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My first daughter is doing Preparing this year and doing quite well. She's a great listener and can comprehend well and do much of her work independently.

My second daughter is doing Bigger this year and continues to have a hard time sitting and listening. She is just like me! But it is hard for her to take in and absorb what we read. If she reads it alone, like her DITHOR books, she remembers everything. I tried to have her read a portion of the Eggleston book to me thinking that would help, but she didn't want to read it and frankly, it's a bit hard for her anyway given its different type of style.

Sometimes I think she'd be better off if she just had a text/workbook approach to learning. That's the way I was as a child...give me the book and just let me do the work...

Any ideas how I can help her out a little?

I am doing 3 guides this year, while having a 3 year-old and being pregnant.

I know this idea won't work for the long term - but last year when we started Bigger I would read half at a time, then ask ds to narrate. After that I would read the other half. About a month, or so, he became accustomed to the style of the book, and could pay better attention when I read. If you tried that maybe after that point she would be ready to read half of it on her own. Only a suggestion, but worth a thought maybe?
Children do have different learning styles, but it also takes time to adjust to a new guide, and she sounds new in it - or maybe I misunderstood. I do know some do better with reading on their own . . .some don't.

TrueGRIT wrote:I know this idea won't work for the long term - but last year when we started Bigger I would read half at a time, then ask ds to narrate. After that I would read the other half. About a month, or so, he became accustomed to the style of the book, and could pay better attention when I read. If you tried that maybe after that point she would be ready to read half of it on her own. Only a suggestion, but worth a thought maybe?
Children do have different learning styles, but it also takes time to adjust to a new guide, and she sounds new in it - or maybe I misunderstood. I do know some do better with reading on their own . . .some don't.

Thank you. We are on week 6. I do try to stop and talk about it throughout the reading.

I know for me personally, I listen better then I doodle or color. Could you find some coloring pages to go along with the history books? Or give her a piece of plain paper and have her draw about what you are reading? It might help her concentrate.

I've done some thinking before about how HOD really fits in with the idea of different learning styles. It seems on the surface that if I'm doing one approach to teach all my kids that maybe I'm not accounting for different learning styles, kwim? Here's the thing I've concluded, though. I think that HOD covers all types of learning styles, but at the same time strengthens areas that may not be natural strengths for our children. You've touched on the listening skill. There are also things that appeal to the visual learner-with pictures in some of the books (think about the One Small Square books, for example) and things that appeal to the kinesthetic learner-with art projects, science experiments, moving around while we memorize a verse, etc. The fact is, our kids will need to know how to take in information in a variety of ways through their lives. Listening and learning is a skill that comes naturally to some, but not to others, and yet is a crucial skill to have. Think about listening to sermons in church, or lectures in a college classroom, or even how many times you call someone on the phone with a question and have it answered verbally. The temptation to switch to something that would appeal strictly to my child's learning language is there because it would probably be easier to teach them in that way, but I think it's a danger that will eventually inhibit their learning when others aren't able or willing to cater to their particular strength.

With the Eggleston books, I would encourage you to hang in there. My son right now in Bigger is doing okay with them, but my dd who did them a couple of years ago really struggled with them! I tried having her read them, and really wish I hadn't done that-they really are just a higher reading/comprehension level than a child of Bigger skill level is ready for. It made our time in Bigger much harder than it needed to be. This will be a stretching time for those listening skills, but one that you don't want to pass over for something easier. I'd also really encourage you to limit the discussion as you read. It actually can make it harder for a child to learn, because it's breaking up the information. They can't get the full context if it's broken up by editorial comments, and it's not forcing them to learn by listening to the book because they come to depend on your explaining it to them. I think for narrating I would read through the whole section as assigned, then go back and read a small section-maybe a paragraph or two-to have them narrate back to you. This will take the pressure off, but still give your child a chance to learn in a new way.

I wholeheartedly agree with everything mom23 said. As an educator at a community college I have studied learning styles and the brain as it relates to learning and that is one of the things that drew me to HOD. HOD really does cater to all of the learning styles. In the past few years they have found that we learn and remember better when we learn in different ways, not just one way which is usually our preferred learning style. I also agree that is good for our children to have a chance to strengthen their weaker areas. I have already seen this affect with my younger son. He does not have certain natural abilities, but in the last 2 years I have really seen him improve. He won't ever be as good as his brother, but he has honed some skills that do not come easy for him. I find that I am constantly adjusting for skills that my boys struggle with at first, reducing it down to something they can handle, but not changing the skill to be learned. Over time we are able to do the skill as written. Hang in there and give your daughter a chance to adjust. I think you will find over time that she will improve even if she is never as strong as a child that would have that natural ability.