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I have a question about Drawn into the Heart of Reading. I am currently going through Caddie Woodlawn with my daughter. I googled it and found that sites put it into an Historical Fiction genre. We are about half way through and I am struggling with the questions. They do not seem to fit the novel very well abeit they are great points to ponder. I checked out the Biography section and I am thinking that the questions there are better suited to the book.

So...Can I stop the Historical Fiction section and move over to the Biography section or should I just finish it out and be better next time about placing the books (PS I will be getting the book list soon and using that to place books).

Any thoughts or opinions?

Treewin,

I would finish out the genre. You did not make a mistake! While Caddie Woodlawn is often considered historical fiction (and could be done in that genre as well), anytime there is a strong, central main character who was real, we often will do it in Biography, (just because we really want to explore that character more deeply through the questions). However, you are fine in placing Caddie Woodlawn in historical fiction, as it fits there as well.

Keep in mind that the goals for DITHR are different than those for most other reading programs, which requires a shift in thinking! We're not looking for one right answer to certain comprehension questions. So, the questions in DITHR will often not be an exact fit for what you may have in mind as to the main point of the book you're reading. Instead, the questions in DITHR are working together to teach children about a particular genre, to help them dig more deeply into what they are reading, and to guide them to learn to read with moral discernment. We're looking for life-long reading skills that can be applied to any book.

That means that DITHR is not as much about correct book placement (for the best match to a certain genre), as it is about teaching students a style of learning how to reflect on books as they are reading them. So, if for some reason a question doesn't seem to match what you're reading, it can honestly lead to a good discussion with extra effort by the students to make a connection to something that at first seemed unrelated. We've had some great discussions at our house that way! Remember the goal is for the students to do the connecting, which takes the burden off of us to impart the right answers!

Blessings,
Carrie

Thanks for your reply Carrie. I agree there is a shift in thought. The questions can be right on with a clear answer but the ones that seemed to be a little tricky stumped me. I will spend extra time discussing these ones with my daughter. We will keep chugging along and I will ease up abit about my need for a clear cut answer and look at the bigger picture.

Thanks for all you do Carrie. It is a huge help!

Trina

Hi Treewin -
This took me a bit to make the shift into this kind of thinking as well. The schooling of the "masses" (such as the large classes most of us attended as children) often only takes time for clear-cut comprehension answers, multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank type thinking. This is NOT because it's the best way to go about teaching comprehension - it's because it's the quickest way to get responses from as many students as possible, without getting "off-topic" or having students share something too personal with the class. This kind of basic questioning with one right answer is what most of us grew up with, and it's a bit awkward to make the switch into more deep connections that require more talking and explaining.

My mom taught first grade for around 20 years, and I think she was a great teacher. I had her do homeschool with my dc while I was at a book fair, and she did a wonderful job! But, here's an example of the kind of thinking we're talking about...

We are studying the poet Rudyard Kipling, and one activity we do is have my ds read the poem without telling me the title, and then I guess what the title could be. Then, we switch roles and he does the guessing of the title. When I told my mom about this activity, she said in a pretty nervous voice, "But I really don't know Rudyard Kipling's poetry - I won't be able to guess any of the titles right!"

I told her this was not a big deal at all, but she persisted that she couldn't do this - because she wouldn't be able to get any of the poems' titles correct. I finally said, "Mom, I think I've only gotten one title right the many months we've been doing this. The goal isn't to show you know all the poems' titles, it's to have a great discussion about why you guessed the title you did, and why the poet may have chosen the title he/she did."

Then she finally understood that I wasn't expecting one right answer - the goal was to explore the connection of titles of poems to us personally, and try to make a connection to why the poet had picked the title he/she did. This requires a much higher level of comprehension, and it also makes a great connection to the poetry that is more memorable than getting a title correct.

Those are the kinds of connections that DITHR has you making - meaningful ones that require more in-depth discussion rather than finding the "right" answer. One thing I've learned to love doing is asking the reverse question in DITHR. For example, in historical fiction, one of the questions is: "Do any of the characters change in the story? If so, how?

It's kind of fun to explore the reverse side of this question too (if I've got time!). Like, "How may it have helped the character out if he/she had changed? Would that have made a difference in what happened?"

Anyway, it helps me to think of DITHR like a great high-level thinking book club. It would be like if I was meeting with my friends to really get into a book and connect with it personally on as many levels as possible.

WHEW! This got long - but I just wanted to say that once I made the switch to DITHR's kind of questioning and understood it, I will never go back to the old way! It's just a very exciting and interesting way to interact with books that makes them come alive!

In Christ,
Julie

Ohhh, I have so much to look forward to! Julie, thanks for your great examples of questioning and thinking!

My oldest is done with everything I had planned for this year...so after a break, we're ready to dig into DITHOR and Bigger! What fun!

Kathleen

Kathleen-
Hi! Thanks, and that's exciting to be starting Bigger... and DITHR soon! It was so nice to meet you and your hubby at the book fair. You would have enjoyed meeting Melanie too! Maybe next time!
In Christ,
Julie

Trina,

Your plan sounds great! I'm so glad that you shared your questions about "Drawn into the Heart...", as it really helps to "talk through" the philosophy and goals so you know where you're heading!

By the way, I love Caddie Woodlawn! I remember reading it fondly from my childhood days (and my son really enjoyed reading it last year too). That book is standing the test of time!

Julie, thanks for your great example too! It really got me to thinking!

Happy reading!

Blessings,
Carrie

Thanks to everyone who responded. Julie your example resonates with me. I was looking for a right answer and not understanding that discussions are more open than that. Dithor has been helpful for me aready and I am clearly learning new thinking skills.

Thank-you ladies! Your love and wisdom is helpful beyond words!