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We did it!!! We finally started DITHOR today. It's been about 2 weeks (I believe ) since we finished the E.R.'s and everday my poor ds has asked me if he could have his next book. This in and of itself is huge as before we started the E.R.'s and the questions, I would always say it's time to read aloud for 15 min. The E.R.'s and questions got my ds asking for his book.

I was not looking forward to starting DITHOR (sorry, but honest). It looked like a wonderful program and I loved what I saw that it would teach, but I was overwhelmed and I thought my ds would be too in some aspects. Anyway, today was our first day, we started with Fantasy and began with The Littles. This is something I would probably never pick to read either, another good aspect of DITHOR. Well, I found a site online where it had a cute game choosing between real and make believe scenarios. He played it 3 times. We then talked about what a fantasy is and I chose the option of him picking an animal, coming up with scenarios, and acting it out. He was smiling the whole time. He saw Corduroy out and asked if we could read it. I told him we were going too. We shared some laughs. Well, he didn't want to stop, so after what I planned for our kickoff, we even did Day 1. I kept trying to get him to leave something for tomorrow, but he didn't want to. So tomorrow we start Day 2.

For those of you who have done DITHOR, do you always do the extra vocab work that is optional? My ds doesn't need extra phonics work, so the option would be vocab. I'm sure he would benefit, but again I don't want to overwhelm him or me. Can you tell I'm easily overwhelmed by new things?

Oh, and do you think it's okay that I write on some of his pgs? Today he wrote everything, but two short lines because we had already spent more time than I had planned. I was thinking of doing this anyway, kind of like I do with R & S English, and ease our way into him writing the whole pg. Just a thought. There may be a reason why he should write it all out. I even thought about writing his answer on the dry erase board, so he could go back later and fill in the answers, so I didn't have to wait for him to fill it all in, then I could jump to working with dd. What do you think about that option?

Thanks for your opnions and reading about our first day with DITHOR.

We just started DITHOR too!
It does seem overwhelming at first.
we are doing Biography - Lew Wallace -boy writer
I plan on doing some of the pages orally. My son just turned 7 and he does fine orally and i know it would be too much writing just now.
He is excited to start DITHOR!
so glad reading is one of is favorite subjects!

Jenn D

I did a mix of writing on my dd's pages at the start to help her finish in time. But overall the best option that worked in the end was writing her answers on a white board, then letting her fill in her work sheet, or letting her finish it on her own later, as home work.

Edwena,

I am so glad that you got started on DITHR! It sounds like you had a wonderful start. DITHR can be one of those programs that looks overwhelming but is actually easy to teach once you get the books picked. As you use it through the years, it truly becomes like an old, steady friend.

I think you have a great plan for easing into the written work in the Student Book. Keep in mind that DITHR is meant to be a reading/literature program rather than a writing program. So, do whatever you need to do to partner with your little guy to keep the focus on the reading, thinking, and discussing (and not on the writing). You can be his scribe and write our his answers in his student book as needed. You can then move toward writing out half of the page of answers on his student page and writing the other half on a markerboard for him to copy. Then, later move to writing most on the markerboard to copy later. Next, a move to writing part on the markerboard and letting him complete the rest of the page himself works well. Last, would be completing the page on his own. You may need some or all of these steps to get him to the point where he can do the written part on his own. All are possible options and steps you can take along the way.

Enjoy the journey!

Blessings,
Carrie

Thanks so much for the responses, ladies!!!

We are just so happy with DITHOR!!! Ds said to me yesterday, "Momma, aren't you so glad it's time to do my book(DITHOR)?

Carrie, thanks for the reminder of the purpose of DITHOR. As I read the boards, it's amazing to me all the thought you've put into these programs. The Lord has truly given you a gift and you are using that gift in ministry. Thank you for being obedient.

My ds doesn't tire in writing and he's fine with the amount. To be honest, he's not the best speller, and I can't stand seeing all the misspelled words. Then I have to make him correct them, then his paper looks terrible, etc. Anyway, it seems best when he's writing things out to have him copy them when I know there's going to be words he doesn't know how to spell correctly.

I'm so glad you got to start DITHOR! Once you've been through an entire unit of DITHOR, it's easy to do and clips right along - the first unit is the "training period" in my mind always, as there are many 'firsts' - but for sure by Unit 2 your ds and you will be off and running. I wrote for my ds first because I wanted him to focus on excellent answers. After the first unit, I wrote half and he wrote the other half (but he did it as copywork off a markerboard that I'd written them on). By the 3rd unit or so, he began writing it all, and I just helped him with spelling words by jotting them on the markerboard for him when he asked. It sounds to me like your ds could probably already be at the point where you can write his answers on the marker board and he can finish them out in his workbook independently so you can move on to help your other child. This is what we do too, and it's a nice time saver. Have fun with DITHOR - it is truly a wonderful way to teach reading!

In Christ,
Julie