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Sorry if this is a silly question, but regarding LHTH fingerplays: is this supposed to be sung or read? I assumed sung, and made up a tune for the first week (haha) but am now on week 2 and wondering if there are specific tunes that correspond, or if I'm totally missing the boat on this one and I should just be reading it. THANKS!

Secondly, does it matter which genre you begin for Drawn Into the Heart of Reading? We are switching to HOD and my daughter has already read several books on the list from a variety of genres. She's very interested in Mr. Popper's Penguins, but Humour is later in the book. Can we start in humour and work our way around based on her book choices or should I stick with how the book is written for order of genres?

Also, I have a beginning reader who is doing some of the activities as well for DIHOR. Would it make sense to have picture books available to him so that he may also participate? Or should I be doing read alouds with him that are more advanced and related to the genre. Any thoughts?

THANKS!!!! We have been in an incredibly busy and transitional season of life with a new baby and move right at the start of the school year and are excited to switch to HOD for many reasons. My main goal was to be able to stay consistent with school and the open and go approach makes sooo much sense for us based on this unique life season! I'm also loving the way the curriculum is written so that I can combine two children of simliar ages (a 6 and 8 yr old) and a (2 and 4 yr old) so that no one is slipping through the cracks by combinging too large of an age group. YAY for HOD!!!!

Some of the fingerplays are sung to a tune, but it indicates the tune if so. The rest are just spoken. I found after a couple of times I had a "singsong" way of saying each one.
I don't think it matters what order you do the genres in the DITHOR book. I have a checklist to use so I use all of the genres once before starting the next cycle, but I won't actually be in DITHOR until March so maybe someone can confirm that. For your younger child I would just let him participate as he wishes but not try to assign him books. Welcome to HOD!

Welcome to the HOD Board! Countrymom did a super job of answering your questions, so I'll just agree! You can definitely start with any genre and go in any order with your genres in DITHOR, so get to laughing - bring on the humor genre if that's the favorite! For your beginner reader, have you checked out the Emerging Reader's Set? It is in the Appendix of both Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory and Bigger Hearts for His Glory, and it is awesome! I can see your beginning reader enjoying participating in the genre kickoffs at the start of each genre in DITHOR and some of the final genre projects at the end of each genre in DITHOR. Our ds doing the emerging readers participates in some of those as he is able and has a blast. I think you will love HOD. It is a wonderful way to homeschool! HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

Thank you so much ladies! I really appreciate your responses

I usually make up my own tune for the fingerplays if none is listed. Just personal preference I think.