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I need some input on DITHOR....I purchased it to do for the first time...this year...we did Beyond last year without it....Bigger was a struggle for us this year...but I am happy to report after making some changes on my part to how we do school...we are back on track and enjoying it....my struggle now is...I am not understanding how add DITHOR....or how it even works.....I need some pointers on how to get going on it...we are on Unit 16...with Bigger...and I would like to get this going....and how long should it take every day to work on DITHOR.....How much time does it add to a day? Thank you so much....Beth

I will be looking forward to a response too, as I have some of the same questions!

My oldest is 8 and doing DITHOR with the level 2 books and the 2/3 workbook... It takes her about 10 minutes to read, and about 5-10 minutes to do the work. I'll still write some for her if there has been a lot of writing in her other work that day.

We have 2 dc doing DITHOR now, one in Level 2/3 and one in 6/7/8. It is a favorite time of our day. Lessons with my 2/3 child go the same as MomtoJGJE described. Each of the units follows the same format, so once you've done your first one, all will follow that pattern. Reading through the "introduction" gives a good picture of how it will go. In the DITHOR Teacher's Guide's Appendix, there is a section called "Getting Started". Just follow the steps, and you'll be set. Here is a link to a thread where I posted about getting reading for RevtoRev. I took pictures and have a section in this post for DITHOR, in case you are a visual gal! Have fun with DITHOR - it's great to love teaching reading so much every year! HTH!
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10291&p=74880

In Christ,
Julie

The ladies have already given you such good advice. In getting started with DITHR, I would encourage you NOT to overthink it. Instead, I would boil down starting DITHR to these quick easy steps:

1. Choose which genre to begin with for your child. Typically this should be a type of literature your child likes/loves to read. This will encourage a good start!

2. Open up your Student Book to that genre and decide how many books your child will read for that genre. To keep it simple start with the fewest amount of books feasible. Often this is 1 or 2 short books at the age 8 reading level. Keep the readings short.

3. Fill in the calendar with the pages to be read each day. The calendar is in the Student Book behind the genre description sheet.

4. Choose one simple kick-off idea from the first day of plans for that genre. Keep it simple, so it goes quickly. Later, once you're comfortable with DITHR, you can choose to do a kick-off up big. For now, keep it short and sweet.

5. Begin the next day. Then, just do a day of plans each day. If your child bogs down in the writing, write for her. Or, write part of the page and have her just copy one sentence from a markerboard that she has dictated. The focus is on the reading and discussing, not the writing.

6. When you get to the project at the end of the unit, give your daughter a day off from DITHR while you pick the project from the 3 project options right during your normal DITHR time.

7. When working on the project, do not let the time go too long each day. Just cut the project off each day in tiny bite-sized pieces. If the project goes over 5 days, wrap it up.

8. When you get to the start of the next genre, give your daughter another day off from DITHR and do steps 1 - 4 right during the school day during your normal DITHR time. This way, there is no prep. or planning in the evening.

Happy reading!

Blessings,
Carrie