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Im looking at using Bigger with my 8 and 9 (10 in Sept) starting in August. I may order sooner and start sooner if I decide to switch to schooling year round. I'm looking at the emerging readers and independent readers for 2/3. I'm thinking level 3 with my 9 year old, but I'm unsure about my 8 year old. He has already read most of the books on the emerging reader list and is getting ready to start Tornado next week. He has probably read 6 on the list already because I was pulling my lists from Sonlight. Anyway,Out of the Level 2 independent readers, he was able to read The Littles no problem which I have at home already, but then I pulled Hannah up on Amazon to see if he struggled and he did. He was so proud that he read The Littles, but then got extremely discouraged with Hannah. I'm really Unsure where to go with this. I'm wondering if he is still a bit immature to use DITHOR.

I would appreciate any advice you all have.

Anyone?

I wish I could help but we just got our box last week I know someone will chime in with some great advice for you soon.

My 7YO would struggle with those longer books too. She is just now starting to have the patience/persistence to work through a chapter book instead of just easy reader books. The books toward the end of Emerging Readers get harder and are still challenging. A good example is the Christian Liberty Nature Reader, which is one of the favorites we have gone through so far. It is longer, with fewer pictures, but the vocabulary is still pretty good for an early reader, with just a few really challenging words like "metamorphosis" thrown in. I love the science we are learning through it (as I have loved the things the other readers have taught, along with getting good reading practice). Maybe you could just buy the rest of Emerging Readers and finish that off, before you plan to start Bigger in August. I would imagine between now and August he will mature and probably be able to handle it, especially if you keep working with him.

I would second MelinKansas and continue through the list of emerging readers. DITHOR is so much more than a reading program in the fact that is takes the children through higher level thinking skills and I waited with my dd10 until she was in Bigger officially at age 9 before we started. I found the accompanying questions with the emerging readers helped to lay the groundwork for DITHOR.

HTH,
Jess

In the emerging reader's schedule there are suggestions for additional reading for each unit. Perhaps you could substitute those titles for the ones you have already enjoyed.

brokenopen wrote:In the emerging reader's schedule there are suggestions for additional reading for each unit. Perhaps you could substitute those titles for the ones you have already enjoyed.

I agree. This is what I did with my kids. While I was homeschooling my nephew, he would hit a certain level and need to stay there before moving on so we took time to do more practice and used the suggested titles written for each unit as well.

Stephanie

Is there a list of suggested titles so that I could purchase everything I would need?

Anyone?

Hi,
HOD sells a booklist (extra readers for DITHOR)that contains the names of books in each genre by reading level and the Beyond teacher's manual does list extra titles also. I bought the book list and use that often. I imagine there would be titles in that list that would work. You could do library books too of your choosing for each genre.

The ladies have been so gracious with their time and so helpful already! I'll just add a few things to this already helpful thread. The Appendix in both Beyond and Bigger Hearts includes the Emerging Reader's schedule. It was key for our dc to work through the questions along with the readings. The schedule includes a plan for the pages to be read, questions that lead dc to be prepared for the higher level thinking questions in DITHOR, and a supplemental title that can be read for each week as well. If I were you, I'd begin with the last half of the Emerging Reader's Set, following the schedule and making sure to do the questions as you move your ds along. The questions were just as important, or more important, than the reading for our dc to be ready for DITHOR. Also, my dc have read and reread many of the books in the ERS, so if your ds happens to have read some of the books that may still fit his level well, I'd have him reread them, this time for the purpose of building reading comprehension instead of fluency. Whenever he completes the last half of the ERS, he can move into DITHOR 2/3. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie