also adds to their understanding of the time period being studied, if you choose the History-based set of books. If you choose the Boy- or Girl-Interest sets, they are optional DITHOR books, but for a grade 6/7 level, which most CTC students are not ready for reading independently.

DITHOR is supposed to be done with books slightly easy for them to read, so mental energy can go into the literature analysis and Christian character study, as opposed to into decoding and comprehension of the text. They are to be read independently to work on their own personal reading skills (including aloud - as that is scheduled a few times per book).

Stephanie's idea is an interesting one. If Bigger is one of the other guides you are running, Bigger's Boy- Girl- Storytime book sets are also optional DITHOR book sets, since they cover all 9 genres, but at a 4/5 level, so that would be a good combination: have the CTC student (if 4/5 book pack is the right level for them) read Bigger Storytime aloud, then the Bigger student would answer the questions in their guide, and the CTC student do a page of their DITHOR workbook about the same reading. (I may have to consider that myself, this year!)

While the reading load to run 3 guides is heavy, each of the components do cover some separate skills at different levels (in addition to the obvious ones which do overlap), so all portions of the program do need to be covered in some way.

Blessings,