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Sigh. I'm trying to figure out where dd is. She can spell the passage and add the proper punctuation, but she can't remember some of the phrases to write them down, so I'm repeating them over and over. Where do I go with this? Then if she does remember the phrase, she'll keep writing until I ask her what she's doing, only to find out she's trying the write the entire sentence, because "this time I get it". So as far as the latter, I told her not to do this. That if she's consistent in getting the phrases correct we'll move on, and the passages will get longer and more difficult. So she's trying to remember it on her own, messing up my system of having her repeat. It's sort of bugging me, but I don't think she understands this. Either way, I told her not to do this.

But as a rule she can spell it all and punctuate it, but can't remember the phrases unless their repeated umpteen times, which I won't do. I say to back up to the point she can remember them even though it's all grammatically correct. Is this right?

I think I would stick with where she is at as far as level, but break down the phrases into smaller bits at a time. For instance this was our dictation yesterday, " The children who did not study their lessons last year are sorry now. Are you one of these lazy children?" Since the first sentence was so long, I broke it down into 3 pieces. So I read, "The children who did not". Then after they repeated that and I saw that they had it written, I read the next part, "study their lessons last year". Then after they had repeated that and finished writing, I read the last part, "are sorry now". The second sentence I read pretty much intact. Then when they were done writing, I read the whole thing one more time so they could double check that they wrote it down correctly. After that they look it over to make sure it looks right to them and then when they are confident of that, they check their work. So that's our process and I just break down the phrases into small enough portions that they can hold it in their heads long enough to be able to write it down. So if she is having a difficult time holding the phrases in her head, I would just break it down in smaller bits. HTH!

I am thinking dd may be misunderstanding the goal of dictation - she may actually be making it harder than it is meant to be! Dictation is not meant to be memorized by heart and then written. It is instead meant to be studied, and then the teacher is to provide the "help" by reading the dictation to the student in segments, so the student can focus on writing it properly as he repeats it back. It sounds like dd is trying to cut the "help" out and do that part on her own too. (My ds has tried to do this, BTW too, but I have told him I am the help and may not be cut out of the deal, that's just not how dictation is done. ) If my dc are in a stage of dictation where it has become harder (which I think happens as they progress through levels), I go back to saying just 3-4 words at a time, and they are to repeat the 3-4 words back to me as they write them. Then, we move on like this through the passage. I hope something here helps, but keep on with it - once dc get the process of dictation down pat, it will begin making such a difference in their spelling in their daily work!

In Christ,
Julie

I agree Julie. I tried to explain that's not how it's done. (This is where I'd insert that animated head-banging dude.) Today I did smaller increments of 3-4 words and it worked wonderfully! I just thought that if I didn't stop at normal breaking points that the paragraph wouldn't make sense. If it has commas, then it wouldn't flow.

I agree to break it down into only a few words dictated at a time. As you progress through the years, you'll eventually increase the length of what you dictate at once, until you're dictating the whole thing in one go.

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie wrote:As you progress through the years, you'll eventually increase the length of what you dictate at once, until you're dictating the whole thing in one go.

Blessings,
Carrie

Sorry to Hi-Jack this thread, but Carrie, I wanted to know if this means that kiddo's have to eventually memorize the whole passage and write it down from memory after you read the whole dictation passage to them in one breathe? Or does it mean that we should read a whole sentence to them at a time, have them repeat the whole sentence, than write down the whole sentence down:D
Hope this makes sense

Great question! We always start out our littles by doing dictation a few words at a time. Then, we work up to a sentence at a time (with the child repeating the sentence and then writing it right after saying it). Then, we eventually work up to two sentences or lines at a time. Finally, by the final levels of dictation, we want to be dictating the entire passage in one go, having the child repeat it all, and then write it. This was CM's goal and is ours too! In this way, not only do the passages get harder, but so does the amount of information required to be held in the child's mind. It is terrific practice for the skill of memorization through picturing text in one's mind.

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie,

Thank you so much for clarifying this and taking the time out of your busy schedule! I guess we are moving to doing a whole sentence at a time now. So, we will be right on track in a few years doing the whole passage.
Blessings