DITHR: book projects at the end of the genre

[MelInKansas]

We just started DITHR in the fall, well it was late fall, October, when we started. So we are finishing up our 2nd genre, Adventure. I got the "Book Projects to take Home" as I thought those projects would be the ones my daughter would learn the most from, and that she would enjoy. But what I feel with both of the projects we've done so far is that there's no way they stretch out over 4-5 days of work. I think the "Patchwork" project took 2 days and the "Adventure Thank you Note" took 1 day. Then one more day for the response page. Do you guys (2/3 level obviously) make the project last all the days, give your child a day or two off, or what do you do? Just curious, thanks for your thoughts.

[my3sons]

In general, we spend a day planning the project, 2-4 days doing the project, and 1 day presenting the project. As dc move through the levels of DITHOR, the projects get longer. We have decided to pull out all the stops for our DITHOR projects, so our projects have actually been taking longer than the 5 days lately. I am viewing these as my time to really teach 4-H type approach skills to a project, and we are really enjoying it. That being said, if you finish your DITHOR projects more quickly, you can easily just move on to the next genre. You'll probably find some take more time, and some take less, so it will even out in the end. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[MelInKansas]

Do you have your 2/3 level kids present the project too? I guess I didn't see anything in the plan about presenting it. I like that thought though, we are not doing 4-H but the development of a project and then presenting it to the family is a great idea. Can you tell me more about how you have them present it?

I think we did have one planning day for the "Adventure Thank You Note" project, where we at least talked about what we would be doing and had her talk about who she would write the Thank You Note to, and some beginning brainstorming on what she would write. She actually drafted the note the next day, and then I just had her go ahead and copy it and let her work on the final note.

Thanks,

[my3sons]

Many of the projects, especially at the upper levels, have a final presentation or a sort of show and tell type finale planned within the Book Projects to Send Home book. We've done radio shows, re-enactments, book reports with objects, short plays from a favorite scene of their books, museum dioramas, lit cylinder with objects, advertisement posters, accordian style setting murals, etc. We just have our dc show the rest of the family their project and read anything they wrote for it, act out any part of it they were to act out, or tell about what they did for their project. Most of the time, it is just for me and the rest of our dc, as my dh is not always home. We usually sit in the living room as an audience on the couch. Sometimes it is just me as the audience, sometimes it is Emmett and me, sometimes it is Wyatt and me, sometimes it is Riley and me, and sometimes it is my dh and me. Basically, the audience is comprised of anyone who is there and not involved in the presentation. They call me when they are ready. It only takes 5-20 minutes usually, but I take pictures, and I expect them to face the audience, use strong voices and eye contact, not slouch, etc. I also expect the audience to sit up straight, listen politely, not be fidgeting with things, look at the presenter, and give a compliment or two at the end.

It has been fun to have our dc read through the project choices together and choose what to do, now that I have two doing DITHOR, and now that they are in Level 4/5 and 6/7/8. Before that, I often tried to help them choose so they would get used to doing a lot of different kinds of projects. DITHOR has really been a creative outlet for our dc via the projects, and I have tried to make it a big deal around here. Certainly this is not a 'have to,' but it sure has been fun. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie