DITHOR with IEW?

[krazzymommy]

I have been using IEW's Primary Arts of Language: Writing with my son. (It basically is IEW's intro. to their writing program; beginning keyword outlines and retelling stories, for K-3rd graders.) We really like it and plan to stick with IEW for writing. A friend was telling me about DITHOR and I'm curious if it is something I use beside IEW? I did notice that HOD recommends using IEW in the later years, alongside DITHOR. I'm just wondering if the two would overlap a lot? (For example, are we going to pick out the main elements of a story with both programs? Is he going to have to describe Who, What, Where, When with both DITHOR and IEW?) This is my first child, so I'm not sure what kind of differences would exist between a writing curriculum and a reading curriculum that is having them analyze (through writing) the literature they're reading. I guess I'm also not clear what DITHOR is and where it fits in the grand scheme of our schooling. That being said, I'm drawn to anything that has to do with books, lol!

Thank you for any help on this!

[my3sons]

We've used DITHOR for many years now, and we really love so much about it. We did IEW alongside RTR last year, and DITHOR teaches different skills than IEW. There will always be some overlap between reading and writing, but DITHOR and IEW have minimal overlap. DITHOR teaches dc to read from 9 different genres. It links the story elements to each of the genres in ways that just make good sense. For example, dc learn about characters alongside biographies, they learn about conflict in mystery, cause and effect in fantasy, etc. Discussion questions follow Bloom's Taxonomy and help dc respond to what they have read more deeply through analysis, synthesis, etc. Godly character traits delve into the moral decisions of characters, always referencing the Bible as they do so. Other skills such as prereading skills and vocabulary skills are also taught, but all within the context of the books dc are reading. The DITHOR Student Book partners with the lessons taught within the DITHOR TG, as well as with the discussions. It is the more independent part of DITHOR, and it is a great way to help dc apply what has been taught and see what has been learned. The end of the unit DITHOR projects do an excellent job of wrapping up the genre study. They give dc a chance to respond to their reading in a creative way that also showcases what they have learned. I have loved teaching reading this way, and my dc have loved learning reading skills this way. I have looked at high school lit programs and feel confident my dc will thrive with them, as DITHOR has taught them the skills they need while also keeping their passion for reading going. It would be just fine to do IEW and DITHOR together. I hope you and your dc get to enjoy DITHOR just as we have, and I HTH!

In Christ,
Julie