Dithor/storytime combining

[Mgs]

Do you combine children with Dithor and/or storytime- what does it look like, when do you do it?

I have my 2 9yr olds doing bigger, and my 11 yr old doing creation to Christ. (My 6 yr old is in LHFHG- I do her story time separately). We took a mini break and came back pretty quickly. Then I realized I was missing out on all the literature that is supposed to be apart of HOD. Excited to pair down all the extras and try this more as written.

[Rice]

I only combine for Storytime for my 2 who are together in CTC. They are my only ones this year, but previously I have done up to 4 Storytimes per day. (I'm down to 5 students from 7 - those 2 in CTC, one is only phonics, 1 is reading Storytime himself in MTMM, and one not using HOD so he can combine with brother in WG next year.) Storytime is the one consistently enjoyable thing I do with each child. If I were to cut Storytime, I feel like I only do with them the drudgery - none of us particularly like most LA components (especially writing and grammar), so Storytime is usually the highlight of our school day with each one.

For DITHOR, I usually have 2 at a time, in their last 2 years before high school, do the same genre, but not usually the same book. Before that, I find it too hard to run multiple kids in DITHOR so they just read a chapter per per day of a DITHOR book and narrate. We might do the kick off together, but that's about it. At least with them on the same genre and schedule I know which page to expect and correct on which day.

I like the idea of starting DITHOR with the 4/5 workbook in CTC, but have decided that 2 years (usually Rev2Rev and MTMM) is enough - enough for me to manage, enough to expect of myself (x8), and enough formal literature study before reaching high school. I've learned to rest in God's grace in managing my expectations of myself trying to manage multiple guides.

Blessings,

[Mgs]

Thank you! For storytime- where/when might you do it? Do you go to a different room? Especially when you had multiple storytimes. My house is so loud . I have 3 story times (4 if I count the 3yo).

[Rice]

I understand the loud, but we do everything in the living room!
My older kids (usually around 12+) have a desk in their rooms or our office to go do independent work, but everything with me is on the couch (except when my 2 in CTC have written narration - we move to the office so they can type). I rotate through them from youngest to oldest during the morning. (I did try to split subjects up so I didn't do everything with each one at once, but getting them back again was nearly impossible and dragged out our day.)

I start the morning with my youngest while the others are still doing morning routine. I'm done teaching by lunch, although grading (high school) usually ends up in the afternoons.

When we had toddlers, they either played quietly near by or went downstairs to play. In those years I scheduled an older child to spend time with the baby/toddlers during my most intensive teaching times (phonics, grammar, etc.). As they get older, they go outside to play, once they are done their school work (occasionally with a little one).

Blessings,

[Mgs]

Do you do the hands on projects in the living room as well?
What’s in the morning routine?
Also for CTC- my DS11 can read and understand it, but he finds it horribly boring. Thoughts?

[Rice]

Do you do the hands on projects in the living room as well?

Some. Others they move to the office (craft supplies) or kitchen (cooking or painting).

What’s in the morning routine?

Get dressed, make bed, eat breakfast & clean up, do whatever chores you are assigned, start independent work (for age 9/10+).

Also for CTC- my DS11 can read and understand it, but he finds it horribly boring. Thoughts?

I read the first history book aloud. Some of my kids did fine taking over, but for others, ive read it all the way through. I don't know if the rest of the history books are any more exciting exactly, but they are a somewhat easier literary level, so aren't quite so challenging.
And then there's the idea that not everything can be exciting, it just has to be done. The readings may not be the exciting part, but the other things they do and learn are based from that, so are important. (The whole "school is your work" conversation comes in here, sometimes, too.)

Blessings,

[Mgs]

Do your children find CTC to be one of the more boring ones for history books? I actually really like all of bigger’s (& LHFHG books), inwhich some have complained about the history. Hoping Res to Ref is more exciting for him. It looks like it is. I’m ok with having him push through it. I really like the biblical emphasis.

[Rice]

My kids have liked, if not loved, most of the books. We are in God King now and they love this one. I've had 5 boys, and now one girl do CTC and all of them have enjoyed the Storytime books.

And, yes, I love using the Bible as history, as HOD does. Then with all the living books added. CTC is one of my favourite guides! All the middle school guides are great, but CTC was one we did our first year with HOD and *I* learned SO much! I'm kinda sad this is my second last time through.

Blessings,

[Mgs]

Thank you for all your help! I do not have Facebook and jumped in with five children. I just finished up bigger with the two for today. It was so good. I was having them read everything themselves, skipping storytime, etc. It seemed like they couldn’t settle down for so long in the mornings and everything was dragged out. I started LHTH with 3 yo first and it seemed to really help him be settled for the time I needed to read aloud. I am excited to see how this helps me 1- connect with all of them, and 2- get done sooner

[Rice]

That's a lot to take on! We started with 4 and got up to 7 in school for a few years. It got to the point where my kids in K-3rd did just 3Rs and Storytime, then started the guides mid-Bigger (the parts they could do independently) or in Preparing, finally as-written. Now 3 have graduated and my last just turned 6, so we recently started phonics and he will use LHFHG in the fall. I'm looking forward to using those younger guides one last time!

Keep going, mama! And give yourself and your children lots of grace. It's okay for a guide to take longer than a year. It's okay to modify to make it work for your family at this time. And God's grace covers all the times we fail (or totally drop the ball on something: like the year my oldest didn't do grammar or the year my middle schooler's only writing was his written narration. No one can tell now. )

May you be able to see the blessings in the trenches,

[Jaimejac]

We are in God King now and they love this one. I've had 5 boys, and now one girl do CTC and all of them have enjoyed the Storytime books.

We are reading God King right now too! We love it! My 6 yo who is in Beyond right now sits in on it and really enjoys it as well. I know it might take some of the "newness" out of it for him when he gets to CTC but he is such an auditory learner and loves listening to stories that I really couldn't keep him away even I tried. And I figure that by the time he reaches CTC it will have been long enough that it will still be new to him.

Jaime

[Rice]

Absolutely. I've noticed that my 13yo isn't getting much work done while the CTC Storytime is happening!

[Mgs]

I am really thinking about doing drawn into the heart of reading for my upcoming seventh grader. Is there a major jump in difficulty with the 4/5 student book and 6/7?