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We will be using Beyond for our 2nd grader in the fall and Bigger for our 6th grader in the fall. I just read that I should pretty much place my 2nd grader in level 2/3.

Is there a list of "regular" books and 2 more lists that are more challenging? She reads very well and I'm sure she could handle the slightly harder books, but I don't want to try to read so much above her level that she gets frustrated.

My 6th grader....loves, loves to read. She reads adult books such as Jeanette Oke books, and lots of historical fiction, or whatever she can get her hands on. What level for her? 6/7/8? I know she could handle the list of books, but would the projects be really difficult in the highest level? I don't want her to have to read easier books just so the program will be easy enough for her. She hates to write and has trouble putting her thoughts down on paper. So what I'm saying is, I'm afraid her book level will be much higher than the DITHOR genre projects/lessons.

What should I do??
Kelley
(PS...crazy question here...How in the world do I arrange it so I can list my name, dh and dc names/programs without having to type it in every time? I know this is ridiculously easy but I need to ask! )

The joy of DITHOR is you can use whatever books you want. This past year I used some books from the 3rd grade book pack , some from 4/5 book pack and one book that wasn't on any list for my 5th grader. He reads at grade level but I noticed that he did a better job of analyzing the books that were slightly below his level. So what you can do is go with the 2/3 student book for your 2nd grader and then pick and choose from the lists according to what is listed as their grade level. For your 6th grader you might want to go with the 4/5 student book if she has trouble getting her thoughts down on paper and again if you want to pick and choose from the 4/5 book pack and the 6/7/8 pack that should work. I would probably tend to go on the easy side since reading for pleasure and reading to really dig into a book are such different things. It might be easier for her to put her thoughts down on paper if the book was a little easier for her to understand.

Thanks, Lynn.
I saw a package where you can order the TG for 2nd-8th grades and 2/3, 4/5, and 6/7/8. I can get those and just pick and choose the books from the upper level and work from the lower level. Great idea:)
Kelley

Kelley,

I think you already figured this out, but the books you choose to use for DITHOR are not tied to the student book you choose to use. You can use whichever student book you choose...and then use any books with it! This past year, I used student book 2/3 with my son in Preparing and he was reading books from the 4/5 boy pack. This worked great for us as adding more writing to the day wouldn't have been a good choice this year, but the books were more challenging and he LOVED them! The previous year we used the level 2 pack and the 2/3 student book when we were just starting with DITHOR and HOD. These books weren't very hard for him to read, but it was a great introduction to using DITHOR for us. He still enjoyed them, but it was a quick, easy part of our day.

I'd think that starting with the 2/3 student book for your 2nd grader would be good. And, I think it would be good to start with the 4/5 student book for your 6th grader. You can then either choose your own books or choose a book pack that HOD has put together. Did you notice that Carrie has a "suggested book list" that comes with the packages containing the teacher guide and student books? That will have some book suggestions for you. Or, we have enjoyed using the packages that HOD sells. I like having the pacing of the books scheduled for me at this point in our homeschooling. And, they're wonderful books that Carrie has chosen! They've all been a hit here! Here's a link to where you can click on the "optional book packs" of different levels. http://www.heartofdakota.com/drawn-into.php Now, 2 - doesn't mean 2nd grade. If you click on the level 2 pack, you'll see that the books have a reading level of beginning 3rd grade - 4th grade. If I were to guess what I'd use with your girls, I'd probably start with the level 2 pack and the 5/6 girl pack. And, like Lynn said, your child doesn't always have to be reading a book that is at the very top of their reading level every time. You want to keep them progressing as they learn to read, but I think a mix is good. I personally have loved some of these books that are on Carrie's list! And, like another mom said, while I can read at a college level, I don't always enjoy that. I enjoy some of these well-written books that are at a 5th grade level, too.

Happy choosing!
Kathleen

Kelley,

Here's how to write a signature that will be on your posts.

Click on the "User Control Panel" at the top left of this page.
Then click on the tab that says "Profile".
On the list on the left, click "Edit Signature"
Now, type and submit, and you're set!

Kathleen

Kathleen,
Thanks for both posts. This is really starting to make sense to me I didn't know that the 2 didn't mean 2nd. I thought the numbers had to match! Anyway, I'm so excited to start! By the way, you mentioned a book list that comes with the TG and Student Book. Isn't the list on the page with the package options? I'm gonna go fix my signature thing now

Kelley

The books on the suggested book list are different from the ones that Carrie has put in the packages. (I guess a few may overlap, but not for the most part.) She has had the book list out for a while. And, has been adding book packages that we can choose as time allows between writing guides. (So there might be more of those to come! )

Kathleen