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I know it may be a bit early, but I am trying to plan ahead for next year and I wanted to ask how do I know which books to get for my daughter. My daughter is 6 yo and in first grade and I think she is reading at almost a 2nd grade level. At first teaching her to read was frustrating, but she has taken off faster than I can keep up. She is reading her own Bible at bedtime with my husband helping her if she gets stuck on a word. Now I know we have some time before next year, but how do I differentiate between emergent vs. independent to know which book set to get?

Thanks, Tammy

Tammy,

I'd look at the titles in the "book shop" here on HOD's website, and try a few to see where your dd is at in the lineup. (They go from easier to harder.) I checked out several from the library to see if they were what my son needed last spring. He was already past them, and we're loving DITHOR, so I haven't actually used the set yet. If you thought that was the level she was at now, you could always order the Beyond manual now and use the reading schedule and questions that go along with the books to finish out this year. They look like such an enjoyable way to move your child along in reading. (I'm looking forward to getting there with my dd coming up! )

Kathleen

We've found the skills of reading out loud and of answering comprehension questions about what was read out loud to be 2 different skill sets at our house. Both of our ds's could read out loud very well far more quickly than they could answer questions about what they'd read. For that reason, we did the Emerging Reader's Set along with the discussion questions in the back of BLHFHG. The reading itself wasn't so much of a challenge, but learning to really be thinking about what they were reading was - and I was glad we did the set because of that. (Plus, it was just FUN! ) You can always start anywhere you want to in the set. As Kathleen said, they progress from easier to harder. I'd really weigh whether her comprehension skills match her reading skills, and then you'll know what to do. DITHOR also requires writing, which may be a consideration - though you could always do that part on a markerboard instead.

In Christ,
Julie

Tammy,

We usually don't recommend starting DITHR until kiddos are at least 7, so their writing ability (which DITHR requires) can catch up to their reading ability. So, I'd recommend doing most or at least half of the Emerging Reader's Set at the bite-sized pace following the schedule in the Appendix with your daughter before moving into DITHR.

Blessings,
Carrie

Oh, I wasn't aware of the distinction b/t emerging readers being for "Beyond" and the independent readers being for "Drawn." I am not looking to skip anything or jump ahead but I will say my 1st grader is 6 yo and will be 7 summer 2009 (before next fall). She has taken off with her reading and according to some hand-me-down readers someone gave me from Abeka....I think she is at a 2nd grade reading level. Okay, I'll go with emergent....I don't want to miss anything or jump ahead too quickly. Thanks for all the help!
Tammy

Oh Tammy,

I KNOW you weren't trying to skip anything. I was just pressed for time when responding to the board and was being short and to the point! If your daughter is going to be 7, then she could use DITHR (as long as she doesn't mind doing some writing several times a week). About two-thirds of Level 2/3 of DITHR is oral, so she won't be writing every day.

If your little honey is reading at a second grade level, you'd most likely just need the last half of the Emerging Reader's Set, probably beginning around Prairie School or so. Here's a link to the list: http://www.heartofdakota.com/emerging-reader.php

That would take her about 15 weeks or so to complete, and then she'd head right into DITHR for the last half of her school year. I'm rejoicing with you that your daughter is reading so well. What a blessing! Way to go, mom!

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie,
Thanks for clarifying. Is there a way I can "test" her reading level for sure, so I know where we are before I head in the wrong direction? If I go directly into Drawn for the 2nd half of next year, won't I miss out on what Beyond has? Then what comes after Drawn? Will I run out of HOD to do? I don't want to get through it too quickly because then I'll have nothing to look forward to.

Lets take this with the ice cream analogy here.....my one daughter will eat it really slow if she likes it to make it last longer (and you think she is struggling to eat b/c she doesn't like it....she is just making it last), while my other daughter (who is usually more like me) inhales it because it is so good. In this case I am going at it from my first daughter's perspective. So, what would you recommend?

Thanks for the cheers.....it feels good to know that as a HS mom I am doing a "good job" despite what society tells us. A lot has to do with her love of books and probably some of her own strengths, but I love that she is doing so well. It is great to see her read her Bible at bedtime. I am tempted to get out a more advanced book just to see how much she can do. At first, I thought she had read some of the books before b/c she memorizes things and then retells the story and it is hard to know if she is reading. So, I got new books and when she took off I was like...."um...have you seen this book before or did someone read it to you?!" and when she said "No" I almost fell off the couch. Just to help you get my drift.....I had went through some stuff with her and it was getting boring for her (or me) for The Reading Lesson (which I LOVE by the way!!!) so after looking at everything and skimming some of it....we had to go ahead to chapter 4! We have only done it a handful of times. So, I will start it with my 4 1/2 yo and see what happens.

I always come up w/ some mnemonic to help them remember stuff b/c that worked for me. so the whole silent "e" concept, I made up a story. I said that the vowels are friends (A, E....I-O-U) breaking it up that way so it is like the phrase "I owe you" so they can remember it easier. So here is the story. For example if the word is "make" then "a" and "e" are friends and when a 3rd friend comes along and gets between them the "e" is silent and the "a" says its name (like when you introduce yourself). So, whenever it is a long "a"....we say it is saying its name. Otherwise it is /a/ as in ant. Then I forgot to fill my husband in on it and my daughter started telling him the first letter (vowel) says its name. He was very confused but just smiled and nodded. So, I guess my crazy stories are helping....unlike in high school when I took Latin class and my best friend told me to stop the stories because she remember my crazy stories but not the concept it was supposed to help her remember. LOL! (I made up Bubba stories then....you have to feel a little sorry for my poor friend....but it helped with vocubulary words and such)

Thanks for listening to me babble and please let me know your thoughts on how to proceed.

