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Hi everyone,

I am planning to start school in mid-August; however, my ds has been asking every day if he can start reading his books (for DITHOR). I am not quite ready to start full swing with our new school year; so, I have a couple of questions:

Should I let him read a couple of books now (maybe the ones that we won't reach until later in DITHOR) and then he can re-read them later?

or

Should I start DITHOR now by itself since he is showing so much interest?

I appreciate your advice!!

Jen

p.s. My ds is almost 9, going into 3rd grade, and this is our first year homeschooling.

I have the same problem with my kids. So I went through and picked out the books I knew I wanted them to read this year and next and put those in a "do not touch" box. I have gotten books for them that are in the book packs for the set they won't do because they are now in the next set, so I guess they are a little "beneath" them, but since they are just wanting quick and fun reads for the beach, van, etc., I don't mind. They are great books.

I think starting DITHOR now by itself is a good plan if you are willing to do that. I plan to NOT start both Bigger and DITHOR at the same time, although at this point I don't know how it will play out. It takes a bit to get a new guide under your belt and figure out your "system" and DITHOR is kind of like a new guide. By the time you are ready to start Bigger you will have DITHOR down and that will make life a little easier.

Well - hooray! Interest in reading is a good, good thing! I think it would be fun to start DITHOR now. Once you start though, you will want to be consistent with it, so he gets off on the right foot with it. You can choose to do it 3-5 times a week to start with, as this is a summer thing you are doing not during formal school, but whatever you decide, I'd try to be consistent with it. I think this would be a great way to ease into it. Then, when you start your school year (officially ), you'll already be in a great rhythm with DITHOR, and adding your HOD core guide to the routine will be a new fun thing to bring into the day. No matter what you choose to do, I wouldn't have him reread the books though, as DITHOR works best with books dc have not read previously. HTH - and have fun with DITHOR - we have enjoyed it for many, many years, and it still is such a terrific way to teach reading skills, while still fostering a passion for reading!

In Christ,
Julie

We did the kickoff on Friday. The kids had a lot of fun running through their rooms picking items to put in their "biography" bag. Monday will be our 1st official DITHOR day.

Thanks everyone for the good advice!

Jen