After DITHR 6/7/8 & Beginning DITHR 2/3

[mothermayi?]

What do you do after DITHOR 6/7/8 if your student would like to do something else for reading? Do most people repeat DITHOR 6/7/8 but use other books, or is there another item that is recommended?

As for my rising second grader, I am not sure if she is suppose to go into DITHR or not. Perhaps you ladies can help me . She currently can read level 4 readers, but we are still going through the last of her phonics simply because I want to make sure she has a firm foundation. Should she just read appropriate books for her age and ability in second grade? Or, should she begin DITHR Level 2/3?

If DITHR is our next step, how do I know which book pack to order? I was thinking of ordering the level 2 AND level 3 books. I don't really have a reason for ordering bother except she is an avid reader so I wanted to be sure I had plenty of books for DITHR and free reading. If I used one book pack for DITHR and the other for free reading, should we use level 2 for DITHR so the reading won't be too difficult as she focuses on analysis?

ETA: She is doing the emergent readers from HOD Beyond now.

Thanks in advance!
Thanks!

[Carrie]

Hello!

This past thread will be of help to you as ponder. I share my own experiences, being almost exactly where you are now: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13030

I will also share that my next son in line, who is a sophomore this year, did only DITHR all the way through repeating Level 6/7/8. It was a good experience for both of us. My next little guy is now a 6th grader in Level 6/7/8, and I have plans to go the same route as we did with son number 2 with him.

The suggestions from my3son's in the thread linked above are how we also used DITHR 6/7/8 a second time around. Honestly, DITHR becomes pretty easy on the parent to do, and easier for the student as he/she progresses. Yet, it covers the needed literary analysis at a deeper level and still speaks to the heart of the student with the short book discussions and follow-up projects. As our kiddos are in middle school and the verge of high school, it is more important than ever to speak to their hearts using God's word to weigh what they read. It is a time to develop discernment and to bring to fruition the reading skills, critical thinking, and moral discernment you've been working toward through DITHR for years.

Blessings,
Carrie

[mothermayi?]

That was very helpful! Thank you! We will press on . It will be nice to have both of my boys in the 6/7/8 workbook next school year. This year my younger is finishing workbook 4/5, and I get confused sometimes when trying to follow the directions for both of them at the same time.

[StephanieU]

I would do the Emerging Readers before DITHOR. We are near the end of the ER books (with a 2nd grader), and a few of the I Can Read Level 4 books are in the series (Prairie School and First Flight). Those are Units 16-18, so there are 16 weeks of books left after those in the Emerging Readers.
After you finish the ER books, I think you have a few optoins. Some families just read appropriate books or the Level 2 DITHOR pack without doing the worksheets. Others do the worksheets orally, and still others do full DITHOR with a 2nd-3rd grader. I still am not decided what we will do after the ER books (we are on Bears of Hemlock Mountain right now). I am going to buy DITHOR 2/3, but we might not do the workbook until we are half way through Bigger or in Preparing, it will just depend on how well the transition to Bigger goes, how well my daughter does with the increased writing, etc.

[mothermayi?]

We are using the emergent readers now. Perhaps I should wait to decide closer to second grade? I will be ordering soon so I wanted to get everything to take advantage of free shipping .