I have a dilemma

[GinainMD]

Hello All, for the school year 2010 and 2011 I'm going to be combining my two oldest girls, who will be 7 and 8 (2nd and 3rd grade) when we start in the fall, in Beyond. I've already determined to order the emergent readers for my oldest. My second daughter has already read the Frog and Toad books, Owl at Home, Amelia Bedelia, Mouse Tales, Mouse Soup and Christian Liberty nature readers K, 1 and 2 and others in this reading level. So, is she ready for DITHOR? She read all of these easily but hasn't read any long chapter books yet. Also, I'm a little concerned with how this will make my oldest daughter feel. In a way I think it would be good for them to have separate readers but I'm just not sure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. TIA Gina

[water2wine]

I have had this issue a couple of times now with my children. I tried the first time to protect them from it but the second time I realized you really can't. So this time I just hit it head on and we talked about how we all have gifts. I make sure to find many things to praise in the older one and remind her to run her own race. It's actually gone easier with the second set of children. To me it sounds like your youngest is ready for DITHR. I would go ahead and just put them both where they place and then when the older one catches up just have her read different books. I know how hard this can be though. It breaks your heart sometimes because you don't want them to feel behind. Really it sounds like your oldest is not but that your youngest is just ahead a bit.

Well just wanted to say welcome. I have no real wisdom to offer. You just have to help them to understand that they are running their own race and that is OK. Eventually the older one will display her talents and that will make things easier when she sees she has strengths as well. I just try to help my kids find those as best I can. HTH.

[Kathleen]

Hi GIna!

I wanted to pop in and say hi, too. You could start with just the books at the end of the Emerging Readers, too. (Like those after the Nature Reader...) They might be a good lead-in to DITHOR for her.

Kathleen

[deltagal]

Gina,

In your Beyond guide will be a list of books (transitional readers) to read before you begin DITHOR, IF you feel you need a little more work. I think you have 2 options, depending on where you would like to go: 1.) either into DITHOR - with minimal writing , or 2.) into the transitional readers.

Hope that helps.

[amysconfections]

I would recommend picking up on the emerging readers where nature reader ends, then work through the DITHOR level 2 books. You could do DITHOR with them or just read them for this year and start DITHOR next year with both of them. They would read different books next year but still be together with DITHOR.