DIHR- How do you decide which book level?

[amarie]

Hi,

I'll be ordering soon our books soon, I'm so very excited. I can't express how much we have enjoyed using HOD. We're planning on doing Bigger Hearts for His Glory with my son, who just turned 8. My question is, how do you determine which book level to use for Drawn into the Heart of Reading? He is a very good reader.

Thanks so much,
Amy

[Kathleen]

Amy,

Could you make a list of the Level 2 and Level 3 books and go to the library and flip through to see which ones look to be about right? That might give you a good starting place.

When my son was 8, I was just moving him to HOD. We also used Bigger and started DITHOR. I ordered the Level 2 pack for him, which has books from a 3rd-4th grade reading level. These were easier than some books that he was reading on his own for enjoyment, but since DITHOR was new to him it really worked well. The reading part wasn't difficult, so he could focus on improving his oral reading skills as well as the thinking that goes along with answering the questions afterwards either orally or in the student book. The following year we skipped to the Level 4/5 boy pack. The Level 3 pack will be books with a mid-3rd - 5th grade reading level.

I guess I should ask if you're newly coming to HOD. If you've been with HOD and your son has just finished the Emergine Readers, he'll be ready to move right into the Level 2 pack.

Kathleen

[Tree House Academy]

Are you asking about which specific books to choose for him or which level student book to use? If it is the student book you are questioning, I would absolutely start with level 2/3. As for books, anything goes. My son who is almost 8 reads at a 6th-ish grade level and I choose books for him usually from the 4/5 book packs or recommendations. He reads the books and understands them, but is not really ready for the deeper thinking that he would need to use DITHR level 4/5 student book - which is why we use level 2/3 in that.

Hope this makes sense and helps some.

[my3sons]

I like to pick the books slightly below my dc's reading level. This helps them be able to focus on learning the skills taught in DITHOR that are more new to them (i.e. the different genres, the various story elements, the Godly character traits and applying them, etc.). I am in the stage of life where I just want the books picked for me, so I really love the HOD book packs (plus, they are excellent books). However, I know that some moms love to choose the books themselves, and that is really neat to be able to do if that is the stage of life you are in. As far as the student books and level of teaching plans, I'd go with Level 2/3. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie