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Hello. I will be a first time user of HOD beginning this summer. I plan on using Creation to Christ with my 14 y/o daughter. She has dyslexia and is not a strong reader. These are the resources she has used for LA so far: some copywork and dictation using the older versions of LLATL, Spell to Write and Read, R&S 2 and 3, Analytical Grammar Junior, and IEW All Things Fun and Fascinating. I really want to just use CtC as it is and not to play a juggling act with supplementation. Nevertheless, one option I've been thinking about is not using R&S 4/Write with the Best and instead utilizing Analytical Grammar and IEW again. However, I appreciate how Carrie has carefully integrated her resources to give a very balanced but thorough coverage of LA skills. Yet, CtC is not meant to be a high school course, and if it was, my daughter might not be able to perform on that level anyway. I am also sitting on the fence between DITHOR, BJU Literature 7, or Progeny Press Study Guides for literature. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you. Marie in FL

Welcome!

I am very interested in the answers you might get from Carrie on this one, as our oldest son will be using RTR and the next guide for his first two years of high school. I, too, appreciate the way the LA is planned out in high school and am wondering if it will still all work if the first two guides we use are not technically high school guides.

As for literature, I have a few thoughts based on our experience with the programs you mentioned. Our oldest daughter (grown now) had a reading delay. We tried Progeny Press, but oh my goodness, those high school guides can be intense! And frustrating for one who struggles in that area already.

My oldest son is also dyslexic, and he loves the stories in BJU (he has read BJU levels 4-7), but honestly, we use those as supplements--to expose him to certain authors whenever he reads through his assigned books too quickly (despite his dyslexia, he is now a voracious reader--after a rather slow start ).

Our best results have been with DITHOR. It was perfect for my oldest dd (even in high school) because she could choose books on her level that were interesting to her. DITHOR translates to all books. It's wonderful that way. It has worked beautifully in the other direction for my oldest son because he can choose higher level books.

If I were in your situation, I would go with DITHOR.

I think you and your dd would be very happy using CTC as it is written. I think the dictation would be appropriate, as dd has not done as much with this, but here is a sample of CTC's dictation so you can see what you think...

CTC Level 5 Dictation Sample:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5068&p=37153#p37153

We found dictation to be much harder than it first appears. Dc are supposed to redo the passage the next day if they missed anything at all - indenting, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, etc. So that is just something to keep in mind as you look at the samples with dd in mind.

As far as WWTB, I would think based on what you've shared that a year with WWTB would be just fine for dd. It uses excerpts from classics such as "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", and I believe is quite mature. The balance of the LA in the CTC plans is golden. It makes each day have a manageable amount of reading, writing, and hands-on. I would be hard-pressed to find something that covers all that CTC's LA covers so well - as its plans balance R & S English Grammar, WWTB, CM style dictation/copywork/oral narration/written narration, poetry, and reading instruction through DITHOR beautifully. However, you can use a different writing plan if you would prefer. Here is a link to Carrie's explanation for using WWTB...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6590&p=48307#p48307

I am thinking your dd could do R & S English 5, but you will know best. HTH!
In Christ,
Julie

Melena,

The ladies are doing a terrific job of talking through your options with you! As far as high school credit goes, the English credit is composed of a combination of grammar/writing/literature/vocabulary. So, with that in mind, I think it is important to meet your daughter on her level in as many of those areas as possible while still being able to earn high school credit in the English area. Since the English credit is comprised of several areas, there is more leeway in how you meet this credit requirement.

From what you've shared so far, I'd lean toward using Write with the Best as scheduled for writing. It will be more rigorous in some areas (and also give a different area of emphasis) than the IEW course that you listed in your first post. It also stretches into the high school years, easily into grades 9-10.

As far as dictation goes, I think you will be fine with what is found within the CTC guide. For vocabulary, you will find that DITHR will fill-in well in this area and that the science box will also lend itself toward some vocabulary work. DITHR will also work well to help your daughter begin to dig more deeply into what she is reading and also learn to read with moral discernment. Here is a link to a thread where I share some high school level titles that you could consider using with DITHR that would be high-school worthy reads. Link: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7765&p=56997#p56997

For grammar, with what your child has had so far, I'd lean toward Rod and Staff 5 or 6. If you will be using English 5, I would do it at full-speed. If you will be using English 6, I would do it at half-speed over two years (which is what we do in CTC and RTR). After the freshman year, I would just continue on doing Rod and Staff at half-speed each of the following years. This will mean that you will not get to Rod and Staff English 8 in high school, but I'm of the opinion that grammar should be a steady progression (in order to be truly retained and applied, rather than a race). So, with that thought in mind, steadily completing Rod and Staff English 7 by the end of high school, and being able to apply it, is better than cramming it in to complete English 8. High school has plenty of rigor, and much focus on language arts, so she will be getting plenty of emphasis in that area. Half-speed grammar in high school fits very well in the overall scheme of language arts and makes sure to keep everything in balance.

Your thoughts may vary from mine, but this will get you started pondering the best fit for your daughter. Feel free to post back and share your thoughts.

Blessings,
Carrie