Someone HELP PLEASE! CTC!

[Cynthia828]

We started yesterday! I am VERY confused about storytime!

A. Do I read this aloud to him or does he read this to himself?

B. Is this supposed to be the genre for DITHOR? If so, it is supposed to be "biography" and Dinosaurs in Eden is not fitting into the character web, etc., for a biography!

I AM SO CONFUSED. Please help

[Daisy]

My understanding is that you read the book selection to them for story time. It's cozy time on the couch.

The history selections for CTC do NOT correspond with DITHOR genres, however, the girls/boys packs do. So you are choosing either/or. Choose to read the history selection (that is planned out for you) or choose to read the biography (girls/boys pack or your own) during that box.

[Cynthia828]

Thank you so much for your response.

I am so sorry...I still don't understand.

Under the "Storytime", it says to read Dinosaurs in Eden OR a biography of your own. I got the History pack because the CTC "recommended books" section says you can get the history pack which means you have readers that correlate to the history your studying, or you can get the girls pack or the boys pack. If the History pack doesn't correlate with the genres of DITHOR, then why does she have them in there and why does she write it in to the lesson plan. Then basically, having purchased the history pack would have been pointless.

I am sorry to sound like and idiot, but I really don't get this!

[Daisy]

Are you wanting the history selections to correspond with DITHOR? They are two separate things.

DITHOR is the independent reading program that utilizes 9 genres.

Storytime in the younger manuals does follow those 9 genres just so the child becomes familiar with them.

In CTC, you have a choice. You can either...

1) Read the History selections that correspond with the history INSTEAD of with the DITHOR genres or

2) You can continue as previous manuals have done by using the girl/boy packs. These will continue to "practice" the DITHOR genres but are not meant to replace the DITHOR titles. They are a higher level than the 4/5 books.

For DITHOR, you will want to use 4/5 level books unless your child is advanced.

[Cynthia828]

Thank you!

I understand now.

Clearly, I purchased WAAAY too many books. The ordering process was very confusing to me to begin with, so I actually had to call them. This was what they told me I needed, so now I have a ton of books that I will never be able to get to this year. So I not only have the boy pack, but I also have the aloud reader pack (obviously, I don't need both). Wish I knew that before I dropped the extra hundred and ten on the books! I don't understand why the gentleman told me I needed both!

[Daisy]

So I'm hearing that you bought the History read-alouds and the boys read-alouds?

IF your son is able to read the boy's read-alouds independently they can be used with DITHOR as they do correspond but they are all pretty much 6th grade level or higher. Kinda tough for a kiddo if they fall right at the age range of CTC.

[Cynthia828]

Daisy...

Oh my goodness! I have a whole BUNCH of stuff I can't use then. You know, boy pack says 4/5 when you click on it! However, I did think they looked a little advanced and I DO NOT have an advanced reader. NOW WHAT do I do with all these books? DITHOR seems to be out the door for me then, right?

[Daisy]

Which boys pack do you have? List some of the books. You may have the 4/5 DITHOR boys pack that is suggested with CTC.

Or you may have the boy's pack for the read-alouds. TWO different things. So tell me some of the book titles.

[Cynthia828]

Jed Smith and Black Stallion and Gentle Ben...

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

[Daisy]

Okay, take a breath. LOL.

Those books are the DITHOR 4/5 books. They are NOT the read-aloud boy's pack. The read-aloud boy's pack has Carry on Mr. Bowditch, The Twenty-One Balloons, Swallows & Amazons.

The books you have go with DITHOR.

The history book read-alouds are for story-time.

So he should be reading Jed Smith (biography) during DITHOR time (under language arts box).

You should be reading him Dinosaurs of Eden during story-time.

Got it?

[Cynthia828]

GOT IT!

Oh my gosh! This is SO confusing! I cannot begin to thank you enough for all your help! There has GOT to be an easier way to do this! LOL

Now, if I could just impose on you one last time..let me ask you this question...do you do both? It just seems like my day is SO long to begin with. We start at 7:30 and aren't finishing until 3:00! The kid is wiped out, and so am I! LOL AND...that doesn't even include adding the Jed Smith reader to the mix! I MUST be doing something wrong!

I know some people say pick and choose some stuff, and I immediately had to eliminate dictation and poetry, but there is just no way I can get all this in, and now it looks like I will need to remove bible quiet time too. How am I supposed to do all this without stressing BOTH of us out! LOL

[8arrows]

May I suggest going 1/2 speed until you get into the grove. I would not want to be skipping multiple aspects of the program. I am suggesting to you what we are doing. We are not quite up to full speed, maybe 3/4th now. It has been a process as my daughter learns what is expected of her. If we had gone full speed from the beginning I would be gasping for air, as it is we are doing better every day.

[Daisy]

If your son is young for the program or not quite fitting into the placement of the program, that may explain some of the extra time. Half speed seems like a reasonable option.

We do everything but my daughter is a very strong reader. She is almost entirely independent with the exception of the story-time and Bible study.

Carrie may be able to help you further if going half-speed doesn't do the trick. There is no point in continuing full speed only to burn you both out and make you miserable.

[Daisy]

Here's our schedule. I don't know if you'll find this helpful or not but it seems to be the smoothest routine for us... We start school at 8am

Bible Quiet Time (in her room)
Independent History Study (in her room)

Language Arts (DITHOR, Dictation, R&S English or Write with the Best) (kitchen)
Reading About History (near me so she can ask about words she doesn't quite understand)
History Project (kitchen table)

BREAK (usually about 30 minutes)

Math (kitchen table)
Science (kitchen table; also near me so I can help her with any unusual vocabulary)

LUNCH

PLAY, Library, walks, etc.

Geography/Bible Study (done with Mom)
Poetry (usually painting)

DINNER

Story-time (sometimes after dinner and before bed; sometimes late afternoon)

[Cynthia828]

Thank you so much ladies!

Daisy, seeing your schedule DOES help quite a bit. My son is doing CLP English and LA every day, and it is a very intensive program, so that takes us most of the morning. We take a break, do one or two things, and then go to lunch. After that, it is the history, science, geography, etc.

I do have him down for Italian every day, and that does add to the mix as well. Also, I think I will have him do his independent reading after school hours, like he used to do when he went off to school.

I am assuming 1/2 schedule does not mean 1/2 schedule for math and LA?