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Hello! My son will be coming back home this year and back to HOD! He has been in school the last 3 years. So where do we start with dictation? He will be in 7th grade in the fall. Do we just start in the beginning at level one? He was doing it before he went to school. Any help would be great

Sally

First, the lowest level is Level 2. But likely, Level 2 will be VERY easy for him. One thing to try is to do the top one of each column until he starts to regularly miss some. Having to repeat one or two in a level once isn't a big deal. But once he gets to where he is having to repeat regularly is where you would start doing them all. If you find he is having to repeat all of them multiple times, then you know you need to move down some (maybe 2 pages back or half a level).

While I agree with the "top of the column until it becomes a bit challenging" concept, I wouldn't start with level 2 if he's an average student (only if he's really struggling with spelling or memory). If following HOD, and starting dictation in Preparing (the latest someone would - Bigger is also an option), by the time they reach RTR they could be in level 4, so I would take a look at levels 3, 4 and 5, and start with the one that looks rather easy for him at the beginning. So if 3 looks easy, but 4 may or may not need him to take more than one day to get a passage perfect, then start with 3. If 4 looks easy for him, then start there - you can always go back half way through 3, if he needs more than a single day for several passages on a page. (If he places in Rev2Rev and *had* started dictation in Bigger, level 5 could even be possible.)

You don't need to slow to doing every passage on a page the first time he needs a second day to get a passage correct (we all make mistakes), but once he needs a second day for 2 passages on a single page, that's likely a good spot to slow down and do every passage. You do want it so they have to concentrate to get it right, but not so they need a second day for every passage (or a third or fourth!).

Welcome back!

Hi Sally! What guide is he using? I'd start with the lowest level of dictation in that guide and see how it goes! Usually the guide a student places in matches the dictation levels befitting their abilities. I find my kiddos are well-placed when missing a passage and having to repeat it now and then. If they are missing a passage multiple times in a row, it's too hard. If they have not missed a passage for months, it's too easy. However, don't feel pressure to get dictation placement 'exactly right'! Picking where you feel he places best, adjusting up or down a few times at the start, and then sticking with that placement and simply moving forward provides consistency and growth in spelling skills as well!

In Christ,
Julie