Tammy

Tammy -

You don't have to worry about running out of HOD with reading! HOD reccommends phonics (which it sounds like you're done with!), the emerging readers, and then DITHOR. DITHOR goes through grade 8 and you just keep reusing it with whatver books you want to at your child's reading level. It's great!! There are "book packs" in the book shop for levels 2 and 3. (Those aren't reading levels...but you can check the reading levels if you look at the books there.) To see where she's at (emerging reader set vs. DITHOR), I'd seriously start at the beginning of the emerging readers, and have her try them. You said she reads her Bible at bedtime. HOD reccommends the Beginners Bible or Early Readers Bible as the beginning of the emerging readers. So, if she can already do that easily, try to check out several of the others, and see if they're way to easy or would be a good fit. I'm not sure how other moms place their child with reading, but I don't want my child reading books that are as hard as possible for him. I want him stretched a little...but mostly our books that we're using for DITHOR are a little below where he "could" read. This makes it enjoyable...and still good practice. I'm assuming this is maybe the thought with the HOD book packs because they span a reading level of 3.0-4.2, for example.

Have fun!
Kathleen

I'm not sure if I'm reading you correctly, but you won't miss anything by going ahead and doing DITHOR. You just add that to what you will already doing in Beyond. Another thing you could do if you're worried about missing out on the Emerging Readers set is you can get Beyond... early and start reading those books while you're still doing LHFHG. That's what we're going to do. Then you can finish up the Emerging Readers when you start Beyond... and then you'll be all set to do DITHOR along with Beyond... for the 2nd half of the year. And then you'll just keep on going with DITHOR and you'll vary by which level student book you do. And DITHOR never runs out, you keep doing it along with whatever guide you're in as your reading program. Someone who has done further guides, please correct me if I'm not saying this right! Anyway, hope that helps. I completely understand thinking about it already because that's right where we are.

Thank you for correcting my misconceptions but I am so confused. I think I need to see it in front of me or something. Lets just assume I have never done this before.........
Little Hearts is for 2-5 yo (pre-K)
Little Hands is for 5-7 yo (K, 1, or 2)
Beyond Little Hearts 6-8 yo (2, 3)
Bigger 7-9 yo (2,3)....so how do you know when to go from 3rd grade for Bigger to the ext or Preparing? Both have 4th gr.
Extension Pack (4-6 grade)
Preparing 8-10 yo (3-4)
Ext Package (5-6)
Drawn can be started w/ independent readers?....Would I be using this along w/ the other packages?

Please help me clear the fog. Thx.

God bless!
Tammy

Tammy,

You're right on the line-up of HOD programs (except the 1st one is Little Hands). They are...

Little Hands to Heaven
Little Hearts for His Glory
Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory
Bigger Hearts for His Glory
Preparing Hearts for His Glory

You proceed from one to the next as you work through them with your kids. You wouldn't have to complete one in a year. They're appropriate for a range of ages as you had in your post. Some moms take a year, year and a half, even 2 years to complete a guide...and when you're through you move on to the next one. The extensions that are available for Bigger and Preparing come into play when you are beginning that guide with an older student. For example...if you start Bigger with an 11 year old, you would use the extension package along with the regular program to bring it up to the level needed with an older student. You would not repeat Bigger with a student once you've completed it, you would move to the next guide.

Drawn Into the Heart of Reading is the reading program that Carrie wrote for teaching reading. (She actually wrote that program 1st before any of the other guides, I believe.) The other guides above are complete curriculums when you use them entirely. Drawn Into the Heart of Reading (DITHOR) is a reading program. HOD reccommends using this as your program to teach reading once your child has completed phonics, and has had more practice reading at the "emerging" stage from books like the emerging readers. It is written in one teacher's guide that has plans to go with the 9 genres of literature - with any book you choose - for approximately grades 2-8. There are matching student books for written work for the appropriate level (2-3, 4-5, 6-8).

Does this answer your question?
Kathleen

Tammy,

The ladies are doing a wonderful job of helping you sort out the set-up of our programs. Don't worry , it is confusing for many moms when they are first trying to figure out how it all fits together, so you are NOT alone. That is how the moms can explain it so well! They had to sort through it to understand it once too!

Now that you understand how our guides are set up and how you move through them, I'll just mention that the reading portion of our programs is meant to function at its own pace and is not tied strictly to the daily plans in our other guides.

We made sure to put the Emerging Reader's Schedule in the Appendix of Beyond and Bigger so that you can begin it whenever your child is ready, without messing up the flow of the daily plans. So, you can easily start the Emerging Reader's Set wherever your child needs to begin within the set. Then, if you finish the set mid-year, you can easily go onto Drawn into the Heart of Reading Level 2/3 and just go through as many genres as you have time for to finish out the year. The following year, you would just continue on with Drawn into the Heart of Reading Level 2/3, doing the rest of the genres that you didn't do the previous year. Drawn into the Heart of Reading then moves up to Level 4/5 for two years after that, and then to Level 6/7/8 for 2 or more years.

If you can give us some of the titles of the books your little sweetie is reading on her own right now, we could all help you decide where the best place for her to begin would be!

Blessings,
Carrie