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I am just reading the GETTING STARTED pages in the back and on #5 Carrie states that "You may want to choose a book to read aloud to the group that corresponds with the genre you selected. This is an optional idea that is encouraged, but not required for this program."

O.K. - I really, really need to to know why this option is "encouraged". I have three children who will be using this program 11, 9, and 7 and if we can read the same book together and discuss it together, I think that would be ideal. I was thinking of having the two older boys reading the same book - but my dd would love to be included with her brothers. For some reason I thought everyone was supposed to be reading their own book on their own level - but when I read that reading a book aloud is ENCOURAGED - that seriously peaked my interest. Would it be better for us to read aloud the SAME book together and then do the workbook pages on their own level? Somebody who has done this - PLEASE HELP ME TO DECIDE. I am trying to put my finishing touches on my order and need to decide what reading books to order so I get my box in time to start school.

THAN YOU SO MUCH!!

Sincerely,
Lynn

OK, this is the way I understand it. I have a ds and dd doing the program. We choose what genre we want to be doing. Then my ds and dd each read a book from that genre that is suitable to their level. Choosing a read-aloud that corresponds with the genre you are on would be in addition to what the children are reading on their own. If they are all on the same reading level you could have them reading the same book but I doubt if 7yo would be on the same reading level as 11yo but I could be and am often wrong. DITHOR is the reading instruction for your children. It would defeat the purpose if you were doing the reading yourself. I hope I understood your question and have answered it clearly.

Hi Leah,

Thank you for your response. I understand what you said, but then I still don't understand what Carrie meant when she wrote this in the Getting Started section:

I am just reading the GETTING STARTED pages in the back and on #5 Carrie states that "You may want to choose a book to read aloud to the group that corresponds with the genre you selected. This is an optional idea that is encouraged, but not required for this program."

Does anyone know the answer to this?

Thank you!

Lynn

Hi Lynn,
I'm so sorry I didn't answer your question. I did get out my teacher's manual and read the page you were talking about where it says GETTING STARTED. Number 4 states that you will "select appropriate literature for each student". Number 5 comes after you have already chosen the Genre, placement of your children, and books that each child will be reading in that genre. In number 5 she writes, "You may want to choose a book to read aloud to the group that corresponds with the genre you selected. This is an optional idea that is encouraged, but not required for this program." She is writing this to the teacher as an option to read a book aloud to the students in addition to the books they are reading on their own. I believe this would help reiterate the genre that you are on and be a fun extra. I have never done this optional idea and the program works just fine without it. Hope this answers your question and I hope some others will also chime in to help.

ETA: After studying this a little while I have noticed one little word that makes a difference. "You may want to choose a book to read aloud to the group that corresponds with the genre you selected. This is an optional idea that is encouraged, but not required for this program."

I believe if she wanted us to read one book aloud taking turns, she would have wrote: "You may want to choose a book to read aloud with the group that corresponds with the genre you selected. This is an optional idea that is encouraged, but not required for this program."

HTH

Hi Leah,

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my post - I appreciate it so much!!!!! Yes, I finally get it now : ) I just couldn't get through my head what Carrie meant by that one sentence and I was getting all mixed up. I really am so grateful that you took the time to read the Getting Started section and helping me out with this. I feel like I have made such a breakthrough and can finally continue on with putting my order together. I can't thank you enough for taking time to help me - that was very nice of you. I am looking so forward to our first year with HOD!!!!

Thank you so much Leah!

Sincerely,
Lynn

Yay!!! You are very welcome! I'm so glad I could help! Be sure to let us know when you receive your box. We like to make a big deal of it around here. We call it Box Day and we all know how exciting it is to get our new HOD books!!