Proper way to do dictation??

[meandmycuties]

I have a question about dictation. Are we supposed to let them study it, and then read the entire thing at once to the child or one line at a time? I had seen where Carrie said before to only read it once because they should memorize it. Before I saw that, I had been repeating the passage as needed if my child asked. If I read one line and let them start writing that line before saying the next line, they seem to be ok with that. Is that ok, or should they be able to write the whole thing from memory after hearing it read all at once, one time?

[meandmycuties]

bump

[doubleportion]

In the very beginning of your Dictation section you should see "Special Instructions for the dictation passage". You might reread that part. I know I wasn't requiring that my dd indent and a few other things and realized I need to be more detailed with her corrections.

Maybe these threads will help

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9899&p=72159&hilit= ... ent#p72159

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10312&p=75384&hilit ... ion#p75384

-Edie

[my3sons]

Dictation is something that is new to most of us, as we probably didn't study spelling using dictation when we were in school ourselves. HOD adheres to Charlotte Mason's method of dictation. I actually reread the special instructions provided in the Appendix of HOD's guides from time to time, just as a good reminder of the ins and outs of properly doing dictation. Here they are (I know you may have read this, but other moms reading this and wondering the same thing may have not)...

Special instructions for the dictation passages: Each student needs a notebook for dictation. A wide-lined notebook is best. On each dictation day, your student will study the dictation passage. It is helpful to write any difficult words on markerboard or paper for the students to focus on. New words are in bold. Also, call attention to any capital letters and punctuation marks in the passage. Discuss them briefly as needed.

When students feel ready, remove the dictation passage from the students’ sight. Call out the passage one phrase at a time. Pause after each phrase for students to repeat it back to you and write it. Continue until the entire passage has been dictated.

Give students a moment to look over their passage for mistakes. Then, have them compare their sentences with the key. Students should circle any mistakes they made on the key and correct the mistakes in their own notebook. If the passage was correct, place a checkmark next to the passage in the key. All items in the sentence must be correct, including punctuation marks, before going on to the next passage. If students made any mistakes, they’ll repeat the same passage as many days as it takes to get it right.

Always begin the next session where the student left off. If your child is repeatedly stuck on passages, he or she may need to move to an easier level of dictation passages.

...Are we supposed to let them study it, and then read the entire thing at once to the child or one line at a time?...

At first, you can start by reading a very short phrase at a time, and pausing at appropriate places. So for Level 2's #17 passage, which looks like this in the Appendix...
Snow keeps the roots warm.
Nell does not like the snow.
boots

It could be read like this in short phrases, pausing at the end of each of these...
Snow keeps
the roots warm.
Nell does not
like the snow.
boots

...I had seen where Carrie said before to only read it once because they should memorize it...

Carrie has said this, but she meant read each phrase only once at a time, rather than repeating it.

...If I read one line and let them start writing that line before saying the next line, they seem to be ok with that. Is that ok, or should they be able to write the whole thing from memory after hearing it read all at once, one time?

You can read a phrase at a time, working up to a line at a time. Dc do not need to be able to write the whole thing from memory after hearing it read all at once, one time. The dictation passages become extremely difficult at the upper levels of dictation. Saying them a line at a time through the upper levels is just fine to do.

I'm so glad you asked these questions, as many moms are probably wondering the same things. Dictation has the best results of any spelling method I've ever seen. It improves dc's spelling (and punctuation, grammar, etc.) in their own writing, and that is the goal of spelling after all. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie